The Thief

By Megan Whalen Turner
280 pages

Gen is a successful thief.  Unfortunately, he has one major flaw: arrogance.  In prison after bragging about his skills, Gen is suddenly summoned to the Magus, the king’s top advisor.  The Magus needs his assistance in stealing the treasure of a neighboring country, and not just any treasure.  A treasure that will allow the king to realize his greatest plans.  Gen quickly discovers that this will not be a typical heist, he will be forced to not only find a relic that others have searched for for generations, but also determine which of his companions can be trusted, which cannot, and just what he hopes to accomplish for himself.  Appearances can be deceiving however, and Gen has a surprise of his own.

I was intrigued throughout this entire book and pleasantly surprised at the end.  A great adventure story for those who like to root for the unlikely hero.