Publishing Information: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Tor (1 April 2011)
ISBN 10: 0330536206
ISBN 13: 978-0330536202
Copy: Sent by the publisher
Reviewer: Yagiz
"Drothe is a Nose, an informant who finds and takes care of trouble inside the criminal organization he’s a part of. He also smuggles imperial relics on the side.
When his boss sends him to Ten Ways to track down who’s been leaning on his organization’s people, Drothe discovers hints of a much bigger mystery. Someone is trying to stir up trouble between lower-level criminal organizations, including the one Drothe belongs to. And there’s a book rumored to contain imperial glimmer (or magic) that a lot of very dangerous people seem to be looking for - including two crime bosses known as the Gray Princes.
When Drothe discovers the book, he finds himself holding a bit of swag that can bring down emperors, shatter the criminal underworld, and unlock forbidden magic…that's if he can survive long enough to use it."
Turning the first page of a debut novel is always a very exciting moment as it is the first step into an uncharted territory. Unfortunately the following steps are not always as satisfactory as the reader would hope. And this reality makes the reading of books like Among Thieves a true delight because every year only a handful of debut novels live up to the hype and Hulick's is one of them.
In Among Thieves Douglas Hulick tells the story of Drothe, a smart and sarcastic member of the city's underground family. He is an informant sitting in the middle of an information web, listening to the vibrations caused by other informants or Kin and his position is a dangerous one.
"In the "argot of the underworld", I am what is referred to as a Nose. This means I make a living by sticking myself in where I don't belong, sniffing around for dirt, and generally making a nuisance of myself. I'm an information broker, and I gather what I can by almost any means I can: paid informants, bribes, eavesdropping, blackmail, burglary, frame-ups... and even, on rare occasions, torture - whatever it takes to get the story."
Drothe is a very likable character and the reader effortlessly befriends and follows him. He is an interesting protagonist. He's not the all-powerful best-swordsman hero that we may encounter in fantasy books. He is far from being perfect in martial skills but he survives mostly thanks to his sharp mind. Usually it takes time for me to get comfortable with a first-person narrative however as Hulick's prose embraces the reader, I immediately felt close to Drothe. And the good thing is that the feeling of closeness and being part of the story remained throughout the entire book.
Looking at the back of the book, one might think that the plot is not revolutionary. And to be fair that would be correct. Furthermore, I would also add that the setting is not exceptional. The urban nature of the story doesn't require an immense world-building, which limits the required setting size. However, Hulick develops the plot masterfully and the parts of the setting that the reader is allowed to experience come alive naturally.
"Ildrecca dates back more than a millennium, the center of kingdoms and empires long before the line of Dorminikos made it its own. It is a city of growing palaces and crumbling temples, worked stone and shattered ruins, where you can jump over a wall at street level and end up in a private sunken garden or on someone's laundry-covered roof. Dig down and you find the broken fragments of history; look up, and you see the growing glory of the future."
I really liked the author's style, which is smooth and flowing. Hulick peppers the main plot with background information and setting description very well. The book's chapters are not very long, which contributes to the pace of the story and to its ease of read. There are also some surprises hidden in the story, which is another point that contributes to the quality of the plot.
Among Thieves is dialogue-rich. And the dialogues don't feel forced or awkward. Furthermore, they reflect the characters' personality and the book's mood very well. This is probably one of the sides of the book that captivate the reader.
"Then we have a problem"
"One of us does," said Degan. "The other just has to figure out what to do with the body"
While reading the book, It felt like the secondary characters, like Drothe's sister, could have been more developed. Degan, member of an old mercenary order and Drothe's friend is probably the most mysterious character in the book. The reader desperately wants to know more about him throughout the story. I hope we'll read more about him and his bronze-chased sword that marks him as a member of the Order of the Degans in future installments.
Usually I'm not a nitpicker but I must admit that I was surprised by the author's use of the word "café", which is a late 19th century concept that became popular in 20th century. Therefore I thought it was at odds with the overall setting.
Among Thives is an action-packed fantasy. Hulick's great debut novel reads like a thriller and becomes a page-turner from the beginning. The author's masterful story-telling makes Among Thieves one of the best debuts of the year.
Plot 8/10
Characters 8/10
Style 9/10
Overall 9/10
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