Heather’s Bookshelf: The Thief and the Historian
Author: Brendan Corbett
Released: 06/17/23
Genre: YA Fantasy
“‘Anyone who wishes to share their thoughts is welcome to do so. Every person, whether a wealthy royal living in a fancy manor or a pauper from the streets, has value. In recording history, we should never consider a life inconsequential, as we all are important in our own way. No two people have the same perspective, therefore the more people who contribute their experiences and memories, the more complete our recordings become.”
“The Thief and the Historian: Book One of the Runetree Chronicles” introduces Aeda, a gifted thief. Working with her steward, Braedyn, Aeda is challenged by the Grey Society to steal from a historian visiting their city of Biersport.
Assuming this to be just another task, Aeda does as the Grey Society demands, but the historian Gieral turns out to be not such an easy mark.
When Gieral catches Aeda in the middle of her mission, she decides a fitting punishment for her treachery would be to bind them together as historian and apprentice. Aeda finds herself outside the only life she thought possible and struggling to catch up with a world she didn’t even know existed.
Surrounded by new people and creatures (some helpful and some extremely dangerous), learning about Runestones and the history of the historians, Aeda also hears of Gieral’s concern about a string of missing historians.
Will Aeda find her way in this new world? And is there something to all the missing historians?
Trigger Warning: violence, death
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The story is told through the POV of Aeda, determined and strong-willed but hindered by circumstances seemingly out of her control. She feels stuck and that being a thief is the only possible route for survival. It’s this background that adds to Aeda’s character and also gives context for some of her “saltier” moments. She’s a great protagonist with depth that keeps you interested. Gieral’s just as interesting from a background perspective but a little bit more one note compared to Aeda. I found the whole concept of the historian to be a great one and the elements of fantasy prominent throughout. The concept of the runetree was new to me, but I really enjoyed the incorporation into the main story and the descriptions of its meaning. The pacing of the story was also well-balanced with portions that moved along rapidly (like the scene with Melinor) while others are a bit slower but develop background details (like the scenes at the library). The ending left me at a bit of a loss. It’s the first in a series, so a bit of a cliffhanger is expected (though I’m still not a fan), but this story just kind of ends without much of a climax or resolution. I did like the epilogue, but hope the next book results in a little more of a feeling of completeness.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A YA fantasy filled with interesting lore and an intriguing protagonist. The pacing is well-balanced, but the ending left me wanting.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Brendan Corbett
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