#43: Megan Whalen Turner, The Thief (Queen's Thief #1) (JRI)

[kareila]

I've heard various murmurs of good things about this book and its sequels over the years, but didn't know much about it. It turns out to be an interesting, if not entirely convincing, fantasy adventure tale. Two power-hungry kingdoms are separated by a third that keeps the peace, and the monarchy of that third country is traditionally bound to the possession of a magical stone that has been lost. A thief is freed from prison in order to retrieve it for one of the warrior kings. Along the way he develops a camaraderie with the kings' men in charge of the mission, but not everyone is entirely what they seem. It's a short book, aimed at children and bearing a Newbery Honor award. I look forward to reading the sequels.