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The Thief (1996 novel)
Encyclopedia
The Thief is a young adult fantasy novel by Megan Whalen Turner
, first published by HarperCollins
on October 1, 1996. It is the first in a series of books, followed by The Queen of Attolia
, The King of Attolia
and A Conspiracy of Kings
.
The Thief was a Newbery Honor Book in 1997.
, this fantasy story takes place in a Byzantine
-like civilization that includes more modern inventions such as rifles, glass window panes, telescope
s, cannons, and printed books.
The story takes place in the countries of Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia and is told in the first person from the point of view of Gen, a young thief who, despite his considerable talent for thievery (his own tag line is "I can steal anything"), is
languishing in the King of Sounis's prison
for the outrageous crime of having stolen the King's Seal and bragging about it in a wine shop.
The journey is dangerous, and the travelers grate on each others’ nerves. The magus reveals that the object he wants Gen to steal is a precious stone called Hamaithes's Gift. Gen risks death in a daring attempt to steal the stone from an almost inaccessible temple
, while the entire party is pursued by the Guard of Attolia.
None of the main characters are exactly what they seem to be. By the end of the book,
secrets are revealed, relationships adjusted, and respect between the travelers is lost and won.
Megan Whalen Turner
Megan Whalen Turner is an American author of fantasy fiction for young adults. She received her BA with honors in English language and literature from the University of Chicago in 1987. She is best known for her series of young adult novels primarily revolving around a character named Eugenides...
, first published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
on October 1, 1996. It is the first in a series of books, followed by The Queen of Attolia
The Queen of Attolia
The Queen of Attolia is a young adult fantasy novel by Megan Whalen Turner, first published by HarperCollins in 2001.The Queen of Attolia is the sequel to The Thief and is the second of Turner's four books about Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis....
, The King of Attolia
The King of Attolia
The King of Attolia is a young adult fantasy novel by Megan Whalen Turner, first published by Greenwillow Books in 2006.The King of Attolia is preceded by The Thief and The Queen of Attolia, and is followed by A Conspiracy of Kings...
and A Conspiracy of Kings
A Conspiracy of Kings
A Conspiracy of Kings is a young adult fantasy novel by Megan Whalen Turner and published by Greenwillow Books in 2010.A Conspiracy of Kings is the sequel to The Thief, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia. It is the fourth of Megan Whalen Turner’s books about Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis...
.
The Thief was a Newbery Honor Book in 1997.
Plot introduction
Although the time period is somewhat similar to ancient GreeceAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, this fantasy story takes place in a Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
-like civilization that includes more modern inventions such as rifles, glass window panes, telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
s, cannons, and printed books.
The story takes place in the countries of Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia and is told in the first person from the point of view of Gen, a young thief who, despite his considerable talent for thievery (his own tag line is "I can steal anything"), is
languishing in the King of Sounis's prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for the outrageous crime of having stolen the King's Seal and bragging about it in a wine shop.
Plot summary
Gen is released from prison by the magus, the king's scholar. The magus finds Gen filthy, uncouth, and insolent, but he needs Gen’s skills as a thief. Without telling Gen where they are going, he takes him out of the city. They are joined by the magus’s two apprentices, Sophos and Ambiades, and by Pol, a soldier.The journey is dangerous, and the travelers grate on each others’ nerves. The magus reveals that the object he wants Gen to steal is a precious stone called Hamaithes's Gift. Gen risks death in a daring attempt to steal the stone from an almost inaccessible temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
, while the entire party is pursued by the Guard of Attolia.
None of the main characters are exactly what they seem to be. By the end of the book,
secrets are revealed, relationships adjusted, and respect between the travelers is lost and won.