Thief’s Blade by C. Greenwood
Published March 22, 2017
Ages 12+
“Luka’s carefree existence as the spoiled son of a minor noble ended the day his family was arrested and imprisoned in the Eyeless Tower. His father, a political rival to the praetor of Camdon, would never live to see freedom again. Luka should have joined his father on the scaffold but fate – or the schemes of men – intervened. Escape came.
Now Luka has a chance to thwart his persecutors and avenge his family. Beginning life again in a distant province, he takes a new name – Rideon. But the past he left behind won’t stay buried. His father’s old foe is determined to destroy him. Rideon finds help, only to discover a sinister purpose drives his mysterious allies. His new weapon seems to be cursed by an evil spell. Worst of all, he has offended a powerful faction within the city of Selbius. The treacherous thieves’ guild is out for his blood and their cunning thief king won’t be satisfied until Rideon feels the wrath of his infamous blade.
The only whisper of hope seems to come from the shadows of far away Dimmingwood. But can Rideon reach that haven, protect his young brother, and dodge all foes until his day of vengeance comes? Or will the traitors, thieves, and magickers surrounding him finish the deadly work his enemies began?” – Publisher’s Blurb
The Review:
We have never seen Miss Greenwood’s work before, but if Thief’s Blade is any indication of her skill, she is a talented writer. Though at times the plot felt contrived, Thief’s Blade is a solid coming of age story, where young Luka fights for vengeance and what is his. The characters are magnificent right out of the door, with the silver-haired Cadvan immediately catching our eye. Perhaps the only issue we have is the shortness of the work. It is a bit of a slow burn in parts and is clearly meant to set the stage for book two of the series, which was released in tandem. Because of this though, at times it fails to feel like a story on its own, which is disappointing, but it leaves you yearning for more.
Regarding style, Miss Greenwood caused our imaginations to run wild, her word choice was superb, and nothing struck us as being out of place. Attention was paid to the details, and it shows, with vivid descriptions that did not linger longer than needed, every word is utilized to its fullest, leaving us refreshed and delighted.
The Rating: A-
Honestly, if it were a bit longer, it would have received a perfect score. Typically the brevity of a story does not influence our rating, but in this case, if felt like it could have simply been tacked onto the second book since they were released simultaneously, and both would have fared better for it. Of course, the reasoning for the split from a publishing standpoint is clear, and since we have fallen victim to their ploy, we have no doubt others will, and have, too. We look forward to reading Thief’s Fall, and we highly recommend picking up Thief’s Blade, a magical start to what is sure to be an impressive series.
Do you want to read Thief’s Blade (Magic of Dimmingwood Book 1)