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kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review
3.0
Disclaimer: The author sent me a free copy to review.
Harcourt has a problem. He needs money. This shouldn’t be a problem or at least not much of one as he is a thief, but the Thieves’ Guild does not want him to join. What’s a thief to do; besides be a thief?
The Thieves of Stonewood is a book in the tradition of gaming novels. It feels like a role playing novel. It combines the gaming feel with a hint of Thieves’ World. This is not to be seen as a criticism. After all, look at the success of Drizzt.
I can’t figure out if the book is intended for a Young Adult audience, an adult one, or both. Harcourt is presented as a likable, if slightly romanticized figure, and at times the plot reads like a fairy tale, not a bad thing. Yet, Hayes deserves credit for letting the reader see the dark side of Harcourt. Harcourt may deeply love his girlfriend Jalanna, but he does not romanticize all women. He may have a soft spot for children but he does also have a hard side. In short, he is a bit like the central character from the BBC America series Copper.
The book does have some problems that usually appear with a first book. The world building could be a bit stronger. The world is believable, and Hayes sets out rules that he sticks to; however, if you are familiar with Thieves’ World, that image tends to overwhelm. At times, the sentences are heavy. Furthermore, the fact that Harcourt says repeatedly that he only wants to heal the scarred Jalanna to make her happy and that he doesn’t care what she looks like, seems to imply the opposite. Because Harcourt must even say this to his close friend, it feels like a case of he doth protest too much. Hayes clearly shows that the couple is in love, but I can’t help but think how more powerful it would have been if he had down the same in regards to Harcourt and Jalanna’s scars. Instead of repeating the same thing over and over, why not show Harcourt remove her veil, touch her face? Something like that is far more powerful then the repetitive denial of Harcourt. Jalanna doesn’t seem to remove the veil even in front of him, and while this speaks to her feelings of her self-image, it also somewhat seems to speak to Harcourt’s.
Hayes’ tight plotting and energetic writing when the plot takes off makes up for the defects. While at times the writing is heavy, when the action truly starts, this flaw leaves. The last 150 pages fly by. While the book is first in a planned trilogy, the ending is not a cliffhanger and is satisfying, not something that the first book in every series does. The supporting characters are very well drawn. Hayes describes the characters, for the most part, in terms of action and behavior. This succeeds very well, and the characters also stay in character. Yes, I know all readers should expect this, but considering how many writers have zapped their characters into something else, sometimes even in one book, it is worth noting.
In short, I was somewhat fearful to accept the offer of the book for the review, but after reading it, I am very glad that I did.
Harcourt has a problem. He needs money. This shouldn’t be a problem or at least not much of one as he is a thief, but the Thieves’ Guild does not want him to join. What’s a thief to do; besides be a thief?
The Thieves of Stonewood is a book in the tradition of gaming novels. It feels like a role playing novel. It combines the gaming feel with a hint of Thieves’ World. This is not to be seen as a criticism. After all, look at the success of Drizzt.
I can’t figure out if the book is intended for a Young Adult audience, an adult one, or both. Harcourt is presented as a likable, if slightly romanticized figure, and at times the plot reads like a fairy tale, not a bad thing. Yet, Hayes deserves credit for letting the reader see the dark side of Harcourt. Harcourt may deeply love his girlfriend Jalanna, but he does not romanticize all women. He may have a soft spot for children but he does also have a hard side. In short, he is a bit like the central character from the BBC America series Copper.
The book does have some problems that usually appear with a first book. The world building could be a bit stronger. The world is believable, and Hayes sets out rules that he sticks to; however, if you are familiar with Thieves’ World, that image tends to overwhelm. At times, the sentences are heavy. Furthermore, the fact that Harcourt says repeatedly that he only wants to heal the scarred Jalanna to make her happy and that he doesn’t care what she looks like, seems to imply the opposite. Because Harcourt must even say this to his close friend, it feels like a case of he doth protest too much. Hayes clearly shows that the couple is in love, but I can’t help but think how more powerful it would have been if he had down the same in regards to Harcourt and Jalanna’s scars. Instead of repeating the same thing over and over, why not show Harcourt remove her veil, touch her face? Something like that is far more powerful then the repetitive denial of Harcourt. Jalanna doesn’t seem to remove the veil even in front of him, and while this speaks to her feelings of her self-image, it also somewhat seems to speak to Harcourt’s.
Hayes’ tight plotting and energetic writing when the plot takes off makes up for the defects. While at times the writing is heavy, when the action truly starts, this flaw leaves. The last 150 pages fly by. While the book is first in a planned trilogy, the ending is not a cliffhanger and is satisfying, not something that the first book in every series does. The supporting characters are very well drawn. Hayes describes the characters, for the most part, in terms of action and behavior. This succeeds very well, and the characters also stay in character. Yes, I know all readers should expect this, but considering how many writers have zapped their characters into something else, sometimes even in one book, it is worth noting.
In short, I was somewhat fearful to accept the offer of the book for the review, but after reading it, I am very glad that I did.
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