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A review by branch_c
Thieves' Quarry by D.B. Jackson
4.0
This book has a lot going for it, especially the creatively realistic historical fantasy setting and a clever plot that keeps the reader guessing until the last minute.
Most of the characters from the first Thieftaker book return here in their same roles, and this tended to make some of their interactions a bit predictable. But there were some interesting new additions: in particular Dr. Rickman and Mariz. These two seem to be well set up to make appearances in later volumes.
The character development I liked best was the continuing relationship between Sephira and Kaille. In contrast to the first book, where her major interaction with Kaille was to repeatedly order her henchmen to beat him up, there's some more complex psychological banter at play this time, and there might even be a hint of respect for him behind her evil façade. This is a good thing, because otherwise there's a risk of her becoming a bit boring, and not having her as a POV character, we don't get a deeper view of her motives.
There is also some more exploration of the magical system and the possibilities for extending it, which should add to the interest in future stories. Regarding that system, I wonder if we've reached the point where the Latin conjuring phrases don't need to be repeated in English each time - at least the ones we've seen used before. The readers can probably figure it out from context even if we don't remember. Also I still found the conjurers strangely lacking in curiosity about the nature of their power, but I expect this will be further expanded upon in subsequent volumes.
All in all, a solid continuation of this engaging series; looking forward to the next one.
Most of the characters from the first Thieftaker book return here in their same roles, and this tended to make some of their interactions a bit predictable. But there were some interesting new additions: in particular Dr. Rickman and Mariz. These two seem to be well set up to make appearances in later volumes.
The character development I liked best was the continuing relationship between Sephira and Kaille. In contrast to the first book, where her major interaction with Kaille was to repeatedly order her henchmen to beat him up, there's some more complex psychological banter at play this time, and there might even be a hint of respect for him behind her evil façade. This is a good thing, because otherwise there's a risk of her becoming a bit boring, and not having her as a POV character, we don't get a deeper view of her motives.
There is also some more exploration of the magical system and the possibilities for extending it, which should add to the interest in future stories. Regarding that system, I wonder if we've reached the point where the Latin conjuring phrases don't need to be repeated in English each time - at least the ones we've seen used before. The readers can probably figure it out from context even if we don't remember. Also I still found the conjurers strangely lacking in curiosity about the nature of their power, but I expect this will be further expanded upon in subsequent volumes.
All in all, a solid continuation of this engaging series; looking forward to the next one.