Among Thieves: By Douglas Hulick

AMONG THIEVES

SUMMARY

Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors-a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain.

REVIEW

The worst thing about Among Thieves is the cover.

And the only way I know it can be much better is by looking at what the British have done with their version of it.

The cover of the American Among Thieves makes the book look like a bad romance flop. In the British version, Hulick’s novel appears dark, exciting, and absolutely fantastic. And to be honest the book, both the American and the British versions live up to these expectations. (To be clear it is nothing close to a bad romance flop, in case there was any confusion.)

Hulick creates a world where an empire is ruled by three different reincarnated versions of the same man, a man who has ruled for centuries. Of course where there’s an empire there’s a black market; filled with murders, smugglers, liars, and thieves, also known as the Kin. That’s where readers will be introduced into Hulick’s world, into the world of the Kin, and more specifically into Drothe’s world. Drothe is a Nose, someone who takes in all the gossip on the streets and pieces together a story of what’s actually going on and then usually fixes it. Of course this particular situation has amounted to more than Drothe even planned for. For Drothe has found a book. A book so powerful that it could destroy an empire, the Kin, or anyone who got in its way, or it could make the owner powerful enough to reach the level of goddomhood. Of course Drothe wasn’t the only one looking for it. With the upright men (his bosses), the Grey Princes, and the empire out to get him, it’s no longer a question of if he’ll get be caught but when and how painful will the consequences be.

While the setting is dark and dramatic, the best feature of Among Thieves is the characters. Drothe is a fantastic protagonist. He’s funny, smart, an underdog, and most importantly an incredibly likeable character. Of course he’s not the only fantastic character in this book. Degan and Kells are also amazing. They each play their roles beautifully, are full and dynamic characters, and really add something fundamental to the story.

Of course besides the characters and the setting, the plot is intricate enough to keep everyone guessing. Just when readers will think they know the whole story and how everything is going to go down Hulick delivers a new twist that sends readers reeling.

All in all Among Thieves is a fantastic book that I’d easily recommend to anyone. It is fast paced, fun, and engaging. And if you can get around not judging it by its cover (the American cover) then you’ll fully enjoy this book.

RATING

9 out of 10

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: April 5, 2011

Price: $7.99