Reviews

Nothing was very special about the story, but it could have been interesting if executed well. Badly written characters, especially the main protagonist, that might otherwise be great. The females, man, the females, they were either very angry, irrational, unreasonable women with hormonal issue or manipulative but stupid ones. The way the plot unravel with the awkward first person narrative was grating, by the time the action began, I couldn't care less. And then that ending, very convenient, very laughable. Apparently Drothe was the only one with brain, every one else was just a freaking idiot, bleh.

posies23's review

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3.0

BOOK CLUB OF DOOM FOR SEPTEMBER (IN OCTOBER!)

A nice diversion, which pays homage to Zelazny's AMBER books by way of Aspirin's THIEVES WORLD. I'm partial to the "smart-aleck first person" POV, and I'm willing to cut the author some slack since it's his first book. There's nothing all that NEW here, but it's told well, and it held my interest to the end.

I'll try to remember to post more after our book discussion.

thewenzl's review

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3.0

A perfectly good fantasy novel with an interesting protagonist, but I saw very little character development and started getting bored about 3/4 of the way through. I never finished it.

dawn_marie's review

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4.0

Among Thieves, tells the story Drothe, a sometimes smuggler, an always informant/spy working in the fantasy city of Ildrecca. This gritty novel set in a world where the emperor is reincarnated, Grey Princes yield power and magic, and the criminal organizations (Kin) try to get the upper hand is highly entertaining. Told in first person narrative, the plot is full of twists, turns, double and triple crosses and is always entertaining. Drothe is notable as a fantasy protagonist as he does not possess any special abilities other than being exceptionally clever. Glimpses into Drothe’s childhood as well as his relationship with his family/friends are seamlessly weaved into the main action; that being what is Drothe to do when he comes into possession of a very powerful relic. This was a highly enjoyable read with interesting characters, engaging plot, well written fight/sword play scenes, and witty dialog (a great deal if it Drothe’s internal dialog).

tani's review

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4.0

This was a slow start for me. I really had trouble developing a connection to Drothe, and the beginning, as Drothe was figuring out everything and putting together pieces, was a little too piecemeal for me to form an opinion of anything. The final quarter of the book was a lot better. Lots of fighting, betrayal, and hard choices made for an exciting finish. I'm glad that Hulick added imperial scope to the story, as the eternally reincarnating emperor seems like a terribly intriguing idea to me. And the ending... it certainly gives you something to look forward to!

iskanderjonesiv's review

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View our feature on Douglas Hulick's Among Thieves.

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

"A dark, gritty fantasy for fans of the Thieves' World novels and Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. series." ---Library Journal

About the Author

Douglas Hulick is a stay-at-home dad who holds a B.A. and M.A. in medieval history.

Kirby Heyborne, an accomplished actor, musician, and comedian, has received a number of AudioFile Earphones Awards and has narrated such titles as Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Black Swan Green by David Mitchell, and The Genius by Jesse Kellerman.

mamap's review

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3.0

not sure what to think of this book. a medieval fantasy. our main character is on the side of the thieves or "kin" as are labeled any of those who live and work outside of the law. while i find the book entertaining and the characters interesting, i'm not sure how i feel about rationalizing the life and lifestyles of those who don't obey the law and benefit by taking and conning others. he tries to be true to his friends and family and those he feels responsible for - it's interesting that sometimes we are left with only one option even if that option is not something we really want to do and may cost us our friends or even our lives. that's an interesting premise.

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