Reviews

A clever tale of a league of "retired" thieves in the magical sanctuary of Theradane. Their leader, Amarelle, slips up and has a year and one day to get the gang back together for the most seemingly impossible crime - or end up turned to stone. Oceans 11 meets Discworld

kholincosmic's review against another edition

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3.0

3/5
I originally gave this four stars but then I remembered the other books I’ve given four stars and I realized this doesn’t hold up alongside them. It’s just not as memorable but in no way do I regret reading it. This might be the first fantasy short story I’ve read, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I don’t think it’s anything spectacular and somewhat because characters are my favorite part of reading and with short stories, it’s difficult to develop and connect characters to the readers. That said, this was a fun and unique story and I can definitely see some small similarities to scott lynch’s other book, the lies of locke lamora. I read it in one sitting, which isn’t that great a feat considering it’s only a 100 pages. But if you’re looking for a short story with raging wizards, clever criminals, and a unique setting with hazardous weather then this should be a fun read.

chillvamp's review

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5.0

I first read this one a few years ago, and come back to it now and then because it's so good. Nobody does endearingly reckless rogues like Scott Lynch. I love this particular flavor of low fantasy thievery with magical mishaps thrown in for some extra spice.

The descriptions are superb, as usual, and feel much more integrated into the fabric of the story than some of the eagle's eye view paragraphs in the Rogues of the Republic series (which I love unconditionally anyway, and there's more room to abstract from the plot and describe setting when it's a full-length novel, but there it is). Theradane feels like a real, living and breathing city, which is always a joy to see in a story: a setting so central to the plot that it feels like another character!

I love Amarelle and her crew as well, and the members of the wizards' parliament make for very interesting antagonists. While the story ends with a budding scheme on the part of the protagonists to dismantle the Parliament of Strife and buy their freedom in the larger world, and I would love to read more of their escapades, the story doesn't feel inconclusive or like a novel or series stuffed in the too-small shoes of a novella. I have no doubt I'll keep coming back to this story in the future while I eagerly await whatever delights Lynch's imagination brings us next.