A review by rg9400
No Heart For A Thief by James Lloyd Dulin

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book is told across two different time periods. There is a main character's past and history as well as the present day framing story where he helps a young girl, all centered around their attempts at surviving in a world of colonial violence. I found the story to be fairly intimate and powerful, and the themes regarding the desire for vengeance, the frustration and anger at the horrors of colonialism, and the need for balance to be very compelling. I also really liked the idea of the main character's magical ability being considered taboo as it gives an interesting identity crises on top of the core themes. My two nitpick criticisms would be that the book sort of just ends in an anti-climactic fashion, and the story focuses more on the past portion than the present, so one side of the story (and consequently, the characters within it) is definitely more developed. Regardless, it is a strong start to a series, and I am already starting the sequel which I've heard is even better.