Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (review)

The final installment of the adventures of incorrigible Thief (later king) Eugenides commences during the events of the previous book (Thick as Thieves, BCCB 5/17), this time from the perspective of Pheris, the disabled young heir to the disgraced Baron Erondites, as he adjusts to Attolian palace life as one of the king’s attendants. The long-brewing Mede invasion is imminent, and the countries of the Little Peninsula, united under Eugenides as high king, muster their resources and allies to preserve their sovereignty. Even as his narrative focuses on the titular Thief, Pheris proves a compelling character in his own right; though his family views him as damaged and disposable, his intelligence, judgment, and hard-won loyalty play key roles in events. Other characters from previous books have their own roles to play: Attolia, Costis, Kamet, Eddis, Sounis, and others (to say nothing of Eugenides himself, pushed here to the limits of his ingenuity) only grow in complexity as their actions and relationships come under greater illumination. This is a narrative bound together by many kinds of love, and readers weary of grimdark fantasy would do well to note that while war is at its center, Turner’s signature shock factor is information, not gory death. Her great gift for combining point of view and plot in exquisite, impeccably timed reveals is on full display: a multitude of subtle twists reconfigure not just this book but the ones that came before it. Fans will be sorry to see Gen’s adventures come to an end, but it’s a satisfying one, and they’ll want to revisit the other volumes armed with new, deeper understanding of the Thief and his world. The volume includes a short story, character list, and a touch of Paul O. Zelinsky in the form of a map and an interior spread.