Return of the Thief, the final installment in the bestselling Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, is slated for release on August 25, 2020, after being pushed back over a year from its original release date. The Thief, the first book in this series, won a Newberry Honor Medal, and the series is a New York Times Bestselling series.
It's also probably my favorite book series of all time.
If you follow me on twitter, you have probably seen my constant barrage of tweets about how much I adore The Queen's Thief and how everyone needs to read this book because it's amazing and perfect.
...you get the picture.
So, because I have not yet inflicted myself on this more longform medium, I decided it was time. And so, without further ado, there are 5 reasons all of you need to read The Queen's Thief.
1. The Twists
If you've heard of The Queen's Thief you've probably heard about the twists. These books are so perfectly, meticulously crafted. Everything the author writes comes around to clues, little hidden messages and misdirects. She's the queen of unreliable narrators and deceptive inner monologue. As you begin to understand one aspect of the world, and you think you know what's happening, the world tilts more sharply on its axis, and suddenly, more layers are revealed, and everything has changed.
It's frankly incredible how she manages to pull off this kind of shift novel after novel. Even after if seems we've gotten to know these characters quite well, they still surprise us. Almost nothing in any book goes to waste. If you look into the fandom for these books (and there is a rather large, if mostly isolated, fandom) you will still find post after post diving into what seems like a throwaway line, that instead turns out to explain motivations or fill in gaps in plot, or even inform a future twist in the story. These twists are not random bits of chance, but rather things the audience could potentially have discovered, that prompts rereads and wide-eyed flailing as they find all the bits and pieces they missed the first time around.
This all indicates a well planned out series, with every aspect of the world and the characters meticulously detailed out. Everything has a purpose, and it makes reading and rereading these books absolutely delightful.
2. The Worldbuilding
Just like the plots, the world that Megan Whalen Turner has created is meticulous and gorgeous. The world feels real and possible in a way I love to see from fantasy. The fantastic elements are limited to moral perspectives of the dealings of gods, and it's wonderfully done.
The world is based very loosely in Greek mythology, taking into account a world where gods of the same disposition and interference in human life as the Ancient Greek pantheon. But my favorite part of the worldbuilding is the amazing aspect of political fantasy weaved into the plot. The political isn't something that can be overthrown in one big wars, and the enemy is not one person. The complex manipulations required for plans to continue is conveyed masterfully–if you like political fantasy this series brings it all to the table.
It's all so very lived in, from so many different perspectives. The books change point of view characters and it displays so many different parts of the world as it goes. Each perspective is authentic and well crafted, and deliciously satisfying. The dramatic point of view switch between The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia is jarring, but is one of the main reasons The King of Attolia is my favorite book in the series.
It's a world I can visualize, as if it's a history of a world I live in and not a fiction. This book series draws you in, and the worldbuilding plays a big role in that.
3. The Characters
It's really hard to read these books and not fall in love with the characters in them. They're witty, complex, and interesting, and I'm kind of in love with all of them. No, really, they're going to be the death of me.
In book 1, we are treated to the absolute treasure that is Gen. He's iconic and witty, and a constant presence in the rest of the series as a titular thief. I have mentioned several times that I need to go through The Thief with a highlighter and single out every moment Gen is iconic, but honestly, it would be too much. He's endearing and interesting, and you're attached pretty quickly. Even the side characters, like Sophos, Pol, Ambiades, and the Magus, are well developed and not forgotten as the series progresses.
There's an issue with spoilers for so much of this series, but I also need to say that throughout the course of these two books, we also get some of my favorite female characters in the world. They're powerful, strong women, and I love them so damn much.
Every character is complex– even side characters are given roles and motivations outside of their stereotypical boxes, and it's wonderful. A lot of fantasy, especially older fantasy, falls into black and whites, heroes and villains. However, while there are good people and bad people, no one in this series is one dimensional, Each characters feels like flesh and blood, and it's marvelous.
4. The Relationships
Okay so this section is a really big spoiler so I can't say much. But I will say, if you have a vested interest in enemies to lovers, this series has you covered. I promise, it's electrifying and interesting and so much fun.
There's also a set of characters I hope will become canon soon, because they have to be– their story parallels Gilgamesh and Enkidu, famously Ancient Boyfriends.
But yeah, the relationships are top notch, even if they're not always central to the story being presented.
5. Awesome Fandom
Okay so this section isn't strictly about the books themselves but the fandom that surrounds this series is wonderful.
The author isn't on most social media, except tumblr, so that's where the majority of the fans of this series have seemed to gather. The harmless enthusiasm, and the amazing quality of fanworks compiled there, makes me so happy.
Browsing the Queen's Thief Appreciation Week tag on tumblr can take hours of my time, and searching for analysis of lines or clues I've missed can make me even more excited for the upcoming book.
Looking at the blurbs, you can find that some of the biggest authors in YA fiction right now are fans of this series, including Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black. Reading this series is inspirational for me as a writer, and seeing the joy it brings to it's fans makes me so happy.
If you want to read this series, I have some resources for you. Most libraries in the US have this book for people to check out, but it's old enough that it's usually available. If you prefer to buy the book, cheap copies are available here and here.
If you prefer audiobooks, the narrator for this series is fantastic, and hearing these stories is just as perfect an experience as reading them– trust me, I've tried it.
Especially now, with the final book being released in August, everyone really should read the Queen's Thief. Hopefully, like me, you end up absolutely loving it.
If you have or are currently reading this series, please, please let me know, either here or on my twitter! (yes, that is in fact a Queen's Thief quote in my bio, I told you it was my favorite)
Thanks for reading!