The Trouble with Thieves, by Maurice X. Alvarez and Ande Li

If you think life on Earth is wild, try living in Averia, where the natives are bird like humanoids.  But how would one get there? Cecil finds himself there after he falls into a portal, owned by a thief named Kormer.  Anndrew, Cecil's school mate, travels into the portal with Kormer and his traveling companion from the future, Jeransy, to try to get Cecil back to his own world.  However, life in Averia agrees with Cecil, and he becomes incredibly powerful; why should he return to his mundane life?

I think the reason I struggle so much with reading fantasy novels is because I lack imagination.  Clearly, the authors of this book do not have the same problem.  Multiple planets, languages, and storyworlds have been artfully created for this book.  As I read, I had trouble picturing it in my mind, not because it was not well developed (it certainly was) but because I lacked the imagination.  It made me sad that I was not able to enjoy the story as fully as it deserved to be enjoyed.

I found the character of Kormer to be fascinating.  He flits through time and space via his portal, creating relationships with individuals he knows he will never see again.  He is an adventurer.  I would have liked to seen the story focus more on him individually, instead of adding Jeransy to the mix.  I found her presence a bit on the distracting side.  Similarly, I liked Cecil's character, and enjoyed watching him grow in his powers.

Overall, I think this book is well written, and highly imaginative.  It would appeal best to fans of fantasy writing, particularly that involving other planets or galaxies, such as the writings of Douglas Adams.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author.



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