The Thief (Turner novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Megan Whalen Turner |
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| Cover artist | Walter Gaffney-Kessell |
| Country | United States |
| Series | Queen's Thief |
| Genre | Young-adult fantasy |
| Publisher | Greenwillow Books |
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Publication date
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October 1, 1996 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), audiobook |
| Pages | 219 pp. |
| ISBN | 0-688-14627-9 |
| OCLC | 33209215 |
| LC Class | PZ7.T85565 Th 1996 |
| Followed by | The Queen of Attolia |
The Thief is an exciting fantasy novel for young adults. It was written by Megan Whalen Turner and first came out in 1996. This book is the very first one in the popular Queen's Thief series.
It was so good that it won a special award called the Newbery Honor in 1997. In 2012, a magazine called School Library Journal listed The Thief as one of the top 100 chapter books for kids.
Plot Summary
The story is about a clever boy named Gen. He gets out of prison because a powerful advisor, called a magus, needs his help. Gen was in prison for stealing the King of Sounis's special seal. The magus thinks Gen is messy and rude, but he knows Gen is a very skilled thief.
The magus takes Gen on a secret journey. Two of the magus's students, Sophos and Ambiades, and a soldier named Pol, join them. Their trip is full of arguments and dangers. The magus tells Gen that he needs him to steal a very valuable stone. This stone is called Hamiathes's Gift and it is in the country of Attolia.
The magus plans to use the stone's old traditions to help his king claim the country of Eddis. In return for his help, Gen will become famous. If Gen tries to run away, the magus warns him that there will be a reward for his capture. Gen agrees to the mission.
Gen bravely tries to steal the stone from a temple that is very hard to reach. The Attolian Guard chases the whole group. After Gen successfully steals the stone, the temple is washed away by a river.
On their way back, the Attolian Guard captures the group. It turns out that Ambiades is a traitor. Pol, the soldier, pushes Ambiades off a cliff. Pol then jumps after him, taking two Attolian soldiers with him. Pol dies, but he saves Gen and the others.
The Queen of Attolia questions Gen, Sophos, and the Magus. They manage to escape and travel to Eddis. At the palace in Eddis, Gen gives the stone to the queen. It is then revealed that Gen is actually Eugenides, the Queen's Thief. Sophos is also revealed to be the future ruler of the kingdom of Sounis.
Sequels
There are five more books in the Queen's Thief series:
- 2000 The Queen of Attolia
- 2006 The King of Attolia
- 2010 A Conspiracy of Kings
- 2017 Thick as Thieves
- 2020 Return of the Thief
