Title: As Thick As Thieves: The Price of Infamy
Author: Kieron Holland
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
First Publication: 2021
Language: English
Book Summary: As Thick As Thieves by Kieron Holland
Medieval Exeter is abuzz with news of an up and coming royal wedding – and not just for the festivities. The Spanish Princess bride is bringing with her an exceptional treasure as her dowry. Greed and envy abound it seems that everyone, nobles, the clergy, pagan cultists, and every crook and thief in the land wants it.
In the thick of it all is me, a former master thief turned locksmith. I didn’t want this treasure. I was leading a quiet, if somewhat boring life, in my new trade. However, my best friend has managed to get himself impossibly in debt to the most dangerous man in the city, our old crime boss, Gorath Cray. It turns out he wants the treasure too. So now, we have to steal it to save my friends skin.
Pilfering the treasure will be a feat in itself, there’ll be the Palace Guard to evade, a full house of wedding guests to avoid and of course the Princess’s legendary magician bodyguard. But on top of that, with all this competition, what if someone beats me to the mark?
As Thick As Thieves is a fast-paced, action comedy heist with a fated romance at its core, the first in a new thief medieval fiction series. If you like comedy action, courageous heroes, and femme fatales, epic challenges and fantasy mystery, you’ll enjoy this novel and series.
Book Review: As Thick As Thieves by Kieron Holland
With an intriguing premise, a historical setting, a fairly well drawn main character, a fast-paced plot, and some interesting secondary characters, As Thick As Thieves by Kieron Holland is a thrilling adventure tale. Despite taking me longer than usual to finish this book, it was well worth the time I spent reading it.
James is an infamous, retired thief now living as a locksmith. For Clarice’s sake, he left thieving and a part of himself behind and took up a job as a locksmith. Until Cohen, his best friend, asks him for help, his boring life begins to change. Gorath Cray, their old crime boss, is the most dangerous man in town, and Cohen has gotten himself into a lot of trouble with him. Consequently, they must rob a valuable treasure that the Spanish Princess Bride is bringing as the dowry. As part of their quest, they have to steal o’Osiris, a mysterious blue diamond from the tightly secured place, guarded by palace guards and the Princess’s legendary magician bodyguard.
The stakes are high and they find themselves in life-or-death situation. While the heist begins with simple objectives, it quickly becomes challenging. Surrounded by enemies that are hardly distinguishable from friends, James struggles to find the diamond and finish the job. The more people are targeting James and the more enemies he has, the more determined he is to find the diamond. While taking part in the quest brings him closer to confronting his desire for adventure and thrills, he struggled to save his marriage.
The characters, be it the main protagonists or otherwise, are solidly drawn and interesting, as lovable as they are flawed. James’ characterization is definitely one of the best elements in the book. He is flawed and broken trying to make it in this world as locksmith and he is unapologetic of the mistakes he makes along the way. He is easy to like in all of his struggles because at the heart of him is a good man even when he is making bad choices. His broken vulnerability at the beginning of the story is heart wrenching to read. We see true character development in this book, as James moves from the broken shadow we see at the beginning to the man he becomes later on.
Kieron Holland’s writing is extraordinary. The descriptions, the world building, the dialogues, they’re all so meticulous and special that with every turn of the page, it felt like I was there. This entire book feels and reads like a long journey. A sometimes pleasant, sometimes sad, sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking journey that I’d take again and again. He narrates the story in such a way that the destination is not as important as the journey. I think it’s a great way to really get to know the character instead of just being told with bits about his past because those experiences really did shape him to be the person he is now.
Magical and deeply atmospheric, Kieron Holland has crafted the perfect fantasy world. There were plenty of suspenseful elements, a wonderful adventure, a touch of fantasy, a reasonable amount of loss and a nice spoonful of wit. The verbal jousting between characters were very entertaining. Kieron Holland was able to weave different settings, times, and people into a flawless whole, without getting confused or too weighty. Although there are a few “slow” spots in the story, I didn’t mind since they contributed to character development.
As Thick As Thieves by Kieron Holland is a rich story filled with its own history, adventure, and detailed plot. Once you get into this world, it’s very hard to come back. If you love a complex and greatly imagined world to go with your fantasy, then you should consider this book. Kieron Holland carved this vast world out of the alphabet and he will not disappoint you.