Premise
Drothe is not quite your ordinary thief. Working as a “Nose” for the ‘Kin’ is risky as it is, more so when you’ve got hunting relics as a side business. But life in the underworld is tough and cruel, especially with the Empire ruling with an iron fist, helmed by an Emperor who is pretty much immortal. But Drothe’s world is about to turn upside down pretty fast when he comes across a very ancient and powerful relic – a book containing secrets that can topple the Empire, and bring about chaos throughout the world. The Emperor wants it back desperately… and he will do just about anything for it.
With help from his partner in crime Bronze Degan, Drothe is soon caught in a desperate race against time, fleeing for dear life from pretty much everyone under the sun, including thieves, assassins, magicians, underground bosses, and some pretty powerful people not to be messed with. To make matters worse, the Empire’s finest are deployed to track down the book… a book that can swing the balance of power if its contents are made known… a book conveniently now in the hands of Drothe…
Overview
Name – Among Thieves: A Tale of the Kin [#1 of the ‘Tales of the Kin’ series/duology]
Author – Douglas Hulick
Genre – Action/Adventure/Fantasy
First Published – April, 2011
Cover Rating (featured image) – 7.5/10
This Edition published – 2011 by Tor (Paperback)
Chapters – 31
Pages – 414 (excluding others)
Review
NON-Spoiler section
‘Among Thieves: A tale of the Kin’ is the debut novel of American author Douglas Hulick. I happened to get my hands on it quite accidentally to be honest. While searching online for a copy of ‘The Hobbit’ by J.R.R. Tolkien for my cousin, this book popped up in the recommended section of one of the websites – Kitabay (a great Indian website for book lovers; have personally ordered from here a couple of times) [not promotional]. And I was definitely intrigued by the premise/synopsis with the whole thief/underworld setting. So, I immediately went ahead and got it, that too at a pretty low price!
Categorized into the subgenre of “Sword and Sorcery” (S&S; dealing with, you guessed it… lots of sword fighting, and magic elements throughout; where the plot mainly revolves around a certain individual/a small number of individuals, and not a whole lot of people/group), ‘Among Thieves’ is a look into the underworld, and the life of thieves as a whole in a world where the ‘Empire’ rules strong. And yes, there’s magic involved too!
Brent Weeks, the author of the popular fantasy series – ‘Lightbringer’, and the ‘Night Angel’ trilogy, has said the following about the book –
“An unalloyed pleasure… read this book.”
Brent Weeks
That’s some pretty high praise coming from one of the best around.
So, here’s my honest opinion about the same; taking a deeper look at the world in general, and also trying to get an insight into the life of a thief in the underworld… where there’s no honor among thieves…
Let’s get going then, shall we? Here’s what it’s all about –
Before the story begins, a brief note by the author is present at the start on the use of “Cant” (thieves’ argot/language/common tongue) in the book, which is inspired by the records of actual use from various places and times throughout history, plus the author’s own made-up ones as well, along with certain changes here and there.
“For those who know nothing of the patter flash, I hope it adds to the story…”
Intro. note by author
Well, I can confirm that it certainly adds to the story indeed!
So, the book opens up with a pretty gruesome torture scene. Yup, straight-in, no dilly-dallying. If you’ve read the reviews online, you’d know that every other person will have mentioned it somewhere. It’s really a hit or miss kind of start for some people too. Personally, I was enjoying myself (unlike the person being tortured), and don’t mind a little bit of the “dark” stuff if you can call it that.
Anyways, enter Drothe, whose first person POV this book follows, taking you through the world from the eyes of a thief. Now, Drothe is not just any thief. He’s strong, ruthless, and also pretty well established, earning him the title of – a “gentleman of the shadows”. Also, he’s a “Nose”, who’s basic work includes eavesdropping, rumormongering, and whisper buying. In the alleys, on the rooftops, stalking in the night, tracking rumors and informants… you name it. Aided by his “Night Vision”, he’s able to see better in the dark than anything, save maybe a cat. All this makes him the man for the job. And let’s be honest. Part of the job is making enemies. But Drothe’s a hard man to kill, and knows how to cut through the bullsh*t.
Accompanying him in his endeavors is his partner in crime – Bronze Degan, a member of the ‘Order of the Degans’, who’s witty, has a dry sense of humor, and who doesn’t speak too much. What speaks for himself is that he’s in fact a Degan, built like a brick, with the best combat skills around. And the two make a deadly duo – a thief and a Degan.
Oh, by the way, did I say where we were? No? Well… welcome to Ildrecca, the Imperial capital. Sounds majestic enough? The reality is far from that to be honest. The capital city is a mess. A cacophony of screams, drunken revelers, and rutting cats is what it sounds like after dark. But that’s the place to be, however it may be. That’s what defined the “Kin”. That was home.
Now, alongside being a “Nose”, Drothe has a side business of “relic hunting”, which is one of the riskier “dodges” out there. These are not any relics by the way. “Relics” are personal items used by the Emperor… and that… is nothing to be played with… and so is the Empire. Why, you ask? Well, here’s an excerpt from the book as to why that’s the case –
“It was a basic principle: Kin didn’t go to the empire; we screwed the empire. We laughed in its face and pretended it didn’t scare us. We were Kin. We were wise to the game and able to live outside the rules because we were smarter than that. The empire was a system to be used, a heavy hand to be avoided, sometimes even a pocket to be lightened; but it was never a cove to be trusted. Nor was any Kin who went to the empire to be trusted, either. Turning rat meant becoming ostracized by the people who had once called you cousin or brother.”
“If the Empire gets involved, we all go down”. That’s the way it was between the Kin and the Empire… it always has been. So, why’s Drothe running the risk? Well, he’s Drothe after all, living on an edge all the time is his second name really. And also, because “Relics” fetch you a LOT of money… it’s the Emperor’s property after all. But you better not get caught in this particular business, and Drothe knows that too well.
Well, things are about to go REAL bad… REAL quick.
Remember the guy being tortured at the start? Well, he left something in his wake… something that was good for the business… but twice as bad for one’s life. When our duo finds out that the man was in possession of information on a very ancient, and equally dangerous relic, they know it’s way too serious now, and they can’t back out. Messing about with an Imperial relic was no joke, and they knew it very well.
And as they say, when it rains… it pours. To make matters worse, there’s seemingly a war going on in “the streets”, and with bodies piling up, Nicco (an “Upright Man”; Drothe’s boss) is hell bent on finding who’s behind it. Is it an insider? Or is Kells (another “Upright Man”; Drothe’s ex-boss) behind this ordeal?
Oh, and did I mention about the ‘Gray Princes’? Oh, boy. Well, now those are “people” you absolutely don’t mess about with. Better trust that. And when Shadow, a Gray Prince, nastiest of the nasty, gets involved in the mess, there’s no place to hide anywhere… for anyone.
The underworld is on the brink of a deadly war. The cordons aren’t safe anymore (if they weren’t bad enough already). The Empire is relentless in its pursuit of the relic. Thieves and assassins are lining up for the big prize themselves. And when some deadly magic gets involved in the fray, things are about to get massively ugly… on all fronts.
Help does arrive in a way for our duo in the form of Jelem, a magician from Djan, coupled with a handful of other people hoping to keep the Imperial relic from falling into the wrong hands. But with the world around them getting dangerous at each passing second, Drothe and Degan are unknowingly pulled into a much bigger, badder game… one which won’t cease until there’s blood on the streets…
What really impressed me the most?
- The main plot, alongside the sub-plots, was pretty good!
- Very good humor present overall (and I can’t stress this enough!).
- The characters were pretty well written, with a couple more in-depth than others. Back stories for some were present as well. Oh, and there are lots of ‘em too!
- Some great action/fighting sequences present throughout that are very well written.
- The various places, and the multiple cordons were very well realized too.
- The friendship/bromance between Drothe and Bronze Degan was worth picking up the book in itself.
- Lots of “Cant” is used throughout, which can take time getting used to initially, but makes for a pretty good reading experience overall.
What didn’t quite fit the bill?
- No map(s) or illustrations present, which was a little disappointing considering that the world is pretty well depicted.
- We get to know a lot about the history and info. about the Empire and the Emperor, but we never actually get to see either the Empire or the Emperor in the actual events of the book in that great of a detail. That was really disappointing in a way.
Some standout quotes/dialogues
Top dogs didn’t stay on top in this business if they let the smaller dogs get away with p*ssing on them.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a Nose, it’s that every story changes with the person telling it, no matter how close the person thinks he’s holding to the truth.
Drothe
I’ve found out you don’t have to know why someone is trying to kill you; you just have to know they are.
Drothe
In the camp of the enemy, one must always be vigilant.
A tool is only as dangerous as a man who uses it.
Putting my a** on the line so I can get a better picture of the street is what I do.
Drothe
Swords like mine can wound just as easily as they can kill, but get in close with a dagger, and the odds of someone going home dead go way up.
Drothe
Other info.
- Written in the first-person perspective of Drothe.
- Lots of info. about the world/lore in general present throughout, including that of the empire itself, the emperor, the places, cordons, certain characters, etc.
- Info. on the types of magic is present as well, which is very well written, and equally well explained.
- The year/era when the plot takes place is not mentioned as such, but printing machines are “new” in the market. So maybe you get the idea now, eh?
- Foul language present (duh). I mean there’s no questioning this when it comes to adding to the story. May sound a little bit unorthodox, but it does make the read more fun and enjoyable.
Final thoughts
Wow! What an amazing read that was! I honestly loved it! A very quick read for me, the pages just flew by, and I couldn’t help but keep reading to find out what would happen next. The chapters were quite long, but not at all boring/dragging in any way. Literally completed the book in just two days, which is pretty decent as far as I’m concerned. The plot was really good, fast-paced, and the sub plots blended in well with the main one. The characters were very well-written, and I totally loved the Drothe-Degan bromance. The places and the cordons did their bit of standing out. The world building was impressive! Both the history and the lore were very well defined and very much added to the book altogether. This book, for me, will always remain special and close to my heart because I read this after quite a significantly long break from not only fantasy, but from reading in general, and it rekindled my love for books (especially for fantasy!). And since then, there has been no looking back! I highly recommend that you check this GEM of a book out!
It was a finalist for the 2011 Kitschies Golden Tentacle award for the best debut novel as well! But altogether, I very much feel that it is still quite underrated among the fantasy community. Of course, with an unfinished series as this, and with only one sequel, with further books cancelled, it does do a bit of a damage. Not only in the popularity front, but in this case, the author himself had gone through depression and emotional stress, mainly due to the publishing deadlines and related stuff, and finally decided to call off the series just after two books. Here’s hoping he’s doing much better now.
Rating: – 10/10! (SUPER AMAZING!!!)
“A quite brilliant fantasy adventure through the eyes of a master thief; taking you into the underworld, and keeping you wanting for more with its characters and lore long after you’ve read the last page. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Highly recommend that you give it a go!”
Major Spoilers ahead!
Note: – Before proceeding further, I would like you to consider reading the actual book for yourselves if the plot, characters, setting, etc. sound even close to what you think you would enjoy going through. If that’s the case, I would highly recommend you do so, and not carry on beyond this point. That would be my honest suggestion, and trust me, you would not regret it. But if all this doesn’t appeal to you in the slightest, and you want to read what it’s all about at a glance, then go ahead.
Also, the info. below is not the full extent of what’s present in the book. I’ve tried my best to include all that was being talked about, but again, it’s definitely not all here.
Characters, Places, and Lore from ‘Among Thieves’
Characters
The main players
- Drothe/Drothepholous – Sports a moustache + goatee. Arsenal includes a rapier/sword @ right hand, a dagger @ left hand, a small dagger (poisoned) @ left wrist sheath, and a boot dagger as well. Has an herb wallet containing several useful/all sorts of things, like painkillers, listening cup (a short, fluted tin tube), Ahrami Seeds (help to stay awake), etc. Brought up in the Balsturan Forest. Stepfather, Sebastian, gave “night vision” (highlighting things in Amber) via a ritual and trained him and Christiana (sister). Rain is a problem for night vision though, like looking through a curtain of fine beads falling from the sky. Also, not used to be around blatantly honest people.
- Bronze Degan – a Degan. Rather ‘The Degan’ (so as to speak). Drothe’s partner in crime. Strong, deadly, and not someone you would be willing to fight against honestly.
- Shadow – a Gray Prince. Pardon me… ‘The Gray Prince’. ‘Nuff said. You simply don’t even talk about a person like this, forget messing with him.
- Lyria – a White Sash. An elite imperial soldier on track to hunt down the relic.
- Ironius Degan – a Degan. Accompanying Lyria in her quest. Again, someone not to be messed with if you’re wise enough.
- Nicco/Niccodemus Alludrus – an Upright man. Drothe’s current boss. War cords/colours = gold and green.
- Kells – an Upright Man. Apprentice stonemason turned crime lord. Drothe’s ex-boss. War cords/colours = grey and red.
- Baldezar – a Jarkman, a scribe, and a guild master.
- Jelem – a magician from the Despotate of Djan.
- Fowler Jess – an Oak Mistress.
- Solitude – a Gray Prince.
- Iocladia Neph – an Imperial Paragon. An elite magician of the empire.
- Rambles – a Ruffler. One of Nicco’s senior street bosses.
Other players in the game
- Athel – a Grinner.
- Betriz – a “Wide” Nose.
- Fedim – a dealer.
- Larrios – a Whipjack.
- Lyconnis – a scribe working for Baldezar.
- Matthias the Brick – Nicco’s Arm/bodyguard.
- Mendross – a fruit stall owner in A’Riff Bazaar. An Ear working for Drothe.
- Rall’ad – a food stall owner. An Ear working for Drothe.
- Ruggero – a messenger working for Drothe.
- Salt Eye – Nicco’s Arm/bodyguard.
- Shatters – an Agonyman.
- Silent Eliza – one of the best Ears in the Ten Ways cordon.
- Tamas – an assassin.
- Christiana aka Baroness Christiana Sephada, Lady of Lythos – Drothe’s sister. Widow of Baron Nestor Sephada.
- Josef – Butler to Christiana.
- Eppyris, Cosima, and their 2 daughters – Living on the bottom floor of Drothe’s two storey brick and timber building.
Places
- Ildrecca – the imperial capital. Dates back more than a millennium.
- Ten Ways – a major cordon of Ildrecca. A hole full of thugs and petty bosses. An old cordon in an even older city. Screams as common as cockroaches around here. Interesting how it got its name by the way (have a guess then, eh?).
- Djan/Despotate of Djan – a place. The empire’s long-standing enemy. A typical Djanese fare consisted of a salad of nuts, leafy greens, and sliced fruit, all tossed with a spiced oil, stack of flat bread, along with a bowl of chopped peppers and softened beans marinated in red vinegar (sounds delicious!).
- A’Riff Bazaar – a maze of stalls, tents, and humanity, all crammed together in an area that should have held half as much. Located in the capital.
- The “street” – Needs no introduction.
Cant/Thieves’ Argot
Words
- Arms – bodyguards.
- Blades – assassins.
- Cutters – killers/assassins.
- Dodges – jobs/profession.
- Dusting – killing.
- Glimmer – magic.
- Lighters – normal citizens of Ildrecca.
- Mouths – magicians.
- Snilching – spying.
Phrases
- ‘Bene Darkmans’ – a sort of greeting.
- Watch our blinds – watch our backs.
The Empire
- The Undying Throne.
- Stephen Dorminikos – emperor who undergoes 3 incarnations; whose soul is broken into 3 parts.
- The Endless Cycle – the 3 forms/incarnations of the emperor = Markino, Theodoi, and Lucien.
- Markino – current emperor; old.
- Sashes – red, black, white, and gold; a golden imperial hawk emblazoned on their breastplate. The white sashes had nearly wiped out the Kin during Isidor’s rule; travel in groups of 3, 6, or 9; a number divisible by 3 to pay tribute to the 3 endless incarnations of the emperor.
- Paragons/Imperial Paragons – imperial magicians; a select cadre of imperial magicians; by decree, only ones allowed to work with imperial magic.
- The Brothers Penitent – imperial relic trackers.
Kin
- Isidore – the Dark King; head of all the Kin; controlling the criminal empire.
- Colors of Upright Men – ribbons of 2 colors; war cords were the closest thing the Kin had to uniforms; wearing them meant declaring your allegiance. No actual armor used by the Kin, and wasn’t at all worn on the street.
- Missing ring finger of each hand – street code for “this one betrayed his own”.
- Arms – the best the Kin had to offer; select muscle of an organization.
- Jarkman – reads and writes old dialects and modern foreign tongues; plus, produces forgeries and copies when needed.
Degans
- Degans – the best Arms you could get, no doubt. Degans don’t break their word, don’t rig a deal, and they don’t stand being questioned.
- The Order of Degans – an old mercenary order founded 211 years ago.
- The Oath of the Degans – to be taken VERY seriously. If a certain person is bound to this oath by a Degan, then the Degan will obey one command that the person demands, till he fulfills it completely… even if it meant giving his own life. But there’s a catch. The person involved also has to do the same whenever the Degan asks him/her to do so. The Oath goes both ways, binding both persons for life, until both their oaths are fulfilled completely. It can’t be reversed under any circumstances.
Gray Princes
- Gray Princes – half-mythical crime lords/legends in the game, to be avoided if you were wise, and about whom people talked about in whispers.
- What was a Gray Prince, anyhow? The head of an organization that ran underneath other organizations. A Gray Prince was a Kin who worked past the street and cordon level, even past the level of the city.
- Tracking a Gray Prince was like trying to catch a bird’s shadow. Yeah, it was nigh on impossible.
Magic
Glimmer or magic can be broadly categorized into four main categories – legal, illegal, portable, and imperial. Magic in general is in tight control, and not freely used by people. Do not even think about imagining what an imperial magic can do. Magic gets its power from what is called the ‘Nether’ [detailed info. on magic itself in general and ‘Nether’ is present in the book. Very well described and written in my opinion].
Other lore
- Symbols – ‘Pystos’ = relic; ‘Immus’ = simple shorthand for emperor [yep, the same symbols that our duo found in the very first chapter, thanks to the person being tortured, leading them onto the imperial relic’s path].
- Hawks are basically money; coins can be divided into either copper owls, or silver hawks.
- The Book of Return – Contains 3 declarations –
- 1. Honor the Angels in all things, [The Angels – Releskoi; Elirokos]
- 2. Angels are the true successors of the Dead Gods, and
- 3. No one messed with souls.
- Brothers of Agony – torturers/Agonymen.
- Sisterhood of Barbers – 180 years old; a barbershop is close to what Kin give as a sanctuary.
- Black Isle steel – forged at the monastery of the same name; renowned for its strength, and near-legendary ability to hold an edge; best steel money – or anything else for the matter – could buy. Used by none other than Degans themselves.
- Ioclaudia’s Journal – a book/journal. Yep, the same one that contains the power to topple the whole Empire. The imperial relic everyone’s after. THE book.
