Among Thieves

A Tale of the Kin, Book 1

By: Douglas Hulick

Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne

Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors - a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain.

©2011 Douglas Hulick (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A dark, gritty fantasy for fans of the Thieves' World novels and Glen Cook's Garrett, P.I. series." ( Library Journal)

Fantastic Thief novel.

I was looking for a new low fantasy novel to help me survive until the Thorne of Emberlain came out, and boy did I strike gold. An extremely interesting and rich world, I am eagerly looking forward to the rest of the tales.

Interesting, different.

Drothe is in no way special, not even anti hero special. He has no real talent, can be cruel and mean, and short tempered. He does have his moments of caring and kindness, though. He has the best of luck and the worst of luck, in this mobsters meets fantasy meets mystery tale. He bounces from meeting with people to battling for his life while searching the scant clues he finds along the way in search of potent relic. The end is a bit of a surprise, ending with Drothe in position even he couldn't have imagined. It leaves the second book wide open for possibilities.
The author does a good job of making you interested in a man you probably wouldn't have as friend or even care to know. The magic system is hardly explained, but happens in strange ways that still keep it fresh. The narrator draws you in even further using his clear unassuming voice and different characterizations.
I liked this book because the main character is pretty plain and simple, but it is his journey that leaves you wanting to see whats just around the corner.

If you liked the Gentlemen Bastards, Dark Angel, or Riyria series, you might like this one, but don't expect this to be anything like those.

From someone interested in the genre

This was recommended after reading David Dalglish and Brent Weeks. It's good. Definitely worth a listen. Liked the story and narrator.

the world is fascinating!

I have always loved organized crime stories set in fantasy or sci-fi worlds. My favorites include the Jhereg series and Priest of Bones books. This book and it's sequel are great examples of this genre!

Frustraiting how good this book is.

Any additional comments?

This book is very good but it is the first book in the series and we still havn't gotten the second one recorded in 5 years. This book was first recorded on Tantor before being brought to audible in 2011. It's like child of fire all over again. The books are out there but they never record it. Book 2 in this series is Sworn by Steel and I don't think they are getting around to it. If you have a problem with closure than you will want to skip the story no matter how good it is. The ending is a big set up for the sequel.