Thief’s Curse by C. Greenwood
My rating: [rating=4]
(Read this review on Goodreads instead)
All three books were gifted to me by the author and, while I wanted to write a review upon completion of each book, I decided to defer until the end. I did this for a couple of reasons. 1) I was enjoying the books so much I didn’t want to hesitate between each book. 2) All three books are very cohesive so writing individual reviews would begin to feel redundant. It feels more beneficial to write a review that encompasses the entire Magic of Dimmingwood trilogy.
If you are familiar with the Legends of Dimmingwood series, written by the same author, then this trilogy is a prequel to those books. It will tell the story of Ilan’s parents (perhaps even where she got her name). The mystery of that amazing runed bow. It starts with the story of two boys of affluent birth whose family was betrayed by nefarious politicians. After their father’s execution, Luka and Ferran escape the tower and flee to Selibus. They take on new identities while befriending a magicker girl who will help them reach the Dimmingwood forest. However a guild of thieves, and their ruthless leader, also stand in their way and will change their lives forever.
A Cohesive Story and Very Well Written
One thing I have noticed about the author, C. Greenwood, is that she pumps out books quickly. Sometimes that can be detrimental, especially if the books are part of a series. However, that is not the case here. The books are so cohesive you would think she released them all at the same time. The tone between each book never changes; it feels more like starting a new chapter than starting the next book. All the relevant characters are well written and endearing. You will care what happens to all of them.
If you haven’t read the Legends of Dimmingwood books yet then I would recommend starting here first. I have only read the first book (Magic of Thieves) and Ilan was the only name I remembered. I have read quite a few fantasy novels since reading Magic of Thieves so it’s difficult for me to keep all the characters sorted out in my head. This worked to my benefit; not remembering who her parents were preserved the mystery of the story’s conclusion. Thus why I recommend reading the Magic of Dimmingwood trilogy first.
As I already mentioned, I have only read the first book in the Legends of Dimmingwood series but reading the rest of the books has definitely moved farther in on my radar.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss
