Series: Malitu #1
Publisher: G&D Publishing
Pages: 428
Find it on: Goodreads. Amazon.
Source: The author kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Synopsis
We are the stories we tell ourselves…even the lies.
The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.
Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.
When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed.
Review
No Heart for a Thief is the first in a new epic fantasy series that follows Tayen, a young girl seeking vengeance for the murder of her family by soldiers of the Gousht Empire. When she meets Kaylo the famous thief with the ability to steal magic, he saves her and offers to help her learn how to control her magic and how to wield a weapon. As Kaylo and Tayen work together, Kaylo recounts his life and the mistakes he has made – will Kaylo be able to stop Tayen’s quest for vengeance and escape the demons he’s hiding from?
No Heart for a Thief really caught my eye because of the intriguing premise and right from the get-go I was hooked. Dulin has weaved a complex and compelling tale, one that I found myself dying to get back to when I had to put the book down. I really enjoyed Dulin’s writing style and the story was well paced, giving the reader plenty of time to get to know the characters and world. I similarly felt that the world building was well developed and am so eager to see more of the world in subsequent books. One of the things I enjoyed most about the writing were the dynamic action scenes that Dulin brought to life. No Heart for a thief is an action packed tale, and there are plenty of tense moments that will have the reader on the edge of their seat.
Although there is plenty of action the story feels very character focused. I really enjoyed the way the narrative unfolded, we follow Kaylo and Tayen in the current day as Tayen trains and they attempt to escape the Gousht soldiers. We also follow Kaylo as a young boy and see how his life unfolds, as he learns to control his power and grow into the person he has become. Both characters felt complex and well developed, each dealing with their own haunted pasts and it was interesting to draw similarities between them. I really liked both protagonists and cannot wait to see where the story will take them. Dulin has created a fascinating world with a really unique magic system. No Heart for a Thief is a clever and engaging read and I am already itching to read book two.
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The Bibliophile Chronicles 