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The Spirit Thief
The Legend of Eli Monpress – Book I

By Rachel Aaron


       
Eli Monpress is a thief – but he is also a wizard, and one who travels with a master swordsman who carries a magic sword - and a demonseed who can destroy spirits. He wants to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he steals something from a small kingdom where magic is banned. Or maybe he is just going to borrow the item, which is something that nobody ought to mind being without for a while: the kingdom of Mellinor’s king.

I honestly didn’t think they wrote fantasies like this anymore; you couldn’t prop a door open with it to start with, there is no kinky sex and most of the characters are actually likeable! It hits the ground running too and doesn’t let up throughout its admirably modest length and look; there are two more of them.

Newcomer Ms Aaron has the right light touch for this type of frothy, entertaining fantasy and has also managed to bring something new to the genre in her magic system. Everything in this world has its own spirit, from pebbles and raindrops to mountains and seas, which makes for some interesting ideas. There is even a swordfight using magic swords between Eli’s sidekick and a bounty hunter as well as more than one faction of magic users and various assorted surprises. Yet if you are imagining that this is some sort of D&D retro novel you will be wrong, as there is plenty in it to appeal to the modern reader of both sexes, although possibly this is more one for the girls. Maybe these are girls who are looking for a change from paranormal romance, as you won’t find any in here. This is just pure magical enjoyment, and what a treat.


The Book

Orbit (Little, Brown)
28 October 2010
Paperback
0356500101 / 9780356500102
Fantasy
More at Amazon US || UK
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Rachel A Hyde
Reviewed 2010
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© 2010 MyShelf.com