Gaspar The Thief is a humorous light fantasy that will appeal to fans of Terry Pratchett.
Follow the adventures of Gaspar, a freelance thief who stubbornly refuses to swear fealty to the Thieves' Guild.
Cursed with a special affinity for calamity and mishap, and a talent for snatching defeat from the brink of victory, our hero blunders from one misfortune to the next, yet somehow always manages to survive to tell the tale.
Accompanied by his long-suffering companions - Hubris, a spellbroker who refuses to pay his dues to Wizards' Hall, and Marna, a feisty thiefess with a quick tongue and a quicker temper - our unlikely hero encounters looming retribution and imminent catastrophe at every step.
From a sinister funeral ship to a scheming seductress; from a puzzling murder to a gang of merciless ship-wreckers; and from a goblin army laying siege to an ancient border fortress to a mischievous wood-wight with a penchant for table legs and floorboards, there's no end to the troubles he can find!
Told with an appealing mixture of seriousness and humour, this is an exciting romp based in a fantasy world where anything can, and usually does, happen!
Excerpt
Indignation propelled Drune to his feet rather more incautiously than was sensible in so small and cluttered a space. The result was predictable. Coming into sharp contact with the underside of a timber shelf, the wight instinctively travelled magically upwards through the wood to avoid injury only to clatter the top of his skull off the undersides of the various glass and earthenware vessels stored atop the shelf. Erupting upwards, they dislodged in turn the shelf above before gravity turned them earthward again to shatter on the larder's flagstone floor. Their contents splattered every surface of the larder, drenching the wight in a spray of wine, milk, olive oil and vinegar. In that enclosed space, the noise was deafening, especially when Drune added his own ear-splitting howl to the already considerable cacophony.
But that was still not the worst of it. Unhappily, other substances than liquids were kept in the larder, among them spices, herbs, salts and peppers, so that a great cloud of stinging particles exploded suddenly around him, assaulting his eyes and nose. Rearing up a second time, he struck yet another shelf and upended a new avalanche of foodstuffs over himself. Treacle, sugar-cane, flour and suet now added treachery to the other ingredients forming a quagmire on the floor. Unable to keep his feet, Drune skidded and slipped, banging his head against the larder door as he went down. The latch was loose, the hinges old and poorly maintained. With an almighty crash, the door burst outwards, exposing the whole sorry spectacle to the shocked gaze of the innkeeper and his startled wife.
Professional Reviews
Classic Fantasy Not To Be Missed...
Gaspar the Thief has everything you want in a good fantasy - an intricate plot, wizards and magic, and a series of adventures taking place against the backdrop of a beautifully-drawn ancient world. David A Lindsay writes in an eloquent style making it a pleasure to read and lending the story an epic Tolkien-esque quality. I couldn't put my Kindle down until I had finished Gaspar the Thief. Highly recommended to all fantasy fans.
This should be an HBO series!
I absolutely loved this book. I am totally into sci-fi and adventure and this book has both with a touch of magic and medieval mixed in for good measure. The only bad thing about the book in my opinion is that it ends. The mini stories could definitely continue and they all left me wanting more. In fact, HBO should really think about making this a new series after Game of Thrones ends.
I am hoping for another book with the same fantastic cast of characters to come out in the future. But in the meantime, if you really liked this book try Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats. It was really good too.
Fun Fantasy Adventure!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading Gaspar the Thief, I found it a nice easy read full of fun adventure fantasy, humour and an intriguing story. The first chapter sets the scene introducing the reader to Gaspar, his companions and the world of Rubas Derad. The second chapter I had already read as a free download through Amazon (which I have done a separate review for). So for me the story really kicked off from the third chapter. The book follows Gaspar through his many adventures from being a detective, hostage, traveller, thief and trickster. The stories are action packed and full of twists, definitely a page turner. I particularly enjoyed a section of the book which follows the garrison commander of a fortress under imminent attack from an army of goblins. The tense atmosphere is balanced out with the parallel story of Gaspar and his companions writing up a contract for the services of a mischievous wood-wight which is full of funny moments. I really liked how all the different stories combined and found myself really rooting for Gaspar. I would definitely recommend this book to all fantasy/adventure fans.
This is the long-awaited 4th book of The Chronicles of Henry Roach-Dairier, a future world without people. Think Planet of the Ants, not Planet of the Apes, for young adults and adults.
The second book of the trilogy, The Chronicles of Henry Roach-Dairier, this volume will be enjoyed by astute 10 or 11 year olds as well as adults. A reader does not have to read To Build a Tunnel First to understand this volume.
Retail Price; $15
