★★★
A well-crafted fantasy with a cast of unforgettable characters, Thick as Thieves was the perfect addition to my otherwise uneventful day.
Readers follow the journey of Kamet, a treasured slave of the Medians, as he escapes his country with Costis, an Attolian soldier (and the star of a previous book, The King of Attolia ). Along their way to Attolia, they encounter numerous obstacles and develop a strong friendship, as they unveil new things about each other and the sovereigns they serve.
Most of the story is getting from point A to point B, and it’s quite a distance from Mede to Attolia. Because of that, the pacing if relatively slow, but Turner’s writing more than makes up for that. Her writing is so simple yet paints a clear picture of the setting. The people and their customs are written with attention and detail so that the world-building for this fantasy is fantastic. Her prose flows very well, and before I knew it, hours had gone by.
In addition to that, the pacing really allows for the characters to shine through. At first, I dislike Kamet, but as the story progressed, I saw that he was more than just snobbish, selfish, and sheltered. He developed into someone who is loyal, and will (begrudgingly) go back for his friend amidst danger. The Kamet at the beginning of the book would’ve hightailed it out of there. Even so, I still don’t really like Kamet (he’s just too taciturn and unexpressive), but I appreciate his growth. It was also amusing to watch Kamet underestimate Costis, then begin to realize that he’s not the dumb soldier he thought he was. Their eventual friendship is very sweet, and they understand each other pretty well.
Of course, it was wonderful to see old characters again. Eugenides is as clever and endearing as always, and once again, seeing him from the perspective of an outsider made him more interesting. Anyways, it’s basically a fact that Turner is an amazing fantasy writer, and I have a feeling I’ll be re-reading this series soon!
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