The Bookwyrm's Review of A Good Thief: A Thung Toh Jig Prequel by Amanda K. King and Michael R. Swanson

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Rating: 9.75/10 Stars

Synopsis

Surviving on the streets of Dockhaven took quick hands and the instincts of a gutter rat.

Schmalch was a good thief, just not a lucky one. Thanks to the rain, he hadn't even picked enough pockets to stay drunk and sleep dry. If only he could earn a spot on a crew, he wouldn't have to spend his days scrounging anymore, but every opportunity he had went keel-up.

When a simple pickpocketing goes awry, two strangers offer him another shot at a crew—if his luck doesn't sink him again. Schmalch may only want a few coins and a safe place to sleep, but a secret lab, an unwanted prophesy, and a fancy pistol will lead him to a back-alley deal that will change his life forever.
***
A prequel to the award-winning Things They Buried , A Good Thief follows Schmalch on a gritty adventure down some of the nastier byways in Dockhaven, the planet Ismae's greatest port city.

Review

The Ismae series is one of those series I recommend to anyone who will listen. When I was offered a chance to review an early review copy of this prequel story, I jumped at the chance. I was always curious at the backstory of the characters, and this story, which centers on the thief/scrounger Schmalch, gives us a good look into his past, and leads right into the first book in the series, Things They Buried. I like the fact the story is focused on Schmalch, since he seemed to have a a past that had some twists and turns that led him into the greater story of Sylander and Rift, and we get to see just how he tied into that greater story by the end.

Dockhaven is one of my favorite fantasy settings. It is such a complex and fully realized settings, highlighting the stark differences from the haves and have-nots, and showing the wild swings in technology as well. Things like photography are rare and wildly expensive, and yet technology like a desalinization plant exists to produce clean water. It's a city with a tram system, but people throw slops from windows. It's a city where people carry energy assisted pistols next to their swords and daggers. It's a place where genetic engineering is possible, and yet disease and squalor are rampant. It's easily the match of any of the great settings in fantasy such as Sanctuary and Lankhmar. Dockhaven is the kind of place residents would leave to go to Mos Eisley, Mogadishu or Detroit for a vacation to get a break from the stress.

The characters are what I've come to expect from these authors. Complex, flawed and all too real, very much the way they are because of how and where they were raised. Schmalch is the best example of this. The center of the story, Schmalch  is a much more nuanced character than I expected. A small time thief and scrounger, we see him here really down on his luck, barely surviving by pick pocketing marks at the tram station. His money goes right into booze, or a girl, but he is destined to never rise higher. In the very stratified Dockhaven, orphan pukas (a small humanoid race) like Schmalch are just throw away, with no value beyond their utility to their supposed betters.  He can spot opportunity, though, and when an opportunity is offered to him to make big money, and not get stomped by the people he was trying to rob, well, the clever little puka knows its better to go along than get stomped. He does show he is clever and surprising brave at times, if the situation is right. He also sometimes just has incredible luck, whether good or bad is a tossup at times. I'll admit he is my favorite character in the series.

The secondary characters are excellent as well. They run the gamut of races and character types, from gangsters and working girls to merchants and vagrants. Schmalch being on the low end of the social order means these people are looking to use or control him, and their personalities reflect the harsh realities of a place like Dockhaven.  Schmalch's "girlfriend" is his girlfriend any time he can afford her, and in the cutthroat Dockhaven, there's plenty of competition for her attentions. The various gangs in Dockhaven are run by some shady characters, and Schmalch get embroiled in the affairs of one, a rare female puka gang boss, who rules by brains and cunning. He is partnered up with a pair of foreign thieves, a couple who are a combination of brains, brawn and ruthlessness, although they seem to not really understand just how unforgiving Dockhaven can be. It's these characters and more that really sell this setting, and there are Easter eggs sprinkled throughout with the various characters that tie into the rest of the series.

I was glad to get a chance to read this prequel, a look into a slice of Schmalch's life prior to his much bigger adventures with Sylander and Rift. It definitely helps understanding his origins, and goes a long way in explaining  his vacillating moods and actions. If anything, the story made me like his character even more, and I can't wait to see where the series goes in the future. I give this book, and series in general, my highest recommendation.