This is the second book in the Easie Damasco series by David Tallerman. I went on to the Angry Robot website to see what the publisher had written about the book after I had finished it and this was a line I have taken from their description: "Meet Easie Damasco: Thief, swindler and lately, reluctant hero." I felt that the only thing missing from that is ladies man.
That's a lie as he isn't, but I feel it had a nice ring to it. After all, apart from the somewhat confused look on his face, what lady could resist those looks?
When I started this book the first thing that I realised was that this was the first book in a series that I have read that didnt insult me by making me think that I could read this if I had not read the previous outing. I read a series of three books a couple of weeks back and really enjoyed them, the downside is that it took me maybe two days to read each one so it felt like one massive book. In the case of this and Giant Thief that would be great as the two flow perfectly into each other. Its not like say you've just watched A New Hope and then put on Empire Strikes Back and you are left wondering what happened in between the two films, with Giant Thief and Crown Thief its as if in the last line of Giant Thief it says "and Easie turned the door handle" and then the first line in Crown Thief is "and he stepped through", (That isn't how the book actually ends). The great thing about Crown Thief is that it doesn't outwardly re-explain anything in the world that is established in Giant Thief, so it dosent try to shove down my throat who all the characters are when they first come back onto the page. I like that its as easy as Easie and Alvantes are travelling etc etc, rather than Easie, thief etc and Alvantes, guard captain turned crippled hero who hates Easie etc etc. The book lets you either remember these relationships or explains them by the characters actions. Brilliant and extremely refreshing.
I want to say that Dave's writing skill has gotten even better with this book but I can't feel like that sounds patronising. I think that with the characters established and the world created, Dave has the freedom to concentrate on the the little details. The buildings for example are amazing and I can't help but imagine them as a cross between great cities of the early Roman Empire and the towns in Skyrim. The world is alive with sights and sounds and more often than not smells.
The characters are brilliant, with Easie being the man with the plan and who keeps getting into situations which are wholly believable. He begins to perform kind acts and enjoys the feelings he gets from those and at the same time he seems to be extra generous when he's a little drunk. I can relate to that. Its a pain in the bank balance.When I think of Easie I see him as on par with Jean Valjean and that Alvantes is Inspector Javert, only the two of them have to work together. Whilst Easie may have stolen more than just a loaf of bread, he helps all those he meets. Also, Alvantes might not have been chasing Easie his entire life, at first there is the venom of someone that has.
(Possible Spoiler in This Paragraph) The only downpoint for me in the whole book was certain characters are built up and I felt that they should have played a more important part in the story and then they do not. I will not say who these are as I hate spoilers.
Dave has put a good twist in this book as well that again I shall not go into detail and I have been told that whilst I worked out part of it before I was meant to, there is more than meats the eye which I highly look forward to for the next instalment.
I will end this review here I think, and simply say that this book is a great step up in the story and in world creation. The characters and the situations that they get into are all fully believable and even though it is a fantasy world not once does Dave use a lame plot device to make something more convenient. Everything is explained and it always work. The only time you dont get something explained is part of my above spoiler and its much better the way Dave has written it than if it was explained as a good mystery is a great thing and makes certain characters more intimidating.
Go forth and purchase this book. Its fun, its serious, it will make you laugh once or twice, it'll make you go "how are they going to get out of this one" and it will even make you say "will you just kiss her already!". Crown Thief is a great read and I would even recommend it to people who do not normally read fantasy.
Finally, one hell of a cliff hanger that will make you want to chew the back cover off just in case there is a little hidden there.
There isnt.
I checked.
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