Theft of Swords

I was really drawn into the story from the very beginning. Two experienced thieves, Hadrian Blackwater and Royce Melborn, accept a way-too-easy job from a desperate person. What can possibly go wrong?

The main characters are not the typical heroes, as both dedicate themselves to a not-so-honest profession but they do have their own code of honour and justice. And there is humour too, which is a real asset to the story. What I also liked about the book is that women play quite an important role, and they are not merely circumstantial characters. Otherwise, it is quite a traditional fantasy book.

But I really enjoyed the first part of the book better. As you read along, the story slows down. The character development is not always convincing, and the explanations and the descriptions are sometimes too lengthy! They interrupt the pace of the story and that really impedes focusing on it or enjoying it. I believe that the story would have much more complex, if many of the things were left unsaid or only insinuated, so that the reader would figure it out for him/herself. For example, the introduction of the world's mythology is interesting but a bit artificial (like taught in a class). Or the way Hadrian teaches the farmer how to sword fight with a lengthy explanation (seriously, you can't learn how to do that in two days, can you?). Esrahaddon, the mysterious wizard, was a really promising character but in the end he could have been so much more.

Overall, the story and its characters are interesting and promising, even though the pace could be more even and the explanations shorter.