The Thief trilogy by Megan Whalen Turner

In the genre of fantasy that does not involve futuristic machinery and super-duper gizmos there are remarkably few books. Megan Whalen Turner's trilogy (so far) is a stand out in this genre. The three book are

The Thief
The Queen of Attolia
The King of Attolia

The books are meant to be read in sequence and having read all three there is really no way to see them as three different books. It is one, coherent, continuous story that are beautifully written and the new books never try to outdo the previous ones either in scale or heroism and for this reason alone it is a superior read compared to the Harry Potter sequence.

The thief is Eugenides a descendent of other thieves. He is released from the prison of Sounis by the Magus and taken to perform what many others have already failed. The Magus realizes that Eugenides has special gifts. These gifts are not immeidately apparent to the reader or his companions on the trip. What we really see is a petulant kid with a keen sense of observation, some hints to the talents he hides and most of all a very detailed knowledge of the mythology of Eddis, a kingdom in the mountains that separates Sounis from the other powerful kingdom of Attolia. One tends to develop respect for the Magus and love for the thief. He is handled and treated like a thief who might run away at any time until the reach the kingdom of Attolia where being with the Magus turns out to be safer than attempting a run. When it becomes clear that the thief has to steal the stone of Hamiathes, we see him transform into the character that he is known for. Turner lets us feel for the thief by making us constantly aware of his faults, fears as well as determination and cleverness.

In the second book we see the thief coming to terms with a devastating punishment meted out to him by the Queen of Attolia. She is known to be cruel but when Eugenides is recovering from his injury we see him transition from abject self-pity. He becomes more aware of the bigger picture in the politics of the region. He understands (and through him we do too) the intricate political games that are transpiring between the kingdoms. We see the role played by a fourth imperialistic power, the Medes. The thief begins to realize that he can play a significant role in shaping the relationships and securing his own country. The description of this transition is perhaps what makes this book the most engaging of the trilogy. However, it is entirely possible that people find this the most boring book as well.

In the final installment we see Eugenides in exactly the position he wanted to be in. However, it does not turn out to be as comfortable as he thought. After influencing the inter-kingdom politics in The Queen of Attolia, he is now enmeshed in the politics within the kingdom. He is not liked by the people of his own country especially for the position he occupies. He is seen as a thief, a coward and not eligible for his post.

Through out the series, we are presented with the local mythologies and gods. There are magical events where the gods intervene in everyday life. However these situations provide a sense of unpredictability that is entirely welcome. They are like a shot of espresso in the middle of the day. The characters are never taken for granted. We see them in various situations and build up a personal opinion of them. They are like normal human beings with flaws and strengths and when they are in extreme situations they behave with equal doses of grit and foolishness.

In short, it is a fantastic story of very real human beings set in a wonderful time a place that only a very creative mind can bring to life.