Lawful Good Thief by T. L. Ford – 3.5 Star Review

When Kevin Bennett, Merryweather’s Guildmaster, plays with a weapon, he’d better know how to avoid getting cut.

Welcome to one of the August 24th stops on the book review tour for Lawful Good Thief by T. L. Ford with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more spotlights and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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About the Book

Lawful Good Thief
Kingdom of Thieves Book One
by T.L. Ford

Published 2 January 2012

Genre: Light Fantasy
Page Count: 296
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When Kevin Bennett, Merryweather’s Guildmaster, plays with a weapon, he’d better know how to avoid getting cut.

Certainly, Angela Thomas is a very sharp weapon despite her youth and foolish choice of bed partners. Born of seamstress and sailor, she is lured into the world of assassins, hidden agendas, and deadly encounters.

The magical geas binding Angela into obedient slavery will only last so long and Kevin plots long-term to overthrow the ruler of all the thieves’ dens.

But will the weapon he’s created serve him? Angela must choose between a future of light or darkness. Can she surprise them all and choose both?

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Lawful Good Thief is a light fantasy thieves guild adventure novel following a girl’s ascension to Master Thief. Dagger throwing, fighting, torture, revenge, escapes, unwise intimacy, accidental death, and thieves.

Excerpt

The thief’s book was propped in the remaining dress fabric on her lap.

‘Observation at the skilled thief’s level is all about reflections and echoes.  You already know about using all five senses, and know to use them all the time.  You must also learn to use reflections that are present on every surface.  Even a shadow will reflect the color of the objects near it.  Know what every surface looks like and learn what it looks like when something approaches it.  Most thieves know to avoid reflecting on shiny surfaces, but without constant effort and skill, they’ll often overlook other surfaces.  Know your own dagger’s reflection intimately.’

‘Echoes are the other half of minute observation and are not just sound.  Movement causes an echo in the air pressure.  With constant practice, you’ll be able to tell when someone approaches you on a windy day.  The passage of a person or animal will also leave a faint scent for hours, in addition to footprints in the dust.  Sorting that from a more recent perfume or strong odor is difficult but can be done.  Sit quietly and observe and when you have mastered that, learn to do it when going about your activities.  Observation must be constantly tested and you must not become complacent or think that you already know what is around you.’

My Review

My Rating: 3.5 Stars
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I was granted complimentary eBook access to Lawful Good Thief by T. L. Ford as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

When Angela’s struggling single mother told her to go sign up for school, Angela became a thief instead. With so much of her personal history shrouded in mystery, Angela’s decision was about to reveal the answers to so many secrets, both wanted and unwanted.

This is a fantasy-adventure novel in a historical setting that looks, for all intents and purposes, like our own past here on Earth. It’s a classic underdog takes the low road and lives a life of mixed fortune, wild adventure, and eventual success sort of story. Angela is an interesting character, if somewhat self-important and a little too naturally good-at-everything at points, and this book really grabbed me right from the beginning.

Unfortunately as I continued reading it became clear that this book would have benefited from further editing. Simply more drafts or the additional attention of another (neutral, removed) editor willing to really rip into it and provide a good developmental edit, both would have resulted in a cleaner finished product. The plot throws twist after twist without a clear sense of pacing and somehow manages to be completely predictable and at the same time mysterious and baffling. If you can think of a trope for a fantasy-adventure with a young and/or female protagonist, it’s in here, they just don’t necessarily crop up around the corner you expect them to. Beyond that, conversational scenes of any notable length are all talking head situations with very little going on other than the actual dialogue.

I also feel that this is a natural point for me to make a confession: I passed up the opportunity to review this book when the email about this tour first went out. I only took a second look and really considered the synopsis and existing Goodreads rating after a second call went out. This is partially because I’m particularly busy right now and not taking on every fantasy title that comes my way, but mostly because the cover doesn’t say “clever female protagonist fantasy adventure” to me. At first glance I see a hand brandishing a primitive dagger at a tall ship silhouette on the horizon at sunset (all photo elements digitally cut together) and I get an “alternate timeline ancient history” vibe. Then I looked closer and saw that the blade is not rough stone but rather metal with a reflection, and the reflection is a creepy illustration of a hooded face beneath a large, blue moon, which shouldn’t be visible (at least at that size and colour) while the sun is still setting. And the hooded figure is brandishing the same dagger it’s being reflected in? In short, the cover is serving cheesy internet Assasin’s Creed fan fiction.

With all of that said, despite everything I don’t exactly love, this book kept me reading right to the end. Even with its flaws, this book is interesting and Angela is compelling. At some point I decided that the whimsical feeling I was getting from this was female Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves, except the protagonist is a young woman of high rank in the band of thieves.

If you’re a fantasy-adventure fan and you don’t mind a diamond in the rough that’s needs a little more polish, this is definitely an enjoyable read. I recommend this book to its intended audience. This isn’t a good intro to the genre, it’s not the book to convert a new reader to the genre, but it’s a good addition to any current genre reader’s reading list.

About the Author

T. L. Ford is a programmer, writer, and artist. She spent most of her professional career supporting the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland.  Her fantasy novels are heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons and by both playing and running live-action role-playing games (LARPs) at conventions.  These books are designed to be fun, fast weekend reads, while her science fiction novels explore possibilities.  She’s also created two art books, a thriller novella, and an interactive math iBook.  She enjoys sailing, hiking, and spending time with her family.

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Giveaway Alert!

T. L. Ford will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.