Rating and evaluating this book is hard because in many respects, I very much enjoyed it, but there were some things that I wish went differently. Overall, though, it's one of the better-written YA books I've read.

Things I Liked

1. Gen’s Wit: Part of the appeal of the main character, Gen, is his witty comebacks. Usually, witty thieves are a thorn in my side when reading fantasy since they’re usually dudes that perform some wish-fulfillment and are written so cocky that I have a hard time liking them. In this book, however, Gen’s wit and pride are tempered by his social standing and his past failure. As a result, reading this novel felt less like indulging a male ego and more finding a way to claim power in a world where the character is quite powerless. Not to mention that a lot of it is humorous, too!

2. Thwarting Class Expectations: Some of my favorite parts of this book were when class expectations or fantasy tropes were thwarted - sometimes head-on. For example, Gen spits back at another character when it is presumed he, being a thief from the lower class, is illegitimate or had a poor upbringing. I also liked the parts where the magus, after insisting that the learned traditions of storytelling were the only “correct” ones, leaves room for Gen to tell his folk tales without interruption or correction. These dynamics were great to read since it not only challenges common fantasy tropes, but how readers approach certain types of characters.

3. Sophos: What a cutie! Sophos is a rather young and naive character, but he is very kind and has a big heart. I loved watching him be kind to other characters, especially since the reason for him being on the adventure in the first place was to “toughen him up” - I’m glad that mission failed.

4. Mythology: This novel draws heavily from Greek mythology, and it’s pretty well reflected in the stories that are sprinkled throughout the book. I liked that the stories mad the gods seem complex and petty, like Greek gods, and they were generally fun to read.

5. Details: I’m a big fan of authors including details that would otherwise be overlooked. For example, Gen continually refers to his bodily aches that are holdovers from being in prison - he’s not magically better when he’s freed, he still has to deal with the consequences being locked up for months (a day or two isn’t going to fully fix that).

Things I Didn’t Like

1. Pace/Structure: A large chuck of this book (I want to say at least half) is spent travelling and describing the events of the characters’ journey. While some of the interactions between the characters were great, I was ultimately dissatisfied that it took so long to get to the main focus of the plot. When we finally did get there, everything seemed to happen WAY too fast. Likewise, I didn’t feel like the twists were set up properly, and thus, the whole reading experience was a bit awkward.

2. Telling Not Showing: This book is written in a way that seems to simply tell the reader what’s going on. It’s written in first person, but the style feels like a transcript of an eyewitness account of events rather than a carefully crafted narrative. Some events of the plot are related by other characters after they happen, so there’s a lot of telling and explaining. As a result, it was hard for me to connect to many of the characters or feel invested in their fate.

3. Women: Here and there, a few remarks about women and how they navigate the world rubbed me the wrong way.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in high fantasy
thieves, quests, mythology and folklore (especially Greek mythology).