The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue #1) [B1602]

2022 PB in nice clean condition. Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, bestselling author Christopher Buehlman begins a 'dazzling' (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path. But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.

Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford. "The Blacktongue Thief is fast and fun and filled with crazy magic. I can't wait to see what Christopher Buehlman does next."-Brent Weeks.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This was great. A solid fantasy action-comedy. Hilarious dialogue, just enough world building to draw you in, and a pretty big journey crammed in a relatively small book. Never takes itself too seriously."; "I went in expecting a dreary grimdark story, but instead received a breezy buddy cop-style adventure. This book was really funny-Buehlman's background in poetry, linguistics, and ren faire jestering really shined here. The central romance also caught me off guard, super sweet."; "Boy, oh boy, was that one hell of a ride! I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre-not even the classics like LOTR-but this book had me glued to the pages, mesmerized and magicked! I saw people mention that The Blacktongue Thief is not quite a traditional fantasy, and perhaps that's why it appealed so much to me. 6/5*!"; "Who could pass up a tale told by a liar and thief? Our narrator is charming and funny and the world built around his story is rich and detailed. It's a great book."