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The story is about a thief named Gen, who brags he can steal anything, and ends up having to prove himself when the King orders he steal a precious gem from a neighbouring Kingdom.
Here is a video trailer to help your understanding of the novel's plotline before we go further.....
Gen has many companions on his journey.
Pol is the company's bodyguard. He's tough and silent.
The magus is one of the King's most trusted advisors. He's strict, but knowledgeable.
Ambiades is the novel's antagonist. He's hard-headed, egotistical, and has a fierce rivalry with Gen.
Sophos, the magus' second apprentice, is the youngest of the bunch, a keen learner who really admires Ambiades.
Although the group do not begin their adventure on the friendliest of terms, when the novel is over with, Gen has formed some strong bonds with both the magus and Sophos, and their opinions of him have altered entirely.
The theme of the novel is that first impressions are often misguided and you should NEVER judge a book by it's cover.
Megan Turner uses several strong literary elements to demonstrate the novel's moral:
The developpement of The Thief's protagonist, Gen, really emphasises the story's theme that one should never judge a book by it's cover. When we are first introduced to Gen, he is presented as just another petty thief; no one gives him any respect or kindness, and so we assume he does not deserve any. However, as the book progresses, we start to see that there are more layers to Gen then were initially revealed; he is empathetic, a strong leader, and (quite ironically, as he is a thief) has a good set of morals. An example of this which would be when he rescues the magus and Sophos in the end of the novel, even though it means putting his own life in jeopardy. Of course, the REAL kicker is at the VERY end of the book, when Turner unveils her biggest plot twist: not only is Gen a good human being, he is also royalty!Hence, don't judge a book by it's cover!
The point of view in The Thief (first person narrative from Gen's perspective) also helps add to the moral that one shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, because at the same time that the reader is learning there's more to Gen then meets the eye, Gen is learning there's more to his companions then meets the eye. The novel's first person voice allows us insight into Gen's mind, a first-hand view of his feelings for the magus as they slowly alter from hatred, to strong dislike, to, towards the very end of the story, warmer much more amiable emotions. We can watch this transition happening through Gen's eyes and thus have a better understandingof his relationship with the magus, and of the reasons why the latter is not as harsh and unlikeable as he may at first come across.
The final key element that Turner utilizes to get across the message that one should not judge a book by a cover is conflict. The conflict in the Thief revolves mainly around interpersonal issues- specifically, fights between either Gen and the magus, or Gen and Ambiades. These fights make the message all the stronger because they prove exactly why one SHOULDN'T judge a book by it's cover; for example, if Ambiades hadn't underestimated Gen, he might not have challenged and lost to him in a fencing match, and if the magus had tried not to intimidate Gen from the beginning but to BEFRIEND him, perhaps their journey would have been far more bearable.
All in all, the novel is one with a strong theme made even stronger by Turner's methods of writing. I can only assume that the sequel to the Thief will carry on the mystery and adventure of it's predecessor whilst sending out an equally important message. :)