THE THIEF is one of those simple and elegant novels that are the building blocks of the entire fantasy genre. It is perfectly on point, perfectly poised, and a perfectly lovely little book. I finished the entire thing in an afternoon and could not be more tickled. The words are sharpened to knife point and as beautifully and carefully chosen as blades. This is a brilliant book for any aspiring writer to read as a way to study the genre and for any child's first fantasy read.