[b: Mark of the Thief|17453187|Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief, #1)|Jennifer A. Nielsen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402065517s/17453187.jpg|24341792] is a fast-paced, energetic read. There are few lulls in the action. Around every corner is a new trial for Nicholas Calva, from the moment he tires of being a slave until the end of the story. It's the beginning of another series that Nielsen fans will gobble up.

My one concern, and I hope that gets fixed later in the story, is the character of Livia, Nic's sister. At the moment, she's not very well-developed, and is mainly being used to stir Nic into action. Oh, I need to stay in the mines to protect her. Oh, I need to find her because she's been kidnapped. Oh, I need to give into the villain because he's going to kill her. As an adult gender studies major who's read far too many critiques of video games and comics suffering from this same plot line, I'm not sure I really want it perpetuated in the stories I recommend to kids as well. I'm holding out hope that because this is the first in the series that Nielsen will make Livia into more of a well-rounded character, rather than the MacGuffin she appears to be here. And please, please, don't let her be fridged.