A Lady Thief

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone! I'm also jumping on the recommendations-related band-wagon. In my case Eugenides is my favorite character of all time, but I REALLY would like to find someone super like him, but female. I love the idea of thief characters, especially ones that are incredibly good at their work, and I love kick-butt female protagonists. I want to combine the two!

So to be specific, these are the traits I love about Eugenides and would be thrilled to see echoed in a female character:

- Snarky but still loving
- Really sneaky
- a bit of a diva
- doesn't care what others think
- extremely good at thieving and loves the work as an art
- has a love story, but it's not his/her defining storyline
- exists in a past-like fantasy setting

Does anyone know of any good stories/characters that fit the criteria for my dream character? I've been really searching and it's so hard to find a female thief who isn't defined by a love story. Any recommendations would be hugely appreciated!

(Also, it would be even better if this character were gay/bisexual. I know there's barely anything like that out there in the realms of mainstream lit, but I can dream!)

Thank you for any help you can give, guys! 

Comments

[treetelling.livejournal.com]

I couldn't agree more on what you'd like to see in a character. I've tried to find characters like this quite often. I rather liked _Star-Crossed_ by Elizabeth Bunce, which fits what you want very well. I haven't read the sequels, though. Kim in _Mairelon the Magician_ by Patricia Wrede (she's the protagonist, despite the title) is a great thief character, believably sneaky and funny. She gives up thieving in the novel, but I bet you'll want to keep reading if you start. Unsurprisingly, you'll find a lot of female thieves in Robin Hood settings. My favorites would be Marian and Cecily in Robin McKinley's _The Outlaws of Sherwood_. Lovely strong but realistic characters, and not completely defined by their love stories. I've reread it often. I would also try _Scarlet_ by A.C. Gaughen, another Robin Hood story. Fits most of your criteria very well, although I found her a bit overdramatic at times. _Jack of Kinrowan_ by Charles de Lint might be worth a try, although the main character isn't a thief, unfortunately, but she has a bit of the ne'er-do-well about her. I'll be curious to see other people's suggestions.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

First thing that comes to mind is the Kiki Strike series by Kristen Miller, following Kiki Strike and her criminally misfit band of delinquent Girl Scouts, The Irregulars.

"When I grow up, I'd like to be dangerous." :)

That pretty much sums up her character. She's a live-on-the-edge-of-the-law type with a mysterious past who puts together a team of genius girls (some with criminal pasts) to protect a long-abandoned, underground city under the streets of Manhattan. It's told from the POV of Ananka, the team's researcher, with some classic Veronica Mars snark. No major love stories. It's a bit like the A-team with fourteen-year-old girls. XD

Also, she's not a thief, but the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer comes to mind. It's an incredibly clever series about Sherlock Holmes's much younger and much overlooked little sister, who lives in hiding from her brothers in London solving missing persons cases. No love stories. It's all about Enola, her personal journey, and her clever cons and crime solving.

Emily the Strange series by Jessica Gruner is about a... well... strange, misanthropic super-genius unraveling the secrets of her family's past. She's not a thief, but she does live on the edge of the law, and is not above stealing. I can't tell you much without spoiling you... (sound familiar?) but I can say, she loves cats, built a golem, is a great skateboarder, and could take over the world if she ever cared to. XD No love story.

However, my favorite Lady Thieves are still Sophie and Parker from TNT's heist drama, Leverage. If you haven't seen that show, I'm pretty sure you'd like it. :)

[dina786.livejournal.com]

Hi! You can try the Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke. The main character isn't exactly a thief, but she is a pirate that does steal sometimes I think! Although the storyline does fit what you are looking for! :)

[rosalui.livejournal.com]

I can think of literally no lady thieves in print. *facedesk* Just awesome lady leads of other walks of life, or thieves on TV - like side characters in White Collar.

Er, several of the women from Game of Thrones could fit the bill, but that's slightly heavier reading. Arya has all of Gen's sass, though.

[deirdrej.livejournal.com]

Hi!

How about the Claidi Journals, by Tanith Lee? The first one is called Wolf Tower, and the first lines are:

Yes.
I stole this.

Spoken by Claidi, the heroine, whom I found quite endearing. Plus there's a love story. I enjoyed this series, and maybe you would, too.

:-D

[(Anonymous)]

I remember liking Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. (I also remember that I didn't like the sequel(s?) quite as much.) My memory is imperfect, but I think it is not exactly thief-ish but is tricksy, and the heroine is trained as a thief/spy. Sclerotia

[mary-j-59.livejournal.com]

I was about to suggest The Assassin's Curse! And I think there's a sequel, too.

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

I do love Patricia Wrede. (I read the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.) I'll have to give that a shot, thank you!

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

I read a bit of Enola Holmes and it wasn't really for me, but your other suggestions sound intriguing. I think I might really like Emily the Strange. I've seen a bunch of her merchandise, but not the actual story. Can you tell me where to start?

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

It looks exciting! Thanks for the tip!

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

Thank you, but I'm avoiding GoT like the plague. I've heard about all the character deaths and have no desire to have my heart broken like that!

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I read the first one years ago, but I don't remember much about it. It may be time to give it another look.

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

Well anything by Tamora Pierce deserves a look! I loved The Lioness Quartet, The Immortals, and especially Protector of the Small. How does this compare?

[shadowgirlvg.livejournal.com]

Another suggestion in case anyone else is looking for the same things I am: the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer is fantastic. The heroine is Jacky Faber and she is beyond belief as a thief/sailor/lady/pirate/captain/entertainer and so much more. If you want a character who's larger than life in the same way Eugenides is, I highly recommend her!

[dina786.livejournal.com]

Yes, there is a sequel for it. The Pirate's Wish! :)

[rosalui.livejournal.com]

Lol, I thought the same once. Now I can't detach myself. :D

[lulu von kokonut (from livejournal.com)]

Yes i second the Mairelon the Magician suggestion, great series :D

[jamie d (from livejournal.com)]

I recommend "Bloody Jack" as well, BUT I also HIGHLY recommend listening to it on audiobook. The woman who narrates (Katherine Kellgren) is FANTASTIC! (Notice the capslock....she's that good).

[jamie d (from livejournal.com)]

What about "The Decoy Princess" by Dawn Cook? Tess isn't exactly a thief, but does have some thief-like qualities.

[(Anonymous)]

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

Shai, the main character, is a VERY gifted thief. This part of your list fits her perfectly "extremely good at thieving and loves the work as an art." The story is set in a sort of fantasy version of ancient china, with a really original feel to the world.

It's a great, quick read, and Shai fits most of your list really well. I don't want to give any of the surprises in your story away, but she is also like Gen in ways you didn't even put on your list :D

[(Anonymous)]

Oops, I just realized someone else recommended this is the next topic down! so, consider this a double rec? :)

[intangible-muse.livejournal.com]

I'm not the one who posted this suggestion, but I have read the Trickster's series. Aly, the main character is actually Alanna and George's daughter, so as you can imagine, she's pretty kickass, smart, and sassy. I enjoyed the books (there are two in the series) and all the characters (pretty much all are new) were great. This one's quite a bit more political than the other Tortall books and there's an interfering Trickster God in the midst of thing :)

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

You MUST check out Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund. It's technically a companion novel, but you do NOT need to read the other book to enjoy this one. It's a sci-fi retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and the main character Persis is Gen all over. She even shares a very Gen/Eddis dynamic with her own queen. You'll love her, I promise.

Edited to add: While the story is technically a sci-fi, it's post-apocalyptic, so in some ways it feels more like a fantasy than a sci-fi, so I say it still fits your requirements. ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

Starcrossed and Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce seem to fit your criteria pretty well. Interesting female protagonist who is a professional thief, makes for a strong narrator, but is not a Mary Sue. It's set in a world with complex political intrigue and an interesting magical structure. There's a mixture of romantic possibilies that aren't the centerpoint of the story (at least not all of the time), and plenty of getting dressed up or disguised depending on the occasion. She's even a bit like Gen in that she's small and eady to underestimate... Until you cross her. :)

My favorite of Bunce's books is, however, the standalone A Curse Dark As Gold. It's a unique retelling of Rumpelstiltskin and I highly recommend it!

-freenarnian

[(Anonymous)]

The only title I have to add is throne of glass by Sarah J. Mass. The main character is more of an assassin than a thief but I think she meets most of your expectations. It's a fantasy setting she's got a lot of snark and is a major diva and the love story is not the main point of the book.

[(Anonymous)]

So I just took a look at my bookshelf and saw both grave mercy by Robin Lafevers and lady lightfingers by Janet Woods. Grave mercy is again more of an assassin book and lady lightfingers is about a pickpocket in Victorian England. I'm not sure if either is exactly what you are looking for but I recommend at least taking a look at them, especially grave mercy.

[jenn hilgeman (from livejournal.com)]

Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan might fit the bill. It's more historical fiction than historical fantasy, but the main character, Meg, is a thief who is roped in to becoming part of a select group of lady spies for Queen Elizabeth. There is a romance, but I don't think it takes center stage.

[(Anonymous)]

Ari Marmell's Widdershins! Books so far are Thief's Covenant, False Covenant, and Lost Covenant. I think she meets all of your criteria or all but one.

[(Anonymous)]

The Star-Crossed sequel has a huge cliffhanger and well, has straight picks (Sorry, keep dreaming though I will admit this character could have done it gracefully). It has been rumored the third book will not be published by the publisher because of lack of interest in Liar's Moon (the sequel) so read at your own risk. I am debating about signing the petition myself and I consumed both books in a weekend.