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queensthiefWhile Harper Collins finishes knitting together Thick As Thieves, I have a question for you.
Let's say you have a friend you want to give a book to. Assume this friend has read the Queen's Thief books and is a well-read person, particularly when it comes to YA books. If you had to choose ONE book, what would you give them?
(Ok, this is a real life situation for me. Help a sista out.)
Let's say you have a friend you want to give a book to. Assume this friend has read the Queen's Thief books and is a well-read person, particularly when it comes to YA books. If you had to choose ONE book, what would you give them?
(Ok, this is a real life situation for me. Help a sista out.)
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Date: 10/22/16 11:07 pm (UTC)The demon king by chima
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Date: 10/22/16 11:23 pm (UTC)If she's read that, I have others.
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Date: 10/22/16 11:37 pm (UTC)If they like Gen's snarky sense of humor, you could always try "My Family and Other Animals" - Gerald Durrell.
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Date: 10/22/16 11:55 pm (UTC)Okay enough rant, lol.
Anyway, to answer your question, if I had to choose one, I would recommend The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Think of it as a Sophos-like main character trying to manoeuvre in a political sphere as treacherous as Attolia's court.
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Date: 10/23/16 12:42 am (UTC)More modern: Gillian Bradshaw's Down the Long Way trilogy - Hawk of May, Kingdom of Summer, and In Winter's Shadow
Chima
Date: 10/23/16 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/23/16 02:14 am (UTC)Howl's Moving Castle or Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones
Psion by Joan Vinge.
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Date: 10/23/16 03:08 am (UTC)- Starcrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
- The Sunbird by Elizabeth Wein
- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik
- City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
Otherwise, anything from this list...
- The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkowski
- The Returning by Christine Hinwood
- The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge
- The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
- Pegasus by Robin McKinley
- Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
- Ash by Malinda Lo
- The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
- Plain Kate by Erin Bow
- Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve
- The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
- Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Levitt
- Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFever
- East by Edith Pattou
- Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
- And I Darken by Kiersten White
- Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
- Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
- Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
- Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
- The Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wrecker
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
- Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
- A Thousand Nights by E. K. Johnston
And you can never go wrong with Tamora Pierce, Melina Marchetta, Rebecca Stead, Shannon Hale, or Corinne Duyvis.
...I know you said one, but I'm a YA librarian and I can't stop myself. >_> I suppose, if I had to pick only one... I think I'd say The Returning. MWT blurbed it, and I loved it, though I'd say it's more like Finnikin of the Rock than Queen's Thief.
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Date: 10/23/16 03:32 am (UTC)Here's one that almost nobody's read: The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell. It's got some politics and quite a few harebrained not-as-well-thought-out as Gen would schemes. I was challenged to summarize in one sentence on Tumblr so here it is:
A story of how history is made and how myths are created as three youths begrudgingly join their strengths and learn how to defend their country against an enemy that may not be all that bad and countrymen who may not be all good.
My only warning is that some find the first book slow - please stick it out. The ending of the last book is second only to the ending of KoA for it heartbreaking sweetness and perfectness.
And then they can talk about it for it has one of the smallest fandoms *sighs in loneliness*
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Date: 10/23/16 03:35 am (UTC)I second Crown Duel. (Several other goodies here but Crown Duel is my hands down favorite).
Starts off like a basic adventure and pulls in politics and romance in unexpected places. Not quite as subtly as QT but enjoyable all the same. My copy falls open to all my favorite parts!
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Date: 10/23/16 05:50 am (UTC)Seconding the rec for Hilari Bell's Farsala trilogy--really a great series.
Also seconding Jennifer Nielsen's Ascendance trilogy. It's not like Queen's Thief, exactly, but it definitely rings some of the same bells.
Kenneth Oppel's Matt Cruse trilogy, maybe--Airborn, Skybreaker, and Starclimber. Steampunkish instead of fantasy, but it's tight and engrossing, and the romance reminds me of Gen and Irene's in that it's understated and based on way more than love-at-first-sight.
And Patricia McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a calm, beautiful, quick-read fantasy. If you've ever stopped to savor a MWT turn of phrase or choice in words, you just might love some of McKillip's words too--they tickle your brain so sweetly. :)
Stopping there because anything else I could rec would be on tenuous grounds. It really is hard to recommend books for people who want something like Queen's Thief; it occupies such a unique little niche!
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Date: 10/23/16 10:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/23/16 10:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/23/16 05:51 pm (UTC)All of these have some combination of the following similarities to QT: memorable narrators, political intrigue, exploration of friendship and family dynamics, complex and/or slow-burning romances (often built upon hard-won mutual respect), overcoming trauma, historical settings (or settings reminiscent of a historical time period), plucky/snarky/tricksy characters, etc, etc.
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein (and its sequels)
The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander (these are more middle-grade, but absolute classics and worth re-reading at any age)
The Song of Albion trilogy by Stephen Lawhead (these are more adult)
The Outlaws of Sherwood, or The Hero and the Crown or Beauty by Robin McKinley
Six of Crows and its follow-up Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce (a well-crafted retelling of Rumpelstiltskin)
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer (recommended for fans of Jane Austen, Naomi Novik, or Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
The Scorpio Races or The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
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Date: 10/23/16 06:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/23/16 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/24/16 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/24/16 09:44 am (UTC)The Vicky Bliss series for the charming, manipulative thief character. The series is about the adventures of Vicky Bliss, respected art historian, and her love interest/nemesis, Sir John Smythe, international art thief and art forger. The books are:
Borrower of the Night
Street of the Five Moons
Silhouette in Scarlet
Trojan Gold
Night Train to Memphis
The Laughter of Dead Kings
John doesn't appear until the second book in the series but he is a main character for the rest of the series.
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Date: 10/24/16 03:14 pm (UTC)Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon)
The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (which actually shares a lot of themes with The Thief, someone who is young and wants to be a hero getting himself in over his head, with a dose of politics on the side)
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Date: 10/24/16 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/24/16 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/24/16 06:25 pm (UTC)~frosted_feather
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Date: 10/25/16 03:35 am (UTC)(I loved the Vicky Bliss books. I think I need to reread them.)
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Date: 10/26/16 01:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/26/16 04:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/26/16 04:41 am (UTC)ETA: Although I actually prefer The Blue Sword to The Hero and The Crown. I think the worldbuilding in Blue Sword is better.
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Date: 10/26/16 08:29 pm (UTC)I'm also currently reading the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo, which is about scheming thieves.
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Date: 10/28/16 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 10/28/16 01:50 am (UTC)Really, I'd want to gift it for selfish reasons: more people need to read this!
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Date: 10/30/16 04:07 am (UTC)The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope. Also the Sherwood Ring.
And Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
And, if I may, I'd like to plug my friends' books:
His Own Good Sword by Amanda McCrina has a naive, courageous young hero and lots of action and twisty politics.
White Sky (volume 1 of In the Shadow of the She-Wolf) by Lara Campbell McGehee tells the story of a young man who belongs nowhere, and whose life is in danger almost from the moment he reaches his teens.
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Date: 11/5/16 10:24 pm (UTC)Jumping in a little late, seeing many books and authors I've loved recommended already and many many that I've never read and would likely enjoy greatly.
I didn't see The wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. Great world building, there are 4 books that follow in the series and a collection of short stories. The title came to mind as I was reading through the recommended books, it has been years since I read them last, so maybe I won't try to draw specific connections of themes or characters etc. with the Queen's Thief series.
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Date: 11/9/16 04:06 pm (UTC)