I do have Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke, but haven’t gotten around to reading them (they’re safe in a box ready for me to read whenever I want) but this one also caught my eye and I decided to pick it up as well. I do have a certain liking to anything to do with Venice. I think it’s a city I would love to visit one day.

The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke was originally written in German then translated into English. It covers the story of two boys, Prosper and Bo who have run away from their Aunt (who intends to have them separated by having Prosper going to a boarding school while Bo becomes their little trophy child). Running way to Venice (a city they intended to go to after hearing stories about the city from their late mother), they meet with The Thief Lord, a mysterious boy who with a small group of street children make a living by stealing and living in an old abandoned movie theater. There they life a hard, but comfortable life with The Thief Lord providing for them. Little do they know, the Thief Lord has a secret, and the two boys are finding themselves in a journey which will change their lives forever.

This book went by fast! I actually managed to get it started on Friday night, then continued for the rest of the day on Sunday and finished it! It was so interesting I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. At first though I had to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect with this novel. I was actually expecting a novel that was set in Venice back in the past, but surprisingly it actually took place in present day. Which didn’t really make it uninteresting at all, it suited the setting just fine. I really liked the idea of a group of street children surviving and treating it all like one big adventure after another under the leadership of The Thief Lord. Although putting this in a historical fiction setting would also be good as well, it still does well in the present day setting albeit differently but it doesn’t take long to get used to it.

The book was interesting enough, and the plot flowed through seamlessly. There was never a part in the book where I was bored. The chapters were short enough to keep you going and it was definitely a page turner. The majority of the characters were very likable although there were times where I wanted to smack Bo around a bit for being such a pest. Then again he played the role of little brother perfectly. I have to admit, Scipio had to be my favorite character. Especially after what happens to him near the end, I find that he has matured the most, but maintained his childhood self. I liked his character development the most. In the end though, all the children had matured and although it was sad to see everything change, it actually had quite a bittersweet ending. Why bittersweet? because I was just sad to see the story end with such likable characters.

Although a sequel might be tempting, I don’t think there should be one. The ending was complete and all questions were answered. Actually, I think a sequel might actually ruin it. The story is fine as is. This book was a great mix of fantasy, adventure, and a bit of drama.

Overall, a really nice quick read, which will take you to an adventure and you’ll ask yourself; Would you take a ride or not?

I give it a 9 out of 10.