Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is the sixth and final book in the Queen’s Thief series.
I first came across these books in high school and grew to love them, but when Return of the Thief was released earlier this week, I was a little bit nervous. Very excited, too, of course, but a little nervous. My reading taste has changed so much and even though I had reread most of this series earlier this summer in preparation for the release of this book, I wasn’t sure if I would love it as much as I would have ten years ago.
There was one issue I had in the book, concerning the treatment of disability, that I am still mulling over, undecided whether it does it well or not.
However, aside from that, I found it delightfully readable and, more significantly, I felt a comfort I did not expect in returning to the world of Eugenidies, Attolia, Eddis, Sounis, and company.
On a technical level, I am so impressed how Megan Whalen Turner was able to complete the series, and I felt like she was truly respecting the world and the characters she has created.
Many series start strong and then, at some point, fall really flat. Return of the Thief happily does not follow that pattern. It is a strong conclusion to a wonderful series, and was exactly what it needed to be.