Thieves at Heart

The Valley of Ten Crescents #1

by Tristan J. Tarwater

Tavera has spent her whole life in the Valley of Ten Crescents, the only half elf in a region populated by humans devoted to the Church of the Moon Goddess. Her ‘mam’ was a prostitute who gave her up to save her business. Her ‘pa’ Derk is a thief who’s eager to have her follow in his footsteps.  What will become of Tavera as she grows up among the thieves and villains of The Valley of Ten crescents and what is the Cup of Cream that her ‘pa’ seems so eager to please?

"Thieves at Heart" is the first book in the series "The Valley of Ten Crescents".

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Ebooks, Fiction, Amazon, Adult, High Fantasy

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2011

About the author

Tristan J. Tarwater is a writer of fantasy, comics and RPG bits. Their titles include The Valley of Ten Crescents series, Shamsee: A Fistful of Lunars,Hen & Chick and Reality Makes the Best Fantasy. They have also worked for both Pelgrane Press and Onyx Path. Born and raised in NYC, they now consider Portland, OR their home. When they're not making stuff up, they are usually reading a comic book, cooking delicious meals for their Spouse and Small Boss or playing a video game. Their next RPG character will most definitely be an elf.

Reviews

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

[edit 4/19/19 - After almost a year of putting it off, I finally read the first chapter of the second book today and ultimately decided that despite the absolutely fantastic title I am going to have to consider this series abandoned after book 1. It's a really great concept but unfortunately something about the execution really bores me.]

I think this is a very interesting concept for a series but unfortunately it's a bit lacking the execution. I like the setting and I ...mostly like Tavera ...I mean I feel like her personality shifts a lot but I think that's mostly because we're seeing her growing up here and I think she could turn into a really interesting character as an adult. The main problem with this book is that it had absolutely no structure. About halfway through I just started thinking of each chapter as a completely self-contained short story snippet kind of thing and that helped tremendously, but as something that is supposed to be a complete novel it's kind of a mess.

Every chapter is literally just a random unconnected scene and is apparently several months or even years apart but we're never actually told how much Tavera has aged in between each story. It's just really weird because one second you're reading about what you think is a cute little girl and then the next second she's sleeping her way around town for information and you're just like wait ...how old is she??? Also I kept waiting for Derk to do something really skeevy to her because people are awful and unfortunately fiction often reflects that, but he truly has nothing but fatherly feelings towards her so like THANK GOD on the one hand, but on the other hand I was so on edge the whole time waiting for the other shoe to drop even though it never did.

I'm going to read the next one because 1. I picked up a free copy of it sometime back and 2. how can I not read a book called Self-Made Scoundrel. I think it will also help me ascertain whether my problem was with Tavera's age and the lack of structure or just the whole thing in general. It was an enjoyable enough story but I feel like the lack of any real coherent plot definitely held it back.

[Caytlin Vilbrandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a fan of traditional fantasy. Elves are usually not my thing, and the plots that tend to come with fantasy bore me. For whatever reason, I just can't often get into a fantasy book.

But I just finished Thieves at Heart and it was the first fantasy book that's held my attention the whole way through. It doesn't exactly have a plot -- that is, external happenings driving the story -- but it holds up very well as a story driven by the characters. Well-- that's not entirely true, because how can you end on a cliffhanger if there's not plot? (And what a cliffhanger! I need the sequel!)

Anyway. It could use a bit more copy-editing, and there are some parts where uncommon words are repeated multiple times in a paragraph, and I have a pet peeve for the breath/breathe mistakes a lot of writers make, but it's still otherwise a well-written novel following a little half-elf girl's induction into a group of thieves. I enjoy the characters, the plots, Tavi's rebellious adolescence... Yep.

So overall, I give it four stars out of five. It's a great story to read, and you too will be wanting the sequel to be out *right now* when it's over.

[Daniel Swensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Thieves at Heart revolves around Tavi, a young girl who is adopted by a thief named Derk and is indoctrinated into a group of ne'er do wells known as the Cup of Cream.

I have rather mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I think the story has potential. The author has a good eye for sensory detail and has clearly put a lot of thought into the setting. The prose itself is solid enough, but there's a problem: not much happens.

Thieves at Heart doesn't feel like a complete story. It feels like the first act of a story, and unfortunately, not in a good way. Tavi is adopted by Derk. She meets some people. Everyone seems nice. She wanders around a city. She talks to some more people. She thinks about things. She gets her period. She has a nice meal. After awhile, I began to realize that there was no real tension. Very little seemed at stake and the main character didn't seem to have much in the way of goals.

The story does pick up a bit at the end, but unfortunately, the book ends just as things are starting to get interesting. Thieves at Heart feels like a very long prologue to a story that's waiting to happen. It was a decent introduction to a cast of potentially interesting characters, but the lack of driving story left me a little cold. If the author is saving all the action for later volumes, I might be persuaded to continue with the series -- if not, then it's just not my thing. But as a debut from an indie author, I will say that I've read much worse.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is it about some books that make them great? What elusive element exists within their written word that makes them stand out amongst so many others out there?

It's obviously the talent of the author, but there's lots of talented authors who can't quite seem to enchant the mind quite like Tristan J. Tarwater does in Thieves at Heart: The Valley of Ten Crescents. Unfortunately for reviewers it's a certain something that defies explanation. If it was explainable every author out there would be lined up for the course teaching it.

Luckily for readers and reviewers alike, every so often a gem such as this comes along. It is these books that created our love of reading, and feed our obsessive need to find the next one. Books like Thieves are the best kind. They offer the chance to be utterly absorbed into the pages of the story, an escape from our world into the world of another for however brief the time.

Tarwater has successfully constructed a story that is magical in its ability mesmerize you while you watch little Tavera grow from a waif of a child into a lovely young woman. Of course, she also becomes a very accomplished thief along the way, but a girl has to survive, right? Besides, she's always had a fascination with taking things, so learning at the knee of a master certainly seems the next logical step. Don't just be good at what you do, be great!

As you follow along with the twists and turns of Tavera's life, be prepared to sacrifice a few things such as your time and your connection to what's going on around you. Once Tarwater has your mind engrossed in Tavera's world all else falls to the side, to include your bladder and that of your dog's. Don't be surprised to find yourself crossing your legs, and that insistent whining you've been hearing for the last 1/2 hour is not a background sound to the book. That is your dog telling you it's bedtime and it needs to go outside again. It will be tough to set Thieves at Heart down long enough to take care of this business, but things could get really messy, really quickly if you don't.

Not to worry though, Thieves is only Book 1. So there's hope that Tarwater will continue the series. Of course, that requires people like us going out there and acquiring her books. You're already online, get yourself a copy of Thieves at Heart: The Valley of Ten Crescents, and let Tarwater know you're interested enough to keep reading!

*Disclosures*
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a review.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had interesting characters and was set in an interesting world. I can't wait to read more of Tavi's adventures. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy.

[Ray Bliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads.com

I love fantasy books and “Thieves at Heart”, by Tristan J. Tarwater, is a good book. However it didn’t engage me enough to be considered as a serious page turner.

“Thieves at Heart” is about a young half-elf girl, Tavara, who gets picked up by elite thieves. There are no vivid descriptions of “jobs” being done except for a shell game and a scene or two of planning jobs. The story mostly meanders from chapter to chapter. There was not much of a plot in this book; nor was there a sweeping story arch or major action that occurs to hold the reader’s interest.

I had a little problem with the time line in the book – I understand she starts off as a young girl and it ends sometime after she is 13 years old but during the whole reading I never knew precisely how old she was in any chapter until she gets to age 13 and has her first menstruation “red earth”. The reader then discovers she has been with her mentor for 7 years which is near the end of the book. After her “red earth” moment she starts basically sleeping around, which left me wondering, is she still 13 or has another year or two gone by.

I did like that Tavara is an intelligent likeable character with believable thoughts and feelings. In addition, I liked that the story setting possesses a more down to earth fantasy storyline. Apparently there is no magic or monsters, and the elite thieves possess more realistic abilities. The book ends on a great cliffhanger, leaving me with the desire to find out what happens next.

For the Authors first book, I think she did a great job. If she continues writing, her craft will only get better. I for one look forward to reading more from this author in the future.


I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads for a fair and honest review.

[Maria Violante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thieves at Heart, by Tristan J. Tarwater, is a skillfully written, well-pondered fantasy memoir-of-sorts, following the rescue and coming of age of a young female thief by the name of Tavera. Please note that given some of the language and situations involved, it’s not appropriate for children or most young adults.

My complaints with the book were few. At times, the writing gets a little unwieldy – uber-long sentences and the occasional awkward passage. Some of the transitions are clumsy. And yup, that’s about it. Grammatically, the book is quite sound, and as far as the writing goes, it’s fairly superb – excellent consistency of POV, enthralling (and often cute) inner dialogues, bright pinches of humor and action.

Tarwater creates a fantasy world that is rich and complex, a “similar to ours” place that has been well-thought out enough to include things like a goddess-centered religion and a variety of card games. (Squee, I want to learn to play some of these!) You can really smell the dirt and feel the breeze.

The characters are well-drawn, well-rounded, and as a result, well-loved – although perhaps none so loved as Tavera, the protagonist, as it really is her story. We watch her grow up through her own eyes, blooming from a child pickpocket into an accomplished young woman of a thief, as she struggles with the same things that many of us dealt with growing up – abandonment, morality, achievement, loyalty.

Overall Rating: 4.6 Stars. Although not my usual cup of tea, the book was engaging, entertaining, well-written, and heartwarming. I hope for a review copy of the next in the series!

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great first offering from Tristan J. Tarwater, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. This was an enjoyable fantasy, a fun read.
I have to know what the future holds for Tavera, the protagonist. My heart went out to little Tavi. I wanted to adopt her and take her out of her circumstances.
Fun, interesting characters. This book was good for laying the foundation and backgrounds for the adventures which are yet to come. Hope to get to meet Tavi again soon.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Goodreads. (Thank you Tristan J. Tarwater for the opportunity to read this book). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. Is my universe rocked by this novel? No. But it was nice to not have a lot of suspense while peeking into this young half-elf's life.

While full in description of the place and physical characteristics of the populace, I felt I wasn't given enough emotional flesh to understand the main character. I was glad to see that certain topics avoided by most authors were presented here, i.e. menstruation, and others.

I have to agree with Caytlin Vilbrandt in her assessment of the book. Not sure if her edition was Kindle or not, but as I have seen in other Kindle books, the formatting and editing are often messy. Hopefully, as everyone learns the Kindle format we'll all learn how to avoid such mistakes.

Though I didn't feel bonded to the character, I did find that I want to read the sequel.

[Skeptic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

This book needs a LOT of editing in terms of typo's, run-on-sentences, and sometimes it just doesn't make sense. There's not much of a plot, and the timeline is really vague and unclear. That being said, it was still interesting to see the main character Tavi grow up, and the cliffhanger at the end leaves you wanting more.

[Hybridhopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good enough to want to read more by this author!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid world, interesting characters, no boring passages, I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to read more from this author!

[[ J o ] · Rating 1 out of 5]

[ to review at a later date - perhaps even re-read and review at a later date as well, though not urgent ]

[Reading4Fun · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started reading Thieves at Heart by Tristan J. Tarwater, I was excited. Tarwater's writing drew me in, and I thought perhaps I had found a new fiction series to explore. However, it was not to be. Halfway through the book, I was still trying to figure out what the point of the story was.

Thieves at Heart follows the exploits of a young girl named Tavera who is being trained as a thief by her adopted father. Why do they steal? Because they like it. They get a thrill from planning and orchestrating a successful "take" (what they call their heists). Aside from that, there is no point to the story - no real plot - nothing moving the story forward.

While I did finish the book, I won't be reading any more in this series. I'm the type of reader who enjoys stories with more intention.

However, like I said earlier, Ms. Tarwater's writing did grab my attention within the first few pages, and I would consider trying another series that she writes. I think with a bit more proof reading and some editing, Ms. Tarwater shows great promise as a writer.

To see other reviews, visit my blog: reading4fun.blog

[Star Shining Forever · Rating 1 out of 5]

It does nothing more than set up the story. There's no plot. An elven girl is adopted by a guy. The girl's more interested in bedding boys and there's way too much TMI.

[Liz Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. I found it poorly written; the story jumping around (skipping stuff I thought would be interesting while giving lots of writing to little things like getting her period). then it just ends. I barely found a storyline. it was like it was still the setting up the characters. there was no conflict or anything. like I said earlier: what could've been the interesting plot point or conflict was glanced over as a "so this happened yesterday..." Overall, not impressed and I will not be continuing the series

[Ryan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book it had a very Oliver Twist feel to it in a fantastical world. I was really drawn into the story and wish to see more of the backstories of the other characters. The main character goes from a scrawny child to a young adult in her late teens, raised in the art of thievery to make a living. Throughout the story, she struggles with moral questions and ponders living to a code. Constantly trying to proof her worth to the elite Cream of the Cup and make her guardian an adopted father figure proud of her. In the end, she is forced to keep a promise and make a difficult decision. This leaves this first part of the series with the end of a girl and the beginning of a new life of a young woman, I am curious and drawn into this world to see where her path leads next.

[Majanka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tavera, or Tavi as most people call her, is a half-elf in a world of humans. When we first meet her, she is hiding in the shadows of her mother’s luxurious chambers. Her mother, or well, the woman Tavi was sold to, works as a prostitute, and whenever she can, Tavi steals money from the customers. Tavi’s thieving actions catch the attention of an elite thief, Derk “The Lurk”. Derk buys Tavi and introduces her to his lifestyle. While taking care of Tavi, Derk soon grows to be a father figure, and it’s obvious he truly and genuinely cares about Tavi.

The novel starts out strong, and the premise is more than a little intriguing. Unfortunately, that’s when the story falls a little flat. The story lacks a climax. There is no nemesis to fight at the end, no valuable object to steal in the most exciting burglarly of the century, nothing, nada. Tavi steals some things, she has a few moments with Derk, and she spends the rest of the time talking and growing up. I truly enjoy coming of age stories, but here I lacked a certain bit of story. I wanted an epic adventure, or at least an adventure, and this reads more like a memoir. Tavi grows up, meets people, gets her period, and meets some more people. There is no real tension, no real story. This feels like part of a much larger story, but not in a way most first books of a series do. Even though they’re part of a larger story, they do have tension and a climax, both which are lacking in Thieves at Heart. The action does pick up at the end though.

However, I did enjoy the rest of the book as well, although I was a tad bit disappointed there wasn’t more to it. Tristan J. Tarwater creates vibrant, well-rounded characters that could do so much more than what they set out to do in Thieves of Heart. The characters made up for the lack of plot at times. Tavi and Derk were my favorites, but the side characters were intriguing as well, and I loved meeting every single one of them.

The fantasy setting is phenomenal. The world this author has created has everything you’d look for in a fantasy world, and a lot more. The descriptions of the various places Tavi and Derk visit are outstanding as well, and made me feel like I was really there. The setting and characters alone were intriguing enough to keep me reading. The writing itself is solid as well. There were some long, confusing sentences along the way, but nothing that off-putting that it would make me stop reading. I’m known for making long and confusing sentences as well, so I really had no problem with it.

Classifying this book is difficult. It’s obviously fantasy, but I’m not sure if the book is suited for young adults. It’s definitely not suited for younger children, in my opinion, but some young adults could read it properly, at least the older half of the young adult age group. For a debut novel, I do think Thieves at Heart is pretty impressive. The writing is solid, the characters are well-rounded and intriguing, and the setting is just plain awesome. Tristan J. Tarwater is planning to write more books in this fantasy world, and I have to say that’s an excellent choice. I would love to learn more about Tavi and Derk, their world, and some of their adventures. I recommend this books to all fans of fantasy novels, who want to see something different from the epic farmer boy turns into magical hero plot.

[Yiota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you believe a book with such a well done cover is from an indie author? And wait to have it at your hands! It's definitely one of the best books in a matter of a creation i had in hands. It's so well done and i just had to mention it. I know we should not judge a book by its cover, but for first impression i was just so extremely excited to read it because i felt like the inside will be the same as good.


And to talk about the inside, yes it was as good. Simple and light writing which keep you in with the right amount of details a story need so you can have a good image in your head. My favorite part were the description of the characters, which made them really real. On the story side, it's captivating. It's interesting and gets you in from the first moment. Instead of following a high class person or a prophecy girl, you get to follow an outcast in a fantasy world. And not only outcast because Tavera is a thief but also because she is also half-elf, a race which you don't really call a favorite in this world. The story contains action, relationship matters, mystery, mission, killing and it keeps you interested at the whole part.


Laslty, we have Tavera and Derk. Tavera is our main character. A half-elf thief and Derk is her mentor and an elite thief. Now, Tavera is an unique girl. For her age (because she is young) is quite clever. Later she becomes a very nice thief too. I could sympathize with her most of the time. The only negative i have to say about (and in general for the book) is how sometimes she was thinking so much about boys, kissing and at some point sex that she was becoming annoying. It's not weird to thing about those things, not only because she starts to becomes a woman but also because of her back story...but sometimes it was so concentrated on that matter and i just wanted to go on with the story, that it got impatient in a bad way. But except that, i can't say something else bothered me.
And Derk....well he is my favorite character. Mentor, mysterious, nice guy,protective etc...you can't really say no to him :P He was by far the most interesting person of all and i loved each one of his scenes no matter how small they were! I want a mentor like him too!


Thieves at Heart was a great start of a series! It was fast and different and i totally enjoyed it. Tavera might annoyed me at some points, but heck! The concept is original and i liked it! It was a good break from the romance of YA.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Thieves at Heart" is the second book in Tristan J. Tarwater's "Ten Crescent" novels. It is also the sequel if you will to the first book in the series titled, "Little Girl Lost". (which I also wrote a review for)

Now this book picks up from where the last one ended: Tavera, or Tavi, as she is nicknamed, has been rescued from certain death and life on the streets. She has found refuge, affection and a what she thought was a sense of purpose in the local brothel. Her life changes forever when she is caught pickpocketing a patron in the brothel--she soon comes under the tutelage and care of one man named Derk who tell her that he sees potential in her for she's a thief through and through.

So begins the journey of Tavera and Derk, a mixed elf girl with a scarred ear and quickly growing skills and the mysterious but kind man who adopts her, prepping her some purpose, some contest that the reader finds a tiny fraction more and more the farther you read into this book.

I can recall reading a criticism of this book where the reader pointed that they felt there was no real plot. I disagree. Tarwater's skill as a writer moves you along with the flow of the story, that you get sucked in. It just carried me along to the end of the book, where I bought the next book in the series, "Self-Made Scoundrel" and continued the ride. But this book did keep me going, keeping me to carry my Kindle around me nearly everywhere. I loved it! You start to get piece after piece of who Derk is: provider, traveler, charmer, adopted father of Tavera.

You also see Tavi grow up and all the spats and hilarious moments in between. I do wish that the time jump was addressed better in this novel. Tavi is a child in the beginning of the book, we're really not sure of how old is she. (Neither is she or Derk--it was assumed that she was 7 or 8 years old in 'Little Girl Lost' ) By the end she's a (pre)teen at least, blossoming into a woman (one of my favorite parts of the book) and I felt a little too lulled into the story to notice how she got there. Still a terrific book and a cameo (or easter egg) of another "Ten Crescents" character that totally made my day.

[Maya Lantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very excited to read Thieves at Heart and find out more about Tavera after reading Little Girl Lost. This book picked up shortly after the prequel ended which was nice, it almost felt like I was still reading the same book, only now it was a full length novel rather than a short story. After reading about all the horrible things that had happened to Tavera in her short little life I kept assuming that Derk had ulterior motives as her new “pa” and it took me about half the book to realize he really does think of her as a daughter and care about her wellbeing. I enjoyed the father, daughter dynamic between Derk and Tavi, the conversations and actions between them made it seem as if they had always been together, rather than Tavi kidnapped from her “ma” by Derk early in the book.

Despite this book being about thievery and Derk bringing Tavi up as a thief because she was good at it, I still wanted Derk and Tavi to be the best thieves they could and not get caught. They were easy characters to become attached to (although I was already attached to Tavi after reading the prequel). Anytime they were doing something dangerous I was forced to keep reading until I found out if they were safe or not.

Overall, this book is very exciting. It flows really well until about half way through and while it stays exciting it becomes a bit choppy to the point where you don’t realize that Tavi has aged anywhere from several months to several years between and within chapters until you’ve read for a few minutes. This choppiness along with some awkwardly worded sections became rather annoying by the end but it was ended on a cliffhanger and a great story so I am still really looking forward to the next book in the series to find out what happens to Tavi and Derk.

(On a side note, I would say this book is probably not a great read for a guy as it has a lot of woman coming of age situations in it that might not make it so exciting for a guy to read. Then again I’m not an expert so you never know.)

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review brought to you by OBS staff member Annabell

Beware of spoilers!!

I had been very curious about this book from the moment I read the synopsis. I thought the idea of a girl being raised in a world of thieves would be filled with action and adventure. Thieves at Heart was not that tale which was a big disappointment considering how much I was looking forward to reading about Tavera’s world.

Thieves at Heart starts off in a very interesting place with Tavera acting as a thief for the woman she was sold to who happens to also be a prostitute. Tavera is soon sold to a man named Drek who just so happens to be a thief but not just any thief, he belongs to the Cup of Cream—an elite group of professional thieves. Sounds like the plot of a dark and terrifying adventure, right? The problem was as soon as Tavera is taken by Drek and their journey begins the plot is nowhere to be seen!

There is no climax. No arch to the tale. The plot becomes flat and nothing ever really happens. Tavera steals, has a few moments with Drek and his elite gang of robbers, gets her period then sleeps around with anything that looks like a man which was disturbing since she was thirteen. Or at least, I think she was thirteen. Tavera’s age was never really revealed until she became thirteen years old and she had been with Drek for seven years so keeping track of time that passed was difficult.

The only really redeeming quality to the book was the setting. The descriptions of the places Tavera and Drek visited throughout the book were detailed and were solid.

The book just wasn’t that interesting due to the lack of depth in plot and characters. It was a decent debut by a first time Indie author. I hope she will learn to better develop the pacing of the plot and the content in future novels. I wish her the best of luck.

http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Born in poverty, a half-elf in a human city, Tavera lives in a world where she doesn't belong -- until the day she meets Derk.” This is an entertaining coming of age story for the beginning of this series. The plot is character driven and realistic for the time setting. The only true fantasy element is the fact that Tavi is half-elf in nature, a Forester. There were no real magical elements, which made the suspension of disbelief easy to achieve. The characters were well developed, believable, and engaging.

Derk is a member of an elite group of self-made scoundrels known as the Cup of Cream, he sees potential in young Tavera and buys (or kidnaps) her from her prostitute “mother” with the promise of a better life. He cares and educates Tavi, to the best of his abilities, to become an honorable thief. Tavi is clever and learns quickly from her adopted father. It is clear that they have a respectful
relationship which I found endearing. The language is mild but descriptive and there are no overly harsh scenes.

I noticed a small number of proofing issues present. Missing words or extra letters on a word that changes the meaning, such as though/thought and given/giving.

I think this story shows promise to be an excellent literary fantasy adventure as we follow the life and times of Tavera in the days of yore. This story ends with Tavi being initiated into the Cup of Cream at which time she sets out on her own. It will be interesting to see what develops next in this series.

I was unaware "Little Girl Lost" is a short story and prequel to the first novel in the series "The Valley of Ten Crescents". It is also FREE on Amazon at this time. I am not sure if reading this prequel would have enhanced my reading of Thieves at Heart or not.

**Originally written for “Awesome Trilogies and Series” review page. May have received a free review copy. ** August 2, 2013

[Annabell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had been very curious about this book from the moment I read the synopsis. I thought the idea of a girl being raised in a world of thieves would be filled with action and adventure. Thieves at Heart was not that tale which was a big disappointment considering how much I was looking forward to reading about Tavera’s world.

Thieves at Heart starts off in a very interesting place with Tavera acting as a thief for the woman she was sold to who happens to also be a prostitute. Tavera is soon sold to a man named Drek who just so happens to be a thief but not just any thief, he belongs to the Cup of Cream—an elite group of professional thieves. Sounds like the plot of a dark and terrifying adventure, right? The problem was as soon as Tavera is taken by Drek and their journey begins the plot is nowhere to be seen!

There is no climax. No arch to the tale. The plot becomes flat and nothing ever really happens. Tavera steals, has a few moments with Drek and his elite gang of robbers, gets her period then sleeps around with anything that looks like a man which was disturbing since she was thirteen. Or at least, I think she was thirteen. Tavera’s age was never really revealed until she became thirteen years old and she had been with Drek for seven years so keeping track of time that passed was difficult.

The only really redeeming quality to the book was the setting. The descriptions of the places Tavera and Drek visited throughout the book were detailed and were solid.

The book just wasn’t that interesting due to the lack of depth in plot and characters. It was a decent debut by a first time Indie author. I hope she will learn to better develop the pacing of the plot and the content in future novels. I wish her the best of luck.

[Noshin Rahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started off sooo good. And it ended sooo... not quite as good.

The book starts off with Tavera as a little 6 or 7 year old girl assisting her mother who is a prostitute. She's then adopted by a young man, a thief who happens to notice her skills when she tries to steal from him.

The first third of the book was fantastic, the pace was fast but easy to follow along, you watch Tavera grow up through the years while also get a taste of what the side characters are like. But all of a sudden, the book speeds up and I'm no longer able to keep up with Tavi's age. made worse by the fact that after about 13 she doesn't really grow mentally.

I did enjoy watching Tavi go through all the phases of childhood and eventually reaching womanhood and discovering her sexuality... But, that's kind of where it ends.

After the first third of the book, the side characters disappear or are overshadowed by Tavi's inner monologue. And all you get is her just explaining things that have happened over the past few days (or years) for a few pages before the chapter quickly ends. There's no action whatsoever, no peak into her actually doing a heist. No exploration of what the Cup is like. Old Gam disappears, characters come and go, even her adopted father is barely heard from. The only thing you get are a glimpse of her thoughts which weren't very descriptive.

Would have been so much better if the author took the time to flesh things out.

[Alysa H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some interesting world-building and characters, and very inventive language. But having read the short-story prequel "Little Girl Lost", I was expecting... more? This book does make good on its rather feminist promise to have the development of its protagonist, Tavera, at its core -- "the development of a young woman... as a story all its own" -- but it does so at the expense of a strong narrative arc. There just isn't much plot, isn't much to drive the story forward, and so I found myself adrift at times.

The story concerns Tavera being trained as a thief from a very early age, by her adoptive father, Derk. We see a lot of their warm relationship, which is nice, but we don't see much of the thievery, or at least not anything that feels like it raises the stakes. Mostly Tavera just wanders around towns on her own and interacts with various townspeople. There also isn't a strong sense of timing, so one doesn't know how old Tavera is at any given point in the story beyond the broad categories of 'child' vs 'adolescent', and this makes it a little difficult to place her behaviors, and the behaviors of others towards her, in context.

I'm glad that there are more books set in this world, though. This is clearly a first novel, but one that shows great promise and budding talent.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I opened this book, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of the age group it was meant for but as I got started from the cover into the first chapter , it became apparent . The Thieves at Heart is the perfect novel for those young fantasy readers who are in between the I'm too old to read Junior Fiction and the I'm too young to read Teen Fiction.
Thieves at Heart takes us into the life of Tavera , a half-elf who hasn't had the greatest of upbringings as her father tried to kill her and then she ended up working on the streets as a pick-pocket and then sold to somebody else. The somebody else turns out to be a man named Derk and soon he and Tavera strike up a relationship almost like a father-daughter one, but as the story goes along, is it too good to be true ? Can Tavera ever live a normal life ?
This novel had it's ups and downs with emotions of joy and sadness and in a way as I was reading it , it gave off a Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens tale mixed with A Knight's Tale - the film starring Heath Ledger.
A series that I look forward to see where Tristan takes it as the way it ended spurred alot of ideas for what could happen next in Book #2

[Lauren Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tavera, affectionately known as Tavi, is a young half-elf with a talent for theft. She’s been working for Prisca the Tart but then gets recruited by Derk the Lurk – a career thief and a member of The Cup of Cream, an elite club of thieves. Derk takes Tavi under his wing, caring for her as a father would a daughter and teaching her to steal in the hope that she will one day earn a position in The Cup of Cream as well. In Derk’s company, Tavi grows from a scruffy, cowering little girl into a smart, feisty young woman.

And that’s all there is to it really. The plot meanders from one chapter to the next, with Derk and Tavi moving from one town to another, meeting people, stealing things, and generally just getting on with their largely unremarkable lives.

Read the full review on my blog Violin in a Void

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read, with the characters developed fairly well. It just didn't draw me in as much as I hoped it would. The pace seemed uneven as did the writing. The main character, Tavi, is quite young in the beginning and ages quite a bit considering the length of the book. I didn't have any trouble with the jumps forward in years, in fact it was a nice change not to have to live a character's life in tedious detail. I felt like this could have been aimed to young readers except for the very adult topics that crop up. And I think some people will be unimpressed with the seemingly off the topic part about Tavi hitting puberty. Too much information there compared to the tone of the rest of the story.

I do plan to read at least one more book in the series. Hopefully the writer will settle in and write what promises to be an interesting series.

[Tressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thieves at Heart is a young thief's coming of age story.

Not something I would pick out in a million years, but it's a light-hearted read to break the monotony of so many cookie-cutter fantasy novels of which this is not. My issues with this book are the same as in some other reviews (elsewhere), so I'm not really wanting to beat a dead horse by rehashing them (here). I hope the next book brings a little more true depth of character, (not just the icks of growing up with no real emotional umph to the telling), and more of the actual story of Tav. I feel like I never really got to know the real her, (or Derk for that matter), and I wanted to. Overall, a delightful read in spite of its flaws. I'm looking forward to book two.