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Mark of the Thief #1
Mark of the Thief (Mark of the Thief, Book 1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen
When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.
Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.
In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.
Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.
In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.
Audible Audio
First published February 24, 2015
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About the author
Jennifer A. Nielsen
53 books9,590 followersJennifer lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a naughty puppy. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. She is a former speech teacher, theater director, and enjoyed a brief but disastrous career as a door-to-door pollster. In her spare time, Jennifer tends to panic, wondering what she has forgotten to do that has allowed her any spare time.
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January 30, 2014Oooooooooh.... Jennifer Nielsen + Ancient Rome + Magic = Certain Awesomeness.
See? I can be good at math. Cuz that answer is almost definitely RIGHT.
I CANNOT WAIT.
See? I can be good at math. Cuz that answer is almost definitely RIGHT.
I CANNOT WAIT.
July 12, 2019
I listened to this as an audiobook with my two kids, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.
We recently finished listening to the audiobooks of the Ascendance Trilogy and so we moved on Neilson's newest series, Mark of the Thief. This is a fast-paced middle grade fantasy adventure set in Ancient Rome. The story combines historical fiction with light fantasy elements and it works quite beautifully.
However, I think what really made the whole thing so enjoyable for me, and for my kids, was the excellent narration by MacLeod Andrews. I really can't say enough about Andrews' voice acting, character accents, and general sense of pacing. He did an excellent job of bringing this book to life. For once I'm actually not sure if I would have rated this book as high if I had read it in print.
We are obviously going to listen to the remaining books in this series!
We recently finished listening to the audiobooks of the Ascendance Trilogy and so we moved on Neilson's newest series, Mark of the Thief. This is a fast-paced middle grade fantasy adventure set in Ancient Rome. The story combines historical fiction with light fantasy elements and it works quite beautifully.
However, I think what really made the whole thing so enjoyable for me, and for my kids, was the excellent narration by MacLeod Andrews. I really can't say enough about Andrews' voice acting, character accents, and general sense of pacing. He did an excellent job of bringing this book to life. For once I'm actually not sure if I would have rated this book as high if I had read it in print.
We are obviously going to listen to the remaining books in this series!
June 6, 2015
I wasn’t really feeling this one. It had potential, to be sure, but everything about it was too rushed and too fractured to really do it for me.
The first half of the book (at least, possibly more) was just one long series of unfortunate events that knocked the hero hither and yon. A couple of those are fun, sure, but when it’s one after another after another after another? And that point you’re just avoiding the plot. It was impossible to get things actually moving when everyone gets bowled over before they can even stand up from the last disaster.
Once things do start to happen, it’s very confusing. There’s just not enough description or set-up for the story this book wants to tell. It should be something epic, in an epic setting, with epically…okay, not epically, but still complex shifting loyalties and machinations. Instead we get the bare bones of everything. There’s very little in the way of establishing the setting of Rome, and even if you don’t care about that they rather fail to set up some of the concepts that are crucial to the story. They keep talking about “The Praetor War,” but what is a Praetor? They once define it very broadly as “administrators and the like,” and then ever after that only talk about Praetors as some big, vague, amorphous group hanging out somewhere off page. What do they do? What power do they have? How many are there? Are they all unified? All this and more the book thinks you do not need to know.
There’s lots of instances of things being vaguely defined once and then repeatedly referenced, which left me very confused once people started talking about the loyalties of various major characters. I rarely had any clue what was going on outside of the most basic of movements, and mostly that’s because complex things were reduced to basics in ways that just didn’t make sense to me. Dumbing down something as epic as the Roman political structure actually makes it more confusing, not less.
A lot of the characters were inconsistent at best, cut-outs at worst. Nic in particular seemed to change his mind about everything based on the needs of the scene rather than anything internal. Everyone had a tendency to shout and posture instead of communicate, which is fine sometimes, but in every single conflict? It’s just another stall tactic, like the disasters from earlier. In fact, I feel like the whole book was one long stall tactic until the final battle, which was set up on a plan so flimsy that I’m not even sure why it happened. If the book had spent more time focusing on its own plot and less time trying to blow shit up as a distraction, it could have been very interesting. It’s a good idea. But, alas.
(Final note: there are way! too! many! exclamation! points!)
The first half of the book (at least, possibly more) was just one long series of unfortunate events that knocked the hero hither and yon. A couple of those are fun, sure, but when it’s one after another after another after another? And that point you’re just avoiding the plot. It was impossible to get things actually moving when everyone gets bowled over before they can even stand up from the last disaster.
Once things do start to happen, it’s very confusing. There’s just not enough description or set-up for the story this book wants to tell. It should be something epic, in an epic setting, with epically…okay, not epically, but still complex shifting loyalties and machinations. Instead we get the bare bones of everything. There’s very little in the way of establishing the setting of Rome, and even if you don’t care about that they rather fail to set up some of the concepts that are crucial to the story. They keep talking about “The Praetor War,” but what is a Praetor? They once define it very broadly as “administrators and the like,” and then ever after that only talk about Praetors as some big, vague, amorphous group hanging out somewhere off page. What do they do? What power do they have? How many are there? Are they all unified? All this and more the book thinks you do not need to know.
There’s lots of instances of things being vaguely defined once and then repeatedly referenced, which left me very confused once people started talking about the loyalties of various major characters. I rarely had any clue what was going on outside of the most basic of movements, and mostly that’s because complex things were reduced to basics in ways that just didn’t make sense to me. Dumbing down something as epic as the Roman political structure actually makes it more confusing, not less.
A lot of the characters were inconsistent at best, cut-outs at worst. Nic in particular seemed to change his mind about everything based on the needs of the scene rather than anything internal. Everyone had a tendency to shout and posture instead of communicate, which is fine sometimes, but in every single conflict? It’s just another stall tactic, like the disasters from earlier. In fact, I feel like the whole book was one long stall tactic until the final battle, which was set up on a plan so flimsy that I’m not even sure why it happened. If the book had spent more time focusing on its own plot and less time trying to blow shit up as a distraction, it could have been very interesting. It’s a good idea. But, alas.
(Final note: there are way! too! many! exclamation! points!)
March 29, 2018
Another enjoyable read by this reliably good author. The characters are well developed, the story moved quickly and the setting of ancient Rome was nicely illustrated, lending the book that extra air of intrigue. It's a fairly mild fantasy novel, but I didn't mind, mostly because I thought Nic was a solid character, who was brave but not arrogantly unafraid, and thus a figure I could root easily for. Nielsen, I think, will never produce very grim, twisty fantasy novels in the vein of Holly Black, so don't be disappointed if that is not what you will find, but what she does, she does very well. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
June 18, 2018
This is the author who has written my favorite children’s book series. Queen of the Plot Twists.
I was, of course, excited to read this series, which I have been holding off for a few years.
Here are some of my thoughts:
• I love the mythology, historical context, and GRIFFINS. Seriously, that griffin, is just the cutest, crankiest thing!
• I like Nic. I also can’t help but compare him to Sage from The False Prince who is my absolute favorite. Sage is one of the must clever and lovable characters I have ever read, so honestly, it is hard for anyone to match up. Nic is cool. He is certainly more flawed and more uncertain. While Sage is wise, competent, and confident, Nic is brave, a bit reckless, and lost. I definitely feel for him on his struggles. I don’t love him as much as Sage, but I am curious to see how his story will develop from here.
• I keep on going back and forth on whether or not I like Aurelia. On one hand, she can use a bow and arrow, helps struggling young children, and does try to be a friend for Nic. I like that they can argue and banter. On the other hand, she’s honestly annoying a lot of the times. She is in a tough pickle with wanting her family back, so we can give her some leeway, but I think by the end of the book, Nic has given her too much. Her situation is only understandable to an extent, but she has crossed too many lines and I have run out of patience by the last hurt she has given towards Nic. I think this is a shocker for me because I honestly thought I would like her when she first appeared. Now, she has become both a bargaining chip and an irksome character, in contrast to Imogen who is a bargaining chip with not much character development/complexity. At this moment, I am surprised to say I even prefer Imogen over her because at least Imogen has never hurt Sage like what Aurelia has done. I am hoping for the best in the next 2 books and hope I can start liking her again.
• Whoa, I was confused myself on who to trust, like Nic. There are so many side sides and everyone seems suspicious. The big question is, “Who to believe more?” I am curious to see more sides-switching and see which characters will end up being better than we think and which characters will up being worse.
Overall, 3 stars. I like it, I am intrigued, and I am certainly rooting for Nic. I don’t really know what to expect, but I am excited for more plot twists and character developments!
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
I was, of course, excited to read this series, which I have been holding off for a few years.
Here are some of my thoughts:
• I love the mythology, historical context, and GRIFFINS. Seriously, that griffin, is just the cutest, crankiest thing!
• I like Nic. I also can’t help but compare him to Sage from The False Prince who is my absolute favorite. Sage is one of the must clever and lovable characters I have ever read, so honestly, it is hard for anyone to match up. Nic is cool. He is certainly more flawed and more uncertain. While Sage is wise, competent, and confident, Nic is brave, a bit reckless, and lost. I definitely feel for him on his struggles. I don’t love him as much as Sage, but I am curious to see how his story will develop from here.
• I keep on going back and forth on whether or not I like Aurelia. On one hand, she can use a bow and arrow, helps struggling young children, and does try to be a friend for Nic. I like that they can argue and banter. On the other hand, she’s honestly annoying a lot of the times. She is in a tough pickle with wanting her family back, so we can give her some leeway, but I think by the end of the book, Nic has given her too much. Her situation is only understandable to an extent, but she has crossed too many lines and I have run out of patience by the last hurt she has given towards Nic. I think this is a shocker for me because I honestly thought I would like her when she first appeared. Now, she has become both a bargaining chip and an irksome character, in contrast to Imogen who is a bargaining chip with not much character development/complexity. At this moment, I am surprised to say I even prefer Imogen over her because at least Imogen has never hurt Sage like what Aurelia has done. I am hoping for the best in the next 2 books and hope I can start liking her again.
• Whoa, I was confused myself on who to trust, like Nic. There are so many side sides and everyone seems suspicious. The big question is, “Who to believe more?” I am curious to see more sides-switching and see which characters will end up being better than we think and which characters will up being worse.
Overall, 3 stars. I like it, I am intrigued, and I am certainly rooting for Nic. I don’t really know what to expect, but I am excited for more plot twists and character developments!
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
What age level would be appropriate?
August 29, 2019
This is probably my least favorite Nielsen I've read so far? Which is saying something because I still really really enjoyed it AND she's still one of my favorite authors! That being said:
-Nic was a lot like Sage, with two major exceptions: He NEVER had a plan, and he had a good heart that would put literally anyone else before himself. At one point, he states that even to save himself or the city of Rome, he won't blur the lines of right and wrong. And that made me miss Sage and Kestra, our other two Nielsen protagonists who will stab you for looking at them wrong. The morally gray characters who stab people for the right reasons are my favorite part of Nielsen books, so...yeah. I missed that here.
-Aurelia just wasn't a terribly interesting character?
-The other characters were pretty much all meh.
-General Radulf is, in essence, the exact same villain as The Traitor's Game's Lord Endrick. ALTHOUGH the way this book ended has given me a terrifying theory for TTG Book 3 and while I don't want it to happen...oh, man. DO IT, NIELSEN. DO IT.
-The setting was fantastic!
-The plot moved really really really slowly and I was bored at a couple of moments, but I think the next book will move more quickly so I am looking forward to that.
Overall 3.5 stars! My favorite thing about Nielsen's books is how perfectly clean they are, despite their stabbiness. This is ancient Rome so the "gods" are real here, for anyone who may wish to avoid that, but otherwise...yeah, no content concerns at all!
-Nic was a lot like Sage, with two major exceptions: He NEVER had a plan, and he had a good heart that would put literally anyone else before himself. At one point, he states that even to save himself or the city of Rome, he won't blur the lines of right and wrong. And that made me miss Sage and Kestra, our other two Nielsen protagonists who will stab you for looking at them wrong. The morally gray characters who stab people for the right reasons are my favorite part of Nielsen books, so...yeah. I missed that here.
-Aurelia just wasn't a terribly interesting character?
-The other characters were pretty much all meh.
-General Radulf is, in essence, the exact same villain as The Traitor's Game's Lord Endrick. ALTHOUGH the way this book ended has given me a terrifying theory for TTG Book 3 and while I don't want it to happen...oh, man. DO IT, NIELSEN. DO IT.
-The setting was fantastic!
-The plot moved really really really slowly and I was bored at a couple of moments, but I think the next book will move more quickly so I am looking forward to that.
Overall 3.5 stars! My favorite thing about Nielsen's books is how perfectly clean they are, despite their stabbiness. This is ancient Rome so the "gods" are real here, for anyone who may wish to avoid that, but otherwise...yeah, no content concerns at all!
February 5, 2017
Buddyread with
Nenia :)
Read Nenia's review here
Now, I loved False Prince from this author, it is still one of my favorite books (would make a great movie in my opinion.. hint hint Hollywood!).. the sequel wasn't to my taste but I would still go back to the magic of the first one.
A Night Divided was great as well.
---
That being said, I was excited to finally tackle this one.. even stayed away from most reviews beforehand though I did hear inklings from other people... put that out of my head and started on the story.
While the idea behind the novel was good, the execution itself left alot to be desired. (How many times have we said that?) While I liked Nic, I never felt attached to him or anyone in the story besides the Griffin.
And when this one character comes in and explains all about the bulla... it felt rushed/forced... too much too soon? Probably the right phrase but at the time reading that part, it mainly just left me puzzled and waiting for the other shoe to drop with this guy.
More telling than showing, and the writing felt... younger than in TFP (not comparing the two, just making an observation) despite it being the same genre. Maybe my nine-year old cousin would enjoy this one better, so it could be a case of "being the wrong audience" as well.
The 'villain'... bored me honestly... he had me rolling my eyes more than anything... felt like doing this to him:
Other than that, no strong emotions *shrugs*
Repeating myself here but just struggling to find things to say about this one.
The ending was mildly interesting with...certain revelations but it didn't save the book for me.
Were my expectations too high? Maybe, after loving two of hers.. it's not a terrible book, but not great either
Would I not recommend it? No, a different audience may like this better... maybe put this on hold for the pre-teen set from your library or something.
Nenia :)
Read Nenia's review here
Now, I loved False Prince from this author, it is still one of my favorite books (would make a great movie in my opinion.. hint hint Hollywood!).. the sequel wasn't to my taste but I would still go back to the magic of the first one.
A Night Divided was great as well.
---
That being said, I was excited to finally tackle this one.. even stayed away from most reviews beforehand though I did hear inklings from other people... put that out of my head and started on the story.
While the idea behind the novel was good, the execution itself left alot to be desired. (How many times have we said that?) While I liked Nic, I never felt attached to him or anyone in the story besides the Griffin.
And when this one character comes in and explains all about the bulla... it felt rushed/forced... too much too soon? Probably the right phrase but at the time reading that part, it mainly just left me puzzled and waiting for the other shoe to drop with this guy.
More telling than showing, and the writing felt... younger than in TFP (not comparing the two, just making an observation) despite it being the same genre. Maybe my nine-year old cousin would enjoy this one better, so it could be a case of "being the wrong audience" as well.
The 'villain'... bored me honestly... he had me rolling my eyes more than anything... felt like doing this to him:
Other than that, no strong emotions *shrugs*
Repeating myself here but just struggling to find things to say about this one.
The ending was mildly interesting with...certain revelations but it didn't save the book for me.
Were my expectations too high? Maybe, after loving two of hers.. it's not a terrible book, but not great either
Would I not recommend it? No, a different audience may like this better... maybe put this on hold for the pre-teen set from your library or something.
December 15, 2016
3.5 stars
i was hoping something along the lines of percy jackson. it has very little fantasy aspect to it, revolves more around Rome's politics. it has a bulla which contains god's magic, a mc that's very bad at controlling it & a griffin that's all you get.
book was slow paced but kept me interested & curious enough. the best part for me was the mystery relating the general randulf. though hinted by the the author earlier, it totally skipped me & i was pleasantly surprised by it. i will definitely read the next book, to know where it all goes from here.
i was hoping something along the lines of percy jackson. it has very little fantasy aspect to it, revolves more around Rome's politics. it has a bulla which contains god's magic, a mc that's very bad at controlling it & a griffin that's all you get.
book was slow paced but kept me interested & curious enough. the best part for me was the mystery relating the general randulf. though hinted by the the author earlier, it totally skipped me & i was pleasantly surprised by it. i will definitely read the next book, to know where it all goes from here.
April 19, 2024
Christian Content Review (Spoiler Free):
- This book does talk a lot about gods and mythology, soooo… If you don’t like reading this stuff, then maybe don’t read this book. (And I mean this in the politest way possible 😊)
- But if you ARE ok with reading that content, the book was pretty good!
- This book does talk a lot about gods and mythology, soooo… If you don’t like reading this stuff, then maybe don’t read this book. (And I mean this in the politest way possible 😊)
- But if you ARE ok with reading that content, the book was pretty good!
February 27, 2025
5 stars!
"𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡," 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧. "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨."
❥alexa, play “𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝” by boygenius
❥🏛️❥ quick lil story time before i get into this review. SO, i bought this trilogy while near the end of reading jennifer a nielsen’s ascendance series (which, btw, you should also read!!!) and lemme tell you, it was SO good the first time i read it, and it still holds up!!!
❥🏛️❥ 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜. i LOVEEEE me some good world building and this didn’t disappoint!! very easily, i could visualize the roman world in my mind :)
❥🏛️❥ 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩. it wasn’t as good as the plot of ascendance series, but i was still completely invested. my only real concern w the plot was probably pace - it dragged *very* slightly (i mean very)
❥🏛️❥ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. jennifer a nielsen is SUCH a talented writer, and while i love many aspects of her books, the writing is definitely one of my favorites. she definitely has a way with words!!
❥🏛️❥ 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣:
•𝙣𝙞𝙘. he is so relatable, and still has that snark of every jennifer a nielsen mc!! i can’t really describe it, but he is just, chefs kiss (i would SO date him if he was real🤭). also, wayy too many times i wanted to give him a big hug 🫂
•𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖. LOVE HER!!! she is SUCH a girlboss and her character is absolutely perfect💗
•𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙪𝙨. while very similar to tobias (jaron’s best friend in ascendance series) crispus is still such a great character :)
•𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙛. despite having already reading the entire trilogy, i could never get myself to like this man😔
❥🏛️❥ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 (𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛) 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚:
if you’re wanting to know the trope, i’d say it’s frenemies-to-lovers slow burn. both nic and aurelia have an outright dislike for each other, and their banter was the CUTEST THING🤭 (i was giggling wayy to many times🤭). but, near the end of the book, they decide to put their differences aside and end up becoming friends!(or possibly something more?!🤭)
🏛️𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩🏛️
❥𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙨
❥𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
❥𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙜𝙤𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮
❥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙮 𝙙𝙟𝙤
❥𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
❥🏛️❥ 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨:
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
“𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙. 𝙉𝙤, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡.”
"𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨." 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚, 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, "𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝘼𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙄'𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙚." 𝘽𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙟𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙.”
"𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨?" 𝙄 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙛? 𝙃𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 -"
"𝙉𝙤. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚."
"𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙."
"𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢."
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢."
“𝙉𝙤, 𝙄 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡’𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚! 𝙎𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚!"
"𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪," 𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. "𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧."
"𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙉𝙞𝙘, 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡!" 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. "𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤!"
"𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚!" 𝙄 𝙮𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪!"
"𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮!"
❥this is all for now, TA-TA MY LOVES🤍
"𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙡," 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧. "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨."
❥alexa, play “𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝” by boygenius
❥🏛️❥ quick lil story time before i get into this review. SO, i bought this trilogy while near the end of reading jennifer a nielsen’s ascendance series (which, btw, you should also read!!!) and lemme tell you, it was SO good the first time i read it, and it still holds up!!!
❥🏛️❥ 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛𝙛, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜. i LOVEEEE me some good world building and this didn’t disappoint!! very easily, i could visualize the roman world in my mind :)
❥🏛️❥ 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙩. it wasn’t as good as the plot of ascendance series, but i was still completely invested. my only real concern w the plot was probably pace - it dragged *very* slightly (i mean very)
❥🏛️❥ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. jennifer a nielsen is SUCH a talented writer, and while i love many aspects of her books, the writing is definitely one of my favorites. she definitely has a way with words!!
❥🏛️❥ 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣:
•𝙣𝙞𝙘. he is so relatable, and still has that snark of every jennifer a nielsen mc!! i can’t really describe it, but he is just, chefs kiss (i would SO date him if he was real🤭). also, wayy too many times i wanted to give him a big hug 🫂
•𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖. LOVE HER!!! she is SUCH a girlboss and her character is absolutely perfect💗
•𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙪𝙨. while very similar to tobias (jaron’s best friend in ascendance series) crispus is still such a great character :)
•𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙛. despite having already reading the entire trilogy, i could never get myself to like this man😔
❥🏛️❥ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 (𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛) 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚:
if you’re wanting to know the trope, i’d say it’s frenemies-to-lovers slow burn. both nic and aurelia have an outright dislike for each other, and their banter was the CUTEST THING🤭 (i was giggling wayy to many times🤭). but, near the end of the book, they decide to put their differences aside and end up becoming friends!(or possibly something more?!🤭)
🏛️𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩🏛️
❥𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙪𝙨
❥𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
❥𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙜𝙤𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙮
❥𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙮 𝙙𝙟𝙤
❥𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙛𝙩
❥🏛️❥ 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨:
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
“𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙. 𝙉𝙤, 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡.”
"𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨." 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚, 𝙄 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, "𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝘼𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙄'𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙚." 𝘽𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮, 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙟𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙙. 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙.”
"𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨?" 𝙄 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙛? 𝙃𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 -"
"𝙉𝙤. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚."
"𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙."
"𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢."
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙖𝙢."
“𝙉𝙤, 𝙄 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡’𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚! 𝙎𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚!"
"𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪," 𝙍𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. "𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧."
"𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙉𝙞𝙘, 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡!" 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. "𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙙𝙤!"
"𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚!" 𝙄 𝙮𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙.
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪!"
"𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮!"
❥this is all for now, TA-TA MY LOVES🤍
April 15, 2025
"[He] stepped closer to where I hid, and though he lowered his voice, I heard every... word. 'I can feel the magic here.'... Magic?... [S]omehow I knew my life was about to change...."
✏️ Review ✏️
An intriguing mixture of history, mythology, and magic, Mark of the Thief presents quite a different take on the times of ancient Rome. I was surprised by how much the plot of this story really grabbed my attention and piqued my interest. While this blending of history with mythology and magic won't be everyone's cup of tea, I thought Nielsen did a good job at presenting this storyline in a believable manner. To be honest, I'm not sure how much I like the magic system yet, but I will need to continue this trilogy to see how different magical elements will develop and what the end result will be.
The characters are pretty good. The MMC does experience a bit of development and the minor characters do have established roles. The characters could use deeper development, so I do anticipate further development as this trilogy progresses.
Marked by a simplistic and streamlined delivery, the writing style is more on the minimalistic side while still being enjoyable and engaging.
So, yeah, there's some of my thoughts (I may be cutting this review short so that I can go read the second book 😉). To be continued after book two — Rise of the Wolf.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The believable presentation of history mixed with mythology and magic.
• The plot — it's quite intriguing.
• The writing style — it's simplistic but still keeps the reader engaged.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• There could be deeper character development (but since this is the first book in a trilogy, I'm sure further development will come soon).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes*
— To whom? To those who like ancient Roman history that is mixed with mythology. And if you don't mind magic playing a major role in stories (see the Random Comments section below for more details).
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3.5/5 [rounded down to 3 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 3.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 3/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• Mild action-adventure violence including a few scenes of Roman survival games.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Magic & mythology content: In Mark of the Thief, magic is heavily emphasized and plays a major role in the plot; this magic has mythological origins so, of course, mythology also is a frequent discussion point in this book as well. Here's some info that might help you decide if Mark of the Thief is the book for you:
— The characters do not possess their own magic; instead they obtain their magic through external sources: being granted the ability to possess magic by a mythological creature. Once a character obtains this magic, certain items can then continue to fuel the magic; but only those who have been granted the use of magic have the ability to use the power of these other items. Ultimately, this magic is explained as originating from the power of mythological Roman gods.
— The characters can use magic for good or evil (good is presented as positive, evil is presented as negative).
— Those in possession of magic can communicate telepathically.
— The power of magic allows characters to display themselves as apparitions in locations other than where they reside at that moment.
— Various other powers accompany possession of magic including communication with animals, the power to control aspects of weather, the ability to heal oneself, and some other similar powers.
— Throughout the book emphasis is made that being in possession of magic is a "curse" and that humans were never meant to be in possession of such magical powers. This emphasis is something that one of the "bad guy" magic-possessing characters seems to illustrate with his destructive and selfish actions; even the "good guy" magic-possessing character starts to recognize the harmful and negative affects this magic is having on him and those around him. So I'm thinking this might be a important lesson that is emphasized in this trilogy.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
An intriguing mixture of history, mythology, and magic, Mark of the Thief presents quite a different take on the times of ancient Rome. I was surprised by how much the plot of this story really grabbed my attention and piqued my interest. While this blending of history with mythology and magic won't be everyone's cup of tea, I thought Nielsen did a good job at presenting this storyline in a believable manner. To be honest, I'm not sure how much I like the magic system yet, but I will need to continue this trilogy to see how different magical elements will develop and what the end result will be.
The characters are pretty good. The MMC does experience a bit of development and the minor characters do have established roles. The characters could use deeper development, so I do anticipate further development as this trilogy progresses.
"'This is Rome. Things are different here and you must learn to think the way the empire thinks.'"
Marked by a simplistic and streamlined delivery, the writing style is more on the minimalistic side while still being enjoyable and engaging.
"I rolled to my back and saw [the griffin] staring down at me. Why didn't she take one final swipe? I knew how deep those claws could go. It wouldn't take much. [The griffin] screeched again, but this time her tone had changed. This wasn't anger. It was a warning. The ground beneath us shook, some sort if earthquake. I scrambled to my feet and stumbled toward the opening where I'd entered.... It was a mistake. I didn't see the rock coming straight for me until it was too late.... This was never the way I had wanted to die."
So, yeah, there's some of my thoughts (I may be cutting this review short so that I can go read the second book 😉). To be continued after book two — Rise of the Wolf.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The believable presentation of history mixed with mythology and magic.
• The plot — it's quite intriguing.
• The writing style — it's simplistic but still keeps the reader engaged.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• There could be deeper character development (but since this is the first book in a trilogy, I'm sure further development will come soon).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes*
— To whom? To those who like ancient Roman history that is mixed with mythology. And if you don't mind magic playing a major role in stories (see the Random Comments section below for more details).
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 3.5/5 [rounded down to 3 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 3.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 3/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• Mild action-adventure violence including a few scenes of Roman survival games.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Magic & mythology content: In Mark of the Thief, magic is heavily emphasized and plays a major role in the plot; this magic has mythological origins so, of course, mythology also is a frequent discussion point in this book as well. Here's some info that might help you decide if Mark of the Thief is the book for you:
— The characters do not possess their own magic; instead they obtain their magic through external sources: being granted the ability to possess magic by a mythological creature. Once a character obtains this magic, certain items can then continue to fuel the magic; but only those who have been granted the use of magic have the ability to use the power of these other items. Ultimately, this magic is explained as originating from the power of mythological Roman gods.
— The characters can use magic for good or evil (good is presented as positive, evil is presented as negative).
— Those in possession of magic can communicate telepathically.
— The power of magic allows characters to display themselves as apparitions in locations other than where they reside at that moment.
— Various other powers accompany possession of magic including communication with animals, the power to control aspects of weather, the ability to heal oneself, and some other similar powers.
— Throughout the book emphasis is made that being in possession of magic is a "curse" and that humans were never meant to be in possession of such magical powers. This emphasis is something that one of the "bad guy" magic-possessing characters seems to illustrate with his destructive and selfish actions; even the "good guy" magic-possessing character starts to recognize the harmful and negative affects this magic is having on him and those around him. So I'm thinking this might be a important lesson that is emphasized in this trilogy.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
Want to read
July 13, 2014Okay—Ancient Rome, secret magic, and everything epic.
I JUST INTERNALLY COMBUSTED!
Then: Expected publication, 2015
Damn....
I JUST INTERNALLY COMBUSTED!
Then: Expected publication, 2015
Damn....
December 24, 2015
Kinda like a milder Red Rising... set in Rome, with modern language.
May 1, 2016
I have not read the author’s previous YA series, the “Ascendance” series but I have heard of its success and so I came to this one with fairly high expectations. Unfortunately, those expectations may have backfired on me. I really wanted to like this one. After all, how can you go wrong with a plot involving a young escaped slave in the later Roman era, treasures of Julius Caesar, Roman gladiator-style action, political backstabbing-intrigue, and a griffon companion?
For most readers to really get into a novel, they must truly empathize with the main character(s), particularly in a first person POV narrative such as this. So for me, the style of interaction among the characters was an instant problem. At first I thought this author was one of those who over uses the exclamation point! It seemed as if fully one third of all dialogue ended with “!” and so it seemed that the main characters were always shouting at one another! But then I realized that they actually were almost always in arguments and so perhaps that particular form of punctuation was appropriate! It can be difficult to be sympathetic towards your teenage narrator when he is always angry or unable to accept an apology (while at the same time never apologizes for his own boorish behavior).
The main plot of this one proved to be pretty well thought out, with several climactic moments but, unfortunately, it unfolded in a somewhat clunky manner. There are quite a few plot points that seemed crammed in, with some getting too much focus and others hardly touched upon. One scene for example, depicted a father discovering the identity of his daughter almost 20 years after he had thought she had died shortly after birth. That got about four sentences. And these were both major characters in the novel. Several surprise reveals occurred as well with no warning, enough so that I grew hardened against further contrivances. The really big one at the end, therefore, had little impact on me. Additionally, there is quite a bit of high-level political shenanigans transpiring among the praetors but the effort to decide which faction was worth our hero supporting proved too complicated to deduce. By the end of the novel, I didn’t really care. It was not a good sign when I found myself reading the words of this novel but thinking more about which book I wanted to read next.
Perhaps I suffer from having read so many wonderful fantasy novels by talented authors but it really bugs me when I come across a novel that makes constant use of powerful magic but has no explanation for it or how it works. In this book, the main character can use magic after discovering the lost bulla (amulet) of Julius Caesar and being marked on his shoulder. Great. He seems to be able to use his new magic powers by…get this…concentrating on what he wants to accomplish. His use of the magic is clumsy at first but after a couple of days of good hard practice, he was able to take on the most powerful user of magic known to exist.
This is a first novel in a series and I feel certain the author may well address some of these items as she fleshes out the story. For instance, we may get much more about how the magic works or even why it exists (I need more than that it is “a gift from the gods”). We may also get more from our main characters and the protagonist might mature a little more and not be so angry all the time. Or perhaps not. Time will tell. I was sufficiently underwhelmed with this one to the extent that I’m not certain I will be willing to invest the time to discover these things for myself.
For most readers to really get into a novel, they must truly empathize with the main character(s), particularly in a first person POV narrative such as this. So for me, the style of interaction among the characters was an instant problem. At first I thought this author was one of those who over uses the exclamation point! It seemed as if fully one third of all dialogue ended with “!” and so it seemed that the main characters were always shouting at one another! But then I realized that they actually were almost always in arguments and so perhaps that particular form of punctuation was appropriate! It can be difficult to be sympathetic towards your teenage narrator when he is always angry or unable to accept an apology (while at the same time never apologizes for his own boorish behavior).
The main plot of this one proved to be pretty well thought out, with several climactic moments but, unfortunately, it unfolded in a somewhat clunky manner. There are quite a few plot points that seemed crammed in, with some getting too much focus and others hardly touched upon. One scene for example, depicted a father discovering the identity of his daughter almost 20 years after he had thought she had died shortly after birth. That got about four sentences. And these were both major characters in the novel. Several surprise reveals occurred as well with no warning, enough so that I grew hardened against further contrivances. The really big one at the end, therefore, had little impact on me. Additionally, there is quite a bit of high-level political shenanigans transpiring among the praetors but the effort to decide which faction was worth our hero supporting proved too complicated to deduce. By the end of the novel, I didn’t really care. It was not a good sign when I found myself reading the words of this novel but thinking more about which book I wanted to read next.
Perhaps I suffer from having read so many wonderful fantasy novels by talented authors but it really bugs me when I come across a novel that makes constant use of powerful magic but has no explanation for it or how it works. In this book, the main character can use magic after discovering the lost bulla (amulet) of Julius Caesar and being marked on his shoulder. Great. He seems to be able to use his new magic powers by…get this…concentrating on what he wants to accomplish. His use of the magic is clumsy at first but after a couple of days of good hard practice, he was able to take on the most powerful user of magic known to exist.
This is a first novel in a series and I feel certain the author may well address some of these items as she fleshes out the story. For instance, we may get much more about how the magic works or even why it exists (I need more than that it is “a gift from the gods”). We may also get more from our main characters and the protagonist might mature a little more and not be so angry all the time. Or perhaps not. Time will tell. I was sufficiently underwhelmed with this one to the extent that I’m not certain I will be willing to invest the time to discover these things for myself.
Read
January 25, 2016If Gladiator had magic and was YA then you'd have Mark of the Thief. This one is for all you history geeks who love ancient Rome. Love the griffin and the way the magic is imbued on the hero. Favorite scene was the final battle in the Colosseum.
May 21, 2015
Come into Roman Empire and watch the fighting of gladiators. No, they don't fight by using spears, they uses magic.
Nick is a young slave in the mine outside of Rome. He is forced to steal Julius Caesar's bulla *the one you saw on the cover*, the ancient powerful bulla which contain the magic from a Goddess and give it to a General of Roman Empire. Finally, Nick winds up keep it himself instead and then the adventure begins.
I haven't read much of YA book in Roman period so it's quite interesting to me, to begin with. However, I think the first book is kinda introduction to the world of this series. Nothing much happen in the first half, but you will get to know a lot of interesting information about Roman hist, Caesar, or many things about world building. Anyway, it will get better and better *action packed* and I LOVE the climax scene!
Nick, J A.N's style of protagonist.. Strong, sarcastic, quick-wit, and stubborn. If anyone have ever read her another series "The Ascendance Trilogy", you will see the similarities between the two male leads, *Nick minus arrogant and tricky* But for anyone who never read it? I highly recemmend!
Though, judge only book 1, I still prefer The Ascendance Trilogy, but if you like reading book about Roman world setting more, this is the better option and you should give it a try!
No insta-love and annoying love triangle, man!
I also love the female lead: Aurelia, she is strong and feisty. Her tension with Nick is my fave! I even wanna beg for more.
After I finished it, I had feelings the next book will be exciting even more and I cannot wait for it! Nick and Aurelia's moments still linger in my head! <3 <3 <3
Nick is a young slave in the mine outside of Rome. He is forced to steal Julius Caesar's bulla *the one you saw on the cover*, the ancient powerful bulla which contain the magic from a Goddess and give it to a General of Roman Empire. Finally, Nick winds up keep it himself instead and then the adventure begins.
I haven't read much of YA book in Roman period so it's quite interesting to me, to begin with. However, I think the first book is kinda introduction to the world of this series. Nothing much happen in the first half, but you will get to know a lot of interesting information about Roman hist, Caesar, or many things about world building. Anyway, it will get better and better *action packed* and I LOVE the climax scene!
Nick, J A.N's style of protagonist.. Strong, sarcastic, quick-wit, and stubborn. If anyone have ever read her another series "The Ascendance Trilogy", you will see the similarities between the two male leads, *Nick minus arrogant and tricky* But for anyone who never read it? I highly recemmend!
Though, judge only book 1, I still prefer The Ascendance Trilogy, but if you like reading book about Roman world setting more, this is the better option and you should give it a try!
No insta-love and annoying love triangle, man!
I also love the female lead: Aurelia, she is strong and feisty. Her tension with Nick is my fave! I even wanna beg for more.
After I finished it, I had feelings the next book will be exciting even more and I cannot wait for it! Nick and Aurelia's moments still linger in my head! <3 <3 <3
Want to read
September 4, 2014Just finished reading the amazingly spectacular The False Prince and it has most definitely guaranteed the wonderful Jennifer Nielsen as a writer on my Forever Fave list.
January 29, 2015
it was a fun adventure through roman times! i look forward to the next one in the series.
November 30, 2021
So it’s no secret I love Jennifer Nielsens writing! I thought this was a fun and exciting start to this series and looking forward to reading the rest.
December 15, 2017
OKAY SO I HAD A MINOR INTERRUPTION. This book was due back at the library and I just got it back today. Thanks, library. :P
Honestly, I had hoped for more from this book but it was just kind of "meh." I liked Nic and Aurelia okay, but they really didn't stand out to me a whole lot. The setting wasn't my favorite since I'm not really big on Roman history. The writing also felt sub-par compared to her other books...but maybe that's just me being biased. I DON'T KNOW. xD
My one major concern was all the gods/magic stuff. I was a bit uncertain going into this book, but reading it just confirmed my suspicions. It's NOT the kind of magic that I feel comfortable reading about and unfortunately, I don't know if I can continue the series.
Lest you think I hated this book, I will say that the slices of humor and action were entertaining enough to keep me reading. Still, the characters, setting, and magic all turned me off for the most part.
I definitely recommend Nielsen's other books but wouldn't suggest this one. ;)
2.5 stars
Honestly, I had hoped for more from this book but it was just kind of "meh." I liked Nic and Aurelia okay, but they really didn't stand out to me a whole lot. The setting wasn't my favorite since I'm not really big on Roman history. The writing also felt sub-par compared to her other books...but maybe that's just me being biased. I DON'T KNOW. xD
My one major concern was all the gods/magic stuff. I was a bit uncertain going into this book, but reading it just confirmed my suspicions. It's NOT the kind of magic that I feel comfortable reading about and unfortunately, I don't know if I can continue the series.
Lest you think I hated this book, I will say that the slices of humor and action were entertaining enough to keep me reading. Still, the characters, setting, and magic all turned me off for the most part.
I definitely recommend Nielsen's other books but wouldn't suggest this one. ;)
2.5 stars
March 28, 2022
Another splendid start to a Nielsen series. She is truly a master of her art.
This book was enjoyable in the classic Nielsen style: fast-paced, intriguing, likable characters, and stunning plot-twists at every turn. It was great!
This is completely personal preference (and mostly because of my Christian faith), but I am not attracted to the whole ‘gods and their magic’ deal, which is really emphasized in the story. But I knew what I was getting into when I picked the series up and won’t complain about it haha.
Overall, very, very good! I am excited to move on to book 2~
This book was enjoyable in the classic Nielsen style: fast-paced, intriguing, likable characters, and stunning plot-twists at every turn. It was great!
This is completely personal preference (and mostly because of my Christian faith), but I am not attracted to the whole ‘gods and their magic’ deal, which is really emphasized in the story. But I knew what I was getting into when I picked the series up and won’t complain about it haha.
Overall, very, very good! I am excited to move on to book 2~
February 16, 2017
4.75 our of 5 Stars!
I finished this book, literally, minutes after midnight and as much as I wanted to talk about this book, I needed to sleep on this book. Now, with a cup of coffee, I'm ready to talk about Mark of the Thief.
So the book starts off with Nic, and for the past five years, he's been a slave, in a mine, in search or Ceasar's bulla--what you see on the cover, an amulet of sorts. Life's not good to him; the only family he has is his sister. That is, until it is Nic who discovers the bulla, and a mythical companion, where the story picks up.
What I like about Nic's character is that he isn't a son of a royal or even a farm boy who wants more to his life. No, he's a slave that just wants to get his sister and get the hell out of Rome(which is at the brink of war) and he sees this bulla as an opportunity. Every person he stumbles upon, he doesn't really trust, and if he does, it's with a grain of salt. In comes Aurelia, who is basically a girl version of Nic: a "street rat" of sorts who is just as stubborn and tough and scared...but is good with a bow and arrow.
Their friendships starts as the two butting heads, but as the book progresses, they slowly see more to each other more than "a bounty" and "a stupid girl". It's a fantasy novel that is very character driven and Nic seems to carry the book. Nearing the end of this book, you see into his psychology; he may be out of the mines, but Nic still sees himself as a slave--no matter who he talks to or who he encounters.
Fucking Radulf. That is all.
Despite the first book not going too much into depth when it comes to the magic, there is more magic lore, which keeps the book interesting to read. Hopefully the next installments go more in depth. But other than that, this book was a breeze. An inhale read from start to finish, as is all of Jennifer A. Nielsen's books. It's fun, the characters are great with their banter and their gradual progression and the ending did not do anything good for me with this twist you DON'T expect.
I finished this book, literally, minutes after midnight and as much as I wanted to talk about this book, I needed to sleep on this book. Now, with a cup of coffee, I'm ready to talk about Mark of the Thief.
So the book starts off with Nic, and for the past five years, he's been a slave, in a mine, in search or Ceasar's bulla--what you see on the cover, an amulet of sorts. Life's not good to him; the only family he has is his sister. That is, until it is Nic who discovers the bulla, and a mythical companion, where the story picks up.
What I like about Nic's character is that he isn't a son of a royal or even a farm boy who wants more to his life. No, he's a slave that just wants to get his sister and get the hell out of Rome(which is at the brink of war) and he sees this bulla as an opportunity. Every person he stumbles upon, he doesn't really trust, and if he does, it's with a grain of salt. In comes Aurelia, who is basically a girl version of Nic: a "street rat" of sorts who is just as stubborn and tough and scared...but is good with a bow and arrow.
Their friendships starts as the two butting heads, but as the book progresses, they slowly see more to each other more than "a bounty" and "a stupid girl". It's a fantasy novel that is very character driven and Nic seems to carry the book. Nearing the end of this book, you see into his psychology; he may be out of the mines, but Nic still sees himself as a slave--no matter who he talks to or who he encounters.
Fucking Radulf. That is all.
Despite the first book not going too much into depth when it comes to the magic, there is more magic lore, which keeps the book interesting to read. Hopefully the next installments go more in depth. But other than that, this book was a breeze. An inhale read from start to finish, as is all of Jennifer A. Nielsen's books. It's fun, the characters are great with their banter and their gradual progression and the ending did not do anything good for me with this twist you DON'T expect.
December 29, 2015
Some of the worst characterization I've seen in a book in a long time. No one is remotely consistent (well, except that the female characters are weak idiots who are trusting under really stupid circumstances), no one is plausible, no one is human. They are paper cutouts in various shapes being shoved around a set.
May 22, 2022
Mm.. che dire? Stile frizzante, ma un po' irrealistico. Questo sarebbe uno schiavo romano? Bah, poco convincente. Mi ha abbastanza annoiata
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May 21, 2015
Rome, ancient magic, gods... what can go wrong?!
I feel like if I explained all that this book is about, you'd raise your eyebrow at me and think I'm silly for not loving this.
This is action packed! You're thrust onto this adventure with Nic, a slave who has lived in the mines for most of his life.
There's a griffin - a beast of the gods, an amulet - a bulla hidden among Caesar's treasure that is rumored to bestow magical power, and an impending war - one that can only be stopped with before mentioned magic.
The array of characters in this book are fleshed out nicely, and as I said before it is action packed, but where this series was lacking was the storytelling. The foreshadowing Nielsen proved she was good at from The Ascendance Trilogy and the powerful endings weren't brought out well in this, and I think that's why I was so disappointed.
I know my rating on this is effected by the sheer anticipation I had for it. I really loved Nielsen's Ascendance Trilogy, so jumping into this I had very high expectations - I wanted to love it so badly that I think that hurt me in the end.
I found her Ascendance Trilogy to be a wonderful middle grade series that is equally wonderful for adults, while this one is probably enjoyable solely for the young ones.
I will of course be reading on with this series, for I did enjoy it and look forward to continuing Nic's adventure.
Also, I'd like to know the word count for both the words "bulla" and "gods" from this book.
I feel like if I explained all that this book is about, you'd raise your eyebrow at me and think I'm silly for not loving this.
This is action packed! You're thrust onto this adventure with Nic, a slave who has lived in the mines for most of his life.
There's a griffin - a beast of the gods, an amulet - a bulla hidden among Caesar's treasure that is rumored to bestow magical power, and an impending war - one that can only be stopped with before mentioned magic.
The array of characters in this book are fleshed out nicely, and as I said before it is action packed, but where this series was lacking was the storytelling. The foreshadowing Nielsen proved she was good at from The Ascendance Trilogy and the powerful endings weren't brought out well in this, and I think that's why I was so disappointed.
I know my rating on this is effected by the sheer anticipation I had for it. I really loved Nielsen's Ascendance Trilogy, so jumping into this I had very high expectations - I wanted to love it so badly that I think that hurt me in the end.
I found her Ascendance Trilogy to be a wonderful middle grade series that is equally wonderful for adults, while this one is probably enjoyable solely for the young ones.
I will of course be reading on with this series, for I did enjoy it and look forward to continuing Nic's adventure.
Also, I'd like to know the word count for both the words "bulla" and "gods" from this book.
April 29, 2022
History and magic for the late MG/early YA group: A slave in ancient Rome is sent to retrieve a magical object that thrusts him in the middle of Roman politics. Everybody is either trying to kill him or use him. It’s a story full of adventure and intrigue and magic; full of fun for any age but especially young teens. Following is the basic storyline in gifs:
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence: Some monster violence and hand-to-hand combat; some stabbing
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
January 15, 2015
it was a great book and the last word was just horrible it makes you want the secound book right away we were lucky though we were the first to see the book and one of the first to ever get it its a fantastic read
November 25, 2016
And Jennifer Nielsen does it again! Another fast paced, page turning first book in a new trilogy that middle grade readers are going to love!
April 10, 2015
Cool action!
BEAUTIFUL COVER!
Again, Jennifer Nielsen wrote an amusing, full of action and witty book just like The False Prince. I wouldn’t say that The Mark of the Thief was very similar to the other books the author had written. On one point, this book wasn’t as humorous as False Prince nor had a too cunning character and surprising turn of events.
However, The Mark of the Thief is very creative, exciting and interesting.
The story was set in at the time of the Roman Empire. At what BC or AD, I’m not sure (I just know it’s after Julius Caesar and Nero, haha). It was very compelling how the author wrote facts and interesting story about Rome. There were also Roman gods mentioned and of course, magic.
And you can't forget the gladiators.
While reading this book, I was urged to do some readings about the Roman Empire because the book was too interesting that I wanted to know more about some facts. Now I think about it, I didn’t appreciate much of Rome until I knew that they contributed lot of things especially on running a government.
That just show how interesting this book is.
Back to the story: So there was Nic, Nicolas Calva , a slave who unfortunately found magic. Magic endangered his life. It saved him many times. Was it a curse? A blessing? But one thing for sure, he must fight for his freedom. It is undeniable that he had acted pathetically many times, had been naïve but also very persistent and unyielding. It’s part of his allure and character.
And there was also Aurelia . A plebeian who in many ways, had helped Nic. She was stubborn, formidable, and yeah, kick-ass. She often disagreed with Nic but of course, she was the only one who could be Nic’s friend. However, they had lots of trust issue going on.
And you can't just miss a great animal like the griffin!
I’m excited for the next instalment and I’m looking forward to how Nic would turn out on the next!
BEAUTIFUL COVER!
Again, Jennifer Nielsen wrote an amusing, full of action and witty book just like The False Prince. I wouldn’t say that The Mark of the Thief was very similar to the other books the author had written. On one point, this book wasn’t as humorous as False Prince nor had a too cunning character and surprising turn of events.
However, The Mark of the Thief is very creative, exciting and interesting.
The story was set in at the time of the Roman Empire. At what BC or AD, I’m not sure (I just know it’s after Julius Caesar and Nero, haha). It was very compelling how the author wrote facts and interesting story about Rome. There were also Roman gods mentioned and of course, magic.
And you can't forget the gladiators.
While reading this book, I was urged to do some readings about the Roman Empire because the book was too interesting that I wanted to know more about some facts. Now I think about it, I didn’t appreciate much of Rome until I knew that they contributed lot of things especially on running a government.
That just show how interesting this book is.
Back to the story: So there was Nic, Nicolas Calva , a slave who unfortunately found magic. Magic endangered his life. It saved him many times. Was it a curse? A blessing? But one thing for sure, he must fight for his freedom. It is undeniable that he had acted pathetically many times, had been naïve but also very persistent and unyielding. It’s part of his allure and character.
No, my freedom would not come at any price. Even saving Rome would not happen if it meant I had to blur the shades of right and wrong.
And there was also Aurelia . A plebeian who in many ways, had helped Nic. She was stubborn, formidable, and yeah, kick-ass. She often disagreed with Nic but of course, she was the only one who could be Nic’s friend. However, they had lots of trust issue going on.
“Tell me if I can trust you. Please, make me believe that I can, because every time I try, I think of our bargain, and I remember that all you care about is the reward you’ll get from Horatio.”
And you can't just miss a great animal like the griffin!
I’m excited for the next instalment and I’m looking forward to how Nic would turn out on the next!
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