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Gaspar the Thief #0.5
Gaspar And The Fantastical Hats
Life isn't easy in a cut-throat city ruled by guilds, especially for a freelance thief who refuses to swear fealty to the local thieves' guild.
Beset by thieves and threatened by assassins, Gaspar is forced into a madcap hunt for a magical artefact. Confronted by danger at every turn, he and his friend, Hubris the Spellbroker, become entangled in a bizarre web of intrigue, politics and outlandish fashion. They soon realise that they are just pawns in a greater game, but who is their real adversary and how will it all end?
This humorous fantasy novella (28,500 words) is a prequel to the novel, Gaspar The Thief (126,000 words), also by David A. Lindsay.
Beset by thieves and threatened by assassins, Gaspar is forced into a madcap hunt for a magical artefact. Confronted by danger at every turn, he and his friend, Hubris the Spellbroker, become entangled in a bizarre web of intrigue, politics and outlandish fashion. They soon realise that they are just pawns in a greater game, but who is their real adversary and how will it all end?
This humorous fantasy novella (28,500 words) is a prequel to the novel, Gaspar The Thief (126,000 words), also by David A. Lindsay.
90 pages, Unknown Binding
First published February 24, 2013
17 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
David A. Lindsay
37 books4 followersBorn and brought up in Dundee, Scotland, David A. Lindsay now lives with his wife near St Andrews in Fife. Gaspar The Thief, a humorous fantasy adventure, is his first novel.
Gaspar The Thief is a featured 'Noteworthy Release' for the week commencing 3 June 2012 at http://noteworthyreleasesdsbooks.blog....
Visit David's website at http://www.highland.co.uk.
Gaspar The Thief is a featured 'Noteworthy Release' for the week commencing 3 June 2012 at http://noteworthyreleasesdsbooks.blog....
Visit David's website at http://www.highland.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 2, 2013
Just found out there's a prequel to Gaspar The Thief ~
Instabuy.
Now that I've read this prequel to the fantastic Short-Story Novel Gaspar the Thief, I am once again reminded why I like the author's style so much.
Lindsay writes a gripping tale of intrigue and never cuts back on the humor.
Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats puts Gaspar in a bad position: Being a freelance thief who refuses to swear fealty to the Thieves' Guild, he thought he couldn't be bullied into accepting jobs that easily. Wrong. With two assassins on his tails and the threat of death hanging over his head unless he procures a particularly extravagant magical artifact to make the center piece of an even more extravagant hat for a very special lady (a ridiculous notion, if you were to ask Gaspar), Gaspar is forced to rely on his old friend Hubris, a Guild-less Spellmonger who can or can't make spells when needed to break into a place best left alone...
Gaspar and the fantastical hats is a comical prequel novella of 90 pages that shines a tiny light on Gaspar's past but still doesn't reveal much of anything.
What I like most about the Gaspar series is that every story has it's own intrigue - there's no big conspiracy (which is also great) but lots of smaller ones in which Gaspar gets entangled time and time again. His dealings with the loval Guild Masters and the politics between the Masters themselves is always wonderful to read about.
All in all, I can recommend Gaspar the Thief as well as this rather short prequel completely - don't hesitate in buying it, it's really worth it!
Instabuy.
Now that I've read this prequel to the fantastic Short-Story Novel Gaspar the Thief, I am once again reminded why I like the author's style so much.
Lindsay writes a gripping tale of intrigue and never cuts back on the humor.
Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats puts Gaspar in a bad position: Being a freelance thief who refuses to swear fealty to the Thieves' Guild, he thought he couldn't be bullied into accepting jobs that easily. Wrong. With two assassins on his tails and the threat of death hanging over his head unless he procures a particularly extravagant magical artifact to make the center piece of an even more extravagant hat for a very special lady (a ridiculous notion, if you were to ask Gaspar), Gaspar is forced to rely on his old friend Hubris, a Guild-less Spellmonger who can or can't make spells when needed to break into a place best left alone...
Gaspar and the fantastical hats is a comical prequel novella of 90 pages that shines a tiny light on Gaspar's past but still doesn't reveal much of anything.
What I like most about the Gaspar series is that every story has it's own intrigue - there's no big conspiracy (which is also great) but lots of smaller ones in which Gaspar gets entangled time and time again. His dealings with the loval Guild Masters and the politics between the Masters themselves is always wonderful to read about.
All in all, I can recommend Gaspar the Thief as well as this rather short prequel completely - don't hesitate in buying it, it's really worth it!
June 18, 2015
I found this book interesting and think it will appeal to young adults and adults as well. I liked the story and the suspense as readers follow Gaspar's quest. Although short, this felt like a longer read and the author put a lot inside of this tale. I think the longer novel that goes along with this series is going to be even better and can't wait to see what happens to Gaspar.
November 5, 2014
Entertaining enough for a 0.5 type work. It set the scene for the full Gaspar story I imagine. I found it well enough written and I'd probably read the actual story sometime.
June 18, 2018
Interesting ideas
Liked the city concept but even for a novella it needed more. Maybe a longer version would keep my attention.
Liked the city concept but even for a novella it needed more. Maybe a longer version would keep my attention.
March 7, 2017
leaves woman "thief" unresolved. rather blah. 2.5*
February 25, 2015
This is a prequel fantasy novella to Gaspar the Thief, which introduces the protagonist Gaspar, a freelance thief, who is blackmailed into procuring a magical artefact for an anonymous merchant’s wife to wear as a magnificent hat to the Autumn Ball. In order to avoid an untimely death by assassins Stoat and Weasel, Gaspar is forced to steal a magical artefact from the Wizard’s Hall with the help of his reluctant friend, Hubris the spellbroker.
Lindsay has taken the historical theme of the Medieval Guild and turned this into an original, entertaining and quirky story, full of skulduggery and political intrigue. The rich description brings to life the dark, twisting alleys and the notorious taverns of a medieval city and gives the reader a glimpse into the politics and corruption of the city’s various guilds. Some readers have compared Mr Lindsay’s writing style to Terry Pratchett. I had no such preconceptions as I’m ashamed to admit that I have not read his work, but I did find the author’s unique and witty voice very appealing. This shines through the comical dialogue and well-developed characterisation.
Gaspar is a likeable rogue, but remains quite secretive. Given that it is a novella and the focus is on the unfolding action, we don’t get the chance to see the depth of Gaspar’s character, and perhaps that’s why I didn’t feel such an emotional connection to him. However, I’m certain more will be revealed in Gaspar the Thief. Hubris is an endearing, eccentric character who made me chuckle. I was also intrigued by the mysterious thief Marna, whose identity was never revealed.
The first chapter for me was perhaps a little dense on information, but otherwise the rest of the story is very tight, well-paced, and there’s plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing. On the whole, Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats is a cleverly written, inventive fantasy novella, which gives the reader a wonderful introduction to his follow up novel Gaspar the Thief. If you are a fan of fantasy, this is definitely worth a read.
Lindsay has taken the historical theme of the Medieval Guild and turned this into an original, entertaining and quirky story, full of skulduggery and political intrigue. The rich description brings to life the dark, twisting alleys and the notorious taverns of a medieval city and gives the reader a glimpse into the politics and corruption of the city’s various guilds. Some readers have compared Mr Lindsay’s writing style to Terry Pratchett. I had no such preconceptions as I’m ashamed to admit that I have not read his work, but I did find the author’s unique and witty voice very appealing. This shines through the comical dialogue and well-developed characterisation.
Gaspar is a likeable rogue, but remains quite secretive. Given that it is a novella and the focus is on the unfolding action, we don’t get the chance to see the depth of Gaspar’s character, and perhaps that’s why I didn’t feel such an emotional connection to him. However, I’m certain more will be revealed in Gaspar the Thief. Hubris is an endearing, eccentric character who made me chuckle. I was also intrigued by the mysterious thief Marna, whose identity was never revealed.
The first chapter for me was perhaps a little dense on information, but otherwise the rest of the story is very tight, well-paced, and there’s plenty of plot twists to keep you guessing. On the whole, Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats is a cleverly written, inventive fantasy novella, which gives the reader a wonderful introduction to his follow up novel Gaspar the Thief. If you are a fan of fantasy, this is definitely worth a read.
October 12, 2014
This fantasy novella just short of one hundred pages is set in medieval times amidst dark alleys, cobblestone streets, a wizard’s den and raucous taverns. Gaspar has just spent the night at one of his favorite haunts, The Bag O’Silver Inn where he could pick up gossip on who to target and who was after him. Shortly after, two assassins named Sloat and Weasel confront him in a dark alleyway. An unknown intruder saves his life.
The Council of Guild Masters run the city. These guilds are arranged in a hierarchy of power. Strangely enough the City did function. The wizards had a monopoly of magical artifacts. Gaspar is a petty thief who is a freelancer not a member of any guild. How does he get involved in a dangerous caper? The women of the Merchant’s Quarter had taken a liking to wearing hats that were decorated with magical objects. Some of the wizards began taking bribes, while the milliners took advantage of the fad. Eventually magical artifacts became scarce. Gaspar is enlisted to steal a magical artifact for one such hat. His friend, Hubris, the Spell-broker is recruited separately to steal another. They break into the Wizard’s Hall where they are confronted with a golem, a giant living stone statue. Both thieves must steal an artifact and successfully escape the golem. These partners will discover that appearances are deceiving; the plot twists and turns to reveal new deceptions, and the reader does not foresee the conclusion.
The characters are interesting and the plot well developed in this novella even though the sentence descriptions can be wordy at times. The combination of fashion, mystery, adventure and intrigue are nicely balanced in the right amount for a middle grade reader that will appeal to boys and girls. The golem’s riddles are a nice touch; they will encourage young readers to ponder and philosophize This book can easily be read in a couple of hours or broken up into sections for discussion as a class read aloud.
The Council of Guild Masters run the city. These guilds are arranged in a hierarchy of power. Strangely enough the City did function. The wizards had a monopoly of magical artifacts. Gaspar is a petty thief who is a freelancer not a member of any guild. How does he get involved in a dangerous caper? The women of the Merchant’s Quarter had taken a liking to wearing hats that were decorated with magical objects. Some of the wizards began taking bribes, while the milliners took advantage of the fad. Eventually magical artifacts became scarce. Gaspar is enlisted to steal a magical artifact for one such hat. His friend, Hubris, the Spell-broker is recruited separately to steal another. They break into the Wizard’s Hall where they are confronted with a golem, a giant living stone statue. Both thieves must steal an artifact and successfully escape the golem. These partners will discover that appearances are deceiving; the plot twists and turns to reveal new deceptions, and the reader does not foresee the conclusion.
The characters are interesting and the plot well developed in this novella even though the sentence descriptions can be wordy at times. The combination of fashion, mystery, adventure and intrigue are nicely balanced in the right amount for a middle grade reader that will appeal to boys and girls. The golem’s riddles are a nice touch; they will encourage young readers to ponder and philosophize This book can easily be read in a couple of hours or broken up into sections for discussion as a class read aloud.
December 5, 2014
As the prequel to Gaspar the Thief, this novella is an entertaining read. It is definitely an adventure with subtle details that tie-up nicely by the end. I love a clever plot like David Lindsay has written. Kudos David!
This fantastic fantasy is like watching Doctor Who while playing Dungeons and Dragons. It's fun! The author has quite a sense of humor and a wonderful way of constructing complex sentences that gives the cadence of the book a fast-paced energy.
"Who would have thought that fashion could become a matter of life and death?"
Yeah, this story is about hats... really cool, magical hats that become the to-die-for fashion among the richy-rich ladies. The subplot stories surrounding the magical activation of these hats was so amazing, unique and interesting. I would read a book on just the hats, but the main plot knocked my socks off, and my hat!
I usually read female-written fantasy novels about women kicking serious monster butt, but this author writes with such wit and humor, I was hooked after the first chapter. Read it. I guarantee you won't want to put it down. The main plot has fun little twists in the story that are delightfully unexpected.
As a main character, Gaspar is a lovable rogue thief who can basically talk his way out of or into any situation. The interactions between him and the Spellbroker are awesome. Their personalities play well together. Most of the story is told through the dialogue, so don't skim the conversations, savor them! I would suggest this series to all ages. It's clean. It's fun. It's a tight story that would make a cool movie!
This fantastic fantasy is like watching Doctor Who while playing Dungeons and Dragons. It's fun! The author has quite a sense of humor and a wonderful way of constructing complex sentences that gives the cadence of the book a fast-paced energy.
"Who would have thought that fashion could become a matter of life and death?"
Yeah, this story is about hats... really cool, magical hats that become the to-die-for fashion among the richy-rich ladies. The subplot stories surrounding the magical activation of these hats was so amazing, unique and interesting. I would read a book on just the hats, but the main plot knocked my socks off, and my hat!
I usually read female-written fantasy novels about women kicking serious monster butt, but this author writes with such wit and humor, I was hooked after the first chapter. Read it. I guarantee you won't want to put it down. The main plot has fun little twists in the story that are delightfully unexpected.
As a main character, Gaspar is a lovable rogue thief who can basically talk his way out of or into any situation. The interactions between him and the Spellbroker are awesome. Their personalities play well together. Most of the story is told through the dialogue, so don't skim the conversations, savor them! I would suggest this series to all ages. It's clean. It's fun. It's a tight story that would make a cool movie!
July 24, 2021
Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats by David A. Lindsay is a short story prequel to Gaspar the Thief. I enjoyed the book for the most part. It was quite amusing in the typical British humor sort of way and the setting reminded me a lot of Terry Pratchett's Discworld(perhaps a little too much).
There were just a couple of things that irked me a bit. One was the lack of any chapters(the one thing that bugs me about most of Terry Pratchett's books). I suppose a short story that's only around 100 pages might not need chapters, but I prefer them as it provides a good stopping place. Then again I'm often forced to stop reading before I hit the end of a chapter anyway, especially if the chapters are long. The book did have separating symbols to indicate scene changes though, so that helped to make up for the lack of chapters.
The other thing that bugged me was the use of a D&D term without explaining what it meant(this was done in Gaspar the Thief as well). After googling it, the term did make sense in context, but I feel like the author shouldn't have expected people to know what it meant when it wasn't a book set in a D&D universe(as far as I know).
Overall it was a fun read and I liked it enough to try Gaspar the Thief afterward.
There were just a couple of things that irked me a bit. One was the lack of any chapters(the one thing that bugs me about most of Terry Pratchett's books). I suppose a short story that's only around 100 pages might not need chapters, but I prefer them as it provides a good stopping place. Then again I'm often forced to stop reading before I hit the end of a chapter anyway, especially if the chapters are long. The book did have separating symbols to indicate scene changes though, so that helped to make up for the lack of chapters.
The other thing that bugged me was the use of a D&D term without explaining what it meant(this was done in Gaspar the Thief as well). After googling it, the term did make sense in context, but I feel like the author shouldn't have expected people to know what it meant when it wasn't a book set in a D&D universe(as far as I know).
Overall it was a fun read and I liked it enough to try Gaspar the Thief afterward.
January 8, 2014
This is the prequel novelette to Gaspar The Thief and was a fun, quick and entertaining read. The writing and use of language is excellent.
As a lover of Terry Pratchett's discworld books, in particular those involving Vimes and the Ankh Morpork city watch, I do feel it was a little bit too close to Pratchett's world. This left me with a nagging feeling that this was fan fiction rather than an original story.
The suspense built up really nicely in the middle and I found myself looking forward to the ball and wondering what the hats were going to look like. But the end was rushed and I felt like I was galloping towards it rather than the twists and turns creeping up on me.
Without giving away any spoilers, I was also disapointed with the route Lindsay chose to take the story down. All the effort the main character had invested seemed to come to nothing. There was no real showdown. In short it felt like a bit of an anticlimax.
That said I was not necessarily put off and Lindsay has written a full length novel, 'Gaspar The Thief', that I have not read yet. I suspect this may be a more complete story. All in all this was an entertaining and well written novelette, which could easily have been longer.
As a lover of Terry Pratchett's discworld books, in particular those involving Vimes and the Ankh Morpork city watch, I do feel it was a little bit too close to Pratchett's world. This left me with a nagging feeling that this was fan fiction rather than an original story.
The suspense built up really nicely in the middle and I found myself looking forward to the ball and wondering what the hats were going to look like. But the end was rushed and I felt like I was galloping towards it rather than the twists and turns creeping up on me.
Without giving away any spoilers, I was also disapointed with the route Lindsay chose to take the story down. All the effort the main character had invested seemed to come to nothing. There was no real showdown. In short it felt like a bit of an anticlimax.
That said I was not necessarily put off and Lindsay has written a full length novel, 'Gaspar The Thief', that I have not read yet. I suspect this may be a more complete story. All in all this was an entertaining and well written novelette, which could easily have been longer.
June 25, 2013
This was quite a fun read. Lots of twists and turns in such a short tale. All in the name of fashion! Gaspar seems like a fun character and I can't wait to read 'Gaspar the Thief', eventually. He seems to have lots of courage where his friend, Hubris, doesn't.
This story was a fun, fast read. Very well paced, not too slow, not too fast. You weren't overwhelmed with too much information at once. I honestly didn't know what to expect, as I have never read anything from this author before. But I have seen Mr. Lindsey's 'tweets' on Twitter and 'Gaspar the Thief' has me captivated. So when this book came up free for a short time, I snatched it up, quick as a nimble fingered thief.
Gaspar is a pretty low key character. He isn't overly hyper, or overly confident like so many thieves can be. He's confident enough. Whenever he's faced with a situation that's not his area of expertise, he has his friend, Hubris, to rely on. The two make a great team and work well off of each other.
I found it very difficult to find a good spot to put this story down. Very well written, I liked it a lot. If you enjoy fantasy as much as I do, this author will soon become a favorite.
This story was a fun, fast read. Very well paced, not too slow, not too fast. You weren't overwhelmed with too much information at once. I honestly didn't know what to expect, as I have never read anything from this author before. But I have seen Mr. Lindsey's 'tweets' on Twitter and 'Gaspar the Thief' has me captivated. So when this book came up free for a short time, I snatched it up, quick as a nimble fingered thief.
Gaspar is a pretty low key character. He isn't overly hyper, or overly confident like so many thieves can be. He's confident enough. Whenever he's faced with a situation that's not his area of expertise, he has his friend, Hubris, to rely on. The two make a great team and work well off of each other.
I found it very difficult to find a good spot to put this story down. Very well written, I liked it a lot. If you enjoy fantasy as much as I do, this author will soon become a favorite.
April 3, 2014
Gaspar and the Fantastical Hats is a novella and prequel to Gaspar the Thief.
Gaspar is a thief not attached to the local Thieves Guild, who is approached by a local Guild Masters Secretary to 'assist' in a matter of great importance...... To find the Guild Masters wife a magical item for the upcoming ball, for a hat, the current trend! Or the Assasins Guild will pay a visit!
Gaspar and his friend Hubris (who has also been dragged in by another Guild Master to do the same) set off to find the special items required to save their lives, and since the only option left to them (as magical items are so hard to find now) they daringly enter the Wizards Guild.
I felt the story flowed very well. It was face paced and the languages used was appropriate. It was an easy story to follow, with no huge surprises, but small twists and turns. It was humerous and light-hearted.
As a lover of Terry Pratchett, this read very similar, possibly too similar.
I would certainly recommend this story to fantasy readings, in particular those who enjoy Pratchett's work and similar. I certainly will be looking out for the next installment.
Gaspar is a thief not attached to the local Thieves Guild, who is approached by a local Guild Masters Secretary to 'assist' in a matter of great importance...... To find the Guild Masters wife a magical item for the upcoming ball, for a hat, the current trend! Or the Assasins Guild will pay a visit!
Gaspar and his friend Hubris (who has also been dragged in by another Guild Master to do the same) set off to find the special items required to save their lives, and since the only option left to them (as magical items are so hard to find now) they daringly enter the Wizards Guild.
I felt the story flowed very well. It was face paced and the languages used was appropriate. It was an easy story to follow, with no huge surprises, but small twists and turns. It was humerous and light-hearted.
As a lover of Terry Pratchett, this read very similar, possibly too similar.
I would certainly recommend this story to fantasy readings, in particular those who enjoy Pratchett's work and similar. I certainly will be looking out for the next installment.
September 2, 2014
I received this via Amazon and it was FREE! It was promoted to me as a suggestion but the front cover and title grabbed my attention enough for me to request it, plus did I mention it was FREE?! I am glad that I did! I am aware that some have derided this as being a Pratchett rip-off. I have read everything the the illustrious Sir TP has written and I disagree.Yes there are some similarities but that is like saying every book with elves in it is a Tolkien rip off. I would suggest that the author is more likely inspired by Sir TP but I personally feel that he has found his own niche within this genre.
Gaspar is a thief, his best friend Hubris a not-quite wizard. Gaspar is manipulated into stealing an artefact from the wizards to adorn a Hat but things do not go to plan........
I thoroughly enjoyed this prequel. I liked the narrative style, the wry observations and the character development. I will certainly be looking for more by this author.
Gaspar is a thief, his best friend Hubris a not-quite wizard. Gaspar is manipulated into stealing an artefact from the wizards to adorn a Hat but things do not go to plan........
I thoroughly enjoyed this prequel. I liked the narrative style, the wry observations and the character development. I will certainly be looking for more by this author.
July 5, 2013
I was looking forward to reading this prequel to Gaspar The Thief and was not disappointed. Shorter and more lighthearted than the main novel I found it hard to put down as I followed Gaspar on his adventures. Nothing is ever quite what is seems with lots of twists and turns along the way which keeps you guessing! A fun magical story that maintained a comic undertone throughout, I love the banter and teasing between Gaspar and Hubris, even amidst apparent life threatening danger! I would definitely recommend this book before or after reading Gaspar The Thief.
January 29, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It felt like a light version of The Lies of Locke Lamora - without the rich descriptions of the city and denizens but with the same humor and likeable characters.
This book is a novella that serves as a prequel to Gaspar the Thief and was free. I enjoyed this book enough to buy Gaspar the Thief and am currently enjoying that book.
This book is a novella that serves as a prequel to Gaspar the Thief and was free. I enjoyed this book enough to buy Gaspar the Thief and am currently enjoying that book.
September 24, 2014
This imaginative tale is a great choice for readers who like a literary classic with adventure. David A. Lindsay is able to recreate the kind of literature depicted in the writing of Lewis Carroll or Jane Austen, but in the fantasy genre, reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. I recommend it to fans of all the aforementioned and sci-fi readers, too.
December 10, 2014
I picked up this novella because it had been compared to the writing style of Terry Pratchett. I was not disappointed! Quirky and funny, I became immediately engaged with the story and the characters. My only complaint (if you could call it that) is that the novella ended far too soon! I'll be looking up other books by this author.
August 12, 2013
A clever and involved novella. If this was intended merely as an introduction for the author's world and writing, then it goes far beyond the usual freebie prologue or self-serving short story. I enjoyed this immensely. Thanks, Mr. Lindsay!
August 12, 2016
Bit of a Terry Pratchett wanna-be, needs to be proofed to have MUCH shorter paragraphs which are almost an entire Kindle page long in places at the start.
Story & characters are good, flows well, ending needs some work though.
Story & characters are good, flows well, ending needs some work though.
November 23, 2013
Witty and intriguing novella prequel. Now I need to read the full-length Gaspar the Thief!
February 15, 2014
Free Kindle book. Premise is a controlled environment where all "trades" including wizards assassins and thieves are registered and controlled by guilds. Prequel to a novel.
November 1, 2014
Cute and clever (sometimes hilarious!) prequel to a novel that I will have to look into! Fun, likable characters.
March 13, 2015
It was OK. I had the feeling the author was striving for Terry Pratchett, but it wasn't quite in THAT league.
May 15, 2015
This was a pretty good fantasy. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the characters.
March 6, 2016
Interesting story interjected with sensible humour. Good read
Want to read
April 25, 2014I have yet to read it...but lol that cover is pretty eyecatching;)
Free on kindle atm
Free on kindle atm
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews