Creation of a Fated Thief

by A.M. Eno

Creation of a Fated Thief is a tale of resilience, friendship, and the transformative power of magic in a world where the line between right and wrong blurs. Dive into this captivating novella and follow Layshan as he navigates the complexities of loyalty, power, and identity in a city where everyone is fighting to find their place.

In the City of Elementals, no one knows the harsh reality of living on the streets than Layshan. An Air Wielding orphan, Layshan has navigated a life of solitude, surviving by stealing coins and scraping through trash on the city’s unforgiving streets. Where magic thrives, so does crime, as children from all magic classes resort to desperate measures to stay alive.

Layshan's life takes a dramatic turn when a mysterious stranger offers him a rare a life away from the streets, with ample food, safe shelter, and the chance to master his magic. Thrust into an underground guild led by Malachi, a Kinetic turning criminality into a business, Layshan is introduced to a world where his talents can flourish.

But Layshan’s newfound peace is threatened when his only friend, Ra, becomes the target of a bully determined to seize what he can. Faced with a crossroads, Layshan must choose between the security of his new life and standing up for his friend.

67 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2024

About the author

Originally from Howell, Michigan, A.M. Eno travels full-time with her husband and two cats. In 2017, she earned her Bachelor of Science from Black Hills State University, majoring in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. As a lifelong avid reader, she hopes to create worlds and characters that invite readers to fall in love and feel at home. She strives to write high fantasy series that are a safe space for people of all backgrounds.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick, YA novella about the importance of new beginnings and found family with an elemental twist. I kept thinking about Avatar: The Last Airbender while reading.

Thank you to the author, A.M. Eno, for the chance to read the ARC!

[lauren dedinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review!!

Creation of a fated thief was a beautiful, well written and lovely novella with well developed characters for a short time. i will admit that i havent read any of the other books yet and i will definitely be downloading the others to read soon. if you are just starting to read fantasy books this is the perfect book for you and i highly recommend giving it a read!

4.5⭐️

thank you for the opportunity to read it 💛

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute short story. It gave me a hunger games vibes. I recommend this book if you like hunger games

[Alex Rhea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this and I'm happy to give my honest review. I've only recently gotten into the fantasy genre and was intrigued when I saw this novella. Admittedly I hadn't read the previous books in the series, but after reading this one they are now on my TBR list! I see she has a novel coming out soon too!

📚 The City of Elemental is a tough place for an orphan to live. We get to know the character Layshan as he transitions from being a thief on the street with Air Wielding abilities to being discovered and brought into a magical guild. He finds friends and learns to harness his magic ✨ I love the friendship between him and Ra and the cozy and safe vibes he finds.
In A.M Eno's bio she says that "she strives to write high fantasy series that are a safe space for people of all backgrounds" and I just love that 💜

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again A.M. did a fabulous job of continue to bills on a world that has us wanting more. I absolutely love how story is never done but does not give the life shaking cliffhanger. It’s enjoyable and a quick read.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars

This novella is extremely face paced which I loved. I also enjoyed the found family aspect of it. The story follows Layshan who has air wielding magic and is an orphan as he try's to figure out his place in the world, while living his life of solitude. Ra and Layshan friendship that grows in this is so sweet and I just loved that! Elemental magic of course as we travel back to the world of Thaumoria. I love how these novellas are getting us ready for the debut novel and I cannot wait!!!

[Rikka Kang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun novella. A young thief living on the street trying to get by gets taken in by a stranger. This brings a new life and scenery for our MMC who now does not have to fight for basic needs and can grow his craft of his magic and fighting skills. While still feeling like an outcast/loner, he is still able to make connections and friendships, as well as still being able to see the good in other people.

I enjoyed the differences in people dynamics and the juxtaposition of street life vs life in the boarding/refuge house. I also enjoyed feeling the surprise MMC faced when seeing him feel luxury in common basic needs, like a shower.

Eno is always great with words and being able to add dimension to a story, even in a short number of pages. I always can jump into these stories and stay until the end with no breaks.

[Katie Hammel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found friendship
Fighting to survive

This is the fourth novella in the series, however you do not need to read the previous stories in order to understand this one.

This novella is a short story about a boy, Layshan who is growing up on the streets trying to survive. While doing whatever it takes to make sure he has enough to eat, he meets a man who offers him a better life. Upon entering this new life, he meets a boy named Ra and the two strike up a friendship.

Personally I felt that the story didn’t have a lot of depth to it;even for a novella and the ending just dropped off. I would have liked for it to be a little longer so there could be more context and detail surrounding Layshan and his new life. With that in mind, it was an easy and enjoyable read.

[Cassandra Tuten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the great pleasure of receiving an ARC copy of this story, to which I am very thankful to the author for.

I truly adored this novella! It was such an engaging story that I couldn’t put it down once I started it. This Novella fits in with a series of Novella that takes place - I believe - in the same city, and focuses on various characters. The magic system is also elemental, which was another fun thing about this story to experience. I haven’t read the other Novella's in this series yet, but I am enticed to read them now after enjoying this one so much.

The Creation Of The Fated Thief follows Layshan, an orphan with the magical ability of wielding air, trying to survive on the streets in The City of Elementals. Layshan is used to the solitude required to survive the harshness of the streets. He has regularly had to steal and fight to survive. His life takes a turn when he meets a stranger that offers him shelter, food, and a safe place to learn how to use his magic in exchange for Layshan’s thieving skills. It is here that Layshan is given a chance to live, and finally make friends.

This is very much a story about a found family. The underground guild in which Layshan is recruited into is full of orphaned children looking to change their outcome. It is a very endearing story to watch Layshan who has had to be on his own and not trust anyone have his walls come down as he is befriended by the absolute sweetest character ever, Ra.

This is such a wonderful and cute fantasy story. It’s also a really quick read you can knock out in a day. I guarantee you’ll be smiling the whole time reading this. I highly recommend it!

[Della · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creation of a Fated Thief is a heartwarming Novella that further expands on characters and storylines from previous novellas, enriching the world of Thaumoria, while also introducing new characters for the readers to fall in love with. This Novella encapsulates the idea of Found Family and the apprehension that comes with finding yourself if a new environment unlike any you've known before. I adored the characters in this Novella and cannot wait to see more of them in the upcoming books. I also loved getting to see more of characters from previous novellas as it really ties them together, building up an amazing world for the reader to delve into.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creation of a Fated Thief is the fourth novella (there will be five total) before A.M. Eno’s first full novel in the series- The Death Bringer (I cannot WAIT).

I adore all the covers in this series. They are absolutely stunning!! This novella is a beautifully written short story of resilience and friendship. You will follow an Air Wielding orphan, Layshan, as he navigates the complexities of loyalty and identity in a city where everyone is fighting to find their place.

I highly recommend the Thaumorian Legend series!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely and quick read! We learn a little bit about an elemental magic system and the life of a boy named Layshan. Through this novella he is faced with different choices, some that could end in dire consequences. What will he choose, himself or the betterment of someone else? Overall this novella was a fun read. It had good plot and was easy to read. The characters were well developed on a short time and the descriptions of the scene helped me picture exactly where they were. I loved Layshan’s arc and look forward to reading more by A.M. Eno

[LyNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a spoiler-free review!

I had the privilege of reading an ARC of Creation of a Fated Thief, the fourth installment of the Thaumorian Legends series by A.M. Eno.

With this series, Eno has created an immersive world that keeps growing. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Thaumoria through each book.

Creation of a Fated Thief follows Layshan, a teen orphan in Thaumoria, and allows us to watch him establish found family. Several of the other main characters from this series make an appearance in this installment and become a part of Layshan’s family.

[danni kaneshiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I didn’t particularly enjoy this novella as I did the previous two, but a good story nonetheless! I wasn’t as attached to Layshan and Ra, but I do appreciate the friendship that grew despite both their shortcomings! I also enjoyed that the elemental magic in wielding was talked more in this novella! I also am sooooo intrigued since our “death bringer” was finallllyyyyy introduced here in this novella! That was probably the most exciting part of this book, which is making me very hyper for Book 1 - Death Bringer!

[Adele Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella was just a snapshot into the world of Thaumoria and as such, doesn't have a lot of world building. But the glimpse you get into this world is colorful and vibrant and leaves you wanting more! The character development between the two friends Ra and Layshan is beautiful and heartwarming and I cried!! I very much look forward to reading more novellas and books from this world and this author!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Creation of a Fated Thief" is a beautifully written, delightful read. It gave me the vibes of Dickens' "Oliver Twist" with a found family twist (no pun intended). A lovely novella with well-developed characters and engaging plot that weaves a story of resilience and friendship. This is one of the best ARCs I have read this year.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cate Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great novella! The story line was engaging and the MC did a great job of showing personal growth as he navigated new relationships.

The novella left me with some questions answered and a lot more waiting to be explored in the future.

Thanks so much for the chance to read this novella is an ARC. I’m excited to see what happens next in this world!

[Jackie Cheslik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the magical elements in this novella and the characters that lived in the world. You couldn’t help but love Layshan and Ra. I ended the story wanting to hear more about both of them and to see how Layshan would develop from being at the guild longer. So I’m very excited for what’s left to come.

[Stephanie Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella was truly captivating. It is a narrative that explores themes of resilience, adaptability, and the significance of friendship. As the story unfolds, we witness the remarkable growth and development of the characters. It emphasizes the importance of having a friend like Ra, who possesses the ability to perceive the positive aspects of life and engage in playful banter.

[H.M. Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

Creation of a Fated Thief
Rating: 🌟⭐️⭐️🌟
Clean read

The story of a struggling, traumatized boy finding a true friend and a new life

This was just a sweet, simple read. Very short, as in less than 2 hours, but enjoyable. It actually made me want to read more about the characters and this “institute” they have joined. A refreshing read.

[Natisa Leferink · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great novella! I loved the characters introduced and the underground society / secret school type feel of it. I couldn’t believe it was over so fast. I want to continue on Layshans journey and learn more about this world he’s living in. The different aspects of magic each character was able to wield was super interesting too.

[Kelsey Scanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing short read. It gives off hunger games vibes and dark fantasy. It also reminded me of other fantasy books. There is magic and action. Very good book to read if you are getting into fantasy. Highly recommended 👌

[Samantha Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh I absolutely loved this!!! I received it as an arc and if in bring totally honest im going to read every single one in this series!!! I really relate to layshan in quite a few ways and I always love a good relatable character!!! Definitely recommend reading for sure!!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read and I love watching their friendship develop. I love watching air magic used and showing it can be powerful too, I feel like that’s often downplayed. I look forward to seeing how these two fit into a bigger picture.

[AthenaReads1989 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and fun short read. I wish I had more of the story though. I did feel a little lost with some of the terminology at first as I have not read a previous book by this author but it was easy enough to figure out in the end.

[Naomi Johnson]

Just finished this novella, it is a was beautifully written story! It had a Cassandra Clare book feel to it! If you like her books you will love this book! It's 5 stars from me.!

[Kristen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to read more of these novellas and see what is to come of these magical thieves.

[ashley umoren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick feel good read. Truly learned to root for the characters in this short novella.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cure short story. If you looking for a found family...this is it

[Shalon Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book well written from my point of view. Would love to know ow what happens to Layshan and his new friends/family.