The Thief of Memory

by Sunyi Dean

The Hero must journey across the desert to capture The Thief Of Memory and retrieve her stolen memories. But what she finds in the end may destroy her.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Novella, Horror, Speculative Fiction

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2022

About the author

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Sunyi Dean (sunn yee) is a biracial fantasy author who was born in Texas, grew up in Hong Kong, and now resides in the UK. She writes speculative fiction with a weird slant, and has both too many books and too many children.

She is currently writing a historical fantasy / horror novel set in Hong Kong, inspired by her upbringing; her highschool was once a mission house built on the edge of the original Walled City, and her grandparents lived in Hong Kong through both World Wars.

Reviews

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great concept and lovely writing but I agree with the thoughts of my fellow Cantab, Fiona, that this short story is a bit of a downer. Still worth reading despite it's mood killing vibe.

Available free at Tor: https://www.tor.com/2022/08/31/697501...

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miquon doesn't remember much besides her name and that her memory was stolen and she has to catch the thief of memory if she has a chance of ever having the life she had before.

I can't say much without giving away spoilers but this was an excellent short story that had me confused for the most part. I didn't think I'd like this but that ending was brilliant but heartbreaking. Although I loved the story, the writing had a few errors.

4 stars

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot sand burnt her bare feet as she tracked his steps over shifting dunes. Her people wore shoes for the desert heat, special ones picked out with embroidery and beads, but Miquon could no longer remember what the beads looked like or the significance of the colours, nor did she know anymore where her people might be found.

There were holes in her mind, gaps from the Thief. Until she caught him, that could not be fixed. And she knew that—how? She wasn’t sure. Fragments remained, bright constellations of truth gleaming in the emptiness of her savaged memories. Meanwhile, she went barefoot and cursed the sun.

Short but so well-written; to say more would be to spoil it, so I won't, but I'll add a mood spoiler sad, so sad

Free online here: https://www.tor.com/2022/08/31/697501...

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

When every other option has been exhausted, sometimes violence is the only tool left.

Miquon made me change my mind about her multiple times. In a few scenes, I was a little frightened of how insistent she was that she could steal back the memories that were missing from her mind no matter what the emotional and physical cost of it would be. I empathized with her in other scenes and wished I could help her reach her goals. She had so many layers to her personality, some of which generally aren’t seen together in the average fantasy character, that I’d struggle to reduce the complexity of it all to a few sentences in a review. My favorite moments were that ones that were focused on nothing but her and her fierce determination to fix everything.

There were so many creative and exciting plot twists. This was the perfect example of how to keep a reader guessing from the first scene to the last one. I didn’t see the ending coming, and I loved the thrill of being surprised by how it all turned out. The author couldn’t have done a better job of playing around with the tropes of the fantasy genre and creating something fresh with them.

This was an excellent example of how to write an open-ended conclusion that answered enough questions to satisfy me while still leaving plenty of space for readers to debate the meanings of certain passages and come up with their own theories of what might happen next. I hope to return to this story over and over again in the future as I relive what happened and look for clues, I might have missed on my previous rereads. It’s going to stick with me for a long time.

The Thief of Memory tickled my imagination and made me want more.

[Banshee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The short story had an interesting twist, but it was not especially impactful, despite the tragic undertone. A few days after reading it, it already started fading from my memory.

[queenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have no words to describe this except—wow. short stories with alternating povs and an eery plot to have you hooked are now totally my kind of thing.

heading over to sunyi's latest one too bc slaksaalajsgs

[Makena Horn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Not my favorite of Sunyi Dean’s work, but still good.

Trying to read again so I figured I would start with short stories.

I enjoyed it. Certain sections were a little confusing. I think this story would work better in a video media form.

[Kevin Groosalugg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent little short story. The hero must kill the Thief of Memory. So what if her memory is fuzzy. Surely she understands enough, surely she knows what she needs to do. Just focus on this one truth. Right? No spoilers so I can't say any more. I read this free Tor story to determine if I want to read The Book Eaters. Verdict: I do.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story. I love that Sunyi’s stories always seem to have something unexpected in it. She takes a risk and she nails it. Her writing is emotionally evocative and makes me think, two things that I really enjoy while reading. I’m looking forward to her next story.

[Chanel Chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Memento, but make it magical.

[🪴 · Rating 3 out of 5]

three, liked it.

favorite quote:

"Even as the realisation dawned, clouds thickened from thin air into heaving grey swirls."

lush prose paired with an eerie, damp and dark undertone.

[DA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story

Enjoyable quick read. I really like this author's writing style, it's got a great flow to it. I found myself feeling bad for Miquon. Maybe knowing everything isn't always the best.

[ritvika · Rating 5 out of 5]

lush prose, sinister characters, twisted plotline, all wrapped up with a most deliciously dark ending — the perfect short story.

[April Thompson Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it here: https://www.tor.com/2022/08/31/697501...

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hero crosses the desert in pursuit of the Thief of Memory to get her memories back. But as the flashback episodes soon make clear, what she pursues may not be what she expects, and the returning memories will show how lies can become the truth with a change of perspective.

[Vanellope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit depressing for my taste, but a cool story, and I respect that twist.

[Anagha S Setlur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly clever and brilliant!
The writing is awe inspiring and stunning.
The story is creepy as hell, yet captivating.
Go read this piece ASAP! 💖

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short story. I enjoyed the mythical sadness of this story. It kept you guessing about why the “hero” was chasing the “memory thief”. Sad ending, but a cautionary story of ensuring you listen to others that have more wisdom than you. And a moral of something that sounds too good to be true, probably is.

https://www.tor.com/2022/08/31/697501...

[Karlyn Marcantonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!

At this point I am planning to just read anything by Sunyi Dean.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

This story grabbed from the first sentence and did not let go. I loved it. The truth at the end was tremendous. I hope to read more by this writer.

[Daniella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story advent utilising tordotcom free fiction 4/25.

[Caroline Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This isn't the time to rest. For she was a hero, and victory would be hers."

Lots of reviews called this tale a "miserable little story", and after reading it...well they weren't entirely wrong. And yet I love it.

This story follows Miquon, a young woman crossing a desert in order to find the Thief of Memory, armed with a dagger, staff, and a mission to reclaim the memories he stole from her.

Sounds awesome right? I personally feel like this story really delivers on its premise, because despite being miserable, it is awesome. It's a very fast paced read, took me less than 30 minutes, and the characters are as fleshed out as they can be in such a short story. The writing is the best part, it really makes you feel and envision this sandy, desolate world. The antagonist is menacing, he just oozes a dark and uncomfortable feeling, a being entirely made of bad intentions. I won't spoil anything about this story, I believe it is best to go in knowing really only that small description at the start.

I would absolutely love to see this on screen, as a stand-alone episode of anything, it would work so well. It's such a well-contained, bite-sized dark little story. Despite this story being depressing, I think it is entirely worth the read, the ending hits you, even if you see it coming. Highly recommend checking this one out. Worst case scenario, you only waste 30 minutes reading this.

[Shiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the theme and would not have guessed the story line from the beginning. A well-planned storyline.

The story felt real as if this is our current society and you see these characters everywhere. I agree that we have all lies that we wish to believe… “We choose what we believe and we believe what we choose.”

"I will tell you a lie, three lies. I wish you to believe them, no matter the circumstance. In exchange, I will send rain to your village for as long as the drought continues."
"How can I believe a lie?" you protest, brow furrowed as you shift weight from one foot to the other. "I will know it to be untrue!"
"Easy. I will tell you lies that you wish to believe." I fragment into a hazy cloud. "All of life is lies and stories. We choose what we believe and we believe what we choose. In this way, a killer may think she is a hero. In this way, a good woman may think she is a bad one. In this way, facts may be spun again and again into legend, and, in this way, a person may know the story of her life may know the myth that she believes about herself."

4 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Alessandro Della Pietà · Rating 3 out of 5]

veramente veramente figo. l'ambientazione, il sistema magico e i personaggi. mi è piaciuto tutto. anche l'idea, soprattutto l'idea.
secondo me un racconto limita troppo la potenzialità che questa storia ha e poteva donarci tanto, purtroppo c'erano troppi elementi che non si potevano approfondire e mi è sembrato tutto troppo confuso. è stato come leggere il riassunto alla fine del capitolo di storia. la storia interessante, il concetto si capisce però non è ben spiegato. il finale molto molto figo anche se prevedibile ma avrei preferito, ripeto, fosse stato un romanzo e che si fosse presa il suo tempo per approfondire. cmq lo consiglio anche per lo stile SUBLIME che l'autrice ha e che non vedo letteralmente l'ora di trovare in un suo altro romanzo.

[Liora Ellington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Thief of Memory by Sunyi Dean is a haunting and imaginative short story that blends fantasy and introspection beautifully. The premise a hero’s journey to reclaim stolen memories carries both mythic weight and emotional depth. Dean’s writing is lyrical yet sharp, weaving themes of identity, loss, and self-discovery into a compact but powerful narrative. Though brief, it leaves an echo long after reading the kind of story that feels bigger than its length. A thoughtful and eerie tale for readers who love fantasy that lingers in the mind.

[Sevi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I will tell you a lie, three lies. I wish you to believe them, no matter the circumstance. In exchange, I will send rain to your village for as long as the drought continues.”

“How can I believe a lie?” you protest, brow furrowed as you shift weight from one foot to the other. “I will know it to be untrue!”

“Easy. I will tell you lies that you wish to believe.” I fragment into a hazy cloud. “All of life is lies and stories. We choose what we believe and we believe what we choose.”

[rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It is simple,” I say. “First, I ask you to believe that you are a hero. Second, I ask you to believe that your enemy is the Thief of Memory.” I gather my shapeless, colourless self and force it into the form of a lean—though still colourless—young man. “And third … I ask you to believe that you are not the Thief of Memory.”

I loved this short story, great plot in 30ish pages.

[Shivam Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very surprised at how good this 26 page book was. I almost cried at a part in the book, but considering it was a short book that told the story in a concise way that makes it enjoyable, it was fun to read.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was fine, but I was slightly confused about who the narrator was for most of this short story, but it worked out in the end. I thought the sentences were a bit short, which kind of took me out of the writing.

2.5 out of 5 stars

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little story, I would call it a Twilight Zone type of tale. You think it's going one way, but nope, there's a bit of a twist at the end.