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The Scroll Thief : A Tale of Ithian
Love is the wiliest thief of all.
A Tale of Ithian
Malachy and his sister rely on his talents as a thief to survive the dangerous streets of Klathport, former capital of the once-great kingdom of Ithian. Stealing a few papers should have been a simple job. Instead, it nearly costs their lives and throws them into an improbable alliance with a shape-shifting official, a desert tribeswoman, and a healer of enchanting beauty.
Cerys is far more than a simple healer—and the roots of her mission go deeper into the past than anyone can know. She needs Malachy’s skills to recover a stolen scroll, one that can be used to rewrite history and, in the wrong hands, release the dark powers of the Demon Realm.
Her mission was supposed to atone for a dreadful, long-ago act. Instead, it unleashes a chain of events which sees them pursued through city and desert by the fearsome Dune Witch and a killer known only as His Lordship. Romance, tragedy, and adventure blend in a tale of a magical land on the brink of war, and five unlikely allies who, by putting their lives—and their hearts—on the line, have the opportunity to finally set things right.
But at a terrible cost.
A Tale of Ithian
Malachy and his sister rely on his talents as a thief to survive the dangerous streets of Klathport, former capital of the once-great kingdom of Ithian. Stealing a few papers should have been a simple job. Instead, it nearly costs their lives and throws them into an improbable alliance with a shape-shifting official, a desert tribeswoman, and a healer of enchanting beauty.
Cerys is far more than a simple healer—and the roots of her mission go deeper into the past than anyone can know. She needs Malachy’s skills to recover a stolen scroll, one that can be used to rewrite history and, in the wrong hands, release the dark powers of the Demon Realm.
Her mission was supposed to atone for a dreadful, long-ago act. Instead, it unleashes a chain of events which sees them pursued through city and desert by the fearsome Dune Witch and a killer known only as His Lordship. Romance, tragedy, and adventure blend in a tale of a magical land on the brink of war, and five unlikely allies who, by putting their lives—and their hearts—on the line, have the opportunity to finally set things right.
But at a terrible cost.
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
R.F. Long
9 books28 followersRuth Frances Long / Jessica Thorne / R. F. Long writes romance and fantasy from the heart which often strays into weird and wonderful liminal places. She works in a specialized library of rare & occasionally crazy books.
As Ruth Frances Long she writes fantasy, often about scary fairies. In 2015 she won the European Science Fiction Society Spirit of Dedication Award for Best Author of Children’s Science Fiction and Fantasy for A Crack in Everything. Her latest series Feral Gods, an adult fantasy trilogy from Hodderscape featuring “an alternate-Renaissance fantasy world and inspired by the early days of printing in Europe” begins with The Book of Gold, continues with The Lore of Silver (November 2025) and finishes with The God of Bronze (November 2026).
The Book of Gold was longlisted for the 2025 BSFA award and was selected for the Locus Recommended Reading List for 2024.
As Jessica Thorne she writes adult fantasy women’s fiction, which wanders from Space Opera to time travel to epic fantasy, including The Lost Queen trilogy (A Touch of Shadows, A Kiss of Flame and A Crown of Darkness), The Water Witch, The Bookbinder’s Daughter, The Lost Girl’s of Foxfield Hall, The Queen’s Wing, The Hollow King duology (Mageborn and Nightborn). The Stone’s Heart was nominated for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Fantasy novel of the year in 2020. Her Irish gothic romance Wildewood came out in January 2026.
Ruth has been nominated for the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS) 2026 Hall of Fame Awards as Best Author.
As Ruth Frances Long she writes fantasy, often about scary fairies. In 2015 she won the European Science Fiction Society Spirit of Dedication Award for Best Author of Children’s Science Fiction and Fantasy for A Crack in Everything. Her latest series Feral Gods, an adult fantasy trilogy from Hodderscape featuring “an alternate-Renaissance fantasy world and inspired by the early days of printing in Europe” begins with The Book of Gold, continues with The Lore of Silver (November 2025) and finishes with The God of Bronze (November 2026).
The Book of Gold was longlisted for the 2025 BSFA award and was selected for the Locus Recommended Reading List for 2024.
As Jessica Thorne she writes adult fantasy women’s fiction, which wanders from Space Opera to time travel to epic fantasy, including The Lost Queen trilogy (A Touch of Shadows, A Kiss of Flame and A Crown of Darkness), The Water Witch, The Bookbinder’s Daughter, The Lost Girl’s of Foxfield Hall, The Queen’s Wing, The Hollow King duology (Mageborn and Nightborn). The Stone’s Heart was nominated for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Fantasy novel of the year in 2020. Her Irish gothic romance Wildewood came out in January 2026.
Ruth has been nominated for the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS) 2026 Hall of Fame Awards as Best Author.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 20, 2009
This is an interesting fantasy story. With some very interesting characters and an ending that caught me by surprise.
The story starts with a family dying and a woman swearing revenge. Then moves to a thief stealing something on comission. Both of these events end up being linked and may change the future. It's a world where often Royalty are descendents from a Goddess and sometimes she has a say in their future.
The story features a lot of stock characters but they're stock characters well drawn and with good twists that make them different.
The story starts with a family dying and a woman swearing revenge. Then moves to a thief stealing something on comission. Both of these events end up being linked and may change the future. It's a world where often Royalty are descendents from a Goddess and sometimes she has a say in their future.
The story features a lot of stock characters but they're stock characters well drawn and with good twists that make them different.
February 24, 2010
I'll freely admit that fantasy is not my genre of choice, so it takes a lot to get me hooked into a story. I couldn't in this case. The prologue was intriguing, but the first chapter was dense and disconnected. By the time I got hooked enough into the story to make sense of the pieces, I just didn't care anymore.
Fantasy readers might have a different take on it.
Fantasy readers might have a different take on it.
June 20, 2011
The warning on the back is NOT meant as a cute joke!!!
I really couldn't handle the blood in this book. Violence I can handle in books, to a certain extent, but blood? Uh huh, no way!!!
I really couldn't handle the blood in this book. Violence I can handle in books, to a certain extent, but blood? Uh huh, no way!!!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews