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Dreams of Inan #2
Stealing Life
Nicco Salarum is a good thief, a stealthy gentleman burglar who makes his dubious living on the rough streets of Azbatha
Nicknamed the 'Pit-On-Stilts' - a dangerous, overcrowded and corrupt city in the island nation of Turith. But Nicco is in trouble after he ditched an expensive stolen shipment rather than kill a security guard. That shipment 'belonged' to a local mob boss, and now Nicco must repay what the shipment was worth.
So when Xandus, a magus from the other side of Turith, offers Nicco a seemingly easy task - steal the so-called 'magic necklace' of a visiting dignitary - for an enormous amount of money, Nicco thinks his prayers have been answered.
But the job is not all it seems, and soon Nicco is Turith's most wanted fugitive. Where has Xandus disappeared to? Why is the dignitary suddenly on his deathbed? And what does all this have to do with a foreign city's impending religious revolution?
Nicknamed the 'Pit-On-Stilts' - a dangerous, overcrowded and corrupt city in the island nation of Turith. But Nicco is in trouble after he ditched an expensive stolen shipment rather than kill a security guard. That shipment 'belonged' to a local mob boss, and now Nicco must repay what the shipment was worth.
So when Xandus, a magus from the other side of Turith, offers Nicco a seemingly easy task - steal the so-called 'magic necklace' of a visiting dignitary - for an enormous amount of money, Nicco thinks his prayers have been answered.
But the job is not all it seems, and soon Nicco is Turith's most wanted fugitive. Where has Xandus disappeared to? Why is the dignitary suddenly on his deathbed? And what does all this have to do with a foreign city's impending religious revolution?
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 16, 2007
33 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Antony Johnston
338 books393 followers** Sign up for Antony's newsletter at http://ajwriter.substack.com **
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. The Brigitte Sharp spy thrillers are in development for TV. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. The Brigitte Sharp spy thrillers are in development for TV. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 15, 2018
Johnston, who is best known for his graphic novels, including one that was turned into the movie Atomic Blonde, offers us a science fiction fantasy featuring an intrepid thief, a debt to a gangster, and a mission that could change the fate of the civilized world. Set in a future world Inan that includes magic, fantastical creatures, rebel soldiers, and technological marvels like entropy guns and thinmen (nearly invincible cyborgs), Stealing Life is a fun adventure that will remind you of many science fiction adventures. Many thanks to the publisher Abaddon for providing a copy for review.
October 1, 2018
Rating: 3.7/5
Publisher’s Description: Nicco Salarum is a thief, and a good one. In the rough-and-tumble city of Azbatha, where every street hustler has an enchantment in his back pocket, Nicco prides himself on using his skills—and the best technology money can buy—to get him into the houses and boardrooms of the wealthy. But Nicco’s last job went sour, leaving him in debt to a powerful gang boss, and deep in trouble. When a foreign wizard offers him a vast sum for a visiting diplomat’s trinket, he leaps at the opportunity.
Review: Nicco. Ah, Nicco. What a character. A thief with a heart of gold that seems to get tossed in the shjt by his own good intentions. Needing money to pay off a mob boss, he takes a job from a wizard to steal a magicked medallion. From there it is a wild ride of fast action and daring escapes.
This was a quirky blend of SciFi and Fantasy that usually ends up in a tangled mass of contradictions. Yet, the author pulls off this blending of genres with a deft hand and critical eye on the overt. That is to say, the story line is not overwhelmed with magic bashing into an alien world. This supportive role moves the story line in interesting directions while building characterization. There is a taste of steampunk in there as well for those so inclined, and the world building supports the readers visual landscape.
Get it and have some fun.
Read all of my reviews, here.
Publisher’s Description: Nicco Salarum is a thief, and a good one. In the rough-and-tumble city of Azbatha, where every street hustler has an enchantment in his back pocket, Nicco prides himself on using his skills—and the best technology money can buy—to get him into the houses and boardrooms of the wealthy. But Nicco’s last job went sour, leaving him in debt to a powerful gang boss, and deep in trouble. When a foreign wizard offers him a vast sum for a visiting diplomat’s trinket, he leaps at the opportunity.
Review: Nicco. Ah, Nicco. What a character. A thief with a heart of gold that seems to get tossed in the shjt by his own good intentions. Needing money to pay off a mob boss, he takes a job from a wizard to steal a magicked medallion. From there it is a wild ride of fast action and daring escapes.
This was a quirky blend of SciFi and Fantasy that usually ends up in a tangled mass of contradictions. Yet, the author pulls off this blending of genres with a deft hand and critical eye on the overt. That is to say, the story line is not overwhelmed with magic bashing into an alien world. This supportive role moves the story line in interesting directions while building characterization. There is a taste of steampunk in there as well for those so inclined, and the world building supports the readers visual landscape.
Get it and have some fun.
Read all of my reviews, here.
October 1, 2018
Johnston’s style is light. No gore, just action, dare-devil escapes and some good stealth. Is it bad that I kept envisioning Simon Pegg as the likable, yet sarcastic Nicco? But maybe throw in a little Mission Impossible to get himself out of trouble…
I really didn’t know where Stealing Life was going to turn to next, but loved every shift of the plot. A fun romp. An excellent adventure.
For the full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/10/01/st...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
I really didn’t know where Stealing Life was going to turn to next, but loved every shift of the plot. A fun romp. An excellent adventure.
For the full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/10/01/st...
For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
October 31, 2018
Nicco Salarum considers himself to be a gentleman and highly successful burglar. Except for the fact that his last heist did not go well, when given the choice of killing a security guard or ditching an expensive shipment he had just stolen, he opted for the latter. This decision has been less than well received by a local mob boss, Wallus Bazhanka, who Nicco had just stolen the consignment for. Now Nicco is more than occupied by having to pay back the shipment’s worth through a prolonged tenure to Bazhanka.
So when a magus, called Xandus, miraculously makes Nicco an offer that seems too good to be true (an enormous sum of money which can buy his freedom from Bazhanka’s servitude) how can Nicco refuse? But by accepting, Nicco only digs himself even further in Bazhanka’s debt in a way he could not have possibly foreseen.
Nicco Salarum is effectively a reincarnation of Slippery Jim diGriz aka the Stainless Steel Rat, the anti-hero criminal of a series of highly entertaining sci-fi novels by Harry Harrison. This means that Stealing Life is equally as readable because Nicco succeeds in getting himself into some terrible scrapes and has to use every ounce of wit and skill at his disposal to get out of them.
Antony Johnston delivers sharp, witty and brilliantly observed prose. One escapade flows into the next and reads in a way that makes you feel as if you’re moving through the scene. This is not surprising as Johnston is well versed in graphic novels and you could visualise the story in panels of pictures. Stealing Life would certainly make a terrific film.
Johnston blends pure fantasy with recognisable technology and policing methods. The outrageous works seamlessly and hand-in-glove with the everyday. So for someone who wants to try some science fiction or fantasy writing, Stealing Life is a good place to start.
I really enjoyed this romp of epic proportions, so I do hope this is only the start of Nicco’s colourful exploits. He’s not the sort of guy to stay out of trouble for long. I also suspect his good friend, cum love interest, Tabathinna, or Tabby for short, is sizing up to be a permanent and worthy partner in crime.
Stealing Life was courtesy of Abaddon Books via NetGalley.
So when a magus, called Xandus, miraculously makes Nicco an offer that seems too good to be true (an enormous sum of money which can buy his freedom from Bazhanka’s servitude) how can Nicco refuse? But by accepting, Nicco only digs himself even further in Bazhanka’s debt in a way he could not have possibly foreseen.
Nicco Salarum is effectively a reincarnation of Slippery Jim diGriz aka the Stainless Steel Rat, the anti-hero criminal of a series of highly entertaining sci-fi novels by Harry Harrison. This means that Stealing Life is equally as readable because Nicco succeeds in getting himself into some terrible scrapes and has to use every ounce of wit and skill at his disposal to get out of them.
Antony Johnston delivers sharp, witty and brilliantly observed prose. One escapade flows into the next and reads in a way that makes you feel as if you’re moving through the scene. This is not surprising as Johnston is well versed in graphic novels and you could visualise the story in panels of pictures. Stealing Life would certainly make a terrific film.
Johnston blends pure fantasy with recognisable technology and policing methods. The outrageous works seamlessly and hand-in-glove with the everyday. So for someone who wants to try some science fiction or fantasy writing, Stealing Life is a good place to start.
I really enjoyed this romp of epic proportions, so I do hope this is only the start of Nicco’s colourful exploits. He’s not the sort of guy to stay out of trouble for long. I also suspect his good friend, cum love interest, Tabathinna, or Tabby for short, is sizing up to be a permanent and worthy partner in crime.
Stealing Life was courtesy of Abaddon Books via NetGalley.
October 1, 2018
I most recently came across Antony Johnston as the author of the graphic novel that was made into the movie Atomic Blonde and he's also the writer of another graphic novel series (
The Fuse #1
) where I've enjoyed what I've read so far. As a result, I had fairly high hopes of Stealing Life but sadly it didn't quite live up to them.
It's a fairly unchallenging heist story, set in a world where magic and technology butt heads. Our protagonist makes a living as a thief but recently got in a mob boss's bad books for not killing a security guard and is currently scurrying around to make as much money as possible to pay said mob boss off. That's part of the reason why he (Nicco) takes on a job he might otherwise have turned down, working for a wizard to steal a magic amulet from the leader of a neighbouring nation. Naturally, things are not quite what they seem and Nicco finds himself up to his neck in plot and counter-plot, eventually helping thwart a revolution.
One thing I thought was noticeable is that all but one of the named female characters in Nicco's world are sex workers. There's no judgement attached to that, at least, but for me it shows a degree of lack of imagination. There's also less attention given to the world-building than I might have liked, leaving me struggling to separate out the countries involved in the author's world.
All in all, it was enjoyable enough but makes me wonder where the same depth of characterisation I've seen in the graphic novels this writer is producing disappeared to - it could have been so much better.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley on the condition of giving an honest review.
It's a fairly unchallenging heist story, set in a world where magic and technology butt heads. Our protagonist makes a living as a thief but recently got in a mob boss's bad books for not killing a security guard and is currently scurrying around to make as much money as possible to pay said mob boss off. That's part of the reason why he (Nicco) takes on a job he might otherwise have turned down, working for a wizard to steal a magic amulet from the leader of a neighbouring nation. Naturally, things are not quite what they seem and Nicco finds himself up to his neck in plot and counter-plot, eventually helping thwart a revolution.
One thing I thought was noticeable is that all but one of the named female characters in Nicco's world are sex workers. There's no judgement attached to that, at least, but for me it shows a degree of lack of imagination. There's also less attention given to the world-building than I might have liked, leaving me struggling to separate out the countries involved in the author's world.
All in all, it was enjoyable enough but makes me wonder where the same depth of characterisation I've seen in the graphic novels this writer is producing disappeared to - it could have been so much better.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley on the condition of giving an honest review.
September 16, 2018
An interesting, and sometimes uncomfortable, blend of sword-and-sorcery (thieves, wizards, city-states controlled by criminals) with a futuristic setting. For a long while, I kept stumbling over the futuristic parts, because the essence of the book is so sword-and-sorcery in tone, feel, and trope.
The main character is a thief with some principles, specifically against killing, which lands him in trouble and in debt to a mob boss. This gives us a highly motivated protagonist in a dynamic situation, and things keep getting worse and worse for him, while the stakes for him and everyone else escalate - a good basis for compelling fiction.
Ultimately, he's not able to purge the corruption in the system, only to minimise its impact on innocents. But he does so with intelligence and daring, at personal cost, without ever blaming anyone else for his misfortune, and that makes up to a large degree for the cynicism and darkness of the setting. It's maybe a little worldweary to be fully noblebright, but it's tending strongly enough in that direction that I enjoyed it considerably.
The main character is a thief with some principles, specifically against killing, which lands him in trouble and in debt to a mob boss. This gives us a highly motivated protagonist in a dynamic situation, and things keep getting worse and worse for him, while the stakes for him and everyone else escalate - a good basis for compelling fiction.
Ultimately, he's not able to purge the corruption in the system, only to minimise its impact on innocents. But he does so with intelligence and daring, at personal cost, without ever blaming anyone else for his misfortune, and that makes up to a large degree for the cynicism and darkness of the setting. It's maybe a little worldweary to be fully noblebright, but it's tending strongly enough in that direction that I enjoyed it considerably.
February 8, 2019
Yeah, I'm a sucker for heist novels. This one was pretty good too: I love Nicco as the archetypal cunning thief and there's some great moments watching his con artistry unfold. The world building is great, the fusion of magic and technology working brilliantly alongside the gritty underworld we spend most of the action focusing on. Sure, I would have preferred more of the book to focus on one of the big heists as opposed to Nicco getting tangled up in a revolution (as much fun as that was to read about), but I think that was more to do with my expectations coming into the book rather than anything else. I look forward to whatever future adventures Nicco has, because after that ending, there's no way we're not getting more of his story.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2019
Antony Johnston, whose made a name for himself in graphic novels like the one turned into the movie Atomic Blonde, sets his tale of a cat burglar with impossible skills in a world with futuristic tech and magic. Nicco Salarum is down on his luck, and takes a commission to steal a magical amulet from a visiting governor. It’s an impossible theft, but the consequences are so horrible that Nicco has to travel to the land that the governor came from and steal back the amulet from the leader of the revolution. He has to use his wits, when he doesn’t know the language, and when crossing a swamp filled with monsters. Stealing Life (paper from Abaddon Books) is a romp of action-adventure. Fun. Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
October 29, 2018
This is a great, fast paced science fantasy adventure that I sped through about a thief called Nicco who has to steal a magical necklace to get himself out of debt from a mob boss. I did think that some parts of the world building felt problematic in their lack of depth and Nicco sometimes seemed one step behind in working things out. But I did really enjoy the mix of future tech and magic and I liked the style of writing. the way it jumped ahead and gave us glimpses of what happened next before showing us HOW it happened. Overall this is a fun and light science fantasy that I really enjoyed reading and would recommend to anyone looking for a quick and engrossing adventure.
March 2, 2020
After a not so smooth start, I really enjoyed the book. I haven't read the first book of the series, so I found it a bit hard to orient myself in the begining (I mean enchanted items vs tech) but after some time the book picked up speed and became really interesting. Very interesting world (the city of thieves). Now, I have to say that I found it a bit lacking on suspense, or maybe a bit too ordered to be believable, a bit like the first escape/song of Aladdin, but still it's a good novel.
February 10, 2023
Well, that’s a wild wacky ride of a story!
October 13, 2018
The blend of magic and technology gave the world of Turith an interesting vibe, almost like a steam punk feeling. Tech like flatvids, paypods, and holovids share the world with enchanted orbs, thinmen, and magical necklaces. The world building was strong, I got a good sense of each land's culture and traditions. I just wish I could have had a map so I could see the borders and know which cities were where. In the beginning of the book, the lands, cities, and peoples are hard to sort out. I liked Nicco, he was smart, resourceful guy. The book was fast paced but easy to follow. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
October 7, 2018
This is a soft science fiction book that is actually a caper story. As science fiction stories go, there is not much science; it's more of a science fantasy story. I enjoyed this book and had no problem staying interested. It was written by the author of "Atomic Blonde" and this initially made me want to read the book.
Nicco Salarum is a thief in the fictional world of Azbatha; he is approached by a wizard named Xundus (yes there are wizards in this book) to steal a precious necklace from his rival, Werrdun, the governor of Hurrunda. The caper begins; Nicco accepts an apparently impossible task of stealing the necklace and then, quite cleverly, pulls off the caper. After he is paid, he learns that the necklace kept Werrdun alive (he is 90+ years old) and his death will bring political instability to Hurrunda. So, the powers that be put pressure on him, and to survive, he must steal the necklace back.
The plot has twists and turns and, although extremely clever, Nicco gets in some jams he has a hard time getting out. It is an enjoyable read that science fiction fans will enjoy. Recommended 4/5 stars. Read this and other reviews on upcoming books at bookgeist.blogspot.com.
Nicco Salarum is a thief in the fictional world of Azbatha; he is approached by a wizard named Xundus (yes there are wizards in this book) to steal a precious necklace from his rival, Werrdun, the governor of Hurrunda. The caper begins; Nicco accepts an apparently impossible task of stealing the necklace and then, quite cleverly, pulls off the caper. After he is paid, he learns that the necklace kept Werrdun alive (he is 90+ years old) and his death will bring political instability to Hurrunda. So, the powers that be put pressure on him, and to survive, he must steal the necklace back.
The plot has twists and turns and, although extremely clever, Nicco gets in some jams he has a hard time getting out. It is an enjoyable read that science fiction fans will enjoy. Recommended 4/5 stars. Read this and other reviews on upcoming books at bookgeist.blogspot.com.
October 23, 2018
What a great book! I really enjoyed this fun and thrilling adventure about the exploits of Nicco, a thief who is in over his head with the local mob boss and so foolishly agrees to steal a necklace for a wizard...this is where his troubles really begin.
I enjoyed the world building and the political fighting, and while some of it worked better than others, I particularly enjoyed the airship scene. The characters were all good, and there was a nice amount of witty banter. It wasn't a big, deep, meaningful read, but it was a lot of fun and sometimes meaningful literature is not what you're after in a book. I also liked the fact it is a fantasy book, with wizards, magic, and strange animals, but I'd happily recommend this to my mother, for example, who doesn't usually like fantasy because of 'all the silly made up stuff'- I feel like she would still get on with this.
I hadn't realised it was *that* Anthony Johnston until I finished the book, having read Wasteland avidly and watched some of Dead Space being played (but being too scared to play it myself), it was a pleasant surprise and he certainly has varied talents! I'm grateful to Netgalley for the free review copy and the opportunity to read and enjoy it.
I enjoyed the world building and the political fighting, and while some of it worked better than others, I particularly enjoyed the airship scene. The characters were all good, and there was a nice amount of witty banter. It wasn't a big, deep, meaningful read, but it was a lot of fun and sometimes meaningful literature is not what you're after in a book. I also liked the fact it is a fantasy book, with wizards, magic, and strange animals, but I'd happily recommend this to my mother, for example, who doesn't usually like fantasy because of 'all the silly made up stuff'- I feel like she would still get on with this.
I hadn't realised it was *that* Anthony Johnston until I finished the book, having read Wasteland avidly and watched some of Dead Space being played (but being too scared to play it myself), it was a pleasant surprise and he certainly has varied talents! I'm grateful to Netgalley for the free review copy and the opportunity to read and enjoy it.
November 1, 2018
While reading the book’s description the word that caught my attention was magic. I love stories about magic so I gave this book a try.
The story is set in a city called Azbatha, in a fictional world where technology and magic exist side by side. There are so many places mentioned in the story but most of them are just that, names, without context.
I felt lost sometimes among all this information. A map would have been useful.
Nick Salarum is a thief, a very good one. He is already in trouble but after another heist going wrong he is even more in it. And well, obviously things always get bad before they get worse.
A wizard wants him to steal a magical thingy for him. But things rarely are that easy. So Nicco ends up in an even bigger trouble.
I liked the plot very much, it was easy to follow.
Thank you NetGalley and Abbadon Books for this arc.
The story is set in a city called Azbatha, in a fictional world where technology and magic exist side by side. There are so many places mentioned in the story but most of them are just that, names, without context.
I felt lost sometimes among all this information. A map would have been useful.
Nick Salarum is a thief, a very good one. He is already in trouble but after another heist going wrong he is even more in it. And well, obviously things always get bad before they get worse.
A wizard wants him to steal a magical thingy for him. But things rarely are that easy. So Nicco ends up in an even bigger trouble.
I liked the plot very much, it was easy to follow.
Thank you NetGalley and Abbadon Books for this arc.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews