The Blacktongue Thief Review
Image from Goodreads.com
“I was so scared, I half wanted to piss myself, but the difference between the strong and the weak isn’t that the strong don’t piss themselves. It’s that they hitch their pissy pants up after and go through with it.”
Quick Overview
Would I read this book again? Probably. I’m not in a rush to re-read it, but I feel like I missed so many details that would’ve made me enjoy the book even more if I’d picked up on them all.
What was my favorite thing about this book? The voice of our main character/narrator, Kinch. Irreverent, witty, funny. There are certainly things I don’t like about him, but his voice is very well-written I’d say. I also loved how this world’s religions were incorporated into the story as well as the horror-esque elements (if you’re into that sort of thing). Oh, and the cat (iykyk).
What was my least favorite thing about this book? I’ll get into this more below, but I’m not I’m convinced on the characters’ drive and motivation. Same with the structure and momentum of the plot. It’s different than what you might expect from “epic fantasy,” which is cool, but I’m not sure just how well it works.
What did I take away from this book? This book left me questioning the concepts of honor and duty. What does honor really mean? What does it mean to be dutiful? To whom are we dutiful, and why? What’s the limit? How do the cards we’re dealt in life shape our conception of honor?
Was I generally satisfied by the book and the way it was written? I was. The voice of the main character was so strong and well-done, and all the characters were super endearing in their own way, even if we don’t really get to know them, that I even during parts where I feel the momentum lulled, I still had a great time reading the book.
Official Summary
Summary from Goodreads: Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.
But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.
Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.
Full Review
What an interesting book. I’m still working out how I feel about it. I definitely enjoyed it, but something just felt kind of off to me the whole time. More on that below. First, some things I really liked about it. To me, one of the highlights is definitely the voice of our main character. He certainly says some a-bit-too-irreverant things, as you might expect from a straight white male in any world, but in general, the cadence of prose and the interesting vocab and slang he uses kept me hooked. He might not be for everyone, but if you can get onboard with his humor, you’ll likely enjoy the book. I also liked that despite his sharp, witty tongue (see what I did there) and love of money, things you might expect of a thief, he’s also quite self-conscious and a big softy for the cat, who becomes a central character and motif in the story.
Another highlight was the world building. Where the plot lacks the lore, history, and culture of the world steps in. The history and past wars of the world are still heavily present and are really what drives the plot and many character’s motivations. My favorite part, however, were the world’s various religion and how that shapes the personalities, thoughts, and actions of the characters, especially our main character and one of his adventure companions, the battle-hardened knight, Galva. It felt like a constant thread throughout the book. In a similar vein, the magic system was very interesting. No huge displays of earth-shattering power. Most of the magic felt very, for lack of a better word, grounded. I do wish we got to see a bit more about where these magic powers come from and why. There are so many different types of magic. Who gets what and why are they the ones to have it?
Another aspect I enjoyed were the horror-like elements. It was much more gruesome and gritty than I was expecting. Lots of stabbing, extracting bloody knifes, throat-slitting, limb removal, etc. Won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I like my fantasy a bit dark.
Now, some things that irked me a little bit. First, despite Kinch’s rich inner dialogue and strong personality, I don’t think we see enough of his motivation. For most of the book, I kept having to ask myself “why, again, are going on this big adventure? What is the goal here? Why are you putting yourself at risk like this?” The goal is clear for Galva, but for Kinch and the others, it wasn’t driven home enough. Yes, we get his reason for beginning the adventure, and we do see that reason eventually shift, so I do get why he’s doing it, but I just don’t think it was focused on enough. I needed more fire under his butt, if that makes sense.
The plot structure also takes some getting used to, and I’m not sure how well it was executed. Similar to my last point, I didn’t feel a strong momentum. There were a handful of big “epic” scenes that kind of just fizzled out and don’t clearly connect to the next point in the story. They’re fun to read, don't get me wrong, but I don’t think they really did anything to move things forward. Yes, this interception of past war and conflict, a Guild aiming for more power, and a newly emerged threat is what kickstarted the adventure, but I was still left asking “why? Why are you willing to do all this?” Although we technically know some characters’ why, with such huge stakes, I, again, needed more fire under everyone’s butts. Or maybe that’s the point. That there is no grand purpose to all of this. We are at the whim or history and the powers ruling over us. We just do what we have to do to get where we want to go and hope that’s enough.
Anyway, I think one reason for the odd momentum is that we often get long info dumps. Not the kind where you think to yourself “okay enough already.” They are interesting to read, but it does feel like we’re in a tavern, Kinch is telling us his story, and he has to explain the background to a lot of stuff so that we understand. But again, maybe that’s the point. As I mentioned, Kinch often uses “you” and speaks directly to the reader, so it really does feel like we’re in a tavern getting a run down of the whole adventure. I’m not sure where I’m going with this. The momentum lulled but I still enjoyed it.
All that said, this book did have me questioning my conception of honor and duty and how much these ideas are shaped by our upbringing, our occupation, our relationships with the powers that be, our evolving life circumstances, our relationships with others. Or is there room for honor at all in such a grim, dark world? I think so.
Despite its flaws, the book presented some meaningful contrasts. The magic of a fantastical adventure vs the more brutal reality of what that would really look like. The bleakness of the world vs the light and warmth we find in companionship, both with humans and animals. By the end of it, I felt an appreciation for the smaller things that feel real and that create meaning in a world that feels so dark and beyond yourself.
If you can get onboard with the crude humor and at times odd pacing, I’d say give the book a shot.
