The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman lured me in with its excellent cover. I was further convinced by the good reviews it got on Goodreads. I had to put a hold on the physical book at the library — as I wanted that tactile reading experience. Well, turns out, I didn’t exactly love The Blacktongue Thief. It is what it is though.
Buehlman’s series opener follows Kinch Na Shannock who is a thief with a black tongue. Kinch owes money to the Takers Guild. And so, he has fallen in with a gang of highwaymen and robs people in an attempt to get the money to pay the guild back. One day though they try to rob the wrong woman. What results from that attempt is a big adventure for Kinch. The woman is Galva and she is a Spanth. She is on a mission to rescue a queen named Mireya. Somehow Kinch gets roped into this mission and per the Takers Guild, if he sticks to Galva like white on rice, he will be richly rewarded.
Kinch will come across old enemies, goblins, and more. He will find love on his journey. Kinch will also come across war corvids and witches. Adventure awaits.
Unfortunately, The Blacktongue Thief was just not the book for me. I was so excited by the short chapters. That is, until I realized that the print was really small. I also did not care for the way Kinch talked about women and sex. I mean, okay, I get that he isn’t perfect and is weird and awkward. It just was not for me. Also, the pacing felt so glacial. As it turns out, I never truly felt invested in this book. There also were some fourth wall breaking moments that took me right out of the story.
However, the goblin war aspect is really interesting. So is the aspect of the women as fighters in the war and this bit with horses. I liked how the magic worked too. Still, I just never could overcome my dislike for the main character. I will not be continuing on with the series, and that is okay. There is an audience out there for it and it is just not me — not everything needs to be.
@realbooksandwine Book Review: The Blacktongue Thief — ended up falling flat for me
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