Audio/Book Review of Thieftaker by D.B. Jackson

Synopsis:

Boston, 1765: The British Crown imposes onerous taxes on the thirteen colonies, and intrigue swirls around firebrands like Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty. For Ethan Kaille, a conjurer who makes his living tracking down thieves, politics is for others...until he is asked to recover a necklace worn by the murdered daughter of a prominent family. A man with a dark past, Ethan can ill afford to turn this case down. But taking the case means facing the most powerful members of Boston’s high society and its seamy underbelly. And behind it all, another conjurer waits, who has already killed in the service of powerful masters. Ethan is in way over his head, hopelessly overmatched by the deadly spellcraft of someone he cannot even see.

Review:

Thieftaker by D.B. Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic historical urban fantasy. I loved it!

Ethan Kaille is an interesting character. He is a Thieftaker, a conjurer who uses his magic to track down thieves and the stolen items. I liked this eighteenth century gent. He has a very sharp mind, and is quite talented as a magical detective. He has a dark past, which gives him an air of mystery.

I saw a post on Facebook by someone I follow, who recommended this book, It piqued my interest, so I had a look at the blurb and decided to give it a try. I downloaded it as an audio book, so I could listen to it while doing housework, or just before going to bed.
The tale was narrated by Jonathan Davis, who brought the characters and story alive with his narration. I could listen to his voice for hours! In fact, I did! I became so involved in the story that I didn't realise how much time had gone by!

The story took me on a journey into eighteenth century Boston, where the people are beginning to protest at the British taxation of the colony. I am not a history buff, but I am interested in this period in America's early history. The author has woven a wonderful tale into this backdrop.

Although I haven't read any of the books, Ethan Kaille reminded me of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden (I've watched the TV series based on the books). Nevertheless, Ethan is his own character and has his own quirks. He uses elemental magic - earth, wind, water, air and fire - for his spells. He is hired to find a piece of jewellery stolen from a murdered woman. However, he finds himself being pulled into a deadly cat and mouse game with a formidable opponent. The story has several twists and turns, which kept me hooked from beginning to end. I found it interesting that one of Ethan's fellow thieftaker's was a woman; a rather ruthless one at that. However, she does not use magic to find her client's belongings. I had the picture of her in my mind's eye as a mob boss or a pirate, who intimidates and bullies her way into finding the items. Saphira is not a nice person, but I got the feeling that, although she was jealous of Ethan, she was attracted to him too. But, Ethan loves another.
I was a little disappointed at the way the author didn't make use of mixing different elements for stronger spells for his character/s. This, in my opinion, limited Ethan's ability to create more powerful spells in defense or attack. Simple maybe better, but there is one scene which could have had a bit more oomph to it if a few more elemental spells were mixed. But, this didn't stop me from enjoying the story. I reached the end of the book, and found myself looking forward to continuing the series by reading/listening to Thieves' Quarry as soon as possible.

D.B. Jackson has written a fantastic historical urban fantasy. I loved his writing style, which was fast paced and action packed. The story flowed wonderfully from beginning to end. I have never read any other books by this author, but I would definitely read more of his books in the future.

Although there are no explicit scenes, there is mention of scenes of a sensual nature. Therefore, I do not recommend this book for younger readers. However, I highly recommend this book if you love paranormal, urban fantasy, mystery, thriller or detective genres. - Lynn Worton

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