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Blacktongue #1
The Blacktongue Thief
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.
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.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2021
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June 18, 2024
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ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books & Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
The Blacktongue Thief is an immense entertainment manifesting in a fantasy novel.
Christopher Buehlman is most often known for Between Two Fires and more horror novels; this is about to change very quickly. The Blacktongue Thief is the first book in Blacktongue trilogy by Buehlman, it is his first high fantasy novel, and from my observation, it is quite likely that this is the most hyped adult fantasy debut of the year. I’m not kidding; I’ve seen so many authors highly praised this novel since late 2019 and early 2020 up to this day. I doubt this will die down soon; many fantasy readers will be talking about this book more once it’s officially published.
The plot in The Blacktongue Thief revolves around Kinch Na Shannack; Kinch owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, and 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 Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark. Kinch picked Galva—a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. Galva 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. Many early reviews from both authors and readers have mentioned that this is a novel suitable for those who loved Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, and I can certainly agree with this. I mean, even in my interview with Nicholas Eames himself, during his praises towards this book as the one book to definitely read this year, he agreed on these comparisons. The quest premise that Kinch and Galva took reminded me of Clay and Gabe’s journey in Kings of the Wyld; the jokes and senses of humor Buehlman included into the narrative were so delightful.
Kinch was undoubtedly the biggest highlight of the novel for me. He’s just such a lovable main character; snarky, sarcastic, continuously smile in the face of adversity. But he also knows when to be serious. The Blacktongue Thief is told through Kinch’s first-person perspective, and Buehlman did an excellent job in giving him a high level of distinctive voice that reminded me of what Peter McLean did with his War for the Rose Throne quartet. That being said, don’t misconstrue my words to call these two series similar to each other; they’re not. The Blacktongue Thief is like Kings of the Wyld without all the Easter Eggs, with the addition of Scott Lynch’s brilliant use of profanity language in The Gentleman Bastards. The balance between humor and tension-packed conflicts was achieved splendidly, and hey, have I mentioned there’s a blind cat as Kinch’s companion? Now you know, and why are you still reading my review?
Alright, fine, if these aren’t enough to convince you to give this book a try yet, there are also stag-sized battle ravens, magic tattoos, Kraken, giants, witches, and goblins. Admittedly, there were a few moments in the middle of the novel where the pacing dragged a bit for me. However, this is more of a personal thing; long seafaring sections in high fantasy rarely worked for me. Fortunately, my overall enjoyment of the novel was not hindered. There are just so many things to love in this book, and the entire section involving the Towers card game was equally hilarious, breathtaking, and superbly executed.
The ending sequence was pulse-pounding, and the conclusion + the acknowledgment was satisfying to read. The Blacktongue Thief is fated to steal a lot of reader’s hearts with its charm, humor, intensity, and unrelenting fun; I look forward to seeing future readers enjoying this novel. As for me, I will eagerly wait for the next volume in the daring and exciting adventure of Kinch Na Shannack, a thief with a blind cat’s luck.
Official release date: 27th May 2021 (UK) and 25th May 2021 (US)
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe.
ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books & Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
The Blacktongue Thief is an immense entertainment manifesting in a fantasy novel.
Christopher Buehlman is most often known for Between Two Fires and more horror novels; this is about to change very quickly. The Blacktongue Thief is the first book in Blacktongue trilogy by Buehlman, it is his first high fantasy novel, and from my observation, it is quite likely that this is the most hyped adult fantasy debut of the year. I’m not kidding; I’ve seen so many authors highly praised this novel since late 2019 and early 2020 up to this day. I doubt this will die down soon; many fantasy readers will be talking about this book more once it’s officially published.
“If you’ve never fallen hard in love and lost your heart’s sovereign, go on and laugh at me. If you have, have a drink and dab an eye.”
The plot in The Blacktongue Thief revolves around Kinch Na Shannack; Kinch owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, and 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 Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark. Kinch picked Galva—a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. Galva 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. Many early reviews from both authors and readers have mentioned that this is a novel suitable for those who loved Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, and I can certainly agree with this. I mean, even in my interview with Nicholas Eames himself, during his praises towards this book as the one book to definitely read this year, he agreed on these comparisons. The quest premise that Kinch and Galva took reminded me of Clay and Gabe’s journey in Kings of the Wyld; the jokes and senses of humor Buehlman included into the narrative were so delightful.
‘“The sirs won’t help you any more than your Guild will, blacktongue. You know what they say about caught thieves, aye?”
“I’m not a thief.”
“Yes, and I’ll just put the tip in, we know how these things go.”’
Kinch was undoubtedly the biggest highlight of the novel for me. He’s just such a lovable main character; snarky, sarcastic, continuously smile in the face of adversity. But he also knows when to be serious. The Blacktongue Thief is told through Kinch’s first-person perspective, and Buehlman did an excellent job in giving him a high level of distinctive voice that reminded me of what Peter McLean did with his War for the Rose Throne quartet. That being said, don’t misconstrue my words to call these two series similar to each other; they’re not. The Blacktongue Thief is like Kings of the Wyld without all the Easter Eggs, with the addition of Scott Lynch’s brilliant use of profanity language in The Gentleman Bastards. The balance between humor and tension-packed conflicts was achieved splendidly, and hey, have I mentioned there’s a blind cat as Kinch’s companion? Now you know, and why are you still reading my review?
“Monarchy is a bad system because, no matter how smart you are, you can still squirt a moron out of your plumbing. Maybe you get lucky and your son or daughter is at least half as smart as you—what about your grandchild? Probably a knob, and when they inherit the throne, everything you build fall to shyte.”
Alright, fine, if these aren’t enough to convince you to give this book a try yet, there are also stag-sized battle ravens, magic tattoos, Kraken, giants, witches, and goblins. Admittedly, there were a few moments in the middle of the novel where the pacing dragged a bit for me. However, this is more of a personal thing; long seafaring sections in high fantasy rarely worked for me. Fortunately, my overall enjoyment of the novel was not hindered. There are just so many things to love in this book, and the entire section involving the Towers card game was equally hilarious, breathtaking, and superbly executed.
“I won’t bore you with the whole set of rules; just know Towers is like a war right there on the table, and it sucks money out of purses faster than a two-squinny harlot. Starts more fights than religion and politics together. And it’s addictive.”
The ending sequence was pulse-pounding, and the conclusion + the acknowledgment was satisfying to read. The Blacktongue Thief is fated to steal a lot of reader’s hearts with its charm, humor, intensity, and unrelenting fun; I look forward to seeing future readers enjoying this novel. As for me, I will eagerly wait for the next volume in the daring and exciting adventure of Kinch Na Shannack, a thief with a blind cat’s luck.
Official release date: 27th May 2021 (UK) and 25th May 2021 (US)
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Zoe.
July 8, 2020
The usual caveat: I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book, for free, from the publisher. I do not know Cristopher Buehlman. I do not believe that receiving a free copy of the book has influenced this review.
Note to readers: While this book is the first of a trilogy, I found it to be a satisfactory stand alone read.
There is a standard list of things that make me enjoy a book: Good characterization, a compelling plot, a well developed setting, a system of magic that works, a minimum of plot holes and a satisfactory ending. If a book hits all those marks, I am likely to give it a five star review.
Then there are books that hit all those marks, and go beyond them. The Blacktongue Thief does so. The description of the setting and history go beyond the minimum needed, to give the world a more solid reality. The magic is imaginative and unusual. The protagonist is engaging and the style of narrative enjoyable. There are underlying cultures to the various other characters that shape who they are.
One of the best parts is that the author manages to give this world and the characters in it that kind of depth without slowing down the plot, or leaving the reader to plow through several pages of description.
The narrator has a tongue-in-cheek style that does not diminish the validity of the story. (Too often I find 'humorous' fantasy seems to care more for the prat-fall than having the reader care about the character!)
I heartily recommend this one. I'll add that if you enjoy the works of Steven Brust, I think you will love this book as well.
Note to readers: While this book is the first of a trilogy, I found it to be a satisfactory stand alone read.
There is a standard list of things that make me enjoy a book: Good characterization, a compelling plot, a well developed setting, a system of magic that works, a minimum of plot holes and a satisfactory ending. If a book hits all those marks, I am likely to give it a five star review.
Then there are books that hit all those marks, and go beyond them. The Blacktongue Thief does so. The description of the setting and history go beyond the minimum needed, to give the world a more solid reality. The magic is imaginative and unusual. The protagonist is engaging and the style of narrative enjoyable. There are underlying cultures to the various other characters that shape who they are.
One of the best parts is that the author manages to give this world and the characters in it that kind of depth without slowing down the plot, or leaving the reader to plow through several pages of description.
The narrator has a tongue-in-cheek style that does not diminish the validity of the story. (Too often I find 'humorous' fantasy seems to care more for the prat-fall than having the reader care about the character!)
I heartily recommend this one. I'll add that if you enjoy the works of Steven Brust, I think you will love this book as well.
May 22, 2020
Holy hell this was awesome. So funny, so harrowing, so endlessly inventive. Almost every page made me laugh or wonder at some phenomenally clever turn-of-phrase. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here.
February 14, 2024
Given my normal slowness this was a very quick read. It was one of the rare books that I MADE time for rather than fitted into the bits and pieces of spare time that come my way.
Buehlman is an excellent writer who has honed his skills in other (closely related) genres. I think he carries something from his historical fiction over to this book in as much as his use of songs, sayings, ways of speaking, and ways of viewing the world all add a strong sense of place and time. Obviously every fantasy writer strives for this, but Buehlman brings something fresh to it and achieves great things.
It's a single point of view book written in the first person and the character has a great sense of humor, sharp, self depricating, dirty - all things I like. Of course, to write a character with a great sense of humour, you need one yourself. Otherwise you're reduced to "And then I said something witty and everyone fell about laughing." Many writers can be pretty funny, but there's something very engaging about the angles of attack Buehlman uses and how much of the humour seems organic rather than something of ours imposed on the fictional world to generate giggles.
The Blacktongue Thief isn't a comedy despite its many funny moments. There are grim areas and there are examples of genuine passion / emotion. It's a fine book that works on many levels. Buehlman shows his writing chops and ability to switch gears at the start of one chapter where the character speaks about his love for someone, and in the midst of gore, excitement, and rude jokes we get a wonderfully penned page that pulls on the heartstrings without being saccharine or cloying, and which somehow fits with all the rest.
The fantasy world depicted leans towards the magic-heavy end of the spectrum. The peasants aren't magically lighting their fires or levitating to high shelves, but many of the better placed individuals have access to magic through items and tattoos even if they themselves may not be magically skilled. In short, we see a lot of enchantments and spells.
When it comes to magic there are pros and cons to both the hard and soft approach. In this book we're at the "soft" end of things. We don't get a system per se, or a good look at the inner workings. This allows for a more chaotic mix of magics with lots of imagination and excitement, and a real sense of awe/potential. The drawback is that never knowing what can and can't be done magically - especially in a magic-heavy story - can leave you with the sense that anything could be pulled out of a magic hat to save the day at any time, and that any calamity might be undone with a hithertoo unsuspected bit of enchantment.
We are saved from the pitfalls of soft magic by the excellence of the author. We trust him not to abuse his power because he weaves such a good story that we don't think he'd spoil it like that.
I was a bit confused during some of the magical interventions, but never to a degree where I wasn't firmly of the opinion this was a 5* book.
In short, this a great book that I really enjoyed. It's doing really well and I'm sure will continue to flourish.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
Buehlman is an excellent writer who has honed his skills in other (closely related) genres. I think he carries something from his historical fiction over to this book in as much as his use of songs, sayings, ways of speaking, and ways of viewing the world all add a strong sense of place and time. Obviously every fantasy writer strives for this, but Buehlman brings something fresh to it and achieves great things.
It's a single point of view book written in the first person and the character has a great sense of humor, sharp, self depricating, dirty - all things I like. Of course, to write a character with a great sense of humour, you need one yourself. Otherwise you're reduced to "And then I said something witty and everyone fell about laughing." Many writers can be pretty funny, but there's something very engaging about the angles of attack Buehlman uses and how much of the humour seems organic rather than something of ours imposed on the fictional world to generate giggles.
The Blacktongue Thief isn't a comedy despite its many funny moments. There are grim areas and there are examples of genuine passion / emotion. It's a fine book that works on many levels. Buehlman shows his writing chops and ability to switch gears at the start of one chapter where the character speaks about his love for someone, and in the midst of gore, excitement, and rude jokes we get a wonderfully penned page that pulls on the heartstrings without being saccharine or cloying, and which somehow fits with all the rest.
The fantasy world depicted leans towards the magic-heavy end of the spectrum. The peasants aren't magically lighting their fires or levitating to high shelves, but many of the better placed individuals have access to magic through items and tattoos even if they themselves may not be magically skilled. In short, we see a lot of enchantments and spells.
When it comes to magic there are pros and cons to both the hard and soft approach. In this book we're at the "soft" end of things. We don't get a system per se, or a good look at the inner workings. This allows for a more chaotic mix of magics with lots of imagination and excitement, and a real sense of awe/potential. The drawback is that never knowing what can and can't be done magically - especially in a magic-heavy story - can leave you with the sense that anything could be pulled out of a magic hat to save the day at any time, and that any calamity might be undone with a hithertoo unsuspected bit of enchantment.
We are saved from the pitfalls of soft magic by the excellence of the author. We trust him not to abuse his power because he weaves such a good story that we don't think he'd spoil it like that.
I was a bit confused during some of the magical interventions, but never to a degree where I wasn't firmly of the opinion this was a 5* book.
In short, this a great book that I really enjoyed. It's doing really well and I'm sure will continue to flourish.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
May 18, 2023
While it was fun, the first half was a LOT better than the back half.
Watch my video review by clicking here.
Watch my video review by clicking here.
June 11, 2021
Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed from start to finish, delighted in everything that happened, but as soon as you put it down thought "Huh… that actually has a lot of flaws and I don't know who to recommend this to."
Well, I have now.
I haven't done this in a long time, but it's time to break out my old friends, pros and cons:
Pros:
1. First off, as mentioned above, I delighted in this. I had fun from start to finish and really that is about the highest praise I can really give a book like this.
2. The narrator is a blast. Kinch Na Shannack is one of the most sarcastic and snarky narrators one will ever meet and I delighted in his every discription. The man works in profanities as other artists work in paint or clay. He is a poet. His take on the world is also very much appreciated as this is one of the grimmest of the Grimdark fantasy novels I've ever read and without his humor, it would have been a tough read.
3. The romantic side-plot not only doesn't feel tacked on, but dynamic between the two is actually quite refreshing.
4. Bully the blind cat is amazing and I'll hear no ill of the little bastard.
Cons:
1. The book is… really uneven. Again, I delighted in it, but the structure feels off. Part of this is due to the nature of their quest (which I'll not reveal here), but there's a lot of "You know what would be fun? SHIPS" and suddenly we get chapters on a ship. Yes, they needed to travel, but it feels like we go off on side-quests every once in a while which could be considered filler.
2. Kinch is amazing, but he's honestly such a good character that the others pale in comparison. His companions are mostly interesting, but it never really feels like we get a good grasp of who they are and they all feel more aloof than they are even presented, as we don't really get to know them all.
3. Big spoiler on this one so click at your own risk:
Now for the first time ever, I'm making a third category. Things I liked, but may frustrate the hell out of others:
1. It's not structured like a traditional fantasy novel. This isn't a book filled with epic battles, heroic figures and drawn out combat. Fight scenes mostly end quickly. They end brutally. They are frequently unpleasant and occasionally hard to read. They are repeatedly stabbing someone in the chest, pulling out a dagger and hoping to slit the next guy's throat before being noticed. None of these characters are the model of heroes and all of them do some fairly grim things to survive.
2. The book is written by an author known for horror. THINGS GET KIND OF TERRIFYING. Goblins… sweet Jesus, goblins. Goblins are usually the cannon fodder of fantasy. They're the small enemy that you throw a hoard at our heroes so they get a larger kill count and get the readers blood pumping… here they will make it run cold. They are terrifying.
In closing: This is a weird one. Some traditional fantasy fans may not like how dark and horrific it gets (I've read Abercrombie, Martin and Cook and the like… and this one is one of the darkest). Some may not like the fact that there's not a single epic battle. It's small scale in terms of fantasy, not epic in terms of the plot, but still very much looking at a bigger picture. Personally I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book. Recommended, but with the above notations as a warning to would be readers. 4/5 stars
Well, I have now.
I haven't done this in a long time, but it's time to break out my old friends, pros and cons:
Pros:
1. First off, as mentioned above, I delighted in this. I had fun from start to finish and really that is about the highest praise I can really give a book like this.
2. The narrator is a blast. Kinch Na Shannack is one of the most sarcastic and snarky narrators one will ever meet and I delighted in his every discription. The man works in profanities as other artists work in paint or clay. He is a poet. His take on the world is also very much appreciated as this is one of the grimmest of the Grimdark fantasy novels I've ever read and without his humor, it would have been a tough read.
3. The romantic side-plot not only doesn't feel tacked on, but dynamic between the two is actually quite refreshing.
4. Bully the blind cat is amazing and I'll hear no ill of the little bastard.
Cons:
1. The book is… really uneven. Again, I delighted in it, but the structure feels off. Part of this is due to the nature of their quest (which I'll not reveal here), but there's a lot of "You know what would be fun? SHIPS" and suddenly we get chapters on a ship. Yes, they needed to travel, but it feels like we go off on side-quests every once in a while which could be considered filler.
2. Kinch is amazing, but he's honestly such a good character that the others pale in comparison. His companions are mostly interesting, but it never really feels like we get a good grasp of who they are and they all feel more aloof than they are even presented, as we don't really get to know them all.
3. Big spoiler on this one so click at your own risk:
Now for the first time ever, I'm making a third category. Things I liked, but may frustrate the hell out of others:
1. It's not structured like a traditional fantasy novel. This isn't a book filled with epic battles, heroic figures and drawn out combat. Fight scenes mostly end quickly. They end brutally. They are frequently unpleasant and occasionally hard to read. They are repeatedly stabbing someone in the chest, pulling out a dagger and hoping to slit the next guy's throat before being noticed. None of these characters are the model of heroes and all of them do some fairly grim things to survive.
2. The book is written by an author known for horror. THINGS GET KIND OF TERRIFYING. Goblins… sweet Jesus, goblins. Goblins are usually the cannon fodder of fantasy. They're the small enemy that you throw a hoard at our heroes so they get a larger kill count and get the readers blood pumping… here they will make it run cold. They are terrifying.
In closing: This is a weird one. Some traditional fantasy fans may not like how dark and horrific it gets (I've read Abercrombie, Martin and Cook and the like… and this one is one of the darkest). Some may not like the fact that there's not a single epic battle. It's small scale in terms of fantasy, not epic in terms of the plot, but still very much looking at a bigger picture. Personally I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book. Recommended, but with the above notations as a warning to would be readers. 4/5 stars
June 2, 2021
When Robin Hobb calls something “Dazzling.” I stop what I’m reading and pick it up.
This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I laughed out loud so many times, it might now hold the record. It’s that dry, sardonic humor I always appreciate combined with a strong voice that carried the entire story. Definitely unconventional, it was funny without being stupid and animated without being overdone.
I was completely enamored until about the 80% mark, then my evaluation brain kicked on for a bit and I started to wonder if the story was amounting to anything or if was just all about the character and the delivery. The plot was incredibly straightforward and linear, in sharp contrast to a lot of the more complex fantasy novels being written these days. However it was still really interesting, containing some of the best chapter hooks I’ve read in ages. I definitely don’t mind simple as long as it’s done well.
What I do mind is lack of growth, little momentum, and small payoffs. It seemed to me the main character was in the exact same state of mind at the end of the book as he was at the beginning. Showing practically no growth, it made his character come across very surface-level. If not for the brilliant use of humor to show depth (somewhat reminiscent of Abercrombie’s Glokta, but a bit more jovial) I think I would’ve lost patience with him early on.
As it stands, the character voice and witty humor were enough to carry the book and make it incredibly fun to read despite the lack of aforementioned development or any sort of momentum. If those two things improve even a little in the next book while maintaining the elements I loved, I could have a new favorite on my hands. As it is, it’s just loads of irreverent fun.
Audiobook production: I was about halfway through the book, thinking the narrator was doing a great job digging into the nuances of the dialogue and delivering everything in a very conversational manner, before realizing that it was being read by the author himself O_o! To say he did a great job is an understatement. He really brought the text alive with his intimate relationship with the writing and knowledge of how things were supposed to sound. I imagine a few of the more subtle jokes landed because of his delivery that may not have otherwise. The only thing that suffered was the differentiation between characters. I had to pay closer attention to tags to figure out who was speaking because I couldn’t always tell by the voices alone. That was minor though. What was lost in character distinction was more than made up for by his conversational (and hilarious) narration. I highly recommend the audiobook. :)
Recommendations: this is a new slightly grimdark fantasy that delivers tenfold on humor and general entertainment. What it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in style. I’d highly recommend this to those who loved my suggested reading below, particularly the Greatcoats series by de Castell.
I’d like to thank Macmillian Audio, Christopher Buelhman, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of this title.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I laughed out loud so many times, it might now hold the record. It’s that dry, sardonic humor I always appreciate combined with a strong voice that carried the entire story. Definitely unconventional, it was funny without being stupid and animated without being overdone.
I was completely enamored until about the 80% mark, then my evaluation brain kicked on for a bit and I started to wonder if the story was amounting to anything or if was just all about the character and the delivery. The plot was incredibly straightforward and linear, in sharp contrast to a lot of the more complex fantasy novels being written these days. However it was still really interesting, containing some of the best chapter hooks I’ve read in ages. I definitely don’t mind simple as long as it’s done well.
What I do mind is lack of growth, little momentum, and small payoffs. It seemed to me the main character was in the exact same state of mind at the end of the book as he was at the beginning. Showing practically no growth, it made his character come across very surface-level. If not for the brilliant use of humor to show depth (somewhat reminiscent of Abercrombie’s Glokta, but a bit more jovial) I think I would’ve lost patience with him early on.
As it stands, the character voice and witty humor were enough to carry the book and make it incredibly fun to read despite the lack of aforementioned development or any sort of momentum. If those two things improve even a little in the next book while maintaining the elements I loved, I could have a new favorite on my hands. As it is, it’s just loads of irreverent fun.
Audiobook production: I was about halfway through the book, thinking the narrator was doing a great job digging into the nuances of the dialogue and delivering everything in a very conversational manner, before realizing that it was being read by the author himself O_o! To say he did a great job is an understatement. He really brought the text alive with his intimate relationship with the writing and knowledge of how things were supposed to sound. I imagine a few of the more subtle jokes landed because of his delivery that may not have otherwise. The only thing that suffered was the differentiation between characters. I had to pay closer attention to tags to figure out who was speaking because I couldn’t always tell by the voices alone. That was minor though. What was lost in character distinction was more than made up for by his conversational (and hilarious) narration. I highly recommend the audiobook. :)
Recommendations: this is a new slightly grimdark fantasy that delivers tenfold on humor and general entertainment. What it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in style. I’d highly recommend this to those who loved my suggested reading below, particularly the Greatcoats series by de Castell.
I’d like to thank Macmillian Audio, Christopher Buelhman, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of this title.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
July 16, 2021
I own the hardback but I listened to the audio from the library. I’ll do a reread to make sure my final star rating and if I love it enough to keep.
Loved the narrator and the book was good so far, at least when I didn’t get distracted 🙄
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Loved the narrator and the book was good so far, at least when I didn’t get distracted 🙄
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
June 21, 2024
After recently finishing a re-read of The Lesser Dead, narrated by this author, I knew I had to get the audio of his latest book: THE BLACKTONGUE THIEF. I pre-ordered it so I could have it on release day, but then I found the audio available on NetGalley and here we are!
This narration is as great as I hoped and maybe even a little better. I already knew that Christopher Buehlman is a talented narrator, but here his performance is flat out phenomenal. Tackling several difference kinds of accents and languages must be very difficult, but Mr. Buehlman makes it all sound so easy. I found myself laughing out loud many times and I love that blind cat even more, after I heard the narrator's "Rao."
I've actually received an e-ARC of this book as well, which I read a few months back. This tale is truly an epic fantasy with all the hallmarks of the genre. Maps, different countries, languages and cultures. All the different creatures living in these different countries, along with witches, giants, krakens and kitties are all described so well, it feels like I know them. (The kraken portion of this story was so tense and yet, kind of funny too.)
And of course, like most of the best fantasies, we have magic-magic that shows up in all sorts of unexpected ways and in unexpected things...like cats or tattoos.
My original review of the book can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Once again, Christopher Buhelman has knocked my socks off and maybe my knickers too! If you're not reading his work, you are truly missing out. His stories are always exciting, always unique and always entertaining. I am finding that this is true of his narrations as well. There is nothing like listening to a skilled narrator performing his own work. I'm giving this audio ALL THE STARS!!
Available everywhere 5.25.21!
*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the free audio download in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it! *
This narration is as great as I hoped and maybe even a little better. I already knew that Christopher Buehlman is a talented narrator, but here his performance is flat out phenomenal. Tackling several difference kinds of accents and languages must be very difficult, but Mr. Buehlman makes it all sound so easy. I found myself laughing out loud many times and I love that blind cat even more, after I heard the narrator's "Rao."
I've actually received an e-ARC of this book as well, which I read a few months back. This tale is truly an epic fantasy with all the hallmarks of the genre. Maps, different countries, languages and cultures. All the different creatures living in these different countries, along with witches, giants, krakens and kitties are all described so well, it feels like I know them. (The kraken portion of this story was so tense and yet, kind of funny too.)
And of course, like most of the best fantasies, we have magic-magic that shows up in all sorts of unexpected ways and in unexpected things...like cats or tattoos.
My original review of the book can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Once again, Christopher Buhelman has knocked my socks off and maybe my knickers too! If you're not reading his work, you are truly missing out. His stories are always exciting, always unique and always entertaining. I am finding that this is true of his narrations as well. There is nothing like listening to a skilled narrator performing his own work. I'm giving this audio ALL THE STARS!!
Available everywhere 5.25.21!
*Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the free audio download in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it! *
May 14, 2021
A fantasy adventure story where a thief and soldier team up to quest together? Sign me and all my friends the heck up! But where this world of beasts and magic delivers a couple awesome moments, sadly, its very minimal character build up and constant thrown together scenes that left no air to breathe between and no motivation to continue, I feel as though it never quite rises to the lofty goals it sets for itself.
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks
April 10, 2021
I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Blacktongue Thief in exchange for an honest review. Thanks go to Christopher Buehlman and Gollancz.
I've had my eye on The Blacktongue Thief for a while, with friends referring to it as the book they were looking forward to the most in 2021, and the ratings by reviewers I trust all coming back extremely positive. When a review copy arrived on my doorstep I decided to try it next to see if it lived up to the hype. Although to me, it won't quite be a best of the year read, it is an admirable and thrilling fantasy debut for Buehlman who has a lot to offer to the world of modern fantasy.
Kinch Na Shannack is a thief who was trained by the Takers Guild. They educated him in the way of the thief and now he owes them for that education. He can pay off his debt by doing jobs for the Guild but at the start of the book, Kinch and the group of thieves he travels with have chosen the wrong mark. They have decided to cross an Ispanthian bird knight who is betrothed to the goddess of death. Not a good decision at all.
"I was about to die.
Worse, I was about to die with bastards."
We follow the action in The Blacktoungue Thief in the first-person perspective through the eyes of Kinch as he is relaying the tale at a later date. It was an absolute joy to follow Kinch, he's witty, critical and sometimes cynical, the humour and flow of his thoughts being addictive to read. His commentary surrounding events such as "though at the time I did not know" and "I would find out later it was..." adds useful facts and opinions to the narrative as the narrator sometimes dips in and out of the action. This could have been jarring but I had no such qualms and believe Buehlman administered these moments artfully.
Buehlman's world features fantasy tropes but in imaginative and unique ways. There are goblins, giants, witches, thieves, mages, magic tattoos, sea monsters and an adorable blind cat who is arguably one of the best characters in the book. As well as Bully Boy the cat ("Rao"), the novel is littered with memorable and detailed characters, notable inclusions are the aforementioned knight Galva, the niece of a witch Norrigal, and Kinch's fellow countryman Malk. What makes these characters stand out is Kinch's relationships with them throughout the adventure that ensues after the novel's beginning showdown. The book also features inventive languages, dialects, myths, songs, classes, and perks. Kinch has two birth gifts that aid his craft. These are Luck and Cipher.
I've touched on the humour and the fantasy elements which are both well-worked throughout, but it's absolutely worth noting that some of The Blacktongue Thief's standout moments are horror-tinged sections that play on the mind long after the eye has read those chapters. A friendly game of "Pull" or an assassin trying to escape from a nightmare are very vague descriptions of some truly scary moments. I'm aware Buehlman is an acclaimed horror writer and after seeing these elements presented in such fine fashion here, I will certainly be investing in his back catalogue.
The Blacktongue Thief is a detailed, nuanced, intricate and sweary adult fantasy debut that starts off strong and rarely stutters. It's action-packed and imaginative with huge standout set pieces that lead to a fulfilling crescendo where all the threads are neatly wrapped up. As far as I can tell by reading it, The Blacktongue Thief is a standalone, yet the fine worldbuilding and the fact we don't know how far in the future Kinch is retelling his tale from means there could be many more adventures in this world. If that's the case then I'll definitely be rejoining Kinch, Galva, and their ragtag crew for whatever escapades they find themselves involved in next. Highly recommended.
I've had my eye on The Blacktongue Thief for a while, with friends referring to it as the book they were looking forward to the most in 2021, and the ratings by reviewers I trust all coming back extremely positive. When a review copy arrived on my doorstep I decided to try it next to see if it lived up to the hype. Although to me, it won't quite be a best of the year read, it is an admirable and thrilling fantasy debut for Buehlman who has a lot to offer to the world of modern fantasy.
Kinch Na Shannack is a thief who was trained by the Takers Guild. They educated him in the way of the thief and now he owes them for that education. He can pay off his debt by doing jobs for the Guild but at the start of the book, Kinch and the group of thieves he travels with have chosen the wrong mark. They have decided to cross an Ispanthian bird knight who is betrothed to the goddess of death. Not a good decision at all.
"I was about to die.
Worse, I was about to die with bastards."
We follow the action in The Blacktoungue Thief in the first-person perspective through the eyes of Kinch as he is relaying the tale at a later date. It was an absolute joy to follow Kinch, he's witty, critical and sometimes cynical, the humour and flow of his thoughts being addictive to read. His commentary surrounding events such as "though at the time I did not know" and "I would find out later it was..." adds useful facts and opinions to the narrative as the narrator sometimes dips in and out of the action. This could have been jarring but I had no such qualms and believe Buehlman administered these moments artfully.
Buehlman's world features fantasy tropes but in imaginative and unique ways. There are goblins, giants, witches, thieves, mages, magic tattoos, sea monsters and an adorable blind cat who is arguably one of the best characters in the book. As well as Bully Boy the cat ("Rao"), the novel is littered with memorable and detailed characters, notable inclusions are the aforementioned knight Galva, the niece of a witch Norrigal, and Kinch's fellow countryman Malk. What makes these characters stand out is Kinch's relationships with them throughout the adventure that ensues after the novel's beginning showdown. The book also features inventive languages, dialects, myths, songs, classes, and perks. Kinch has two birth gifts that aid his craft. These are Luck and Cipher.
I've touched on the humour and the fantasy elements which are both well-worked throughout, but it's absolutely worth noting that some of The Blacktongue Thief's standout moments are horror-tinged sections that play on the mind long after the eye has read those chapters. A friendly game of "Pull" or an assassin trying to escape from a nightmare are very vague descriptions of some truly scary moments. I'm aware Buehlman is an acclaimed horror writer and after seeing these elements presented in such fine fashion here, I will certainly be investing in his back catalogue.
The Blacktongue Thief is a detailed, nuanced, intricate and sweary adult fantasy debut that starts off strong and rarely stutters. It's action-packed and imaginative with huge standout set pieces that lead to a fulfilling crescendo where all the threads are neatly wrapped up. As far as I can tell by reading it, The Blacktongue Thief is a standalone, yet the fine worldbuilding and the fact we don't know how far in the future Kinch is retelling his tale from means there could be many more adventures in this world. If that's the case then I'll definitely be rejoining Kinch, Galva, and their ragtag crew for whatever escapades they find themselves involved in next. Highly recommended.
July 16, 2022
I now have a YouTube channel that I run with my brother, called 'The Brothers Gwynne'. Check it out - The Brothers Gwynne
My 150th review on Goodreads! That feels crazy.
“May laughter keep us young and malice keep us rich.”
The Blacktongue Thief is the fantasy debut by Cristopher Buehlman, although he has previously published a few horror works. Before I dived into this, I heard it commonly likened to Kings of the Wyld, which is one of my favourite books ever. So, of course, I had to read this, and it did not disappoint.
The humour is hilarious. It just clicked with me. The voice of the central figure and sole perspective of this story seemed to have just been refined and mastered, with his sarcastic comments and reactions to dangerous events going on around him casting a great tone for a fun story whilst still attributing a tension and depth beyond just humour.
“Only the strong, the rich, and the dying think truth is a necessity; the rest of us know it for a luxury.”
We accompany a thief, hence the title of the book, as he is drawn into events greater and more dangerous than anything he has ever experienced before, and is not quite prepared for. As he weaves his way through a world of magic and betrayal surrounded mostly by those who are self-serving, there are some hilarious moments, but a depth to the story as well that goes beyond humour and shows the humanity of our characters.
Christopher Buehlman is a very effective writer, with accessible prose that is smooth and easy to glide through. It was one of the strongest points of the tale. This also enforced the strength of our main character, and also those around him, as the gradual crafting of the surrounding cast was natural and very well done. Whilst reading my main desire is to feel attached to characters and feel that they are distinctive, and I definitely found that here.
“When listening for danger, one must never mistake silence for safety.”
There is a plot which drives the book, but for me it is not why you would read this. It was weaker than the other elements, but that does not really detract from the story. It seems that Christopher Buehlman consciously decided to focus on the characters and world-building, with the plot weaving in and around them. However, the plot was still there, and did help the building of tension to the final satisfying climax of the story.
The Blacktongue Thief is a very well written book that is both funny and engaging. Whilst it is not like Kings of the Wyld in the sense that the humour derives mostly from the group dynamic, it is still highly entertaining and funny in its own right. If anyone wants a lighter read in an interesting fantasy world that still has tension and danger and depth, this is the one for you.
4.25/5 STARS
My 150th review on Goodreads! That feels crazy.
“May laughter keep us young and malice keep us rich.”
The Blacktongue Thief is the fantasy debut by Cristopher Buehlman, although he has previously published a few horror works. Before I dived into this, I heard it commonly likened to Kings of the Wyld, which is one of my favourite books ever. So, of course, I had to read this, and it did not disappoint.
The humour is hilarious. It just clicked with me. The voice of the central figure and sole perspective of this story seemed to have just been refined and mastered, with his sarcastic comments and reactions to dangerous events going on around him casting a great tone for a fun story whilst still attributing a tension and depth beyond just humour.
“Only the strong, the rich, and the dying think truth is a necessity; the rest of us know it for a luxury.”
We accompany a thief, hence the title of the book, as he is drawn into events greater and more dangerous than anything he has ever experienced before, and is not quite prepared for. As he weaves his way through a world of magic and betrayal surrounded mostly by those who are self-serving, there are some hilarious moments, but a depth to the story as well that goes beyond humour and shows the humanity of our characters.
Christopher Buehlman is a very effective writer, with accessible prose that is smooth and easy to glide through. It was one of the strongest points of the tale. This also enforced the strength of our main character, and also those around him, as the gradual crafting of the surrounding cast was natural and very well done. Whilst reading my main desire is to feel attached to characters and feel that they are distinctive, and I definitely found that here.
“When listening for danger, one must never mistake silence for safety.”
There is a plot which drives the book, but for me it is not why you would read this. It was weaker than the other elements, but that does not really detract from the story. It seems that Christopher Buehlman consciously decided to focus on the characters and world-building, with the plot weaving in and around them. However, the plot was still there, and did help the building of tension to the final satisfying climax of the story.
The Blacktongue Thief is a very well written book that is both funny and engaging. Whilst it is not like Kings of the Wyld in the sense that the humour derives mostly from the group dynamic, it is still highly entertaining and funny in its own right. If anyone wants a lighter read in an interesting fantasy world that still has tension and danger and depth, this is the one for you.
4.25/5 STARS
July 11, 2022
"Me disponía a morir. Peor todavía, me disponía a morir rodeado de hijos de perra"
Kinch Na Shannack le debe una pequeña fortuna al Gremio de los Ladrones, que lo educó en las artes del latrocinio. Educación que, entre otras cosas, incluye violar cerraduras, luchar con cuchillos, escalar paredes, caer sin hacerse daño, urdir mentiras, tender trampas y un puñado de conjuros bastante discretos. Su deuda lo ha llevado a esconderse en el bosque junto a la antigua carretera, acechando y listo para asaltar al primer incauto que se cruce en su camino.
Hoy, sin embargo, Na Shannack ha elegido a la víctima equivocada. Galva, una caballera superviviente de las encarnizadas guerras contra los goblins y leal seguidora de la diosa de la muerte, está buscando a su reina, desaparecida desde que una lejana ciudad del norte sucumbiera a los ataques de los gigantes. Una vez frustrado su intento de robo y afortunado por haber escapado con vida, Kinch descubre que su destino está ligado al de Galva. Sus enemigos en común y una hueste de amenazas bastante insólitas que los dos enfrentan, empujan al ladrón y a la caballera a embarcarse en un enorme periplo de épicas dimensiones.
Deberán luchar contra goblins hambrientos de carne humana y krakens al acecho en las siniestras profundidades. En este mundo, como comprobarán en el transcurso de sus aventuras, el honor es un lujo que no está al alcance de todos.
"El Ladrón de Lengua Negra" del autor Christopher Buehlman es una historia ingeniosa y con un tono de humor sobresaliente a través de un ladrón aparentemente sin importancia atrapado en las maquinaciones más amplias de este mundo que es una mezcla entre señor de los anillos y reyes de la tierra salvaje.
Criaturas, magia y worldbuilding pero todo con toques de humor.
Disfrute de Reyes, pero este mucho más. Que historia, personajes y que humor a veces algo crudo. Muy bueno de principio a fin.
Kinch Na Shannack tiene mala suerte, o mejor dicho, su suerte está bien, es el gremio al que está contratado el problema. Es el Gremio de Tomadores, la principal preocupación de Kinch en la vida es asegurarse de robar lo suficiente para pagar sus deudas de la "matrícula".
Pero todo cambiará cuando su grupo elige la presa equivocada. Cuando el trabajo sale mal, Kinch se convierte en el compañero de alguien muy letal, pero afortunadamente para él, muy misericordioso, al que acaba de intentar robar en unas escenas que ya te saca unas cuantas carcajadas.
Lleno de magia, humor y una trama política de ebullición lenta, esta entretenida historia pues es una historia de pipas, sofa y cerveza. Tened cuidado, eso si, de no atragantaros. Me he reido mucho. Pero no solo es humor, explora los temas de la guerra y la codicia de los hombres, mucha acción y magia a veces incluso con cierto humor pero mucha otras con crueldad. Pues este es un mundo crudo y cruel. Roza el llamado grimdark pero ese humor un tanto oscuro a veces rebaja esas cosas. Pero no confundáis el humor con que haya arcoiris y unicornios o comieron perdices.
Al tiempo que describe los lugares de nota que la fuerza de Buehlman como narrador es muy sobresaliente. Lo que es más importante, fue un placer leerlo. Sarcasmo de asesinos que os harán reír a veces a carcajadas con momentos agridulces que os dejarán sin aliento.
A medida que Kinch nos transmite sus diversas hazañas en primera persona podemos echar un vistazo al mundo que lo rodea. Mundo descrito adecuadamente sin extenderse en exceso, que incluye múltiples grados de magia, una historia expansiva centrada en la guerra y una mezcla de culturas e idiomas.
En el centro de todo esto está nuestra banda de personajes variopintos y viajeros que no coinciden en nada. Polos opuestos, compuesta por un ladrón, un caballero guerrero, una bruja, un viejo némesis y un gato ciego, sí, sí... xD..
A medida que van comenzando su búsqueda y se adentran en lo desconocido, seremos llevados a un mundo brillantemente creado y porque no ligeramente absurdo, con una nueva ubicación en cada capítulo impar. Ese detalle, chapó.
Uno de los puntos fuertes de esta novela son sus personajes. A Kinch Na Shannack le gusta presentarse a sí mismo como, paradójicamente, un ladrón honesto. Es inteligente y sabe cómo salir de situaciones difíciles y cuándo confiar en su suerte. Prefiero no decir nada del resto es que joder es para disfrutarlo de verdad mi recomendación preciadas amistades si os fiais es que no solo lo metáis en la saca o lo subáis puestos, leedlo en cuanto podáis. Haced caso.
En ocasiones, como lector me detuve en seco porque lo que comenzó como broma en realidad revela un lado más oscuro de la narrativa. Esto es lo que diferencia a nuestro protagonista del resto de sus compañeros.
La voz de Kinch encuentra un equilibrio entre la sensatez y la sabiduría, diálogos muy ágiles, de calidad, sarcasticos y sucintos para transmitir sus mensajes. Grandes giros que caen a golpes y ademas repentinos.
La sombría severidad de todos los eventos se compensa con el humor negro de Kinch, que se materializa como bromas en general internas entre el narrador y el lector.
Parte de la construcción del mundo, como la historia del mundo o su sistema mágico, se cuenta a través de los monólogos internos de Kinch o mediante el diálogo directo entre los personajes. Información llena de cinismo, lo hace ágil, adictivo.
Uno quiere más de esta mierda. Final cerrado pero espero que el autor vuelva a este mundo y sus personajes.
El mundo nos presenta los clásicos de fantasía pero de formas muy imaginativas. Tenemos desde goblins, gigantes, alguna bruja, varios ladrones, magos, tatuajes mágicos, monstruos marinos y xD un adorable gato ciego que es una pasada.
Fantasía cínica para adultos en un mundo con personajes detallados, matizados, intrincados y que comienza fuerte. Lo mejor es que apenas decae. Lleno de acción con grandes escenarios que conducen a un crescendo final donde cada hilo ha sido cuidadosamente tejido e integrado.
Vamos, ¡QUE LO LEÁIS!.
Kinch Na Shannack le debe una pequeña fortuna al Gremio de los Ladrones, que lo educó en las artes del latrocinio. Educación que, entre otras cosas, incluye violar cerraduras, luchar con cuchillos, escalar paredes, caer sin hacerse daño, urdir mentiras, tender trampas y un puñado de conjuros bastante discretos. Su deuda lo ha llevado a esconderse en el bosque junto a la antigua carretera, acechando y listo para asaltar al primer incauto que se cruce en su camino.
Hoy, sin embargo, Na Shannack ha elegido a la víctima equivocada. Galva, una caballera superviviente de las encarnizadas guerras contra los goblins y leal seguidora de la diosa de la muerte, está buscando a su reina, desaparecida desde que una lejana ciudad del norte sucumbiera a los ataques de los gigantes. Una vez frustrado su intento de robo y afortunado por haber escapado con vida, Kinch descubre que su destino está ligado al de Galva. Sus enemigos en común y una hueste de amenazas bastante insólitas que los dos enfrentan, empujan al ladrón y a la caballera a embarcarse en un enorme periplo de épicas dimensiones.
Deberán luchar contra goblins hambrientos de carne humana y krakens al acecho en las siniestras profundidades. En este mundo, como comprobarán en el transcurso de sus aventuras, el honor es un lujo que no está al alcance de todos.
"El Ladrón de Lengua Negra" del autor Christopher Buehlman es una historia ingeniosa y con un tono de humor sobresaliente a través de un ladrón aparentemente sin importancia atrapado en las maquinaciones más amplias de este mundo que es una mezcla entre señor de los anillos y reyes de la tierra salvaje.
Criaturas, magia y worldbuilding pero todo con toques de humor.
Disfrute de Reyes, pero este mucho más. Que historia, personajes y que humor a veces algo crudo. Muy bueno de principio a fin.
Kinch Na Shannack tiene mala suerte, o mejor dicho, su suerte está bien, es el gremio al que está contratado el problema. Es el Gremio de Tomadores, la principal preocupación de Kinch en la vida es asegurarse de robar lo suficiente para pagar sus deudas de la "matrícula".
Pero todo cambiará cuando su grupo elige la presa equivocada. Cuando el trabajo sale mal, Kinch se convierte en el compañero de alguien muy letal, pero afortunadamente para él, muy misericordioso, al que acaba de intentar robar en unas escenas que ya te saca unas cuantas carcajadas.
Lleno de magia, humor y una trama política de ebullición lenta, esta entretenida historia pues es una historia de pipas, sofa y cerveza. Tened cuidado, eso si, de no atragantaros. Me he reido mucho. Pero no solo es humor, explora los temas de la guerra y la codicia de los hombres, mucha acción y magia a veces incluso con cierto humor pero mucha otras con crueldad. Pues este es un mundo crudo y cruel. Roza el llamado grimdark pero ese humor un tanto oscuro a veces rebaja esas cosas. Pero no confundáis el humor con que haya arcoiris y unicornios o comieron perdices.
Al tiempo que describe los lugares de nota que la fuerza de Buehlman como narrador es muy sobresaliente. Lo que es más importante, fue un placer leerlo. Sarcasmo de asesinos que os harán reír a veces a carcajadas con momentos agridulces que os dejarán sin aliento.
A medida que Kinch nos transmite sus diversas hazañas en primera persona podemos echar un vistazo al mundo que lo rodea. Mundo descrito adecuadamente sin extenderse en exceso, que incluye múltiples grados de magia, una historia expansiva centrada en la guerra y una mezcla de culturas e idiomas.
En el centro de todo esto está nuestra banda de personajes variopintos y viajeros que no coinciden en nada. Polos opuestos, compuesta por un ladrón, un caballero guerrero, una bruja, un viejo némesis y un gato ciego, sí, sí... xD..
A medida que van comenzando su búsqueda y se adentran en lo desconocido, seremos llevados a un mundo brillantemente creado y porque no ligeramente absurdo, con una nueva ubicación en cada capítulo impar. Ese detalle, chapó.
Uno de los puntos fuertes de esta novela son sus personajes. A Kinch Na Shannack le gusta presentarse a sí mismo como, paradójicamente, un ladrón honesto. Es inteligente y sabe cómo salir de situaciones difíciles y cuándo confiar en su suerte. Prefiero no decir nada del resto es que joder es para disfrutarlo de verdad mi recomendación preciadas amistades si os fiais es que no solo lo metáis en la saca o lo subáis puestos, leedlo en cuanto podáis. Haced caso.
En ocasiones, como lector me detuve en seco porque lo que comenzó como broma en realidad revela un lado más oscuro de la narrativa. Esto es lo que diferencia a nuestro protagonista del resto de sus compañeros.
La voz de Kinch encuentra un equilibrio entre la sensatez y la sabiduría, diálogos muy ágiles, de calidad, sarcasticos y sucintos para transmitir sus mensajes. Grandes giros que caen a golpes y ademas repentinos.
La sombría severidad de todos los eventos se compensa con el humor negro de Kinch, que se materializa como bromas en general internas entre el narrador y el lector.
Parte de la construcción del mundo, como la historia del mundo o su sistema mágico, se cuenta a través de los monólogos internos de Kinch o mediante el diálogo directo entre los personajes. Información llena de cinismo, lo hace ágil, adictivo.
Uno quiere más de esta mierda. Final cerrado pero espero que el autor vuelva a este mundo y sus personajes.
El mundo nos presenta los clásicos de fantasía pero de formas muy imaginativas. Tenemos desde goblins, gigantes, alguna bruja, varios ladrones, magos, tatuajes mágicos, monstruos marinos y xD un adorable gato ciego que es una pasada.
Fantasía cínica para adultos en un mundo con personajes detallados, matizados, intrincados y que comienza fuerte. Lo mejor es que apenas decae. Lleno de acción con grandes escenarios que conducen a un crescendo final donde cada hilo ha sido cuidadosamente tejido e integrado.
Vamos, ¡QUE LO LEÁIS!.
August 22, 2021
Kinch Na Shannack’s luck just ran out. Debts have come due and the Thief Taker’s Guild aren’t the type to offer extensions or second chances. With no prospect of a big pay day, Kinch resorts to daylight robbery. Instead of solving his problem, this turns out to be Fate dealing him another bad hand. Galva, knight and handmaiden of a death goddess, has little patience for being a victim, especially of a bunch of rank amateurs. Kinch escapes with his life, but his future is less certain. Joining Galva on her quest to save a missing Queen, but with a secret sideline of his own, Kinch knows the only way out is through… If he survives at all.
‘What a fabulous kingdom the mind is, and you the emperor of all of it. You can bed the duke’s wife and have the duke strangled in your mind. A crippled man can think himself a dancer, and an idiot can fool himself wise. The day a magicker peeks into the thought of commoners for some thin-skinned duke or king will be a bad day. Those with callused hands will rise on that day, for a man will only toil in a mine so long as he can dream of sunny fields, and he’ll only kneel for a tyrant if he can secretly cut that tyrant’s throat in the close theatre of his bowed head’.
Kinch’s voice is immediately impactful, hitting the right darkly humorous note from the outset. There’s nothing contrived about it, it’s natural and consistent, with more than an edge of snark. It works well with the pace of the novel, which is more like UF, but the scope of the worldbuilding is nothing less than epic. While I haven’t read his other works, it seemed to me that the author’s horror past is evident throughout, and especially in his depiction of the Goblin Wars. There’s a brutal reality to these wars, and to the goblins themselves, devastating in their effects both personal and worldwide. They intrude upon the narrative in surprising ways, in terror filled battles and silly diversions. A horrifyingly high stakes game of tug-of-war remains on my mind as I'm writing this ... months after reading. But just because its a pitch dark world doesn’t mean it can’t also be funny. If you like your humour crude as hell, that is. It's clear that this won't work for everyone, but Kinch is worth all the gutter talk.
Still, it was quite the throw of the dice to add a cute little blind cat into the mix. I was instantly in love and observed each of Kinch’s intentions towards said floof with an eagle eye, ready to jump on any hint of a negative possibility. I won’t tell you how that turned out- if I had to suffer through it, so do you. I will say that the fact that the author finishing the book with a picture of Luther - the cat who made him fall in love with cats - was pure purrfection. I know I can trust an author who freely admits such strong feelings for his feline companion. Probably.
This is a book of journeys, entertaining in and of itself, but also leading to an inventive conclusion. There’s no doubt I’ll be joining Kinch on whatever path he takes from here on out.
ARC via Netgalley
‘What a fabulous kingdom the mind is, and you the emperor of all of it. You can bed the duke’s wife and have the duke strangled in your mind. A crippled man can think himself a dancer, and an idiot can fool himself wise. The day a magicker peeks into the thought of commoners for some thin-skinned duke or king will be a bad day. Those with callused hands will rise on that day, for a man will only toil in a mine so long as he can dream of sunny fields, and he’ll only kneel for a tyrant if he can secretly cut that tyrant’s throat in the close theatre of his bowed head’.
Kinch’s voice is immediately impactful, hitting the right darkly humorous note from the outset. There’s nothing contrived about it, it’s natural and consistent, with more than an edge of snark. It works well with the pace of the novel, which is more like UF, but the scope of the worldbuilding is nothing less than epic. While I haven’t read his other works, it seemed to me that the author’s horror past is evident throughout, and especially in his depiction of the Goblin Wars. There’s a brutal reality to these wars, and to the goblins themselves, devastating in their effects both personal and worldwide. They intrude upon the narrative in surprising ways, in terror filled battles and silly diversions. A horrifyingly high stakes game of tug-of-war remains on my mind as I'm writing this ... months after reading. But just because its a pitch dark world doesn’t mean it can’t also be funny. If you like your humour crude as hell, that is. It's clear that this won't work for everyone, but Kinch is worth all the gutter talk.
Still, it was quite the throw of the dice to add a cute little blind cat into the mix. I was instantly in love and observed each of Kinch’s intentions towards said floof with an eagle eye, ready to jump on any hint of a negative possibility. I won’t tell you how that turned out- if I had to suffer through it, so do you. I will say that the fact that the author finishing the book with a picture of Luther - the cat who made him fall in love with cats - was pure purrfection. I know I can trust an author who freely admits such strong feelings for his feline companion. Probably.
This is a book of journeys, entertaining in and of itself, but also leading to an inventive conclusion. There’s no doubt I’ll be joining Kinch on whatever path he takes from here on out.
ARC via Netgalley
April 9, 2024
Christopher Buehlman put his whole Rothfussy into this one 💦
By that I mean he crafted a very familiar medieval European-inspired fantasy world, seen through the eyes of a quick, quippy straight white guy. One relatable in his casual, easygoing nature, but successful enough at everything to serve as wish fulfillment.
These successes include:
- Thieving
- Combat
- Playing the fiddle
- Playing cards
- Whaling
- Pleasuring a monthlong girlfriend
- And survival in extreme circumstances that cull all nonessential characters, such as kraken attack, goblin attack, giant attack, assassin attack…
This survival results from being extremely lucky. No, really, luck is one of the main character’s special powers. Cuz I guess being a cis-het white guy in a Eurocentric fantasy world simply isn’t lucky enough.
So if you miss that Joss Whedon brand of feminism that believes equality is when women can be as crass and kick ass just like the boys, pick this up.
If you can read the words shyte, cowshyte, dogshyte, whore, wank, bugger, balls, arse, cunny, squinny, poo, piss, shat, toss, tumble, and turdlet over and over again, pick this up.
And, most importantly, if you miss the fantasy standards perpetuated by Kingkiller cuz Rothfuss can’t or won't finish it, pick this up.
By that I mean he crafted a very familiar medieval European-inspired fantasy world, seen through the eyes of a quick, quippy straight white guy. One relatable in his casual, easygoing nature, but successful enough at everything to serve as wish fulfillment.
These successes include:
- Thieving
- Combat
- Playing the fiddle
- Playing cards
- Whaling
- Pleasuring a monthlong girlfriend
- And survival in extreme circumstances that cull all nonessential characters, such as kraken attack, goblin attack, giant attack, assassin attack…
This survival results from being extremely lucky. No, really, luck is one of the main character’s special powers. Cuz I guess being a cis-het white guy in a Eurocentric fantasy world simply isn’t lucky enough.
So if you miss that Joss Whedon brand of feminism that believes equality is when women can be as crass and kick ass just like the boys, pick this up.
If you can read the words shyte, cowshyte, dogshyte, whore, wank, bugger, balls, arse, cunny, squinny, poo, piss, shat, toss, tumble, and turdlet over and over again, pick this up.
And, most importantly, if you miss the fantasy standards perpetuated by Kingkiller cuz Rothfuss can’t or won't finish it, pick this up.
January 4, 2024
I’ve struggled with how to start this review of Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief because I want to give it the recognition it deserves. So I’ll just go with this: it’s damn fine reading. I loved it.
Kinch Na Shannack is a thief-in-training with a couple of tricks up his sleeve, which might not matter much considering how far behind he is in student loans. And the debtors just happen to be the most powerful, far-reaching organization in the world. But Kinch has a chance to dig his way out, and finds himself in the midst of a continent-spanning mission where he crosses paths with witches, warriors, sky beasts, polymorphing assassins, giant monsters of land, sea and air, and, well… saying too much more will ruin the surprises, of which there are many. And I mean, many. This novel is page-turning feast of chaos and adventure that I didn’t want to end.
What held my attention, from the first page to the last, was how smooth the reading experience felt while blending elements of brisk pacing, loads of snark, punchy dialogue, stylized characters, and unrelenting scenes of gaga mayhem.
What a fabulous kingdom the mind is, and you the emperor of all of it. You can bed the duke’s wife and have the duke strangled in your mind. A crippled man can think himself a dancer, and an idiot can fool himself wise.
Some highlighted passages caused me to laugh, pushed the story forward, and offered nuggets of quotable wisdom or some form of innovation—all within a sentence or two.
Kinch’s narrative voice finds a balance between wise-assery and wisdom, using snappy and succinct dialogue to get his messages delivered. Big twists drop with sudden shots to the gut. Yet the grim severity of events are usually offset by Kinch’s gallows humor, materializing as inside jokes between narrator and reader.
The smell of old whale fat hung about the ship like perfume in a whore’s drapes.
But not all is adventure, mystery, comedy and grim tidings. There’s also a healthy dose of poetry and songs scattered throughout the story, and they enrich the ever-expanding environment with music, lore, humor, and other intangibles. Since the bulk of the story is a road trip, each stop along the way feels fresh with promise. The continent itself appears to be loosely based on Western Europe, with comparable languages and cultural swagger.
I must call attention to a two-page chapter that tells the story of a fallen city. It somehow built up my sense of wonder then immediately flushed my emotions down a sinkhole. Two pages was all it took. I’m singling it out because not only can it serve as a standalone story on its own, but I also think it’s a good microcosm of what this book can do a reader. While this passage doesn’t quite include the humor that the rest of the book offers, it shows me how Buehlman can claw you in when he wants to and drag your empathy wherever he wants it to go.
Only the strong, the rich, and the dying think truth is a necessity; the rest of us know it for a luxury.
I didn’t find much fault in this story. There’s an inherent ability a character has that could be viewed as a plot device, but its originality and the balance of its consequences even out the score. Regardless of any nitpicks, Kinch quickly became one of my favorite first-person characters in as long as I can remember, and its supporting cast of deep, rich characters combined with Buehlman’s creativity and wit brought this exciting book to life. I give The Blacktongue Thief my highest recommendation.
9.7 / 10
Publishing May 2021 with Tor Books.
Kinch Na Shannack is a thief-in-training with a couple of tricks up his sleeve, which might not matter much considering how far behind he is in student loans. And the debtors just happen to be the most powerful, far-reaching organization in the world. But Kinch has a chance to dig his way out, and finds himself in the midst of a continent-spanning mission where he crosses paths with witches, warriors, sky beasts, polymorphing assassins, giant monsters of land, sea and air, and, well… saying too much more will ruin the surprises, of which there are many. And I mean, many. This novel is page-turning feast of chaos and adventure that I didn’t want to end.
What held my attention, from the first page to the last, was how smooth the reading experience felt while blending elements of brisk pacing, loads of snark, punchy dialogue, stylized characters, and unrelenting scenes of gaga mayhem.
What a fabulous kingdom the mind is, and you the emperor of all of it. You can bed the duke’s wife and have the duke strangled in your mind. A crippled man can think himself a dancer, and an idiot can fool himself wise.
Some highlighted passages caused me to laugh, pushed the story forward, and offered nuggets of quotable wisdom or some form of innovation—all within a sentence or two.
Kinch’s narrative voice finds a balance between wise-assery and wisdom, using snappy and succinct dialogue to get his messages delivered. Big twists drop with sudden shots to the gut. Yet the grim severity of events are usually offset by Kinch’s gallows humor, materializing as inside jokes between narrator and reader.
The smell of old whale fat hung about the ship like perfume in a whore’s drapes.
But not all is adventure, mystery, comedy and grim tidings. There’s also a healthy dose of poetry and songs scattered throughout the story, and they enrich the ever-expanding environment with music, lore, humor, and other intangibles. Since the bulk of the story is a road trip, each stop along the way feels fresh with promise. The continent itself appears to be loosely based on Western Europe, with comparable languages and cultural swagger.
I must call attention to a two-page chapter that tells the story of a fallen city. It somehow built up my sense of wonder then immediately flushed my emotions down a sinkhole. Two pages was all it took. I’m singling it out because not only can it serve as a standalone story on its own, but I also think it’s a good microcosm of what this book can do a reader. While this passage doesn’t quite include the humor that the rest of the book offers, it shows me how Buehlman can claw you in when he wants to and drag your empathy wherever he wants it to go.
Only the strong, the rich, and the dying think truth is a necessity; the rest of us know it for a luxury.
I didn’t find much fault in this story. There’s an inherent ability a character has that could be viewed as a plot device, but its originality and the balance of its consequences even out the score. Regardless of any nitpicks, Kinch quickly became one of my favorite first-person characters in as long as I can remember, and its supporting cast of deep, rich characters combined with Buehlman’s creativity and wit brought this exciting book to life. I give The Blacktongue Thief my highest recommendation.
9.7 / 10
Publishing May 2021 with Tor Books.
May 31, 2021
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I have seen the hype this book has been getting and after being done with it I can tell you that it deserves every ounce of hype it can get! I was lucky enough to be provided by an ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss and as usual, that does not affect my opinions on this one.
The cover is the first thing that attracted me when it comes to this book and after finishing the book I appreciate the cover more because of the details that I got post-reading it and because it reflects the good which was great too.
The story follows Kinch who is an indebted thief to the takers guild and he is in debt because of his training so now the guild basically controls him. The book starts with him and a team setting an ambush for Galva who is a knight, a follower of the goddess of death and who is looking for her missing queen. Next thing they find themselves together on an epic adventure!
The writing is great! It is the first time I am reading a Buehlman book and I am very impressed, to my understanding that he is known as a horror writer and it is his first time dabbling into fantasy and he nailed it. The writing is obviously from a professional with experience. The narration is exclusively from Kinch’s point of view but when you get to know Kinch, you won’t ask for another POV! I expected a much darker tone but the author gave voice to one of the funniest characters I ever had the pleasure of reading but not to the point that it gets tiring. The way things were explained and foreshadowed was brilliant and I already can’t wait for book 2!
Now Kinch is an awesome character because he is hilarious but he is also three dimensional and you can’t help it but to care about him. He is smart but also gets in lot of trouble, he is strong but there are stronger people in his world. He is filthy with his tongue and love for cursing in all languages and the tendency to be juvenile and not able to hold his own self from laughing. But he is also nice deep down inside and really care for his family and friends.
The female characters in the book were well written too, they were not sexualized and they were stronger even than the male characters.
The world building is great, the story takes place in many places and there are all kind of creatures and magic types that we get to discover. I was even surprised by the fact that a large part of the story takes place in the sea which I am not a big fan of but believe me that when it comes to Kinch, he can go on describing his every day life for a year and I won’t get bored.
I gotta mention one thing that I may have not been fair with, in one of my reading updates, I mentioned some info dumping at the beginning. I blame myself for that because there were many new terms and I thought that I needed to remember everything but it was mostly part of Kinch’s humor and I just could not take things more simply. Retrogradely, I can tell that the important parts worth remembering were clear and I did not even had to make an effort to remember them!
Summary: I loved The Blacktongue thief and I am sure many will do too when it is released. I was a big fan of the protagonist, the world-building, the writing and I am already looking forward to book 2!
“No crown sits so sure that a knife in the dark may not topple it.”
I have seen the hype this book has been getting and after being done with it I can tell you that it deserves every ounce of hype it can get! I was lucky enough to be provided by an ARC from the publisher through Edelweiss and as usual, that does not affect my opinions on this one.
The cover is the first thing that attracted me when it comes to this book and after finishing the book I appreciate the cover more because of the details that I got post-reading it and because it reflects the good which was great too.
The story follows Kinch who is an indebted thief to the takers guild and he is in debt because of his training so now the guild basically controls him. The book starts with him and a team setting an ambush for Galva who is a knight, a follower of the goddess of death and who is looking for her missing queen. Next thing they find themselves together on an epic adventure!
“When listening for danger, one must never mistake silence for safety.”
The writing is great! It is the first time I am reading a Buehlman book and I am very impressed, to my understanding that he is known as a horror writer and it is his first time dabbling into fantasy and he nailed it. The writing is obviously from a professional with experience. The narration is exclusively from Kinch’s point of view but when you get to know Kinch, you won’t ask for another POV! I expected a much darker tone but the author gave voice to one of the funniest characters I ever had the pleasure of reading but not to the point that it gets tiring. The way things were explained and foreshadowed was brilliant and I already can’t wait for book 2!
Now Kinch is an awesome character because he is hilarious but he is also three dimensional and you can’t help it but to care about him. He is smart but also gets in lot of trouble, he is strong but there are stronger people in his world. He is filthy with his tongue and love for cursing in all languages and the tendency to be juvenile and not able to hold his own self from laughing. But he is also nice deep down inside and really care for his family and friends.
The female characters in the book were well written too, they were not sexualized and they were stronger even than the male characters.
“Only the strong, the rich, and the dying think truth is a necessity; the rest of us know it for a luxury.”
The world building is great, the story takes place in many places and there are all kind of creatures and magic types that we get to discover. I was even surprised by the fact that a large part of the story takes place in the sea which I am not a big fan of but believe me that when it comes to Kinch, he can go on describing his every day life for a year and I won’t get bored.
I gotta mention one thing that I may have not been fair with, in one of my reading updates, I mentioned some info dumping at the beginning. I blame myself for that because there were many new terms and I thought that I needed to remember everything but it was mostly part of Kinch’s humor and I just could not take things more simply. Retrogradely, I can tell that the important parts worth remembering were clear and I did not even had to make an effort to remember them!
“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.”
Summary: I loved The Blacktongue thief and I am sure many will do too when it is released. I was a big fan of the protagonist, the world-building, the writing and I am already looking forward to book 2!
October 24, 2021
“And that’s the true story of how I ended up betting my arse on a card game in a sewer under an army of murdering giants at the very top of the wicked world.”
3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this first instalment of a brand new fantasy series. Our protagonist (I want to say his name was Kina? But it’s from 1st person POV so his name isn’t used much) is currently working as a thief. He was trained by the guild, who charge for their services. As most of the people who train are children, and poor children at that - they nearly all come out in debt to the guild. Hence the thievery.
After a botched robbery causes most of the band of thieves he was working with to flee or worse, our man finds himself receiving instructions from the guild.
They tell him to befriend the woman they most recently tried to rob - and travel with her.
So begins an intricate fantasy journey through a world filled with magic, violence, goblins and much more. Comparisons with The Lies of Locke Lomora can be made. The humour is very similar. If you liked that series you’ll probably like this one.
I enjoyed it, though I did find myself falling behind near the end. It felt a bit rushed, and so many things happened all at once. But overall, I will be continuing the series. Also bully boy the blind cat is the best character. And the authors note to his cat in the acknowledgements was precious 🥺
“You really do love me, don’t you?” “I think so…but ask me when I’m not tempted to cut your throat.”
3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this first instalment of a brand new fantasy series. Our protagonist (I want to say his name was Kina? But it’s from 1st person POV so his name isn’t used much) is currently working as a thief. He was trained by the guild, who charge for their services. As most of the people who train are children, and poor children at that - they nearly all come out in debt to the guild. Hence the thievery.
After a botched robbery causes most of the band of thieves he was working with to flee or worse, our man finds himself receiving instructions from the guild.
They tell him to befriend the woman they most recently tried to rob - and travel with her.
So begins an intricate fantasy journey through a world filled with magic, violence, goblins and much more. Comparisons with The Lies of Locke Lomora can be made. The humour is very similar. If you liked that series you’ll probably like this one.
I enjoyed it, though I did find myself falling behind near the end. It felt a bit rushed, and so many things happened all at once. But overall, I will be continuing the series. Also bully boy the blind cat is the best character. And the authors note to his cat in the acknowledgements was precious 🥺
“You really do love me, don’t you?” “I think so…but ask me when I’m not tempted to cut your throat.”
April 7, 2021
“I was about to die. Worse, I was about to die with bastards.”
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman is one of the most anticipated fantasy releases in 2021. This book has almost been unanimously praised, and as of 07.04.21, has a staggering 4.58 rating on Goodreads! Seeing all the praise for this book made me excited! So did this book live to the hype? Well, let’s talk about it.
The Blacktongue Thief follows Kinch Na Shannack, who owes a fortune to the Takers Guild. Kinch is a thief with personality, humour and wit. Unfortunately, Kinch’s fate gets entangled with the knight Galva, and he now finds himself forced to go on an epic journey.
So let’s start with what I loved about this book. Firstly, Buehlman does a phenomenal job at creating this world. This world feels vast and historic and is filled with ancient history and creatures such as goblins, witches, giants, HUGE birds, an interesting magic system and more. The reader is also introduced to the politics and religion in this world, making this world feel complex and exciting. The Blacktongue Thief is filled with memorable dialogue, humour and vivid battle scenes.
The highlight of this story is the main protagonist Kinch. Kinch is a funny character with a strong personality. He is self-conscious, loves adventure and coins, which makes his character stand out. However, if you do not connect with Kinch and his humour, you will have a tough time reading this book. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the humour in this book, and I didn’t connect with Kinch, which made me lose interests in the plot at 60%. I read the last 40% as fast as possible to get it over with.
Furthermore, the plot does feel forced at times. Throughout the book, the reader is sometimes left wondering what the main goal of Kinch’s journey is due to this book's pacing. This book is incredibly fast-paced, and it feels like there is a new adventure in each chapter, which does not leave the reader any time to contemplate the broader scope of this story and world.
However, I am not saying The Blacktongue Thief is a bad book. If you enjoy the humour and the character Kinch, this might be one of your favourite reads in 2021. I can see why there is so much love for this book, but unfortunately, this was not for me. Weirdly enough, I would still recommend all fantasy readers to give this book a try. Buehlman’s writing is solid and clever, and the world-building is phenomenal. Furthermore, if you connect with Kinch, you will probably have a fantastic time with this book.
Due to my mixed feeling about this book, I will break down my rating into three parts.
My enjoyment reading this book 2/5
Concept, world-building and character 4/5
Overall rating 3/5
Thanks to Gollancz and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman is one of the most anticipated fantasy releases in 2021. This book has almost been unanimously praised, and as of 07.04.21, has a staggering 4.58 rating on Goodreads! Seeing all the praise for this book made me excited! So did this book live to the hype? Well, let’s talk about it.
The Blacktongue Thief follows Kinch Na Shannack, who owes a fortune to the Takers Guild. Kinch is a thief with personality, humour and wit. Unfortunately, Kinch’s fate gets entangled with the knight Galva, and he now finds himself forced to go on an epic journey.
So let’s start with what I loved about this book. Firstly, Buehlman does a phenomenal job at creating this world. This world feels vast and historic and is filled with ancient history and creatures such as goblins, witches, giants, HUGE birds, an interesting magic system and more. The reader is also introduced to the politics and religion in this world, making this world feel complex and exciting. The Blacktongue Thief is filled with memorable dialogue, humour and vivid battle scenes.
The highlight of this story is the main protagonist Kinch. Kinch is a funny character with a strong personality. He is self-conscious, loves adventure and coins, which makes his character stand out. However, if you do not connect with Kinch and his humour, you will have a tough time reading this book. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the humour in this book, and I didn’t connect with Kinch, which made me lose interests in the plot at 60%. I read the last 40% as fast as possible to get it over with.
Furthermore, the plot does feel forced at times. Throughout the book, the reader is sometimes left wondering what the main goal of Kinch’s journey is due to this book's pacing. This book is incredibly fast-paced, and it feels like there is a new adventure in each chapter, which does not leave the reader any time to contemplate the broader scope of this story and world.
However, I am not saying The Blacktongue Thief is a bad book. If you enjoy the humour and the character Kinch, this might be one of your favourite reads in 2021. I can see why there is so much love for this book, but unfortunately, this was not for me. Weirdly enough, I would still recommend all fantasy readers to give this book a try. Buehlman’s writing is solid and clever, and the world-building is phenomenal. Furthermore, if you connect with Kinch, you will probably have a fantastic time with this book.
Due to my mixed feeling about this book, I will break down my rating into three parts.
My enjoyment reading this book 2/5
Concept, world-building and character 4/5
Overall rating 3/5
Thanks to Gollancz and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
September 24, 2023
Pues que decir que me lo he pasado genial, me reído un montón, con nuestro protagonista y desde el comienzo me encantó el tono que tenía el libro.
Si que puede parecer la típica historia de un grupo variopinto que tienen que ir en busca de algún tesoro o de alguien pero en como se cuenta la historia gana mucho.
Espero que saquen mas libros de nuestro particular ladrón, jajajaja.
Xao minino Montesino.
Valoración: 9/10
Sinopsis: Kinch Na Shannack le debe una pequeña fortuna al Gremio de los Ladrones, que lo educó en las artes del latrocinio; educación que, entre otras cosas, incluye violar cerraduras, luchar con cuchillos, escalar paredes, caer sin hacerse daño, urdir mentiras, tender trampas y un puñado de conjuros bastante discretos. Su deuda lo ha llevado a esconderse en el bosque junto a la antigua carretera, acechando y listo para asaltar al primer incauto que se cruce en su camino. Hoy, sin embargo, Kinch Na Shannack ha elegido a la víctima equivocada. Galva, una caballera superviviente de las encarnizadas guerras contra los goblins y leal seguidora de la diosa de la muerte, está buscando a su reina, desaparecida desde que una lejana ciudad del norte sucumbiera a los ataques de los gigantes. Una vez frustrado su intento de robo y afortunado por haber escapado con vida, Kinch descubre que su destino está ligado al de Galva. Sus enemigos en común y una hueste de amenazas bastante insólitas que los dos enfrentan, empujan al ladrón y a la caballera a embarcarse en un periplo de épicas dimensiones. Deberán luchar contra goblins hambrientos de carne humana y krakens al acecho en las siniestras profundidades. En este mundo, como comprobarán en el transcurso de sus aventuras, el honor es un lujo que no está al alcance de todos.
# 12. El libro que más te llame la atención de tu estantería. Reto literario lecturas pendientes 2023
Si que puede parecer la típica historia de un grupo variopinto que tienen que ir en busca de algún tesoro o de alguien pero en como se cuenta la historia gana mucho.
Espero que saquen mas libros de nuestro particular ladrón, jajajaja.
Xao minino Montesino.
Valoración: 9/10
Sinopsis: Kinch Na Shannack le debe una pequeña fortuna al Gremio de los Ladrones, que lo educó en las artes del latrocinio; educación que, entre otras cosas, incluye violar cerraduras, luchar con cuchillos, escalar paredes, caer sin hacerse daño, urdir mentiras, tender trampas y un puñado de conjuros bastante discretos. Su deuda lo ha llevado a esconderse en el bosque junto a la antigua carretera, acechando y listo para asaltar al primer incauto que se cruce en su camino. Hoy, sin embargo, Kinch Na Shannack ha elegido a la víctima equivocada. Galva, una caballera superviviente de las encarnizadas guerras contra los goblins y leal seguidora de la diosa de la muerte, está buscando a su reina, desaparecida desde que una lejana ciudad del norte sucumbiera a los ataques de los gigantes. Una vez frustrado su intento de robo y afortunado por haber escapado con vida, Kinch descubre que su destino está ligado al de Galva. Sus enemigos en común y una hueste de amenazas bastante insólitas que los dos enfrentan, empujan al ladrón y a la caballera a embarcarse en un periplo de épicas dimensiones. Deberán luchar contra goblins hambrientos de carne humana y krakens al acecho en las siniestras profundidades. En este mundo, como comprobarán en el transcurso de sus aventuras, el honor es un lujo que no está al alcance de todos.
# 12. El libro que más te llame la atención de tu estantería. Reto literario lecturas pendientes 2023
June 13, 2021
When I first heard about this book, my initial reaction was: Interesting … but weird. Christopher Buehlman is a consummate horror writer, well-known for classics such as ‘The Lesser Dead’ and ‘The Suicide Motor Club’. Fantasy – and grimdark, no less – seemed a bit of a sideways step.
Then again, SF writer Richard Morgan, best known for the Takeshi Kovacs cyberpunk noir series, did also try his hand at grimdark, and the result was the spectacular ‘A Land Fit for Heroes’ trilogy. On the other end of the spectrum, Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘The Buried Giant’ (2015) had a lot of mainstream critics comment rather condescendingly as to why the literary darling would embrace genre. And High Fantasy, to boot. (I am not a big fantasy reader, but I loved all of the above.)
So I was prepared to give ‘The Blacktongue Thief’ a bash, a promise indeed speeded up when I managed to get a Netgalley arc. And I am so glad that I have now read this, because it is magnificent. Buehlman had me glued to the pages for a couple of days, entranced as I followed Kinch Na Shannack and his motley crew on their improbable quest, including a blind stray cat called Bully Boy, living and breathing the weird and wondrous realm they traversed and the equally weird and wondrous world the book is set in.
If Bully Boy raises an alarm bell – maybe the publisher insisted on a trope Disneyesque animal to melt the reader’s heart amidst the bloodshed and mayhem, and copious profanity in multiple made-up languages – fear not. Bully Boy is as tough as nails and an integral part of the story. The reader’s love for all of these characters is hard-won and well-deserved in the end. There is no manipulative sentiment inserted by Buehlman to sweeten his tale. Indeed, as a writer he is not afraid to make some tough and unexpected choices, which I greatly respect as a reader.
I think there can be no greater compliment paid to a writer than when you can genuinely say you felt as if you were there along with the characters. Buehlman’s world-building is quite intricate, and it took me a while to get a handle on the social set-up, background and geopolitics. I especially appreciated the fact that Buehlman never resorts to that dreaded gold-plate standard of fantasy, the infodump. All you need to make sense of this world is embedded in the story itself and the experiences and histories of the characters.
There is a trend for a lot of grimdark to be archly funny and ‘meta’, which a writer like K.J. Parker is really good at. The fact that Kinch is beholden to the Takers Guild for his education as a thief, a debt he is unable to pay off and hence ends up in servitude to them, of course strikes a contemporary note.
When we eventually learn about the true extent of the Takers Guild’s dark motives, the resonance with our world, especially countries meddling in the affairs of other nations, manufacturing conflict and even wars to prop up the military-industrial complex, and bio-engineering potentially lethal viruses that threaten life as we know it, all have echoes in Buehlman’s book, but never to the extent where it pushes you out of the narrative.
Buehlman is well aware that he is not only working in a genre, but within a hallowed tradition. He remarks in his Acknlwledgements:
I also wish to acknowledge those who blazed this trail; J. R. R. Tolkien, of course, who is every modern fantasy writer’s common ancestor; but also publisher Tom Doherty, who helped bring him to an American audience and who runs the company that brought this book to light. George R. R. Martin inherited not just Tolkien’s middle initials but his genius in world-building and set an astonishingly high bar for the rest of us—the audio books of A Song of Ice and Fire, brilliantly narrated by the late Roy Dotrice, have smoothed many a long mile on my road and remain, for me, the gold standard of storytelling excellence. The works of modern masters Joe Abercrombie and Patrick Rothfuss influenced this author, it is fair to say; in a world so full of good books and so short on time, theirs are among the stories I gladly revisit.
‘The Blacktongue Thief’ joins that special list of good books you would do very well by investing your time in reading.
Then again, SF writer Richard Morgan, best known for the Takeshi Kovacs cyberpunk noir series, did also try his hand at grimdark, and the result was the spectacular ‘A Land Fit for Heroes’ trilogy. On the other end of the spectrum, Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘The Buried Giant’ (2015) had a lot of mainstream critics comment rather condescendingly as to why the literary darling would embrace genre. And High Fantasy, to boot. (I am not a big fantasy reader, but I loved all of the above.)
So I was prepared to give ‘The Blacktongue Thief’ a bash, a promise indeed speeded up when I managed to get a Netgalley arc. And I am so glad that I have now read this, because it is magnificent. Buehlman had me glued to the pages for a couple of days, entranced as I followed Kinch Na Shannack and his motley crew on their improbable quest, including a blind stray cat called Bully Boy, living and breathing the weird and wondrous realm they traversed and the equally weird and wondrous world the book is set in.
If Bully Boy raises an alarm bell – maybe the publisher insisted on a trope Disneyesque animal to melt the reader’s heart amidst the bloodshed and mayhem, and copious profanity in multiple made-up languages – fear not. Bully Boy is as tough as nails and an integral part of the story. The reader’s love for all of these characters is hard-won and well-deserved in the end. There is no manipulative sentiment inserted by Buehlman to sweeten his tale. Indeed, as a writer he is not afraid to make some tough and unexpected choices, which I greatly respect as a reader.
I think there can be no greater compliment paid to a writer than when you can genuinely say you felt as if you were there along with the characters. Buehlman’s world-building is quite intricate, and it took me a while to get a handle on the social set-up, background and geopolitics. I especially appreciated the fact that Buehlman never resorts to that dreaded gold-plate standard of fantasy, the infodump. All you need to make sense of this world is embedded in the story itself and the experiences and histories of the characters.
There is a trend for a lot of grimdark to be archly funny and ‘meta’, which a writer like K.J. Parker is really good at. The fact that Kinch is beholden to the Takers Guild for his education as a thief, a debt he is unable to pay off and hence ends up in servitude to them, of course strikes a contemporary note.
When we eventually learn about the true extent of the Takers Guild’s dark motives, the resonance with our world, especially countries meddling in the affairs of other nations, manufacturing conflict and even wars to prop up the military-industrial complex, and bio-engineering potentially lethal viruses that threaten life as we know it, all have echoes in Buehlman’s book, but never to the extent where it pushes you out of the narrative.
Buehlman is well aware that he is not only working in a genre, but within a hallowed tradition. He remarks in his Acknlwledgements:
I also wish to acknowledge those who blazed this trail; J. R. R. Tolkien, of course, who is every modern fantasy writer’s common ancestor; but also publisher Tom Doherty, who helped bring him to an American audience and who runs the company that brought this book to light. George R. R. Martin inherited not just Tolkien’s middle initials but his genius in world-building and set an astonishingly high bar for the rest of us—the audio books of A Song of Ice and Fire, brilliantly narrated by the late Roy Dotrice, have smoothed many a long mile on my road and remain, for me, the gold standard of storytelling excellence. The works of modern masters Joe Abercrombie and Patrick Rothfuss influenced this author, it is fair to say; in a world so full of good books and so short on time, theirs are among the stories I gladly revisit.
‘The Blacktongue Thief’ joins that special list of good books you would do very well by investing your time in reading.
June 21, 2024
Incredible, incredible voice and storytelling.
Okay, I absolutely loved everything about this book. We join a thief in a world of tattoo-magic, witches, goblin wars on a quest with unlikely friendships and incredible misadventures. Maybe it sound like you've read a book like this before, but trust me, you haven't. Buehlman brings an incredible voice, tone, style and dry humor to thief first person POV that will endear you almost from the beginning. There's just something about the narration that is so inviting and eases you into what seems like a simple story.
But as the story-telling unfolds, you learn that Buehlman has created a deceptively simple world but is rich in history, language, culture and terrain. The world just fleshes out so nicely that you can almost smell the scenes and see the oddball characters from various nations. The character developments are so surprising. Enemies you think should be enemies turn out as friends because of circumstance and opportunity. There is a back story of political brinksmanship going on in the background that ties off the story really nicely, leaving us open for more installments.
I was so eager to open up this book just to see where the story was going and the hilarity with which it was told. The narrative voice is down right hilarious. I'm talking laughing-from-the-belly humor. Something about the word choice and the deceptive simplicity of the language made this just such a great read.
I highly, highly recommend this for any reader whether you like fantasy or not.
Okay, I absolutely loved everything about this book. We join a thief in a world of tattoo-magic, witches, goblin wars on a quest with unlikely friendships and incredible misadventures. Maybe it sound like you've read a book like this before, but trust me, you haven't. Buehlman brings an incredible voice, tone, style and dry humor to thief first person POV that will endear you almost from the beginning. There's just something about the narration that is so inviting and eases you into what seems like a simple story.
But as the story-telling unfolds, you learn that Buehlman has created a deceptively simple world but is rich in history, language, culture and terrain. The world just fleshes out so nicely that you can almost smell the scenes and see the oddball characters from various nations. The character developments are so surprising. Enemies you think should be enemies turn out as friends because of circumstance and opportunity. There is a back story of political brinksmanship going on in the background that ties off the story really nicely, leaving us open for more installments.
I was so eager to open up this book just to see where the story was going and the hilarity with which it was told. The narrative voice is down right hilarious. I'm talking laughing-from-the-belly humor. Something about the word choice and the deceptive simplicity of the language made this just such a great read.
I highly, highly recommend this for any reader whether you like fantasy or not.
May 12, 2021
Christopher Buelhman is a favorite author of mine, but I've been caught up with his work for a while now. When I saw this was coming out soon, I jumped on the chance for an ARC and here we are. To be honest? I think this is the best thing he's written so far!
Kinch Na Shannack is a black-tongue thief. He's still in training, but for now, he's in debt, (we'll call them student loans), and if he doesn't pay up soon, his future is uncertain. Until he pays those debts, he's forced to wear a tattoo on his cheek that allows everyone and their brother to smack him in the face with no retaliation. The Takers Guild send Kinch on a secret mission, for which he sets off with his new blind cat, (rao), to save himself and perhaps the world. Will he succeed? You'll have to read this to find out!
This story is epic in scale. We're talking dozens of different kinds of peoples, different languages, different societies. We're talking giants and goblins, vast oceans filled with Kraken and other deadly creatures, and that's just to start. Politics between the societies, the existence of witches, kings and queens, and the sad loss of horses, populate these pages.
Of course, when you have witches you also have magic and spells, and this book is full of them, and really cool ones too! Creatures can live inside tattoos, if you have the right spells. Battle corvids and blind cats to name only a few.
The writing here is witty and concise without being stiff or stuffy. For instance:
"Monarchy is a bad system because, no matter how smart you are, you can still squirt a moron out of your plumbing."
His characters aren't so brave that they're never afraid. And they aren't so involved in themselves that they cannot see how insane things are. For example:
"And that's the true story of how on the tenth day of Vintners, I ended up betting my arse on a card game in a sewer, under an army of murdering giants at the very top of the wicked world."
I want to talk about the humor in this book- like that quote above? It was literally his arse that was on the line in that game. The humor is black and dark, just the way I like it. With poor Kinch having to pause life at nearly every turn so that someone can smack him across the face- it was difficult not to burst out laughing at times. (In fact, I often failed and laughed my butt off, much to the concern and chagrin of my family and/or coworkers who were around at the time.)
I will read anything Christopher Buehlman writes. Period. I don't care what the genre label is, good writing is good writing and I'm in it for the stories. He mentions in the acknowledgements that Tolkien, George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss have had an influence on him and on this book. I hope though, that unlike Martin and Rothfuss, we get an ending to Kinch's story, because I NEED TO KNOW what happens next, (and the sooner the better!)
My highest recommendation!
Available everywhere on May 25, 2021, but you can pre-order your copy here: https://amzn.to/3qxhzrW
*Thanks to a certain editor, to Tor and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Kinch Na Shannack is a black-tongue thief. He's still in training, but for now, he's in debt, (we'll call them student loans), and if he doesn't pay up soon, his future is uncertain. Until he pays those debts, he's forced to wear a tattoo on his cheek that allows everyone and their brother to smack him in the face with no retaliation. The Takers Guild send Kinch on a secret mission, for which he sets off with his new blind cat, (rao), to save himself and perhaps the world. Will he succeed? You'll have to read this to find out!
This story is epic in scale. We're talking dozens of different kinds of peoples, different languages, different societies. We're talking giants and goblins, vast oceans filled with Kraken and other deadly creatures, and that's just to start. Politics between the societies, the existence of witches, kings and queens, and the sad loss of horses, populate these pages.
Of course, when you have witches you also have magic and spells, and this book is full of them, and really cool ones too! Creatures can live inside tattoos, if you have the right spells. Battle corvids and blind cats to name only a few.
The writing here is witty and concise without being stiff or stuffy. For instance:
"Monarchy is a bad system because, no matter how smart you are, you can still squirt a moron out of your plumbing."
His characters aren't so brave that they're never afraid. And they aren't so involved in themselves that they cannot see how insane things are. For example:
"And that's the true story of how on the tenth day of Vintners, I ended up betting my arse on a card game in a sewer, under an army of murdering giants at the very top of the wicked world."
I want to talk about the humor in this book- like that quote above? It was literally his arse that was on the line in that game. The humor is black and dark, just the way I like it. With poor Kinch having to pause life at nearly every turn so that someone can smack him across the face- it was difficult not to burst out laughing at times. (In fact, I often failed and laughed my butt off, much to the concern and chagrin of my family and/or coworkers who were around at the time.)
I will read anything Christopher Buehlman writes. Period. I don't care what the genre label is, good writing is good writing and I'm in it for the stories. He mentions in the acknowledgements that Tolkien, George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss have had an influence on him and on this book. I hope though, that unlike Martin and Rothfuss, we get an ending to Kinch's story, because I NEED TO KNOW what happens next, (and the sooner the better!)
My highest recommendation!
Available everywhere on May 25, 2021, but you can pre-order your copy here: https://amzn.to/3qxhzrW
*Thanks to a certain editor, to Tor and to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
June 11, 2021
Great character driven fantasy with a fantastic protagonist, hilarious prose and a satisfying arc.
July 25, 2022
Fantasía, humor socarrón a saco, buena historia y personajes carismáticos. ¿Se puede pedir más?
Recomendado por Over -gracias una vez más, chaval- tenemos una primera parte de esta historia que no nos deja colgados; cierra tramas y nos adelanta por dónde van a ir los tiros.
Quiero empezar destacando, como ya ha dicho Ovet tb, que la editorial Gamon se está saliendo: suya es esta serie, la de “La Banda” (de Nicholas Eames) que tb se llevó 5 estrellas, la de los “Magos de la Pólvora” (de McClellan) que se ha llevado 5 en sus dos libros publicados… lo dicho, que se sale a pesar de que su libro de Fantasía Urbana de “La plegaria de la calle” pinchara conmigo. A ver si pillo el resto de sus libros publicados.
Venga, vamos a este. Como bien lo define la propia editorial es Fantasía de aventuras. Es el típico grupo que se va reuniendo y que tiene un propósito que alcanzar, lo que llega de alguna manera al final del libro.
Los personajes del grupo son todos carismáticos. Los que van apareciendo como secundarios, tb. ¿Tal vez sería de agradecer un antagonista con más peso? Pues no diría que no, pero Sesta como “mala” lo hace bastante bien. El personaje principal y narrador, el ladrón este de lengua negra, es socarrón, hábil, simpático y con potencial creciente. Los otros del grupo no os los revelo pero tb caen simpáticos y empatizas con ellos en cuanto aparecen. No son el colmo de la solidez pero cumplen a las mil maravillas.
La ambientación es la típica medieval de arcos y espadas, sin armas de fuego, y con varios reinos para dar variedad a personajes y culturas. No hay politiqueos entre ellos, al menos en esta entrega. El sistema de magia tiene su puntito de original (tampoco demasiado) y cumple. Y tenemos goblins y gigantes, ambos con bastante protagonismo en la historia.
Y no os cuento más. Si os gusta la Fantasía lo leeréis y pasaréis un muy buen rato, fijo, haced caso al “tito Over” que fue quien nos lo presentó en sociedad.
Recomendado por Over -gracias una vez más, chaval- tenemos una primera parte de esta historia que no nos deja colgados; cierra tramas y nos adelanta por dónde van a ir los tiros.
Quiero empezar destacando, como ya ha dicho Ovet tb, que la editorial Gamon se está saliendo: suya es esta serie, la de “La Banda” (de Nicholas Eames) que tb se llevó 5 estrellas, la de los “Magos de la Pólvora” (de McClellan) que se ha llevado 5 en sus dos libros publicados… lo dicho, que se sale a pesar de que su libro de Fantasía Urbana de “La plegaria de la calle” pinchara conmigo. A ver si pillo el resto de sus libros publicados.
Venga, vamos a este. Como bien lo define la propia editorial es Fantasía de aventuras. Es el típico grupo que se va reuniendo y que tiene un propósito que alcanzar, lo que llega de alguna manera al final del libro.
Los personajes del grupo son todos carismáticos. Los que van apareciendo como secundarios, tb. ¿Tal vez sería de agradecer un antagonista con más peso? Pues no diría que no, pero Sesta como “mala” lo hace bastante bien. El personaje principal y narrador, el ladrón este de lengua negra, es socarrón, hábil, simpático y con potencial creciente. Los otros del grupo no os los revelo pero tb caen simpáticos y empatizas con ellos en cuanto aparecen. No son el colmo de la solidez pero cumplen a las mil maravillas.
La ambientación es la típica medieval de arcos y espadas, sin armas de fuego, y con varios reinos para dar variedad a personajes y culturas. No hay politiqueos entre ellos, al menos en esta entrega. El sistema de magia tiene su puntito de original (tampoco demasiado) y cumple. Y tenemos goblins y gigantes, ambos con bastante protagonismo en la historia.
Y no os cuento más. Si os gusta la Fantasía lo leeréis y pasaréis un muy buen rato, fijo, haced caso al “tito Over” que fue quien nos lo presentó en sociedad.
May 12, 2021
“I’ll watch you while you sleep. Sleep while you watch. I’ll lie to you, but I’ll also lie for you. If you let me do the talking, I’ll make sure you miss the pennycock with the pizzle-itch and get the best wine in the merchant’s barrel. You’ll never again meet a door you can’t get through, nor a wall you can’t get eyes over. I need your arms, yes, but you need my nose. If you do the worst of the fighting, I’ll make sure you know where your foes are coming from and cull the weak ones. I won’t be your dog but, if you’re half the wolf I think you are, you’ve found a fox to run with.”
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman is a book I’ve had my eye on since early last year when it was recommended to me by Brian Naslund, author of The Dragons of Terra trilogy. To say I was hyped for this book would be a complete understatement, for several months I’ve been desperate to get my hands on an ARC to discover just what all the early furore was about. I’m thoroughly grateful to Gollancz for sending me an early copy because now I truly understand the hype. The Blacktongue Thief is one cleverly written, fantastical novel. I was charmed, often left dazed or horrified, but thoroughly entertained from the very beginning to the very end.
The story follows Kinch Na Shannack, a trained thief whose prestigious tutelage has earned him an immense debt to The Taker’s Guild. Think of it as a student loan, except once you owe The Taker’s Guild, they firmly hold you in their clutches, and paying them back is one hell of a deadly task. Which is why at the beginning of the novel, we find Kinch in a desperate state, hiding on the edge of a forest, waiting in hopes of stealing a fortune from the next passerby. Whether what follows after was the work of ill-luck, fate or forced by unseen hands is questionable, but our poor Kinch lands himself in more trouble than he ever bargained for. Unfortunately for Kinch, his next victim is Galva, an adept Knight from Ispanthia, who fought in the Goblin Wars and holds many secrets up her sleeve. Throughout the novel Kinch and Galva’s narratives entwine and they set forth on a chaotic, harrowing and often downright surreal journey together. A journey which held some scenes I don’t think I’ll ever forget!
“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. I jerked the book open to a random page, towards the end, and focused, knowing I would either understand what I saw or die.”
The Blacktongue Thief is told in first person, with Kinch giving us an intimate account of all that happened to him from the day he met Galva. Buehlman immediately draws the reader in with Kinch’s distinctive narrative voice. It was a voice laced with subtle sarcasm, cynicism and a nonchalant tone, it had the effect of making me care for his character before I even truly began to know him. As I read on I adored his quirky traits – the way he obsessed over (even licked) money, his overly chatty nature, his awkwardness, they all made Kinch a delightfully fun character to follow. He isn’t exactly the hero in this tale – as the title of the book affirms, he’s not only a thief, but one with a black tongue, which is both literal as well as metaphorical, as more often than not his smart-mouth, and unreliability would cause him a heap of dilemmas.
Surprisingly for me, I don’t believe there were any characters which I didn’t like in this book. Buehlman had a fantastic way of making each character memorable, they were all eclectic enough to stand out, even those who only appeared for a brief scene or two. Some of my most favourite parts early on in the novel consisted of interactions between the Knight Galva, and Kinch. Galva, you could say, was quite a feisty snappish character, yet she had a charming sense of loyalty about her too. I loved the way Galva would insult Kinch in her Spanth mother-tongue, the way they bantered together, often never seeing eye to eye, but always helping each other nonetheless. It was an odd friendship but one I enjoyed watching grow. Another favourite of mine was the witch Deadlegs, who I can��t wait for everyone to meet because, well… you’ll see! Her scenes were strikingly surreal and I loved it. Then there was Norrigal, who Kinch affectionately labels his ‘witchlet’, her chaotic use of magic never failed to entertain. Honorary mention also goes to Bully-Boy, the blind cat who became both a friend and foe to Kinch, I deeply loved that little cat! ”Roa!”
“You’re a guild thief. You have training and magic. If I drop you, it won’t hurt will it?”
“If I say no, will you think of a different way to hurt me?”
“Maybe.”
“Then yes, it will hurt me very much. Please, brave Knight, do not drop me on my melon.”
She dropped me, but I don’t hold that against her.”
Much of the world-building, particularly the history of the world and the magic system, is told through Kinch’s inner monologues or through direct speech between characters. Often this can result in passages of dull info-dumping, but in my opinion the author avoids this because as I’ve mentioned – Kinch is our narrator. With every bit of information we get, Kinch provides us with a social commentary dripping in cynicism, he makes it light-hearted, even humorous, which in turn allows these passages to be amusing and fascinating to read. We learn about the Goblin Wars which caused the population of women to outweigh the population of men, as a lot of men died early on fighting. We learn why the world was without horses, and how The Taker’s Guild trained young students in the arts of thievery and magic, the hierarchy of both professions, and how the Guild wanted their hand in every pocket. This was a world full of rich culture too, from the Spanth, Norholter, and Galtish races each with their own distinct language, accent, beliefs, and Gods. The confusion between various languages caused some real laugh out loud moments, and the debates about different cultural beliefs were nice to see. All these little touches of details effectively built up a diverse and fully realised world.
“Monarchy is a bad system because, no matter how smart you are, you can still squirt a moron out of your genitives. Maybe you get lucky and your son or daughter is at least half as smart as you—what about your grandchild? Probably a knob, and when they inherit the throne everything you built falls to shyte.”
There’s nothing more I appreciate than a fantasy book which isn’t afraid to be inventive and well, highly fantastical. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy books with low-key subtle magic because I do, but on the other hand I love to see the fantasy genre celebrated for its fundamental use of magic and myth, to see it revel in it. The Blacktongue Thief features a world with murderous trees, mutant magical beasts, magicked tattoos, an upside down tower, krakens, goblins and giants. The world is also full of religion and superstitions surrounding the various gods, such as Fothannon, our Kinch’s fox god. Buehlman surprised me at every turn, even shocked me on occasion, the originality I found in this book was extremely gratifying to see. Then there was the humour, the cleverly written turn of phrase, the outright absurd scenes, and even one harrowing scene. Once again Buehlman really impressed me here too, there were so many clever layers of humour, from satirical to dark, to outright comedic. When you mix a fantastical surreal world, with multiple layers of humour and quirky characters, you’re onto a winning book for me.
Although this isn’t Christopher Buehlman’s first novel, it is the first novel I’ve read by him and I can firmly say I’m impressed. I’m not sure yet whether I dare read his horror novels, I may venture into them one Halloween month, but I can definitely say I’m looking forward to more instalments in this fantasy series. The Blacktongue Thief is just bursting with originality, sharp-witted prose, and the most compelling character, our beloved Kinch.
ARC provided by Will at Gollancz in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. The Blacktongue Thief is released 27th May.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman is a book I’ve had my eye on since early last year when it was recommended to me by Brian Naslund, author of The Dragons of Terra trilogy. To say I was hyped for this book would be a complete understatement, for several months I’ve been desperate to get my hands on an ARC to discover just what all the early furore was about. I’m thoroughly grateful to Gollancz for sending me an early copy because now I truly understand the hype. The Blacktongue Thief is one cleverly written, fantastical novel. I was charmed, often left dazed or horrified, but thoroughly entertained from the very beginning to the very end.
The story follows Kinch Na Shannack, a trained thief whose prestigious tutelage has earned him an immense debt to The Taker’s Guild. Think of it as a student loan, except once you owe The Taker’s Guild, they firmly hold you in their clutches, and paying them back is one hell of a deadly task. Which is why at the beginning of the novel, we find Kinch in a desperate state, hiding on the edge of a forest, waiting in hopes of stealing a fortune from the next passerby. Whether what follows after was the work of ill-luck, fate or forced by unseen hands is questionable, but our poor Kinch lands himself in more trouble than he ever bargained for. Unfortunately for Kinch, his next victim is Galva, an adept Knight from Ispanthia, who fought in the Goblin Wars and holds many secrets up her sleeve. Throughout the novel Kinch and Galva’s narratives entwine and they set forth on a chaotic, harrowing and often downright surreal journey together. A journey which held some scenes I don’t think I’ll ever forget!
“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. I jerked the book open to a random page, towards the end, and focused, knowing I would either understand what I saw or die.”
The Blacktongue Thief is told in first person, with Kinch giving us an intimate account of all that happened to him from the day he met Galva. Buehlman immediately draws the reader in with Kinch’s distinctive narrative voice. It was a voice laced with subtle sarcasm, cynicism and a nonchalant tone, it had the effect of making me care for his character before I even truly began to know him. As I read on I adored his quirky traits – the way he obsessed over (even licked) money, his overly chatty nature, his awkwardness, they all made Kinch a delightfully fun character to follow. He isn’t exactly the hero in this tale – as the title of the book affirms, he’s not only a thief, but one with a black tongue, which is both literal as well as metaphorical, as more often than not his smart-mouth, and unreliability would cause him a heap of dilemmas.
Surprisingly for me, I don’t believe there were any characters which I didn’t like in this book. Buehlman had a fantastic way of making each character memorable, they were all eclectic enough to stand out, even those who only appeared for a brief scene or two. Some of my most favourite parts early on in the novel consisted of interactions between the Knight Galva, and Kinch. Galva, you could say, was quite a feisty snappish character, yet she had a charming sense of loyalty about her too. I loved the way Galva would insult Kinch in her Spanth mother-tongue, the way they bantered together, often never seeing eye to eye, but always helping each other nonetheless. It was an odd friendship but one I enjoyed watching grow. Another favourite of mine was the witch Deadlegs, who I can��t wait for everyone to meet because, well… you’ll see! Her scenes were strikingly surreal and I loved it. Then there was Norrigal, who Kinch affectionately labels his ‘witchlet’, her chaotic use of magic never failed to entertain. Honorary mention also goes to Bully-Boy, the blind cat who became both a friend and foe to Kinch, I deeply loved that little cat! ”Roa!”
“You’re a guild thief. You have training and magic. If I drop you, it won’t hurt will it?”
“If I say no, will you think of a different way to hurt me?”
“Maybe.”
“Then yes, it will hurt me very much. Please, brave Knight, do not drop me on my melon.”
She dropped me, but I don’t hold that against her.”
Much of the world-building, particularly the history of the world and the magic system, is told through Kinch’s inner monologues or through direct speech between characters. Often this can result in passages of dull info-dumping, but in my opinion the author avoids this because as I’ve mentioned – Kinch is our narrator. With every bit of information we get, Kinch provides us with a social commentary dripping in cynicism, he makes it light-hearted, even humorous, which in turn allows these passages to be amusing and fascinating to read. We learn about the Goblin Wars which caused the population of women to outweigh the population of men, as a lot of men died early on fighting. We learn why the world was without horses, and how The Taker’s Guild trained young students in the arts of thievery and magic, the hierarchy of both professions, and how the Guild wanted their hand in every pocket. This was a world full of rich culture too, from the Spanth, Norholter, and Galtish races each with their own distinct language, accent, beliefs, and Gods. The confusion between various languages caused some real laugh out loud moments, and the debates about different cultural beliefs were nice to see. All these little touches of details effectively built up a diverse and fully realised world.
“Monarchy is a bad system because, no matter how smart you are, you can still squirt a moron out of your genitives. Maybe you get lucky and your son or daughter is at least half as smart as you—what about your grandchild? Probably a knob, and when they inherit the throne everything you built falls to shyte.”
There’s nothing more I appreciate than a fantasy book which isn’t afraid to be inventive and well, highly fantastical. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy books with low-key subtle magic because I do, but on the other hand I love to see the fantasy genre celebrated for its fundamental use of magic and myth, to see it revel in it. The Blacktongue Thief features a world with murderous trees, mutant magical beasts, magicked tattoos, an upside down tower, krakens, goblins and giants. The world is also full of religion and superstitions surrounding the various gods, such as Fothannon, our Kinch’s fox god. Buehlman surprised me at every turn, even shocked me on occasion, the originality I found in this book was extremely gratifying to see. Then there was the humour, the cleverly written turn of phrase, the outright absurd scenes, and even one harrowing scene. Once again Buehlman really impressed me here too, there were so many clever layers of humour, from satirical to dark, to outright comedic. When you mix a fantastical surreal world, with multiple layers of humour and quirky characters, you’re onto a winning book for me.
Although this isn’t Christopher Buehlman’s first novel, it is the first novel I’ve read by him and I can firmly say I’m impressed. I’m not sure yet whether I dare read his horror novels, I may venture into them one Halloween month, but I can definitely say I’m looking forward to more instalments in this fantasy series. The Blacktongue Thief is just bursting with originality, sharp-witted prose, and the most compelling character, our beloved Kinch.
ARC provided by Will at Gollancz in exchange for an honest review. All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. The Blacktongue Thief is released 27th May.
August 16, 2024
Un ladro debitore.
Un viaggio da compiere.
Un' invasione da affrontare.
Lo so, dirò una cosa scontata, non me ne vogliate: un romanzo scritto in prima persona deve la sua riuscita interamente al protagonista narrante, se questo non funziona, risulta indigesto o poco empatico, crolla tutto. (ogni riferimento al Kwothe di Rothfuss è voluto).
Vi assicuro che Kinch Na Shannack, abile ladro in debito della Gilda dei Prenditori (ladri ed assassini) riesce, dalla prima all'ultima pagina, a divertire con la sua ironia sfacciata, che rivolge, mai edulcorata, agli altri quanto a se stesso.
A differenza di altri notevoli lavori grimdark, questo romanzo ha nel tono leggero e scanzonato del suo protagonista narratore la sua caratteristica, eppure non perde mai quella drammaticità propria del genere.
Un'avventura, un viaggio per l'esattezza, dal ritmo sostenuto, in cui Buehlman stupisce continuamente per inventiva e ricercatezza, soppesando con cura parti divertenti a parti drammatiche, da quelle romantiche a quelle brutali.
Notevole il cambio di tono tra questo e il serioso "tra due Fuochi" ma riuscitissimi entrambi.
------------------------------------
A thief in debt.
A journey to be made.
An invasion to face.
I know, I'll say something obvious, don't be angry: a novel written in the first person owes its success entirely to the narrator protagonist, if this doesn't work, is indigestible or not very empathetic, everything collapses. (every reference to Rothfuss's Kwothe is intentional)
I assure you that Kinch Na Shannack, a skilled thief in debt from the Guild of Takers (thieves and murderers) manages, from the first to the last page, to entertain with his cheeky irony, which he addresses, never sweetened, to others as much as to himself.
Unlike other notable grimdark works, this novel has its characteristic in the light and carefree tone of its protagonist narrator, yet it never loses that drama typical of the genre.
An adventure, a journey to be precise, with a sustained pace, in which Buehlman continually amazes with his inventiveness and refinement, carefully weighing the funny parts with the dramatic ones, from the romantic ones to the brutal ones.
The change of tone between this and the serious "Between Two Fires" is remarkable, but both are very successful.
Un viaggio da compiere.
Un' invasione da affrontare.
Lo so, dirò una cosa scontata, non me ne vogliate: un romanzo scritto in prima persona deve la sua riuscita interamente al protagonista narrante, se questo non funziona, risulta indigesto o poco empatico, crolla tutto. (ogni riferimento al Kwothe di Rothfuss è voluto).
Vi assicuro che Kinch Na Shannack, abile ladro in debito della Gilda dei Prenditori (ladri ed assassini) riesce, dalla prima all'ultima pagina, a divertire con la sua ironia sfacciata, che rivolge, mai edulcorata, agli altri quanto a se stesso.
A differenza di altri notevoli lavori grimdark, questo romanzo ha nel tono leggero e scanzonato del suo protagonista narratore la sua caratteristica, eppure non perde mai quella drammaticità propria del genere.
Un'avventura, un viaggio per l'esattezza, dal ritmo sostenuto, in cui Buehlman stupisce continuamente per inventiva e ricercatezza, soppesando con cura parti divertenti a parti drammatiche, da quelle romantiche a quelle brutali.
Notevole il cambio di tono tra questo e il serioso "tra due Fuochi" ma riuscitissimi entrambi.
------------------------------------
A thief in debt.
A journey to be made.
An invasion to face.
I know, I'll say something obvious, don't be angry: a novel written in the first person owes its success entirely to the narrator protagonist, if this doesn't work, is indigestible or not very empathetic, everything collapses. (every reference to Rothfuss's Kwothe is intentional)
I assure you that Kinch Na Shannack, a skilled thief in debt from the Guild of Takers (thieves and murderers) manages, from the first to the last page, to entertain with his cheeky irony, which he addresses, never sweetened, to others as much as to himself.
Unlike other notable grimdark works, this novel has its characteristic in the light and carefree tone of its protagonist narrator, yet it never loses that drama typical of the genre.
An adventure, a journey to be precise, with a sustained pace, in which Buehlman continually amazes with his inventiveness and refinement, carefully weighing the funny parts with the dramatic ones, from the romantic ones to the brutal ones.
The change of tone between this and the serious "Between Two Fires" is remarkable, but both are very successful.
August 26, 2022
⛔OJO, CUIDADO, UN KINCH NA SHANNACK ANDA SUELTO!
(Pero ¿qué dice esta loca ahora😱?)
🍎Y me refiero al que tiene un sentido del humor un tanto negro, un tanto ácido y un tanto sarcástico.
(Ah, ¿es que hay más de uno🤪?)
🍎No, solo existe un Kinch Na Shannack, pero ese uno es demoledor!
Vamos, un ladrón,
un héroe sin ganas ni pretensiones de serlo
y un fiel defensor de los gatos (aunque estos sean...🤫)
(Ay, santa Cachucha, que se nos ha enamorado de un "bon vivant🥴")
🍎Bueno, si hablamos de placeres,
puedo asegurarte que en esta historia encontrarás algún que otro affair,
pero también sangre, guerras, gigantes, krakens, goblins, y mucha magia!
(Pero ¿qué dice esta loca ahora😱?)
🍎Y me refiero al que tiene un sentido del humor un tanto negro, un tanto ácido y un tanto sarcástico.
(Ah, ¿es que hay más de uno🤪?)
🍎No, solo existe un Kinch Na Shannack, pero ese uno es demoledor!
Vamos, un ladrón,
un héroe sin ganas ni pretensiones de serlo
y un fiel defensor de los gatos (aunque estos sean...🤫)
(Ay, santa Cachucha, que se nos ha enamorado de un "bon vivant🥴")
🍎Bueno, si hablamos de placeres,
puedo asegurarte que en esta historia encontrarás algún que otro affair,
pero también sangre, guerras, gigantes, krakens, goblins, y mucha magia!
January 21, 2022
💀 DNF at 33%.
I decided to be brave and bold and audacious and picked up this book again last night. It didn't go well. (For the book, obviously. I'm quite alright, thank thee very much.) The problem with this story is that it reminds me of my boyfriend Gar the Pitiless. Only that instead of being the hilarious, darkly delicious, fast-paced tale Evil Overlord is, The Blacktongue Thief is boring as fish, packed with useless blah blah blah blah, and slow-paced as shrimp. Also, I don't give a squid about the characters and they can die a slightly excruciating death for all I care. So here we are and stuff.
[January 7, 2022]
Putting this one on the back burner of doom for now. Because
Return I shall and stuff.
June 3, 2021
Great magic and nonstop adventure. But mostly, what a voice.
Do we already have a name for this new funny strand of grimdark? I've been reading a lot of cynical fantasy about competent people in a world that's permanently effed, but I haven't known what to call it. Snark fantasy? Snarky grimdark? Grimsnark?
Even for funny grimdark, this one is especially fun. There's a clever mix of deeply serious worldbuilding, with the aftermath of a lost and horrific war and a diversity of cultures and kingdoms that all got wrecked in different ways, alll mixed with an endlessly wise cracking swearing thief protagonist. It's a delicate balance, and this here is a shining example of how to do it, with big pluses and minuses.
Plus: you can write about whatever you want. This story meanders around, sometimes on long tangents, almost as though some scenes were worth writing just to see what funny thing the narrator protagonist would say.
Minus: the voice somehow doesn't work so well for action scenes. The whole funny descriptive emotional and reactive reach of the voice is slow, and in fights it can drag. I see this same issue in similarly voiced (and excellent) books like Gideon the Ninth and Murderbot.
Anyway, this was fun and often funny as hell, with some great invented swear words and ways to swear.
The author reads the audiobook and gives a fantastic performance, even though the audio quality isn't so good. I wish the audio team had used a better microphone. But the author sure brought the book's voice to life, and it's absolutely worth a listen.
Do we already have a name for this new funny strand of grimdark? I've been reading a lot of cynical fantasy about competent people in a world that's permanently effed, but I haven't known what to call it. Snark fantasy? Snarky grimdark? Grimsnark?
Even for funny grimdark, this one is especially fun. There's a clever mix of deeply serious worldbuilding, with the aftermath of a lost and horrific war and a diversity of cultures and kingdoms that all got wrecked in different ways, alll mixed with an endlessly wise cracking swearing thief protagonist. It's a delicate balance, and this here is a shining example of how to do it, with big pluses and minuses.
Plus: you can write about whatever you want. This story meanders around, sometimes on long tangents, almost as though some scenes were worth writing just to see what funny thing the narrator protagonist would say.
Minus: the voice somehow doesn't work so well for action scenes. The whole funny descriptive emotional and reactive reach of the voice is slow, and in fights it can drag. I see this same issue in similarly voiced (and excellent) books like Gideon the Ninth and Murderbot.
Anyway, this was fun and often funny as hell, with some great invented swear words and ways to swear.
The author reads the audiobook and gives a fantastic performance, even though the audio quality isn't so good. I wish the audio team had used a better microphone. But the author sure brought the book's voice to life, and it's absolutely worth a listen.
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