Redemption of Thieves

<strong>Good read but leaves one expecting more.</strong><br /><br />this last book in the series felt like the prelude to a greater saga. Will she find the bow someday? do greater foes lurk ahead? where does she travel from here? Will the two young loves find new heights? there is simply so much untapped potential here. <br /><br />so I guess these first four books are at best a good first book. keep it up C. Greenwood.

<strong>Love at first sentence</strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm in love with this series and with the characters. all 4 books were amazing and I can't wait to read Catalysts of Chaos.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

It’s over three years since my last visit to Dimmingwood, but the story is easy enough to pick up in this short novella. The MC finds herself in a nice knot of obligations, truces, and alliances, some hints are dropped as to her past and fate, and she is thrust into a perilous mission to take the fight to the enemy, all within a few pages. The plot points are quite thrilling, even though the early action set pieces are skimmed over and at the same time slowed down with numerous tough talks between frenemies. The series has got into its stride now. The big battle is well done, keeping the tension high all the way through, and is followed by several emotional departures, showing a depth of feeling this series hadn’t previously explored. Overall, this episode is a clear improvement over the previous three. It’s still light fare, but this episode is the first to have a true epic feel.

<strong>A couple of criticisms…</strong><br /><br />I love the way the author can turn of phrase, but in this entry in the series I have a couple of problems. <br />1) In this, and prior books, there are a number of typos. It seemed it was even worse in this installment. <br />2) Our protagonist has been infected with a severe case of the stupids. Without spoilers, there are a couple of conundrums she should have worked out much earlier, as surely every reader had.

Torn between 3 or 4 stars, as I quite enjoyed reading this part of the series. I like that it's a short, easy read as well. Sometimes you just want a novella rather than an epic. I do wish the world that Ilan and her companions live in was more fleshed out; I feel like there's a lot of potential for more lore and mythology, but then, of course, it wouldn't be as short. <br />Looking forward to the next chapter in Ilan's adventures.

<strong>Redemption of Thieves: Legends of Dimmingwood, Book 4)</strong><br /><br />Ilan now has been force to swear loyalty to the Praetor. Unknown to him she is his niece. Ilan and Terrace are back to gather. Will they find love? Great story and fight scenes.

<strong>First class story continues. Can't put it down</strong><br /><br />C. Greenwood creates a world familiar and still strange, populated by folks we know or would like to know. <br />The series is a grabber you will enjoy.

<strong>Can't read the next in the series fast enough</strong><br /><br />An engrossing series of everyday choices of right and wrong; of survival versus death. C. Greewood has a winning combination.

I definitely was excited about Greenwood's character development in this book! Although I liked the last one, this one brought me a level of excitement. Looking forward to Book 5, the last of this series.

<strong>Great for a youth audience</strong><br /><br />This is a great series for introducing the fantasy adventure genre to teens and preteens. R. A. Salvatore and Ed Greenwood are amazing authors, but they can be confusing to people who've never read fantasy (all the unfamiliar races and places are a lot to take in all at once!). The settings and characters in this series are pretty basic; readers who are new to the genre will be more easily able to follow the story because there are no strange cultures to try to understand while events are unfolding.<br /><br />The Praetor is what we would consider a sheriff, or possibly governor, of the region in which the story takes place. When his brother abandons the family to run away and marry a magic user, the vengeful Praetor declares magic forbidden and sets about hunting and killing all in his province who were born with magical abilities.<br /><br />Ilan is a young girl whose parents are murdered by the Praetor's men. She escapes and is taken in and raised by a band of thieves and brigands who are unaware of her inherited magical abilities. <br /><br />In each book of the series, we follow Ilan as she grows, learns, matures, and participates in increasingly dangerous adventures. She is a surprisingly strong heroine. I don't know why so many authors portray girl/young woman lead characters as spoiled, irrational divas when they're expecting readers to believe in and admire them, but I can tell you Ilan has absolutely nothing in common with those girls! Greenwood has given us the gift of a lead character with whom we can easily identify, respect, and empathize. <br /><br />Overall, this is a good series with few mistakes, worth the time it takes to read. In this book, however, there was something that bothered me quite a bit. Ilan has to keep her magical abilities a secret, or she could lose her head. SPOILER ALERT: At one point, she uses her magic to teleport herself and dozens of others a distance it would take weeks to traverse on foot, removing everyone from the custody of a murderous tribe and depositing them in a place of safety. The only possible explanation for this is that someone used magic to save them. The Praetor himself arrives shortly after the refugees, but despite the fact that highly illegal magic has obviously been used, no one mentions or questions it. It doesn't make sense!<br /><br />Other than that major blip, it's an enjoyable read. There's great character development, the writing itself is much better than average, and the lessons and values imparted are things we can all appreciate.<br /><br />If you do try the series, I highly recommend starting from the beginning so you can watch Ilan grow into the heroic young woman she is in this book.