Helpful Score: 5
This was a good book although it is billed as a fantasy when really there is only one scene in the entire book that is truly fantastical.
Helpful Score: 4
great easy read. it made me what to visit Venice and walk where the characters might have walked.
Helpful Score: 4
I REALLY liked this book. Just enough fantasy to make it interesting without going overboard. :)
Helpful Score: 4
Clever and oh so charming. It's well written, like Harry Potter, and this adult loves anything by Cornelia Funke.
Helpful Score: 4
The Thief Lord is a great book for young adults by the celebrated German author Cornelia Funke. There are many twists to the plot as Prospero and Bo try to avoid being adopted by their snooty aunt.
Helpful Score: 3
This book was a magical, well- described book. I couldn't believe how easily I was sucked in. It was worth the time I put into it
Helpful Score: 3
I honestly was disappointed - I found the book hard to read and get into - initially I was drawn to it because it was reviewed to be a more realistic Harry Potter and I found it nothing like. It never really drew me in and while I enjoyed the characters,they never tugged at my coat tails the way the children do in Oliver Twist or similar stories.
I was first told about this book from a friend of mine. S reads just as much as i do, and had just about the same taste in books as i do. So when i picked it up, i expected it to be interesting. But interesting turned into un-put-down-able. The is the book that opened my eyes to the world of Cornelia Funke. A great writer, and a great book.
Helpful Score: 2
Age Range: 9 to 12
From Our Editors
The Barnes & Noble Review
Cornelia Funke's international award-winning novel, The Thief Lord took Europe by storm and lands on this shore with widespread acclaim. Filled with plenty of mood and colorful characters, this suspenseful tale marks the American debut of a wonderful talent.
Set in modern-day Venice, the book follows a troupe of runaways who partake in theft and resell their goods to a local shopkeeper. Two members -- Prosper and his little brother, Bo -- are being followed by Victor, a detective hired by their mean aunt, but luckily, they and the other kids are watched over by the gang's mysterious and self-assured leader, Scipio (the Thief Lord). As the kids have several run-ins with the sleuth, they're also focused on Scipio's new job to steal a precious wooden carousel wing. Yet when they discover a few skeletons in the Thief Lord's closet and befriend Victor, they realize there is more to their fantastic world than meets the eye.
Filled with strong characters and old-world charm, this engrossing read has a plotline that won't leave you bored. Several stories are interwoven with grace and suspense, and the ending brings them all together with a breath of satisfaction. Although the real magic comes only toward the end, Venice provides a spellbinding backdrop that will have you feeling as if you're riding in gondolas and dodging tourists in St. Mark's Square. An adventure with subtle themes of being mature and doing the right thing,The Thief Lord is molto magnifico! Matt Warner
From Our Editors
The Barnes & Noble Review
Cornelia Funke's international award-winning novel, The Thief Lord took Europe by storm and lands on this shore with widespread acclaim. Filled with plenty of mood and colorful characters, this suspenseful tale marks the American debut of a wonderful talent.
Set in modern-day Venice, the book follows a troupe of runaways who partake in theft and resell their goods to a local shopkeeper. Two members -- Prosper and his little brother, Bo -- are being followed by Victor, a detective hired by their mean aunt, but luckily, they and the other kids are watched over by the gang's mysterious and self-assured leader, Scipio (the Thief Lord). As the kids have several run-ins with the sleuth, they're also focused on Scipio's new job to steal a precious wooden carousel wing. Yet when they discover a few skeletons in the Thief Lord's closet and befriend Victor, they realize there is more to their fantastic world than meets the eye.
Filled with strong characters and old-world charm, this engrossing read has a plotline that won't leave you bored. Several stories are interwoven with grace and suspense, and the ending brings them all together with a breath of satisfaction. Although the real magic comes only toward the end, Venice provides a spellbinding backdrop that will have you feeling as if you're riding in gondolas and dodging tourists in St. Mark's Square. An adventure with subtle themes of being mature and doing the right thing,The Thief Lord is molto magnifico! Matt Warner
Helpful Score: 2
Young adult fantasy/fiction novel about a small group of orphans living on their own in an abandoned movie theatre in Venice. Another mysterious young man named Scipio, self-titled The Thief Lord, helps take care of them by stealing valuables and selling them for money. When two of the orphans' aunt and uncle appear in Venice looking for them and hire a detective to aid their search, the security of the small group of friends is threatened. When the fence they use for getting rid of their stolen goods offers a special job to Thief Lord for mega-moola, he accepts and they are off on another wild adventure. Very well-written and enjoyable book that gives very atmospheric descriptions of Venice. Loved it!
Helpful Score: 1
This book blew me away! It had an unexppected ending and i loved it!!!
I LOVED this book when I was younger! I read it when I was in 5th grade, and a few of the words were a little confusing (partly because some of them were in Italian)but I still really enjoyed it. It's great for kids who are just getting out of those easy readers. Also great for a read-a-loud book.
Helpful Score: 1
My son and I both really enjoyed this book. The descriptions of Venice are wonderful and you really enjoy the different characters you meet. I think the ending satisfies both child and adult readers.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was a wonderful read- from the first page to the last. I love children's fiction, and this one lived up to my high standards.
It is about two brothers who become orphans and must find their way along with other homeless children on the streets of Venice. The city is charming, beautiful, and mysterious and the children love it there but their lives together are threatened by a relative who wants to separate them.
It is about two brothers who become orphans and must find their way along with other homeless children on the streets of Venice. The city is charming, beautiful, and mysterious and the children love it there but their lives together are threatened by a relative who wants to separate them.
Helpful Score: 1
Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy. Here, hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets . . .
After escaping from their cruel aunt and uncle, orphans Prosper and Bo meet a mysterious boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord". Clever and charming, the Thief Lord leads a band of street children who enjoy making mischief. But the Thief Lord also has a dark secret. And suddenly Prosper and Bo find themselves on a fantastical journey to a forgotten place. What they discover there will change the course of their destiny . . . forever.
After escaping from their cruel aunt and uncle, orphans Prosper and Bo meet a mysterious boy who calls himself the "Thief Lord". Clever and charming, the Thief Lord leads a band of street children who enjoy making mischief. But the Thief Lord also has a dark secret. And suddenly Prosper and Bo find themselves on a fantastical journey to a forgotten place. What they discover there will change the course of their destiny . . . forever.
Helpful Score: 1
A magical underworld of Venice,Italy, orphans and street children making mischief. A journey to a forgotten place will change their destiny...forever.
Helpful Score: 1
The Theif Lord is like Inkheart except with less fantasy.It's a good adventure.
Helpful Score: 1
My personal favorite book. No, it isn't a complex and twisted read that keeps you on the edge of your seat in that respect, but the magic and captivating characters sure can be hard to resist! It's simple, but not too simple, and it's one of the few books I've read more than once. Very heart-warming, definitely better than the movie (that's a given), and truly shows the bond of brotherhood at its strongest. If I had my way, Prosper and Bo would win the hearts of everyone who reads it, but it might not be your cup of tea if you aren't into the synopsis. An easy read, something that I come back to again and again as a comfort read. I recommend it to anyone who needs a little innocence in their life.
Fantastic book I really wish I found when I was younger. It brilliantly captivates that fantasy all children have about running away and living a life of adventure, with life-like characters you can really believe in from the first page. My only real complaint, is about the quality of the last fifty pages or so. Starting with a completely unrealistic turn into fantasy, it seems the last several chapters are a sloppy and hasty attempt to tie up all loose ends in a cheerfully satisfying matter. The younger audience won't mind, I'm sure, but to me it seemed the element of reality Funke so tactfully kept was suddenly ruined for the sake of a classic "The End".
An excellent book. I'm not normally a fantasy book fan, but I really did enjoy this one.
A great story set in a magical underworld of Venice, Italy, where hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways with incredible secreta. Prosper and Bo - orphans on the run from a cruel aunt and uncle - hide in Venice, where they meet a mysterious 13 year-old boy--the "Thief Lord." Circumstances lead the listener to a fantastic, spellbinding conclusion.
Wonderful book for middle readers and up...I loved it, too!
I loved this story and think children would enjoy it very much. It has a lot of surprises and enters into the magical realm a little bit. It shows human compassion and friendship in a positive light.
I thought it was going to be more magical but it isn't. Good adventure story for the younger people.
Very good. A very quick read.
I had read Dragon Riders and Ink Heart before I read this book. They were much more appealing and engaging than The Thief Lord.
Very cute book - good for kids. My husband and I were both amused, but felt it was definitely written for a younger audience.
one of the best books i have ever read! funke is a great writer and the ending is somethin to talk about!! a good book for 9-16 yr olds but adults will love it too!
I LOVED this book and I'm certain my middle school aged kids will too.
this book is quite an adventure!
I was told this would be a good book to read after the Harry Potter series, that is not so. It was not at all captivating & I think even a child would be rather bored by the content. I would not recommend this book.
If you like Cornilia Funke you will LOVE this book! I really could not put it down! then I was late for school...
This is such a good book!
An international bestseller
I read this when I was in the 8th grade. I thought it was a great book for those who generally like to read fiction and fantasy. I loved it.
Well written. OK story.
The Thief Lord is a great book. Prosper and Bo hide in Venice. I read this when I was 10.
This book was very good from the stat and kept me reading it until the end.
Good read.
I've had this book for awhile. It's extremely good.
A great story!
I got bored with this book after page 40.
Very fun read.
the book came to already w/out the cover, but otherwise in great shape.
