Always a Thief

Book Description

In a deadly game of skill and deception...A master thief is just the first wild card…

The priceless, rarely displayed Bannister collection is about to be exhibited—and the show’s director, Morgan West, can’t ignore her growing uneasiness. She’s certain she hasn’t seen the last of the infamous cat burglar Quinn. But she never expected him to turn up at her apartment one dark night in desperate need of her help—help she can’t refuse. The mysterious master thief is playing a dangerous game, and it’s a game that just might get him killed.

With Morgan’s help, Quinn sets a trap intended to catch someone far more elusive…and more deadly…than a thief. But an unseen threat shadows him in the fog-shrouded San Francisco night, an unknown adversary more cunning than any he has yet encountered. Now, just when the stakes are higher than even Quinn can imagine, no one can be trusted—and everything’s at risk.

Download Description

In a deadly game of skill and deception... A master thief is just the first wild card...

The priceless, rarely displayed Bannister collection is about to be exhibited -- and the show's director, Morgan West, can't ignore her growing uneasiness. She's certain she hasn't seen the last of the infamous cat burglar Quinn. But she never expected him to turn up at her apartment one dark night in desperate need of her help -- help she can't refuse. The mysterious master thief is playing a dangerous game, and it's a game that just might get him killed.

With Morgan's help, Quinn sets a trap intended to catch someone far more elusive... and more deadly... than a thief. But an unseen threat shadows him in the fog-shrouded San Francisco night, an unknown adversary more cunning than any he has yet encountered. Now, just when the stakes are higher than even Quinn can imagine, no one can be trusted -- and everything's at risk.

Customer Reviews:

It takes a thief to catch a thief........2007-01-14

It takes a thief to catch a thief. At least that's the logic and theme of this novel. Morgena West is a lonely woman but her life is thrown upside down when the notorious cat burglar, Quinn, drops in through her livingroom window with a gunshot wound. It's not the first time they have met, so she knows he is a dangerous man with cops searching for him in possibly every country in the world, so she has to decide if to inform the cops about his sudden appearance in San Francisco, but since her undeniable attraction for Quinn is clouding her sense of logic, Morgan calls Jared, a cop who is also a friend. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that Quinn and Jarad are actually brothers, and though normally they work on opposite sides of the law, this time they combined their sources to catch a thief was good as Quinn, but a million times more dangerous. Unlike Quinn, the other thief is also a killer! And Morgan, by lusting after Quinn, might find herself as the victim.

Always a Thief has a strong opening, and the pages keep turning as the suspenseful plot takes place. The atmosphere of the book is rather gloomy and may remind you of a noir movie, which adds to the great storytelling. But after about 75 pages, the book quickly turns into a somewhat cheesy romance novel that is trademark of "Loveswept". The story begins to drag and the love story holds no appeal. The relationship is too easy, and the whole book begins to settle around endless conversations. The action atmosphere is replaced by that of a cheep `80s series romance novel, which indeed it is. The ending couldn't have come sooner, and the ending wasn't as exiting as I wished it would be. Though the book leaves it open that a third book in the series is about to come, it hasn't arrived in 3 years so I wouldn't hold my breath for it.

If you are a fan of romantic suspense with more romance and very little suspense, you will probably find this book and it's characters enjoyable. But if you like romantic suspense with little romance and non stop mystery, this book will more then likely disappoint you.

If you liked "Once A Thief" . . ........2007-01-09

If you liked "Once A Thief", you'll love this one!!

Enjoy the reading.......2006-10-03

I can't tell you that this book is boring, but certainly is not a thriller either. You can read and enjoy the book without expecting too much of it. The love story is a notch of being pathetic and the second plot is up to another book. But I don't think I'd read the sequel of this one.

Once A Thief .......2006-08-15

Great mystery as with all of Kay Hooper's other mysterys.
Ms Hooper has a way of writing that peaks your interest.
Her books are hard to put down.

Loved It, But It Left Me Hanging.......2006-07-21

I loved the book, especially the relationship between Morgan and Quinn. I thought the writing was suspenseful, though the end was a trifle anticlimactic because the climax started and ended in the same chapter essentially. I do hate a cliffhanger ending, and this book ends with a cliffhanger leaving you wanting more. It's been a few years since it was published and there has been no 3rd "Thief" book. If there was one, I would definitely read it. I enjoy romantic suspense as long as there isn't too much brutality in the crimes. I also don't like there to be too much time spent on graphic love scenes. This book was a good combination of suspense and romance without too much sex and violence.

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Always a Thief
Jeffery Wilds Deaver
Manufacturer: PaperJacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

An imaginative, scary tale.
good book
The Best Book Ever!
A return to the classics
the holiday house

The Thief of Always: A Fable
Clive Barker
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0060177241

Book Description

Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied...

There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood's wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. It is only when the house shows its darker facewhen Harvey discovers the pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadowsthat he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's philanthropy.

The House and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle, however. Mr. Hood has ambitions for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any soul he has encountered in a thousand years...

Customer Reviews:

An imaginative, scary tale........2007-07-01

My son and I read this book together. He was a pre-teen at the time, and I'm glad I was there so we could talk about some of the disturbing things that happened. In spite of the frightening events, we both enjoyed the book and the time we spent together reading it. This book is not for every pre-teen, though. If your younger child reads it, you'll probably want to be there, too.

good book.......2007-06-06

nice light read, enjoyable, imaginative, not too serious, enjoyable by children but intelligent enough for adults, dark and sinister and yet still has a happy side to it, me likey. wont take you very long to get through.

The Best Book Ever!.......2004-04-14

The Thief of Always is a exciting, fun book that keeps you want to keep on reading. A little scary but addicting. The expression bored to death, which was created by Zeus when Hermes told everlasting jokes to a monster, just means your bored for a couple minutes and then you find something to do, but to this boy he is literally bored to death and is taken to a holiday house, a kid's dream! Then things begin to change......if you want to find out what happens I suggest you read the book, The Thief of Always!

A return to the classics.......2002-02-13

This is an incredable story that flows seemlessly from first to last page. It has all the elements of a classic Grim Fairy Tail and some of the best Gothic drawings I've every seen. The charecters are so real that you end up feeling for all of them, and the discription of Mr Hood as a vampire of the soul could not have been more accurate. Not quite one to read to the kids but it's definatly one to read when the kids are asleep.

the holiday house.......2001-12-10

this book was the best book that i had ever read.
although ive probably only read about a minimum of 10 novels in my life this book was the best. Also, the audio cassette version rocks your mom. if you ever listen to an audio book I'd recommend this one.

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The Thief of Always
A Light, Imaginative Thriller
.eraweB
A touching fable for the young at heart
The Greatest Ever

The Thief of Always
Clive Barker
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064409945

Book Description

Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful rounds of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied...

There is a price to be paid, of course, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by Mr. Hood's wonders, does not stop to consider the consequences. It is only when the House shows it's darker face -- when Harvey discovers the pitiful creatures that dwell in its shadows -- that he comes to doubt Mr. Hood's philanthropy.

The House and its mysterious architect are not about to release their captive without a battle, however. Mr. Hood has ambitious for his new guest, for Harvey's soul burns brighter than any soul he has encountered in a thousand years...

Customer Reviews:

The Thief of Always.......2007-03-30

Once again Clive Barker has taken me on an amazing journey, perfect for adults and children (10+) alike. Definate recommendation.

A Light, Imaginative Thriller.......2007-03-27

Ten-year-old Harvey is bored. He is sitting in his bedroom one February afternoon, watching the rain outside, feeling as bored as he's ever felt. He feels like he might die of boredom. Then, to his surprise, a little person flies through his window. This little man promises Harvey a wonderful vacation where he'll have lots and lots of fun--as long as he doesn't ask any questions. Harvey isn't quite sure about going with the man.

However, a week later, the man shows back up and Harvey decides that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go with him just for a little while. So Harvey walks with him across town through a high wall that isn't really a wall, into a place of magic. Here, at the Holiday House, everyone gives Harvey everything he's ever wanted. Every day holds all of the seasons--in the morning it's like springtime, in the afternoon it's summer, in the early eveing it's fall and time to go trick-or-treating, and in the later evening it's winter and Christmastime. There are two other children there with Harvey--Wendell and Lulu. Lulu, though, has started to go a little bit crazy, so Harvey and Wendell don't spend much time with her.

Harvey intends to only stay at the Holiday House for a few days, but after a couple of reassuring phone calls to his parents when they tell him they want him to stay, he begins to relax. However, he shouldn't relax too much. There are some strange things going on at the Holiday House that aren't fun and exciting. Will Harvey figure out what is going on in time to escape?

I liked the whole idea of the Holiday House--what a perfect vacation spot for little children! I also liked the characters of Rictus, Jive, Marr and Carna. They embodied all characteristics that would be useful for keeping children there. I thought a couple of things weren't believable, though. Harvey seemed to have an undue attachment to Lulu. He barely even knew her, but he was very concerned about her, more so than most ten-year-olds would be. I also didn't buy Harvey's thievery toward the end of the story. It seemed less possible than the rest of the story.

.eraweB.......2006-12-27

A ten-year-old boy named Harvey, bored with his life, falls to the wiles of a seductively welcoming being named Rictus, and becomes a guest at a seemingly wondrous place called Holiday House. At Holiday House, each fun-filled day contains four seasons: and seasons at their very best. The springtime which comes each morning ushers in blossoming flowers and explosions of greenery; the summers that fill the afternoons are always those rare perfect kind one experiences but a few times in the school-less, cloud-less summertime of youth; the autumns that ripens as evening sets in sees the trees dyed with bright colors, as the air cools and the breeze smells sweetly of the bounty of unseen fields. And then winter takes over the night, cold, crisp, perfect for sleeping-in or sitting beside a crackling fire. It's all too good to be true---which of course it is.

Clive Barker's dark fantasy, part fairy tale and part horror story, is clearly intended as a vehicle for appreciative adults to rekindle some of the lost themes of childhood, when the world was simultaneously magical and threatening. In this the imaginative Liverpudlian nearly succeeds. The one serious flaw in The Thief of Always is the same one I've found in nearly everything Clive Barker has written, and that is...as best I can describe it...his story lacks a soul. I don't know any other way to put it. This registers in the ease with which Barker's characters can later be put out of mind, and the acceptance one experiences when something terrible happens to someone we've just spent the last however-many pages reading about. I know legions of Barker fans won't agree with me there, but I have always sensed that about Clive Barker's works, be it The Books of Blood, The Damnation Game, Weaveword, Cabal, or even here, in what was mostly a charming, dark little story.

The Thief of Always is good, it's just not THAT good. It's like a trip through a shattered looking glass; it's flat in a few spots, it's neither character nor plot-driven, and it rushes past far too fast in places where I found myself wishing we could linger. Where Bradbury or King might have gotten the dark fantasy elements right in a tale like this and rendered The Thief of Always an everlasting classic, Barker is just not up to the task.

A touching fable for the young at heart.......2006-09-10

The Great Grey Beast of February has imprisoned Harvey Swick and the young boy is bored to death. How will he ever survive that dreadfully dull period between New Year and Easter? Contemplating his misery, Harvey discovers that he is not alone in his room. Indeed a somewhat strange and scrawny figure is standing in the corner. The man makes himself known as Mr. Rictus and invites Harvey to the Holiday House. And true, Harvey does not believe his eyes: the house is filled with all the pleasures a boy can want. Delicious food, many friends, tons of toys, every day Christmas. What more do you need? Of course there is a price to be paid, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by the wonders of the Holiday House, does not stop to consider the consequences. Only when he discovers that he is no longer a guest, but a prisoner does Harvey start to react. But maybe it is already too late...

Clive Barker's first attempt at writing a book for a younger audience does not go by unnoticed. As Clive is known for his very dark and fantastic tales, he indeed uses these talents to draw a magnificent place where many children surely would love to hide. But with the same zeal he deconstructs the dream and craftily let the evil seep into the story. Of course the villains are not as dark and disturbed as in his adult novels, but still he manages to portrait a series of characters that would enjoy taking permanent residence in the dreams of the younger ones.

One critique that might pop up is that the setting of the story is so rich that it begs for more than one episode. After reading the story, so many things are left untold that it leaves you wanting for more. Even the narrative itself is extremely concise with its twenty-six chapters counting on average not more than six pages each. It would probably not have hurt if more details were introduced in order to make the environment even more exciting and colorful. Nevertheless the story is exciting enough to get the stamp of a must-read. And please, do not worry if you think you are too old to read this book. You never are!

The Greatest Ever.......2006-07-28

To find a plot that intrigues so many chilren is on thing. To get an adult to read it over and over again is another. Great book.

The Sun Always Shines for the Cool: A Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon ; Eulogy for a Small Time Thief

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Life is a one act play

The Sun Always Shines for the Cool: A Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon ; Eulogy for a Small Time Thief
Miguel Pinero
Manufacturer: Arte Publico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United States | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0934770255

Book Description

A collection of three plays by the master playwright Piñero. "Cool is every bit as powerful, as supercharged with emotion, and as true to life as Short Eyes, only this time, the ex-cons are on the street shucking, jiving and plying their trade" (WRC-TV (NBC)).

Customer Reviews:

Life is a one act play.......2000-07-06

Take a trip with Miguel. Visit the bars of the Lower East Side. Visit the junkies, pimps, prostitutes, and the wannabees. Come on, take this trip and see the world of New York as Miguel saw it. Sit back and watch the dramas of everyday life of the weary unfold. Feel what it's like your first day out of prison. See the tough meet someone tougher. Don't pack any bags. Come as you are. Anything you might need will be provided to you, free of charge. Don't be surprised if you want to leave quickly, or stay longer than you intended. Miguel, the junkie christ, has a habit of doing that to people.

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Always a Thief

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739431560

2 Titles in Thief Series - Once a Thief - Always a Thief

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2 Titles in Thief Series - Once a Thief - Always a Thief
Kay Hooper
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000J4GMEA

Product Description

2 massmarket paperback titles in Thief Series - Once a Thief - Always a Thief

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Clive Barker's the Thief of Always
Clive Barker
Manufacturer: DIAMOND BOOK DISTRIB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K33ZRM

Clive Barker's The Thief Of Always Book 2 (Thief of Always)

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Clive Barker's The Thief Of Always Book 2 (Thief of Always)
Kris Oprisko , and Gabriel Hernandez
Manufacturer: IDW Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932382755

Book Description

When Harvey Swick discovers Holiday House's secret, he escapes into a world in which time has sped by without him. Now he must plunge inside once again to regain what's been taken from him.

Clive Barker's The Thief of Always, Book 1

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Clive Barker's The Thief of Always, Book 1
Kris Oprisko , and Gabriel Hernandez
Manufacturer: IDW Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Thief of Always

ASIN: 1932382690

Book Description

Within, Mr. Hood's Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles, a blissful round of treats and seasons, where every childhood whim may be satisfied... for a price. In Book One, young Harvey Swick enters the house, mindless of the consequences.

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Back to my roots

Wolfeish and not half bad

Wolfeish and not half bad

Good start to an imaginative epic

The Excellence Outweighs the Mediocre
Child of the River: The First Book of Confluence (Confluence Trilogy (Paperback))
Paul J. McAuley
Manufacturer: Eos (HarperCollins)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Ancients of Days: The Second Book of Confluence (Confluence Trilogy)

Shrine of Stars: The 3rd Book of Confluence (Confluence Trilogy)

Fairyland

Whole Wide World

Marrow Marrow

ASIN: 0380792966
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Amazon.com

Paul J. McAuley has won just about all the awards named for science fiction authors: the Philip K. Dick, the Arthur C. Clarke, and the John W. Campbell Memorial. McAuley is a true wordsmith, an author's author, and in Child of the River, he has not only written an outstanding novel, he has created a universe. While fans of Gene Wolfe and Mervyn Peake might be taken aback by McAuley's stylistic imitation of those two luminaries, why look a gift horse in the mouth? McAuley's vision is original enough, as well as complex and entertaining enough, to keep a demanding reader engrossed.

Child of the River tells the story of Yama, a young man of unique heritage in a world of genetically altered beings. The river world Confluence is a place of crumbling, ancient cities and machines so old and mysterious they seem like magic. From the vast necropolis of Aeolis to the engimatic metropolis of Ys, Yama seeks the truth about himself, and the universe. With Child of the River, McAuley begins a trilogy examining the death of a breathtakingly epic civilization. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

He offers now a world that stands distinctly apart: a place of savagery, secrets and war; the home of ten thousand extraordinary bloodlines ruled by universal devotion to absent gods; a realm of merchants, mercenaries, ghouls, heretics, bureaucrats and feral machines; a world called Confluence.

Child Of The River is the first book of the end times; the beginning chapter in the final great epic of a mysterious civilization. In it, a singular young man named Yama makes his way from a ghostly city of the dead to a metropolis of living wonders, and through the labyrinthine country

An Arthur C. Clarke and John W. Campbell Memorial Award-winner for his novel Fairyland, Paul J. McAuley designs and fabricates remarkably intricate worlds. He builds some out of solid bricks of science, some from granite carved from the rich quarry of human history and experience. All are marvelous constructs of invention and thought; enthralling landscapes to wander, explore and lose oneself in. He offers now a world that stands distinctly apart: a place of savagery, secrets and war; the home of ten thousand extraordinary bloodlines ruled by universal devotion to absent gods; a realm of merchants, mercenaries, ghouls, heretics, bureaucrats and feral machines; a world called Confluence. Child Of The River is the first book of the end times; the beginning chapter in the final great epic of a mysterious civilization. In it, a singular young man named Yama makes his way from a ghostly city of the dead to a metropolis of living wonders, and through the labyrinthine country o

Customer Reviews:

Back to my roots.......2004-06-26

Before I really get into reviewing this book I must give a brief hisory of why I read it. Some of my viewpoints might differ from the average reader of this book , and to be completly fair an explanation is in order.

It has been about four years since I read any real science fiction, (well, I did just recently read a large collection of H.G. Wells, but personally I don't regard them so much as science fiction as I do classical literature,) and maybe seven or eight years since I have read any with any regularity.

Back then my main focus on reading was lots of fantasy with a good dose of science fiction to season.These books made up probably around ninety percent of reading. If I wasn't reading one I was reading the other. Then, I found it. Other books. Physics, history, classical, cookbooks, modern fiction, biographies, and oh so much more. A whole new world. I was still reading some science fiction, but after a few years it had slowly faded off of my general reading list. Now four years after the last (the last being the whole of the triumphant Foundation series, at least the ones penned by Asminov himself) I decided to go to the library and look for an eye-catching science fiction book that I have never seen before, or ever even heard of the author, just to keep the experiment as clean as possible. I wanted to see if science fiction still had a place in my heart, or if it was just going to be slowly reduced to pleasant, yet fuzzy memories.

Well, as you might have guessed, this is the book that caught my eye. Everything about it said Pick Me, Pick Me. A flashy cover with a nice bit of artwork inset. An author that I had never heard of with a name that had a dignified ring to it. There is more than one book to read which is always a nice thing. It takes place in the far distant future which is always a bonus for my sci-fi reading.

Turns out that this is a nice addition to the genre.Some of the ideas seem to have the recycled stamp on them, but then most books nowadays do. Still, there are alot of fresh ideas (at least from my reading experience) that seem to be well thought out. Although I will say this. I had forgotten how gritty the details can be in science fiction. In most of these kind of books you can expect in various degrees some sort of unneeded junk. Not even Arthur C. Clark or Isaac Asminov are entirely exempt from this classification. I find it to be an interesting phenomenon, and would jump at the chance to read an essay explaining why this is so.

A galaxy that was totally controlled and shaped by its super intellegent inhabitants, also known as the preservers, who had genettically engineered thousands of intellegent races from various species of animals, built whole planets, designed and arranged solar systems as if they were rearranging their living room, and when they decided their work was completed, took the ultimate final step, and as an entire race, went into the black hole at the center of the galaxy. All adding up to a very thought provoking session once all the little details that I don't have the desire to list are thrown in.

Now the story itself has been done before in many various ways (in many different genres as well, though science fiction and fantasy seem to have the beast cornered so to speak), but the setting, storytelling, and some nice little twists all do a nice job of covering it up. We follow a boy (Yamamannama I think, but everyone thankfully calls him Yama for short,) on the edge of manhood who lives a fairly boring life, but thinks he is destined for a better, more adventurous life. (Sound familiar to anyone out there?) His father isn't really his father (where did that come from?), but we are aware of this very early as they are both from different races, (ok, now things are begining to cross that *not so typical* threshhold,) Yama being a human-like human, while his father being a praying mantis or something-like human. See how the story progresses?

Yama, after some strange adventures, ends up traveling with this monkish character who seems to have a darker edge than your average monk. After a terrifingly cool scene in which he finds he can control ancient machines with his mind he ditches the monk. (Wrong move, I can see this coming back to haunt him in the next book.) He eventually teams up with a young rat-boy, who wants nothing more than to be Yama's squire. He also hooks up with a very mouthy She-Cat, who is supposed to make the story a little more fun, but instead the character comes across as just plain annoying, (think Jar-Jar meets Rosessane Barr!), constantly critizing and using words that I had better never catch my cat saying. The three then team up and embark on some fantasy based adventures that blatently reminded me of my D&D days, when the book abruptly ends almost in the middle of a sentence. ( Well not quite, but it sure felt like is did.) This isn't McCauley's fault though. It was an editorial call.

McCauley is a very good writer. He easily weaves together the story blending science fiction, fantasy, nice plot lines, lots of little surprises, a very colorful world, and quest themes that have *hero* stamped all over them.

To answer my earlier question of science fiction in general, I have found it to still be fun, capturing my imagination almost as if I had never left. Lesson learned. I will continue to read science fiction although not in the glutonous amounts of my glory days. As for continuing the series, I will most likely do so. The book has more of an epic scope to it than most science fiction can ever reach, although I won't truly know until I finish reading the series if that scope can be carried out to its fullness.

Wolfeish and not half bad.......2003-01-11

I think if I'd not been a McCauley fan and had read that this was a Gene Wolfe pastiche. I'd have been unlikely to have bought it.
It's really not too bad at all. Has a lot of Wolfean elements, basically combining the far, far future of "The Book of the New Sun" with the artificial enviroment of "The Long Sun" books.
Gene Wolfe lite desribes it well and though it lacks the embedded complexity of Wolfe it does capture a lot of his stylistic touches well.
I agree with those who think this should have been released as a single novel rather than a trilogy but its still an interesting journey rather than a compulsive page turner.

Wolfeish and not half bad.......2003-01-11

Good start to an imaginative epic.......2001-11-09

This book is really 4-1/2 stars. It shows a lot of creativity, with a far-future setting that has touches of fantasy. The fast-paced plot, the action, and the slowly unfolding mysteries make this a book a winner. Don't, however, expect any kind of closure at the end of the book, as you have to keep reading to continue the story. The lose ends really pile up.

The Excellence Outweighs the Mediocre.......2001-01-20

McAuley invents great backdrops, inventions and moods in his first book of the Confluence trilogy. The City of the Dead gives the reader chills with the dust, isolation and silent videos that activate as visitors stroll by the tombs.

Most of this books races with adventure at a fast pace. A few chapters slow down the action, but only for the reader to catch his breathe.

McCauley does well in keeping the plot from making puppets out of the characters. Yama has an obvious goal: he wants to find his people, or at least who his people were. The characters are likable, but some are cliches--Dr. Dismas or Tamara, for example. Ananda and Pandaras, two different characters whose appearances don't overlap in this book, seem to be too much alike. Overall, however, the characters will endear the reader to this series.

Don't expect Child of the River to be a complete story. The three books in this series may have been only one when the author planned it, but the publisher's marketing department may have seen fit to present this story as a trilogy. I am eager to finish this series and am willing to reserve final judgement until after I read the final chapter. Worth your time for a fun afternoon of speculative fiction.

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