Karissa E. (ophelia99) reviewed The Spirit Thief (Legend of Eli Monpress, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
I have had this book to read for quite sometime. This was a fun and light fantasy adventure read but left me feeling like something was missing. There are five books total in this series.
I listened to this on audiobook. It was narrated by Luke Daniels, who also narrates The Iron Druid Chronicles. He does a great job narrating these light-hearted books. But honestly it was a bit distracting because I kept thinking about the characters from the Iron Druid Chronicles, the voices he uses for characters in this book are very similar to the voices he uses for characters in that series.
This book follows two main characters. The first is a thief named Eli Monpress who has an uncanny ability to convince things to do what he wants them to do. He is determined to have the highest bounty ever recorded put on his head and has decided that kidnapping a King is the best way to hit that goal. The second character is a Spiritualist (a type of wizard that has spirit servants) named Miranda who is sent to capture Eli. When the Kings evil younger wizard brother (who is an Enslaver of spirits) steps onto the throne after the Kings kidnapping, Eli and Miranda find themselves in the uncomfortable situation of having to work together.
This was a fun and light fantasy novel. I really loved the idea of everything (even inanimate objects) having a spirit that certain wizards can communicate with. This was a creative idea that made for a number of interesting situations throughout the novel.
Eli Monpress is lighthearted and doesnt ever take anything seriously. He also has a strange ability to make any spirit do what he wants just by asking. Not a lot is revealed about his past or his true goals. Eli remains a mystery throughout.
Miranda comes across as a very upstanding and noble character. She takes herself a bit too seriously and comes off as kind of immature and whiny at times. I grew to like her character over time, but she was somewhat annoying at the beginning of the book.
There are a number of side characters who read like sketches from a Dungeon and Dragons quest. You have a couple guys wielding magical swords, a young girl partially possessed by a demon, an evil wizard, and a giant magical dog. They were all interesting, but also lacked much depth. All of them have secrets and none of those secrets were revealed in this book.
So even though there was a lot of action, interesting magic, and some interesting characters I found this book to be lacking something. Everything was just very surfacey. The story was wrapped up too neatly. There isnt a lot that really drives the story besides the whole banishing the evil wizard. It was just very light-hearted and fluffy. When I was done with the book I was kind of like Eh, well okay what should I read next.
Overall a fun light-hearted fantasy. This book has an interesting magic system and some intriguing characters but it missing some depth. I wasnt really all that engaged with the characters or the world. I do kind of want to know more about Eli Monpress and his secrets, but that would be the only reason I keep reading this series. Right now I am unsure whether or not I will continue with this series.
I listened to this on audiobook. It was narrated by Luke Daniels, who also narrates The Iron Druid Chronicles. He does a great job narrating these light-hearted books. But honestly it was a bit distracting because I kept thinking about the characters from the Iron Druid Chronicles, the voices he uses for characters in this book are very similar to the voices he uses for characters in that series.
This book follows two main characters. The first is a thief named Eli Monpress who has an uncanny ability to convince things to do what he wants them to do. He is determined to have the highest bounty ever recorded put on his head and has decided that kidnapping a King is the best way to hit that goal. The second character is a Spiritualist (a type of wizard that has spirit servants) named Miranda who is sent to capture Eli. When the Kings evil younger wizard brother (who is an Enslaver of spirits) steps onto the throne after the Kings kidnapping, Eli and Miranda find themselves in the uncomfortable situation of having to work together.
This was a fun and light fantasy novel. I really loved the idea of everything (even inanimate objects) having a spirit that certain wizards can communicate with. This was a creative idea that made for a number of interesting situations throughout the novel.
Eli Monpress is lighthearted and doesnt ever take anything seriously. He also has a strange ability to make any spirit do what he wants just by asking. Not a lot is revealed about his past or his true goals. Eli remains a mystery throughout.
Miranda comes across as a very upstanding and noble character. She takes herself a bit too seriously and comes off as kind of immature and whiny at times. I grew to like her character over time, but she was somewhat annoying at the beginning of the book.
There are a number of side characters who read like sketches from a Dungeon and Dragons quest. You have a couple guys wielding magical swords, a young girl partially possessed by a demon, an evil wizard, and a giant magical dog. They were all interesting, but also lacked much depth. All of them have secrets and none of those secrets were revealed in this book.
So even though there was a lot of action, interesting magic, and some interesting characters I found this book to be lacking something. Everything was just very surfacey. The story was wrapped up too neatly. There isnt a lot that really drives the story besides the whole banishing the evil wizard. It was just very light-hearted and fluffy. When I was done with the book I was kind of like Eh, well okay what should I read next.
Overall a fun light-hearted fantasy. This book has an interesting magic system and some intriguing characters but it missing some depth. I wasnt really all that engaged with the characters or the world. I do kind of want to know more about Eli Monpress and his secrets, but that would be the only reason I keep reading this series. Right now I am unsure whether or not I will continue with this series.
Melissa (readermuse) reviewed The Spirit Thief (Legend of Eli Monpress, Bk 1) on + 96 more book reviews
The cover is perfect for the thief. I think that sly smile describes Eli well. And although he is the main character of the story, I found myself more interested in those around him. Especially the wizard Miranda and her ghosthound, Gin. I also found the relationship between Miranda and Eli interesting. They were like polar opposites in terms of morality. Eli was much more in tune with how nature might view human morality and responsibility and Miranda was his "opposite" in her almost evangelical view of right and wrong. Although this did not create as much tension as I would have liked, it still provided a interesting axis to view the characters.
Later on we find out a little more about Josef his swordsman and Nico a girl with a dangerous demon-seed. Even though they are really secondary characters, I found them interesting and wanted a book about them. I wanted to know more.
In a world where everything has a spirit and wizards have the ability to command and communicate with these spirits, I found this book captivating. Even though I did not find myself liking the main character of Eli in this book, I have a feeling that will change as we begin to learn more about him. After all, we really only get to see a tip of the ice burg of what he is capable of and his arrogance. I suspect more of his softer and sweet side will come out further in this trilogy.
I give this fantasy book 4 stars and can't wait to read the next in the series, The Spirit Rebellion.
Later on we find out a little more about Josef his swordsman and Nico a girl with a dangerous demon-seed. Even though they are really secondary characters, I found them interesting and wanted a book about them. I wanted to know more.
In a world where everything has a spirit and wizards have the ability to command and communicate with these spirits, I found this book captivating. Even though I did not find myself liking the main character of Eli in this book, I have a feeling that will change as we begin to learn more about him. After all, we really only get to see a tip of the ice burg of what he is capable of and his arrogance. I suspect more of his softer and sweet side will come out further in this trilogy.
I give this fantasy book 4 stars and can't wait to read the next in the series, The Spirit Rebellion.
Susan V. (nrlymrtl) reviewed The Spirit Thief (Legend of Eli Monpress, Bk 1) on + 297 more book reviews
This book was full of quick banter, ridiculous situations, and memorable characters that give just enough seriousness to balance, but not detract, from the silliness. I liked the idea of everything, from stone to stream to dust devils, having spirits and that those spirits have needs, rights, and are capable of loosing their sanity and personal identity. Theres sword fights, compelling love and sacrifice, betrayal, conflict among the good guys, and a very persuasive spirit talker. While the characters didnt particularly grow once they were established, they were immensely entertaining and I loved spending time with them. The plot was a little predictable, big picture-wise, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rachel Aaron fill in the details.
Frances P. (franniekin) - , reviewed The Spirit Thief (Legend of Eli Monpress, Bk 1) on + 276 more book reviews
Often very funny, this "good" vs evil tale is quite satisfying. Eli is a thief with a conscience traveling with two strong characters. He is thrown against Melinda who is charged with detaining him for three thefts. Does not go as one expects. Light and fun.
