This is a really promising beginning to what I hope will be a long series. Things I love about this book:

1. One of the characters is a "one-headed ettin." What is an ettin? I don't even know, but apparently they usually have more than one head.

2. The action sequences are very well drawn and compelling. You know, as someone who never read a lot of comic books growing up, I often scan the wordless panels too fast, but this one really drew me in through the wordless action stuff.

3. A kind of wry humor permeates without ever being cheesy or too adult.

I have high hopes that will be at least as popular as [b:Bone|3128411|Bone Crossed (Mercedes Thompson, #4)|Patricia Briggs|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1305738183s/3128411.jpg|3159812]. My only gripe is this first installation only gives a taste of the story; it feels more like a fist chapter than a first book. But I think that's the traditional way of comic books, right? ( )

This was a fun beginning to a longer story. Three people with varying talents attempt to rob a monarch. It's got funny and tense moments. The drawing is toonish but it did not detract from the narrative for me. The characters are interesting and have obvious differences making their conversations amusing and funny at times. A really enjoyable start to a series. This would be fine for kids ages 9-12. ( )

*Spoiler alert*

Fourteen-year-old Dessa is an acrobat who travels with circus companions (and thieves) large (Fisk) and small (Topper), but they get caught breaking into the queen's tower and are sentenced to be hanged. They manage to escape, but Dessa has recognized the queen's right-hand man as the one who killed her mother and kidnapped her twin brother, and she's determined to go after him. Outside the city, she reunites with her traveling companions and they head west together after Greyfalcon. This is a natural pausing point but certainly not an ending! The series continues... ( )

First time you meet the three "thieves," learning they worked in a circus together originally. She ran years ago while her brother was kidnapped because he told her to. Ever since, she has been looking for him. She's performing when she thinks she sees the man who took her brother only to discover it's not him when he turns around. It ruins the performance and the circus doesn't make money. The head of the circus says that she must find food or money for the performers or not to bother to come back. Her friend says they should rob the Queen's Tower. They successfully find the horde of treasure, but they are caught. Dessa is appalled by the money horded while people starve. They run. ( )

A fun and surprisingly entertaining read guaranteed to be enjoyed by all ages. A simple enough premise/ story is turned into an engaging adventure by very likeable protagonists who immediately capture your imagination with a smirk and a wink.



As much as I was first put off by learning this was to be a multi-book story (I hadn't realized it when I had ordered it sight-unseen - I always expect to be entertained by Scott's work after all), I'm now glad as I definitely want to see what happens next! :) ( )