Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

Storm Thief

Author: Chris Wooding

Pages [paperback]: 310

Opening Lines: The seabird slid through the black sky beneath the blanket of cloud, its feathers ruffling fitfully as it was buffeted by the changing winds.

Favorite Characters: Rail & Moa

Summary:

The city of Orokos has been lashed by probability storms-violent tempests that change whatever they touch. When a probability storm hits, streets are rearranged, children are turned to glass, rivers break from their banks, and life suddenly becomes death. Nothing is stable. Everyone is vulnerable.

Rail has struggled with the effects of one such storm for years; when he was hit, he lost the ability to breathe freely. Moa has also seen her share of struggle-as the daughter of dead rebels, as an outcast, as a criminal. Now they have uncovered their first taste of fortune: a strange artifact wanted by the most powerful people in the city. As with most fortunes, this one comes with a price.

The mysterious object is a gift to any thief. But could it be more? Rail and Moa will have to run, fight, double-cross, steal, and dodge the storms in order to find out . . . and unlock Orokos’s deepest, most dangerous secrets.

Review:

This was the second book I had to read for my assignment in the YA Best Overlooked Book Battle 2011, hosted by Alyssa over at The Shady Glade. I started the book expecting to like it, just from reading the summary and looking at that awesome book cover. And when it was over, I was happy to see that I was right.

Storm Thief follows two unlikely heroes, who work against the odds to make their lives better and to survive day by day. Barely having enough to eat, having to steal to live, when they find an old artifact with powers greater than they could have imagined, Rail and Moa think that perhaps their luck has finally turned. Little do they know that their real adventure has just begun.

This book was very easy to read, and I flew through it. It never lacked for twists and turns, pulling out new surprises every so often to keep things interesting and keep me hooked. It worked well, and had me clamoring for more.

Because of this, there was only one thing I didn’t like about the book: the ending. It was vague in some parts, detailed in others, but overall is was unsatisfying. Not enough that it detracted from my enjoyment, but it made me want a sequel, which I don’t think is going to happen, as far as I know. Definitely one of the downsides.

I give Storm Thief 5/5 stars. It was a good read that I really liked and might read again sometime.