Release Date: March 22, 2024
Publisher: Silver Dreams
Available at Amazon as eBook & Kindle Unlimited, Paperback
Available at Barnes & Noble as a Paperback
My Star Rating: 4 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
A runaway thrall. A clever thief. Together, two orphans will defy destiny or fall trying.
In the aftermath of a rebellion against William the Conqueror, northern England lies in ruins, its people scattered and starved.
Aelfric, a 14-year-old thrall, flees from his master and stumbles upon a cache of stolen laundry. The thief? Aliwyn, a girl around his age ostracized for being “cursed.” In her care is a lost toddler she has rescued from the clutch of greedy thrall traders.
Forced to cover each other’s secrets, Aelfric and Aliwyn form an unlikely friendship...and maybe something more. They embark on a perilous journey to reunite the child with his family and seek a cure for Aliwyn’s mysterious condition.
But time is running out. Aelfric’s master is on the hunt, and the shadows of death loom ever closer over Aliwyn. Will they find the courage to press on and defy fate, or will their quest end in capture and ruin?
Immerse yourself in a fast-paced tale of unforeseen twists and heart-stopping challenges. The Thief's Keeper is a thrilling young adult novel that transports you to an alternative medieval world, where Celtic-inspired tribes live alongside the last Vikings. Discover a tale where friendship triumphs against insurmountable odds.
This has been a lucky year for me. I’ve now had the opportunity to be an ARC reader for two Indie Authors, and this time the release is on my birthday! If you’ll remember from the last review I posted, an ARC is an advanced reader copy sent out to garner reviews and traction for when the book is officially released.
It takes a brave person to set a creation in the hands of a potential critic and ask for a review. I applaud anyone who has the guts to move forward with self-publishing. As an indie author myself, I understand the hurdles and expenses that have to be overcome just to get one book out for public viewing. This review, in particular, is even more special to me because I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Kyrie on Instagram.
The Thief’s Keeper is a prequel to Kyrie’s first young adult novel, Healer’s Blade. This story of a found family between a clever thief and a runaway thrall (slave) set me up to better understand the world of Enemy’s Keeper.
Let me start with the cover. I am absolutely in LOVE with this cover. The revealed image inside the bird with blue transition to gold is eye-catching. I know, “I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” But alas, to err is human. Upon seeing it, I immediately wanted to know what lay within the pages.
I think my favorite aspect of this book is that it is set in a traditional medieval setting, but with some twists. More often than not, a world in a book is medieval simply because it seems to fit the premise. That is not the case with this book. While there are definitely some liberties taken (she even markets it as having an alternative history), the foundation of the world is definitely medieval. From the difficulty of travel, to the muddy roads, to the medicine, and the money exchanges, Kyrie definitely did her research when it came to creating an authentic medieval world for her characters to reside.
My favorite character in the book is Aelfric, because he goes through the most dramatic change throughout the story. As a boy obsessed with leaving the country to find his way back to his homeland, he quickly becomes entangled with Aliwyn and her story, forcing him to make difficult choices away from what he wants. He meets obstacle after obstacle with frustration, but chooses each time to overcome them so he can be the person his parents would have wanted him to be. It made for an excellent read.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found myself wishing the characters displayed more emotions. Please don’t take this critique of the book as poor writing by the author. This is simply coming from a place of personal preference. The emotions of the main characters (thought processes and personal feelings) were spot on, but I found the interaction between characters a bit dull for my taste. I would also add that I would have liked to have more detail about the history of the world. It is mentioned in the description, but if I hadn’t read that, then I would have been thoroughly lost as to why there was hatred and distrust amongst certain characters.
All in all, I give this book a 4/5 stars and definitely recommend that you go pick it up once it's released on March 22!
This book is for:
Young Adults, ages 12-18
Obviously, if you love young adult reads like me, then absolutely go for it, you won’t be disappointed.
Found-Family
Alternative Medieval History
Medieval Medicine
Thieves and Thralls
Fast-Paced & Adventurous
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