TWNS - Initial Impressions

I picked up THIEF WITH NO SHADOW at Barnes & Noble. I found it with some difficulty in the Fantasy section because it was the only copy left! It was on the shelf spine-out.

The cover is pretty awesome. It features a girl in a cowled robe holding a necklace. My impression from the cover is that it is going to be a dark fantasy.

It begins with the Melke stuck up a tree while a vicious-seeming dog barks up at her. She is invisible, but that doesn't deter the dog, or the dog's mysterious owner, who seems to be able to see her even when she is supposed to be invisible.

The point-of-view switches between Melke and the dog's owner, Bastian. Bastian has an interesting link with the dog, which is no ordinary dog. Emily Gee delves pretty deeply into the minds of both characters. It is like looking at the world through their eyes in a manner that is very well done.

Within the privacy of his thoughts, Bastian seems hot-tempered. However, he appears to master his thoughts even when they would otherwise drive him to violence. So far, Melke appeals more than Bastian, but I can see Bastian's plight as well. It would have been interesting to see Bastian make a certain sacrifice that he was asked to make. That would have really put the onus on Melke to do something, to intervene somehow and it would have made me love Bastian almost immediately. However, Melke and Bastian have come to an accord, and it looks like Bastian is going to live up to his part of the bargain.

I should be able to read a good chunk tonight.