The Thief Lord; 2000; Cornelia Funke
Ratings (by me): 4.5/5
The Thief Lord is a Children's Fantasy novel written by Cornelia Funke, a wonderful German author.
It follows the story of two brothers, Prosper and Boniface, who run away to Venice, Italy from their Aunt's family who were about to take Boniface in. Soon the brothers are discovered by Scipio—the young, orphaned "Thief Lord"—and his gang, who steal valuables and proudly live in an abandoned movie theatre (the Stella). It is paradise for the brothers; that is until Victor Getz, the detective who is hired by Prosper's aunt, comes to look for the boys.
What will happen of the brothers? And who is the mysterious man who calls himself the "Conte" and asks the mighty Thief Lord to steal a wooden wing for him? Read to find out.
Even though this story is classified as a Children's Novel, I'd recommend it for all ages. Filled with fantastical childhood dreams-come-true and hilariously well-phrased dialogues, this book is truly a classic.
One of my favourite things about this novel is the characters' dazzling personalities. It upsets me greatly when a book has such a great plot, but lacks character development. Prosper, Victor and Ida are all amazingly developed and make me think as if I'm riding along the canals of Venice with them.
The only disappointment here was the ending; I felt like it was a little too incomplete. I had wanted to see more of the denouement process and what the characters had become. However, that might only have been me.
Otherwise the book was—and still is —perfect. I fully guarantee that you will find yourself wishing for more.
In that case, some of Cornelia Funke's other works you might want to check out after reading this book include the Inkheart trilogy (my favorite), Dragon Rider, and Reckless.
May the books ever be in your flavor,
Chalice K. Ravenkey; semiperfectgirl
