Listen free for 30 days

1 credit a month, good for any title to download and keep.
The Plus Catalogue—listen all you want to thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts, and audiobooks.
$14.95 a month plus applicable taxes after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Thief cover art

The Thief

Written by: Megan Whalen Turner
Narrated by: Steve West
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $5.99

Buy Now for $5.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Discover and rediscover the world of the Queen's Thief, from the acclaimed series launch The Thief to the thrilling, 20-years-in-the-making conclusion, The Return of the Thief.

New York Times best-selling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics. This first book in series introduces one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. The Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. 

Eugenides, the queen's thief, can steal anything - or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king's magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he's in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. 

The Queen's Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, "best of" citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. 

A Newbery Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

A Horn Book Fanfare Book

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 

Blue Ribbon Book

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.” (Laini Taylor, New York Times best-selling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer) 

"Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail - you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again.” (Leigh Bardugo, number-one New York Times best-selling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom)

©1996 Megan Whalen Turner (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

What the critics say

"In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all - a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." ( Publishers Weekly)
"A literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel." ( The Horn Book)

What listeners say about The Thief

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    53
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    61
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    46
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good but needs more

I enjoyed the plot and characters but there was depth lacking, not sure if it was how it was read or written but despite being a decent plot I wasn’t enthralled

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Gen...

This was an interesting read, but I felt a little irked at the fact that this is clearly a first-person novel, but we were not given full access to Eugenides' mind. I will probably grow to love the character more as I continue to read the series. Every good story must start somewhere, right?

Fave character? Sophos. What a cutie.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

You’ll want to read it twice.

I read other reviews that the book had a slow start, but really it’s just clever build up. The readers voice is pleasant to listen to and I found myself lost in the story. I wanted to read it again immediately because I didn’t believe I missed the foreshadowing for the ending. Brilliant writing!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narrator - slow story

I found this story slow and at times hard to follow. The Narration was great.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great great read

this was a good book well written and as soon as I finish I had to go back and start it all over again right from the very beginning to try and catch on to the twist I would recommend this book to anyone

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved this book. need the rest of them right now

loved it. beautifully written and memorable characters!! it may make my top five for this year. can't wait to read the rest.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not the simple fantasy tale I was expecting

Slow paced, and in the beginning it seemed to be a simple fantasy tale, although I did like the world building, and the descriptions of the scenery, etc.

I thought Gen was an unispiring whinny protagonist, with occasional quick wits but his voluability at the wrong times was just so irritating, then the hints started that all was not as appears.

At the end I was so taken with the sweeping finish (ok, that was not quite the twist I was expecting) that I instantly bought the next book in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

over and over again

I love this book. I have read the paper copy many times. This is my 1st time as an audiobook and it was just as good. I am going to get the rest of the series to listen too.

As far as the book goes... there is a major twist that makes it fun. I like how the characters all fall into their stereotypes but change as the story progresses. It is just a fun book to have on long car rides with the family.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely amazing!

This book is a great start to the Queens Thief series and I have read it countless times before and loved it. I was apprehensive about listening to it but I think the narrator did a good job even though some of Eugenides sarcasm/humour was missed by listening vs reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for andrew
  • andrew
  • 2017-06-03

Great book, wrong narrator

I first listened to The Thief as a book on tape (yes cassette tape, I am that old) preformed by Jeff Woodman when i was in middle school. Mr Woodman gave a much better performance than Mr West has. Mr West has a slow, monotone, deadpan voice during most of the narration that gives the story the feel of an uninterested and uninteresting person recounting a series of events in a business setting, only injecting feeling and emotion into the performance during character dialog. This style of narration glosses over much of the humor, sarcasm, and wit that really brings this book to life and makes Eugenides such an interesting and enjoyable character.

Its not that Mr West is a bad narrator, i am sure that someone who had never encountered Mr Woodman's performance would find this to be an acceptable audio book. i just remember this audio book being so much more than just acceptable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for anon
  • anon
  • 2017-09-09

Narrator is wrong choice

I've read the book many times so it seemed natural to add this to my audible collection. The book itself is fantastic. Unfortunately the narrarator choice isn't great. Him reading other books would be fine but his deep scratchy voice was totally the wrong pick for a whiney adolescent that probably hasn't hit puberty or is just going through it. It didn't fit the character at all and this book is written in first person!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

27 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Applewoodfarms
  • Applewoodfarms
  • 2017-05-16

The first of many great stories

This writer is one of the funnest riders to read. This story The Thief is one of the best. This is a good safe clean story for young folks and adults alike. I have waited many years for audible to finally pick up this writer and I am so glad they have. Probably because of the popularity of the book that was just released it has caused publishers to notice how many people are looking forward to stories from Megan Whalen Turner. It is a good fiction story with a fun plot about mythology. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family has. RPR

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Hafhead
  • Hafhead
  • 2018-09-21

Exceptional Story, Inferior Performance

The story is one of my all-time favorites. And I probably would have enjoyed this audiobook if I hadn't already heard the amazing performance by Jeff Woodman.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Gee
  • Gee
  • 2017-05-21

A favorite

Wonderful story, wonderful narration. While there is a bit of a slow start, by the end I couldn't wait for the next book. I hope people give it a try, because it is very much worth a credit.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for GLENNO
  • GLENNO
  • 2018-07-16

Boring as heck

I got the impression that I should have read some of the other books before this one. Was that the case? Because maybe some of the things that happened or that were said would have been surprising or some kind of amazing revelation. I didn't see anything that was best-seller worthy or award-worthy here.

The book begins with a LONG section (chapters 2-7) which consists mostly of a lot of boring mythological stories. None were interesting.

You can tell she is a good writer so do the other books have more political intrigue and more action? (Those are two things I love.)

SO:
Chapter 1 starts off great! Thief in prison is asked to steal something but prison is a bit of an ordeal first. Excellent!
Chapters 2-7 consists of a lot of rather uninteresting travel and a lot of mythology. Bah! (Remember there are only 12 chapters.)
After that, more interesting things start happening. More travel. Sigh. But then they finally arrive at their destination. And there it is VERY interesting and very well done.
A couple of plot twists later there are what I suspect are some very cool revelations to readers of the others books. (I am not one of those.) They were interesting but not Earth-shattering to me. OK fine.

The book reader was great! I don't know what other reviewers were complaining about.

I see talent in the writer and I'm wondering if I would enjoy the other books much more than I did this one. Maybe I'll put one on my wish list and see if I can get it on sale someday for $4 or $5.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for austin
  • austin
  • 2020-08-09

Decent enough

I will keep this brief. This book is very slow and overly descriptive for 3/4 of the story as the characters travel together. Character development occurs through dialog; world-building through poorly conceived legends. The last 1/4 of the book is marginally more eventful, but in the end the book is at best a "making of the legend" precursor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Star Explorer
  • Star Explorer
  • 2019-09-01

Story fantastic, narrator not great for this book

I loved the story. The book is a memory from teenagehood. The narrator was not the perfect choice for this book, I didn't feel he was engaged with the story, It might as well have been read by AI.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Emily O
  • Emily O
  • 2017-06-14

Loved the Story & Narrator

It's rare for me to stumble upon a book that I really love, but this is one of them! Action, adventure, mystery all rolled into one story. The characters and plot movement took priority over stereotypical pitfalls that most books fall into. At first I really disliked Magnus' style of voice, but it got his first-impression character across quickly. Then I grew to like him as Gen did as well. Plus, a couple plot twists at the end! Very well done and can stand on it's own feet! I was confused as to the narrator's very aristocratic style for the first-person POV, but I think it all comes together in the end. :) Worth a credit or a purchase!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Lindsey B
  • Lindsey B
  • 2018-04-23

Voice actor skewed impression of characters

Everyone I told that I was reading this book raved about it, but the longer I listened the more I thought, "What's the fuss about?" I ended up liking it by the end, but I realized that I was getting the wrong impression from several of the characters because of how the narrator voiced them. One in particular came off as perpetually pompous and condescending when really he should be seen as a friend and confidant. I've listened to one other book with this voice actor and experienced a similar thing. His narration just isn't my style. But I would still recommend this story! If only to get to know the characters and better enjoy the next books in the series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Buttercup
  • Buttercup
  • 2021-08-25

Loved it!

Well written, this story is very well put together. The details of the geography, the history, the myths and the politics of this fictional world are abundant, precise and well thought. The characters are intriguing, they have depth and you get to see them through different lenses.
It took me a while to get used to S. West's voice, however it gives a very nice ring to the story and fits very well with the atmosphere of the book.
If you like this genre, you'll surely lke this book as well!
Enjoy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!