[Story] Thick as Thieves

Title: Thick as Thieves
Author: AlexaLee
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Tags: Dystopia, Female Lead, High Fantasy, Magic, Post Apocalyptic, Progression, Ruling Class, School Life, Steampunk, Supernatural
Audience: –
Main Lead: Female
Status: Ongoing
AVB Assessment Score (?): PDE 2 CDD 2 SWB 2 || TQ 3 SV 2 || Overall: 11
Number of Chapters: 32
Chapter Length: Medium
Reading Level: Medium
Date of First Release: April 9, 2021
Date of Last Update: October 16, 2021
AVB Reviewed? No
Available on Platform(s): Royal Road
Number of Views: 12,974
Number of Reviews: 20
Synopsis:
When Darcy becomes a thief for a crooked pawnshop owner who has the power to save her sister, she’s thrown into a world of magic, mystery and romance. Once it’s discovered that she herself can wield magic, Darcy and her sister are uprooted from their home and brought to the Palace to train.
There, they must learn to control their new powers if they wish to stay safe in this unfamiliar realm. However, nothing is quite as they expected and Darcy must follow her instincts to keep herself, and her sister, safe.

Review(s)

ANCT: This is the tale of a orphan who must turn to a life of thievery to support her younger sister. The author does a wonderful job of pulling heart strings and upholding a sense of danger to rip those sweet moments away.
Style: The style of writing is superb. The reader has a smooth time with the reading flow. Exposition isn’t forced down our throat nor does it go on forever. Though there are couple moments where information is given that doesn’t seem to go anywhere that could be potentially removed. All and all, I could see this being published traditionly.
Story: Who doesn’t love a plot about protecting a sibling? The story is a slow burn, with a lot of hints of where it could go. So far it hasn’t thrown any expections to far, so I am interested to see where it goes. I couldn’t give it a full five stars, as currently it is solid, but hasn’t turned off the worn road yet.
Grammer: Mostly spot on, but there are a couple rough patches that just some more editing could take care of.
Character: This where the story really shines, Darcy and her sister Sen are fantastic. No one could read this story and not love their dynamic. There is a bit of over use of navity on Darcy, but fairly well balanced with her being informed on other subjects. Other characters have some potential, but it’s really all about the sisters so far.
Overall, fantastic story and I expect it to catch the eye of a lot more people. It deserves that.

Blind_Watcher: Dystopianism usually isn’t something I go for, but I think Thick as Thieves does a really good job with it.
From the first chapter alone, you get this intense sense of tension as the protagonist tries to find a solution to her problem. Some people might think the chapter is a little exposition heavy, but I disagree. I think that the exposition was hadnled very well and fit each situation appropriately.
The only real gripe I have with the world building is related to the economy, although admittedly it is largely redundent anyway so my gripe doesn’t really mean all that much in the grand scheme of things.
The story has had its own share of errors and whathaveyou, but the author is very prompt in fixing them as they are pointed out and has a great attitude towards feedback and advice. The punctuation, so far as I can tell, was pretty much spot on, so it reads very wwell with TTS software.
The characters are all well developed and distinct from one another, which is great. Similarly, there are background characters introduced briefly throughout the current content, and I was very happy to find that they each recieved the same level of depth as the primary cast. Admittedly the younger sister ends to come across as somewhat generic, but that is only because the ‘trope’ actually fits the situation incredibly well. As the protagonist spends more time with her sister, you can see the differences starting to take form. So it is more a matter of limitation by currently released content than skill or effort.
I can’t wait to read the next chapter. ^.^

OsiriumWrites: STORY:
The story is the strongpoint of this tale. There is enough to intrigue you at the start, and enough depth further along the way. Although I was aiming for only a few chapters for my review, I kept reading more and more.
Style:
Two words come to mind; Descriptive and organic. Some authors tend to paint the picture for you in such a way that your own imagination gets the second place. This author paints broad strokes on the canvass, yet allows the reader enough room to interpret things in his her way.
The style is fluid enough to read in one sitting, yet thick enough to have ‘weight’ to it when you open up the next chapter.
The only issue in style I had was when there was a large swathe of dialog presented. It sometimes was harder to figure out who was saying what and when. Not enough to make me want to drop the book, yet it occasionally forced me to reread a sentence. Still, this could have been an active choice in terms of style.
Grammar:
The grammar does not impede the story. When I first read it, there was little in the way of grammar that stopped the flow of reading or really stood out.
Chosen words fit the scene and help the reader better understand what the author is trying to accomplish here.
It is only when we look underneath the hood that we see ‘minor issues’, but only because we were actively looking for them. (The occasional lacking comma, use of passive verbs, need for stronger adjectives.)
CHARACTHERS:
I have an easier time with reading male characters, yet the female lead instantly drew me in with her determination and wit.
The author walks on a fine line between comfortable topics and rather uncomfortable ones. The underage characters, the darker shades such as thievery, death, malnutrition and what not.
The author walks that fine line with grace and shows the reader those uncomfortable truths of life and still keeps the story somewhat hopeful.
It is hard not to feel a sense of accomplishment when you see an older sibling battle the world itself to keep the younger sibling safe.
I’d give the story a solid 4,5/5
Definitely something I’d want to continue reading.

DrBuller: STORY:
This story tells the reader about somebody with an younger sibling. A younger sibling who needs to be cared for, needs to be tended to, and needs to be protected from the evil in the world. With parents out of the picture, there is only one who can take that role. 5/5
Style:
I applaud the style on this one. I believe the word is cinematic. The author is very good at drawing you into the experience in this one. While there are parts that might seem confusing at the start, the more that is read the more you understand where it’s all coming from. The best mental image of it would be that you are given a large puzzle with only the edges at first, the longer into the story you go the more of the pieces you get. While some are not instantly possibly put somewhere, it makes more sense in the end. Nicely done on that. 5/5
Grammar:
Not much to say on the grammar other than the fact that it’s good enough. Holds up in quality pretty decently at least. 4.5/5
CHARACTHERS
Characters are good enough to feel empathy for, which is saying quite a lot. Ad they move around, the steps make sense, their actions make sense, and the way they think make sense. And, best of all, they all do it a bit differently. While some personality tropes might have been exaggerated for the sake of action or more conflict, I feel that it’s all rooted in some place, in reality, letting the reader have something to hold on to. 5/5
Overall, I give this story a 5/5

1moreindakitchen: A dystopian magic world, a city divided into rings. The poorer you are, the higher the ring’s number you have to live in. For the orphans Darcy and Sen a downward spiral has started and every stroke of fate makes them move to another ring with worse conditions. Until Sen gets ill. An illness that seems to infect many of the town’s (poorer) people, and our teenage protagonist Darcy has to find a way to cure her.
Style
The writing style is beautiful and the world is living, breathing, and feels absolutely believable. There is so much detail that you can virtually see the world in front of your eyes. But sometimes, it was more details and information than necessary. The chapters were around 3k words long each but sometimes I had the feeling that not much had happened at all to move the plot forward. Maybe this will change if the world is mostly set up later on.
Story
The story is pretty straightforward. Up to chapter 5, there were no real choices, where Darcy could have taken another route, given the situation she was in. Regarding her age that was revealed later on, she might have taken a proper job instead of stealing from the rich, but then the reader doesn’t really know which kind of education Darcy would have needed to do so. So, Darcy has to steal and she has to make a deal with a magician to save her sister. Afterward, she finds herself in debt and has to keep stealing for the magician to repay the debt. Straightforward, but told in a way that makes it understandable and relatable.
Grammar
Nothing I could really say against it. I’m German and I did understand it just fine.
Characters
The characters are likable, all in all, and as beautifully written as the rest of the story.
Darcy is clever in many ways, yet she seems naive at times. She could figure out the right targets to steal from, by observing their scent, posture, and behavior, but when she goes out to steal on Lovers Lane, she gets distracted by another thief and follows him instead. It nearly seems as if she had forgotten her sister and the urgency to save her. But apart from that, she is caring and you can see how well she analyzes and understand the world around her and the little gestures of the people. Be it both the common folk or even the pawnshop magician, while counting the money.
She has inner conflicts, especially regarding magicians, when she joins the pawnshop thieves. Magicians are dangerous, but her sister’s life depends on the magician’s help. I’m curious how she reacts when she finds out about her own magic.
About the other characters, not much is known at this point. Mandia, the magician, helps her but is yet suspicious. Fil is good at stealing and he and his brother have also lost their parents. There is a good dynamic between Fil and Darcy. Sen is lively and curious as soon as the weight of the Cough is lifted, just as a child at her age should be.
All in all, I love the story for its deep world and for Darcy, who is a very promising character, even if the pace could be a bit faster for my liking. I’m curious how she will find her way as a thief and how fearsome magicians really turn out.

JMMatheis: The first thing that came to my mind upon finishing the first chapter of Thick as Thieves was that a lot of consideration and care had been poured into this story, this wonderful tale is of bespoke craft that truly demonstrates one facet of AlexaLee’s capacity as an author. Quite frankly, it is beautifully written.
I have reached the end of Book 1 after deliberately spreading the read over a month, every place, location and character brings forth a vivid recollection of the read. I do not hesitate to say that it stands toe-to-toe with the best.
Style
The style used in this story is fantastic on so many levels. Descriptions are lush, atmospheric and cinematic. Scenes are painted in delicate strokes that describe the locale using multiple senses that give an immersive reading experience and make each and every location memorable. The descriptions of magic and its affects have a quality that ranges from vivid and sharp to one scene in particular that invokes the feel of a semi-intoxicated haze with a dream-like quality that both demonstrates the temptation of power and the fear of giving in to its whiles.
Another aspect that has continued to impress me is the undercurrent of tension that is being manipulated through almost every scene. A level of fear and apprehension in the main character that really emphasises the situation she finds herself in. Main and support characters are treated with the same care that brings out and demonstrates their individual qualities.
Story
The story is well conceived and revolves around the main protagonist, Darcy and her younger sister Sen and their struggles, fears and journey into the unknown. The tale is set in a dystopian world that is well constructed and filled out incrementally and organically by applying the world-building through the protagonist’s eyes and their understandings (or misunderstandings). There is a deep history that is slowly being teased and revealed that makes you question the motivations of the society and its structure. Each and every step revealed brings up questions and a desire to know more of this world and its machinations.
Character
The characters are the core of this story, their interactions, reactions and interpersonal relationships create a level of intrigue and empathy that draws you in and keeps you reading. The interactions and care between Darcy and Sen, especially in the early stages are heartfelt and highlight the fear of loss and the emotions that entails.
This does not end with the main characters, the support cast are also incredible. They are living and breathing in this world, none feel out of place. Each and every character in this story could well have a story of their own, they have a history that is hinted at that draws you in and makes them relatable. They are built around character traits that are masterfully applied, fragility, strength, confidence, timidness and jealousy are used to great effect.
Grammar
I have no complaints on grammar, as the author goes above and beyond in the process of pre and post editing in approaching and correcting errors. Even when in its unedited state I cannot fault it due to the author’s clear and positive process. The grammar style applied lends itself to the feel of the story and is very clean.
Overall, I am truly taken with this tale. The descriptions of the world are atmospheric and vivid. The characters are living and breathing with likes, dislikes, apprehensions, and fears. The magic and skills being demonstrated help to drive the story of the Magicians and they are an organic part of the tale that drives the narrative and intrigue. I am thoroughly invested in this tale and world and I am happily waiting to see where this goes. I can highly recommend this story, it is an experience that should not be passed over.