Province of a Thief

Tal'Avern Chronicles Book 1

Young Adult - Fantasy - General
358 Pages
Reviewed on 10/11/2015
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

Once upon a time, many years ago, Scott was a hardcore gamer. However, he has since handed the controller over to his son and now concentrates on writing. His primary genre is fantasy, though he does have a trilogy in the paranormal romance genre as well.

An avid reader of fantasy for over 20 years, Scott felt a change was needed in the fantasy genre, as there were many 'traditional rules' that needed to be broken.

"The fantasy genre called for new heroes and villains. But the guys aren't alone any more. The girls have stepped up too, and they're definitely not the old 'knight in shining armor' types. I think that's one of the things readers are really loving about the Tal'Avern world. It's something that was long overdue."

    Book Review

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Province of a Thief by Scott A. Borgman centers on a 26-year-old thief named Jaelyth, a member of the hidden Thieves’ Den in the capital city of Silvergate. She has no recollection of the time before she joined the Den at the age of twelve. For as long as she can remember, she has always been a thief – and a good one. But when a successful job suddenly turns sour, a whirlwind of events exposes the truth that has eluded her all this time. Soon she finds herself working together with a princess, a king’s mage, and two of her fellow thieves in a dangerous quest.

A debut from the Tal’Avern Chronicles, Borgman’s high fantasy is fast-paced and has royalty, magic, elves, goblins and guilds. Master thief Jaelyth has deservedly achieved her rank, repaying her debt to the Den so she can gain her freedom by leaving the city and not returning. But the Thieves’ Den strict code is mysteriously broken and brings their old foe to the city, a group of assassins known as the Shadow Walkers. Borgman has put some twists into an intriguing plot where readers would least expect, and this is one of the main strengths of the story.

The prose is vivid; I can picture the dark alleys and hear the picked locks, footsteps, clinks of mugs from the tavern, and so on. Characterization and world building are excellently developed without being over the top, a quality that is quite rare in the fantasy genre. The story continues in Book 2, Darkness and Dragons. Overall, this is a commendable start for the fantasy series.