The Thief and the Historian

Book One of the Runetree Chronicles

Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
206 Pages
Reviewed on 08/09/2023
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Brendan Corbett grew up in a military family, always on the move, living in North Carolina, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Okinawa, Japan all before he was ten. Books were both the foundation of stability and the ultimate escape, companions to other worlds that could journey with him even when friends could not. He has always been drawn to fiction and more particularly fantasy, offering the ability to travel in his mind when the traveling of his feet grew tiresome.

As an adult his career turned away from the arts. He worked in places ranging from job shops to plastics manufacturing to nonprofit operations. While these roles were fun and fulfilling in their own ways, through all these experiences he’s been driven to return to his love of writing.

He now resides in Oregon with his wife, son, and dog. While writing consumes much of his time, you may also find him at one of my many other pastimes - cooking, gardening, hiking, playing piano, building LEGO, attending a show, gaming, practicing archery, volunteering, or woodworking.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

The Thief and the Historian by Brendan Corbett is the first book in the Runetree Chronicles. Aeda has made a living working as a thief for the Grey Society and, though she has misgivings about stealing, she does what she has to. But when a job has her stealing from Gieral, she makes an unexpected discovery. Gieral is a Historian, part of an order responsible for documenting history. The encounter between the two draws Aeda away from the life she’s always known and into one filled with danger. This opportunity gives her insight into the Historians and opens up a deeper mystery. This takes Aeda beyond what she’s always known and into new landscapes with fearsome beasts as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Brendan Corbett delivers a fantasy world that comes to life through vivid details that establish it as a unique society such as the currency, different groups of people, and organizations such as the Historians and Grey Society. There are cultural elements woven into the traditions and how the characters approach situations. The writing style has a subtle visual quality to it with phrases that make the story so much fun to read. Aeda and Gieral offer two different perspectives on this world as Aeda is a thief working with what is known and Gieral is a Historian who works within what isn’t known. Going to steal from Gieral sends Aeda on an unexpected adventure while providing her with an opportunity to change her life. Gieral represents a fun twist to the idea of a Historian who does more than just chronicle history and is at the heart of the action. The characters have a great back-and-forth that adds humor and charm to the tone of the story. Other characters add to the different elements of the world, giving it more depth. The Thief and the Historian is a very enjoyable read with endearing personalities, a rich and layered setting, and an action-packed adventure with a journey of self-discovery at its core.