When ignorance means slavery . . . knowledge must be stolen.The Reader of Acheron bid them travel: Quillion the scholar, Cole the swordsman, and Kikkan the once enslaved. In Edentown, he promised, they would find a keeper of the sacred knowledge..Though Kikkan remained resolute in the guidance of his mentor, Quillion could not escape the grip of encroaching doubt. Was it a fool¿s errand? Would … Would their quest bring them to a champion? Or could they expect nothing more than a living husk, crushed by the burdens of unjust expectation, scurrying in the alleys, having risen to no higher station than that of a Literate Thief?
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The author of this book excels in creativity. It is no small feat to create an alternative world and universe with such clarity. The core issue, obviously, resonates today with everyone. The banning of reading happens sadly almost every day. If it isn’t a school administration, it’s a library or a politician banning a book from someone’s reading list.
That is what makes this book so reachable for me, as a reader. The characters were complex but relatable. The world is just odd enough to be dystopian but familiar enough to not drag down the story by being too complicated.
Obviously, there must be a sequel. I was excited to see how this would turn out and confident that the author will not let an expectant readership down. Truly a masterpiece with a superb story that is a fun and exhilarating read, all the while it shines a light on the evil of book banning.
My Rating: 5 stars
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: The Literate Thief
Author: Walter Rhein
Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 7/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 6/10
Of the 16 readers:
11 would read another book by this author.
9 thought the cover was good or excellent.
13 felt it was easy to follow.
12 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
10 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
11 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“A very enjoyable dystopian-style novel. I enjoyed the interaction between the three central characters very much, and the depravity of the world they find themselves in is well described and always atmospheric. Although it’s a little slow in parts, the author offers the reader an exciting quest to go on. ” Male reader age 34
“For me, Quillion was the most interesting character and seemed to develop so much as the story progressed. In terms of dystopian novels, this is better than most with solid writing, well-developed characters, and an interesting quest-like plot. I would happily read another of this author’s books.” Female reader, aged 53
“A dark, depressing story set in a world of little hope. There are plenty of plenty of dangers for this small cast of characters to overcome. There is also lots of food for thought in this novel in terms of human nature and the need of the few to control and subjugate the many. Post-apocalyptic/dystopian fans will enjoy this very much.” Female reader, aged 36
“A bit too depressing for me, but I still thought the post-apocalyptic plot was cleverly designed. It seems to me this author’s strongest skill is developing his characters.” Male reader, aged 66
To Sum It Up:
‘A dark, post-apocalyptic novel filled with intriguing characters. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards