Review of THE GLOVE OF SHADOWS by Joshua Calkins-Treworgy

Review of THE GLOVE OF SHADOWS by Joshua Calkins-Treworgy (see his MySpace page)

A TAMARIAN TALE

BooksForABuck.com, February 2009

Not everyone is a hero. Tamaria, like everywhere else, has its share of heroes, of dangerous madmen set on world domination, and of innocents trying to make their way in a dangerous world. It also has its criminals intent on nothing more than carving out a bit of wealth and comfort for themselves--with world domination the furthest thing from their minds. In Desanadron, largest city in Tamaria, two groups of criminals vie for control of the underworld. The thieves guild, run by William Deus, does its best to preserve order, acting almost as a government rather than a purely negative force. The more unscrupulous Midnight Suns, led by ninja Thadeus Fly, specialize in assassination, but aren't above the odd extortion. The two groups co-exist uneasily, neither confident of their ability to destroy the other, but both looking for opportunities to dominate.

When word comes that the infamous 'Glove of Shadows' has been discovered, Deus and Fly realize their chance has come. Whomever controls the Glove becomes the ultimate thief. Nothing can be hidden from the glove, and the glove's wearer can never be caught. For ages, the Glove had thought to be lost--or even mythical, but when a Paladin of Oan finds it, Deus and Fly both see this as their chance--and ultimate danger. If the other headmaster gains the Glove, everything changes.

The two guilds each assemble a small team, led by the headmaster himself (herself), and set off across the wilds of Tamaria in pursuit of the elusive Paladin and the even more elusive Glove. Along the way, they'll confront strange enemies--and battle with one another. They'll also learn secrets about their world and themselves--some secrets they wish had remained unknown.

Author Joshua Calkins-Treworgy (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Calkins-Treworgy) continues his Tamaria series with an intriguing investigation of the fantasy world's darker side. Calkins-Treworgy manages the balance between making his thieves unbelievable do-gooders and making them unsympathetic. Ultimately, both Fly and Deus come alive as does, especially, Deus's third in command, the werewolf Ignatious Stockholm.

Fans of high fantasy will definitely want to grab a copy of THE GLOVE OF SHADOWS.

Four Stars

Reviewed 2/17/09

This book is no longer available from BooksForABuck.com

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