The Thief

The Thief is a young adult fantasy novel by Megan Whalen Turner published in 1996 by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of William Morrow (later, of HarperCollins). It is the first in the Queen's Thief series, the sixth book of which was published in 2020. It was a runner-up for the 1997 Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor Book. In 2012, The Thief was ranked number 13 among the Top 1000 Chapter Books in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with a primarily U.S. audience. Plot summary The main character, a boy named Gen (short for Eugenides), is released from prison by the magus of the King of Sounis. Gen had been imprisoned for stealing the King's seal. The magus, whose name is not revealed, finds Gen to be filthy, uncouth, and insolent, but he values Gen's skills as a thief. Without telling Gen where they are going, he takes him out of the city. They are joined by the magus's two apprentices, Sophos and Ambiades, and by a soldier, Pol.