Mark of the Thief, Book 1
By Andrea Beach,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Exciting kickoff to fantasy series in ancient Rome.
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What's the Story?
Nic is a slave in the mines just outside Rome. When a new shaft is uncovered in the mine, a powerful general appears and sends Nic down into it in search of Julius Caesar's lost treasure. Alone in the total darkness, Nic finds a cave with a fierce griffin protecting a magical amulet that surely belonged to the great Caesar himself. When Nic makes it out of the cave, he learns that the griffin gave him a mysterious magical mark on his shoulder. The most powerful, ruthless men in the empire are now after the amulet, too, and are determined to kill anyone with a mark like Nic's. Can Nic keep the amulet from falling into the hands of the traitorous General Radulf and protect his loved ones? One wrong decision could mean the end of the empire as well as his own life, but whom can Nic trust?
Is It Any Good?
MARK OF THE THIEF is an exciting, action-packed fantasy that will keep the pages turning. Kids will easily relate to Nic's struggles to cope with new, powerful, and scary emotions and will root for Nic as he holds the fate of the empire on a string around his neck. Older readers and fantasy veterans may not be surprised by much -- some turns are predictable and formulaic -- but still will enjoy going along for the thrills and excitement. The ending is a real cliffhanger that will leave readers excited about the next installment and intrigued about what happens next.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why books with fantasy and magic are so popular. What do we love about them?
What other fantasy books have you read? How does this one compare? Which is your favorite?
Will you read the next book in the series? What do you think will happen to Nic, Aurelia, and the Roman Empire?
Book Details
- Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Brothers and Sisters, Great Boy Role Models, History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Publication date: February 24, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 10 - 12
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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