THE QUEEN'S THIEF series by Megan Whalen Turner is one collection of books --as is THE HUNGER GAMES and the HARRY POTTER series-- that I whole-heartedly recommend to adults who enjoy YA.
Turner's series features excellent world-building with realistic politics... and adventure, along with a mature plot line.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
**all ratings from GoodReads
THIEF! (The Queen's Thief, #0.5)
by Megan Whalen Turner
Chad Cameron (Illustrator)
3.63 avg rating — 562 ratings
How strange. This is short story about young Eugenides that was printed in a Disney magazine. Currently you can read it here: http://meganwhalenturner.org/DisneyAdventureThief.html
Newbery Honor (1997)
ALA Best Book For Young Adults
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (2011)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (1998)
3.99 avg rating — 16,665 ratings
Eugenides,
Gen, is a thief and the beloved of the Thief God. In this story told
in his own voice, Gen appears at first to be a bedraggled thief who has
been imprisoned because he stole the king of Sounis' personal seal.
Because of his skills though,
this very king has his court scholar take Gen on a journey into the
mountains of Eddis, to the kingdom of Attolia. Their mission is to
steal something that is said to be a myth: a valuable relic that many
others have died trying to pry it from the maze.
Word Count: 68,519
Page Count: 280
Accelerated Reading level: 6.0 / points: 11.0
AR quiz: 15792
Lexile: 920L
--sample pages and a variety of reviews available
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** Publisher'sWeekly
**Starred Review** HornBook
Books for the Teen Age 2001 (NYPL)
Bulletin Blue Ribbon Best of 2000 Award
4.25 avg rating — 11,209 ratings
Gen
is the Queen of Eddis' thief. And as such he goes into Attolia to
harass it's young queen. This queen, who lost face when Gen stole her
relic in THE THIEF, takes him captive and then takes his hand --a
penalty meant to end his thieving.
Told
in third person, we get to see the ravaging effect that this loss means
to a thief who loved his craft. And throughout we see politics twist
and turn until war seems eminent.
Word Count: 82,579
Page Count: 368
Accelerated Reader: 6.7 / points: 14.0
AR quiz: 36676
Lexile: 860L
--sample pages and a variety of reviews available
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** Publisher'sWeekly
**Starred Review** HornBook
ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2007)
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (2011)
Common Core Aligned
Don't read this if you haven't read QUEEN OF ATTOLIA. THERE'S A SPOILER.
Gen
is now the King of Attolia. It wasn't the crown he wanted, but it's the
crown his inherited. He plays the clown for the court, and he is so
aggravating that at one point a captain of the guard strikes him in the
face.
Rather that have his head, Gen sets out to win over the captain. To prove that there is more to him than it first appears.
Word Count: 87,218
Page Count: 432
Accelerated Reading level: 5.7 / points: 14.0
AR quiz: 103361
Lexile: 840L
--sample pages and a variety of reviews available
**Starred Review** Kirkus
**Starred Review** Publisher'sWeekly
**Starred Review** HornBook
**Starred Review** ALA BookList
4.07 avg rating — 6,420 ratings
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature (2011)
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2010)
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature (2010)
Booklist Top Ten Science Fiction/Fantasy Novels for Youth (2010)
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (2011)
Andre Norton Award Nominee for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy (2010)
This
book really breaks from the series, and I think originally the author
and publisher meant it to be a 'story of Eddis' type of book. But
readers just wouldn't allow that and it got labelled #4.
However, Gen does not appear in this book, except in memory. A new character, Sophos, is introduced and his struggle is to become the king he wants to be.
Common Core Aligned
Word Count: 76,812
Page Count: 352
Accelerated Reader: 6.6 / points: 13.0
AR quiz: 137746
Lexile: 940L
--sample pages and a variety of reviews available
compiled by Pam
You can find short story collections that includes Ms. Turner's works here.
