The Blacktongue Thief

by Christopher Buehlman

Overview

Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief begins a 'dazzling' (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.

But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.

Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.

Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.

“The Blacktongue Thief is fast and fun and filled with crazy magic. I can't wait to see what Christopher Buehlman does next." - Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of the Lightbringer series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250621191
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	Blacktongue , #1
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER BUEHLMAN (he/him) is an author, comedian, and screenwriter from St. Petersburg, Florida. He tours the country most years, writing fantasy and horror and performing at Renaissance festivals. He and his wife, Jenn, travel with their rescue dog, Duck, and a black cat named Jane Mansfield, who is proficient in ninjutsu.

Editorial Reviews

02/01/2021

Horror author Buehlman (Between Two Fires) impresses in his tongue-in-cheek fantasy debut. Kinch Na Shannack is indebted to the Takers Guild for his tutelage as a thief, and now needs to put his knowledge into action to pay his debts. He and his companions take to the Forest of Orphans, aiming to rob passing travelers. But instead of the easy targets they were hoping for, they get Galva, a female warrior from Ispanthia who easily trounces them. The only one to survive the skirmish, Kinch brings news of the attack to the Takers Guild and is tasked with a vague mission to follow and befriend Galva. Though the Guild refuses to reveal its motives, Kinch agrees and joins Galva on her journey to the giant-ravaged city of Hrava in Oustrim. Along the way, Kinch learns of Galva’s quest to rescue Ispanthia’s abducted queen, Mireya, and discovers the atrocious secrets of the Guild. With his freedom at stake, Kinch must decide where his loyalties lie. Packed full of magic, mayhem, and mischief, Buehlman’s world and characters are artfully rendered, though the trust between Galva and Kinch develops unbelievably quickly given their first meeting. Still, this dense series launch is sure to win the author new fans. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Hardly since The Lies of Locke Lamora have I been so impressed with a fantasy debut . . . The Blacktongue Thief is a bonafide instant classic, and I sure as hell can’t wait to see what Buehlman comes up with next.”—Grimdark Magazine

“Readers of epic fantasy novelists, like Tolkien or Brandon Sanderson, will enjoy this journey, which is by turns fun, magical, or terrifying for the travelers. . . . this title is transporting.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Dazzling. I heartily recommend this one.”—Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author of the Farseer Trilogy

“Wow! Truly outstanding. I can't say enough about how good The Blacktongue Thief is. Damned good stuff.”—Glen Cook, author of The Black Company

"One of the most impressive novels I've read in a long time—clever, imaginative, and extremely well written."—Arthur Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Memoirs of a Geisha

“A delight from start to finish. Buehlman takes the well-worn tropes of fantasy and weaves them into a new and vibrant tapestry.”—Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of Blood Song

“Fast and fun and filled with crazy magic. I can't wait to see what Christopher Buehlman does next." - Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of the Lightbringer series

“Chock-full of wry wit, foul language, and characters who arrive on the page with savage, sordid pasts hot on their heels. Often humorous, occasionally horrifying, and sometimes incredibly poignant, I love every single page of this book. Every sentence, even. It's that good.”—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“Equal parts fairy tale, D&D adventure, and acid trip. Buehlman has successfully blended the essences of these elements into something at once familiar and fresh. I look forward to returning to this evocative and f*cked up world!”—Jonathan French, author of The Grey Bastards

“The Blacktongue Thief is a masterclass in voice and thoughtful world design, with a wonderful cast and a protagonist who grabs you instantly. Fans of Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora will love this one.”—Django Wexler, author of The Thousand Names

“Dark, gritty, lightning-fast, intelligent, irreverent . . . I loved it.”—Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives

“Masterfully woven, joyfully mischievous, but also tragic and so heartfelt. Fans of Nicholas Eames and Joe Abercrombie will love The Blacktongue Thief.”—Brian Naslund, author of Blood of an Exile

“Buehlman's prose floats nimbly from grisly to lyrical and back again, evoking a damaged world that's by turns bleak and starkly beautiful. A fantastical road trip with a hard-boiled sensibility, complete with shape-shifting assassins, murderous kraken and some delightfully gruesome magic.”—A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken Name

“Nobody combines the lyrical and visceral quite like Christopher Buehlman. The Blacktongue Thief is fantasy of distinction—in its wit, its hard magic, its chiseled detail. Prepare to be transported.”—Andrew Pyper, author of The Demonologist and The Homecoming

“Instantly immersive, with wit as sharp as a thief's blade and the most frightening take on goblins I've ever read.”—David Dalglish, author of the Shadowdance series

“The Blacktongue Thief is fated to steal a lot of reader’s hearts with its charm, humor, intensity, and unrelenting fun.”—Novel Notions

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2021

Kinch Na Shannack learns that strange circumstances can bring essential acquaintances together when he and a loosely bound group of highwaymen try to rob Galva on the White Road. Their robbery is a failure, but they escape with their lives; Galva is an exquisite fighter who wields with magical precision the shield Kinch covets. Kinch and Galva later set out on a Tolkienesque quest through their Europe-inspired world, during which they are joined by fellow thieves, more warriors, a witch, and a cat. Each member of the party has their own goal, and secrets they hide from the others. The journey is made more tenuous by memories of the Goblin Wars, and news that giants have attacked a frontier city. VERDICT Readers of epic fantasy novelists, like Tolkien or Brian Sanderson, will enjoy this journey, which is by turns fun, magical, or terrifying for the travelers. Buehlman (The Lesser Dead) offers a departure from his horror novels in this fantasy with dark undertones. With fabulous examples of invented languages and dialects, this title is transporting.—Elizabeth Masterson, Mecklenburg Cty. Jail Lib., Charlotte, NC

Library Journal

This irreverent fantasy is narrated superbly by author Christopher Buehlman. Along with his firsthand knowledge of the text and how he means it to be conveyed, Buehlman uses nuance, inflection, and a casual way of saying outrageous things to continually tickle the funny bone. The story follows a somewhat sardonic thief named Kinch as his guild sends him traveling on the heels of a warrior knight who is on a quest to find her queen. While the variation between male and female voices needs to be a bit stronger, overall, a cheeky delivery and an abundance of personality make up for that tenfold. N.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2021 - AudioFile

This irreverent fantasy is narrated superbly by author Christopher Buehlman. Along with his firsthand knowledge of the text and how he means it to be conveyed, Buehlman uses nuance, inflection, and a casual way of saying outrageous things to continually tickle the funny bone. The story follows a somewhat sardonic thief named Kinch as his guild sends him traveling on the heels of a warrior knight who is on a quest to find her queen. While the variation between male and female voices needs to be a bit stronger, overall, a cheeky delivery and an abundance of personality make up for that tenfold. N.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2021 - AudioFile