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
★ 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
