Rules for Thieves

Rules for Thieves is a fast-paced adventure of trickery and thieving, featuring a feisty protagonist who always speaks her mind—even when it brings her trouble. The story is set in a pseudo-medieval world where twelve-year-old Alli Rosco has run from the orphanage where she has never felt loved to try living on the city streets. It just never occurred to her before she escaped that independence would be hard and that she might need to steal to survive.

Though the story is entertaining, logic is not its strong point. The premise itself barely holds up to scrutiny, as it is never explained why it is a criminal offense for a child to run away from an orphanage or why the crime is so bad that it merits Alli’s being struck with a fatal curse. Other integral parts of the novel are also on shaky ground, such as how little training Alli receives before being sent on a challenging mission by the Thieves Guild.

Readers who can just accept the action of the novel as it is presented without asking questions, however, will find a confident protagonist unafraid to stand up for what she believes, embroiled in more adventures than she ever dreamed possible.