Review: "The Thief Who Spat in Luck's Good Eye," by Michael McClung

I read Michael McClung’s “The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids” a month or so ago when it won the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off, and I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t wait to dig into the second volume, “The Thief Who Spat in Luck’s Good Eye.”

The second book is a bit of a different creature from the first as the stage and story get bigger.

Amra Thetys and Holgren, who we met in the first volume, make an odd couple. Holgren is a mage who dislikes the use of magic, and while Amra does seem to enjoy her work as a thief, she works by her own moral code.

When a giant reward is offered for anyone who can retrieve the secret of immortality from the ancient lost city of Thagoth, Holgren convinces the reluctant Amra to help him claim it, even though they're not really sure what they're looking for or where it is. If they can discover the location of the city, Holgren can open a gate to get them there well ahead of the other adventurers seeking the reward who will have to travel by more conventional means. They can claim the prize and be back before their competitors really get started.

Review: "The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids" by Michael McClung

Even though the event officially ended this weekend, I’m still continuing my journey through the finalists in Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off. So far I’m 1-for-1, having really liked David Benem’s “What Remains of Heroes” and having an enjoyable, but ultimately unsatisfying experience with Matthew Colville’s “Priest.”

As luck would have it, I started reading Michael McClung’s “The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids” last week, and it was just named the winner of the contest on Saturday. The book received an average score of 8/10 from the 10 participating blogs with a high score of 9 and a low of 6.5.

As far as I’m concerned, “The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids” represents exactly what the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off was created to discover – self-published fantasy novels that are every bit as good as anything coming from the big publishing houses.