Because of his bragging--and his great skill at thievery--Gen lands in the King's Prison, shackled to the wall of his cell. After months of isolation, kept sane only by his sharp intelligence, Gen is released by none other than the King's Scholar, the Magus, who believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. The Magus needs the best thief in the land to help him steal it, and that thief is Gen. To the Magus, Gen is simply a tool. But Gen is a survivor and a trickster--and he has ideas of his own. A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel.The author's characterization of Gen is simply superb.The Thief is even more fun to re-read. --The Horn Book, starred review To miss this thief's story would be a crime. --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review