Review: Thief’s Covenant

Thief’s Covenant (Widdershins, #1) by Ari Marmell 
Publisher: Pyr
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 240
Source: Received from publisher for review
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★★★☆☆

Once she was Adrienne Satti. An orphan of Davillon, she had somehow escaped destitution and climbed to the ranks of the city ’s aristocracy in a rags-to-riches story straight from an ancient fairy tale. Until one horrid night, when a conspiracy of forces—human and other—stole it all away in a flurry of blood and murder.

Today she is Widdershins, a thief making her way through Davillon’s underbelly with a sharp blade, a sharper wit, and the mystical aid of Olgun, a foreign god with no other worshippers but Widdershins herself. It’s not a great life, certainly nothing compared to the one she once had, but it’s hers.

But now, in the midst of Davillon’s political turmoil, an array of hands are once again rising up against her, prepared to tear down all that she’s built. The City Guard wants her in prison. Members of her own Guild want her dead. And something horrid, something dark, something ancient is reaching out for her, a past that refuses to let her go. Widdershins and Olgun are going to find answers, and justice, for what happened to her—but only if those who almost destroyed her in those years gone by don’t finish the job first.

Ok.. so here's the deal: In theory, this book is fantastic! In reality, however, Thief's Covenant didn't live up to my expectations. I was in love with the idea of the book versus in love with the book itself.

My main issue with this book lies in the fact that I felt a constant disconnect between myself and Widdershins. She was spunky, witty, strong, and intelligent - all qualities I look for in heroines. I just never felt dedicated to her cause. I lacked that passion for her character. I didn't feel a push or drive to care what happened to her. That, for me, is what made this book fall apart.

On top of my issues with the main character, I also had some major problems with the pacing. While there was plenty of action in Thief's Covenant, I felt the book moved very slow for some reason. I didn't feel like all that much was happening. I was also confused by the use of flashbacks. They hindered my understanding of the story rather than helping it. I've seen the value of flashbacks in other books, but when they range from two to six years back, it can be rather distracting.

Overall, I think that there are readers who will find this book enjoyable, however it wasn't for me. I had an incredibly hard time getting into it despite my enthusiasm at the start.