Review by G. L Terral

Blurb:

We are the stories we tell ourselves…even the lies.

The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.

Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.

When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed.

Review:

No Heart For A Thief—James Lloyd Dulin Malitu- Book 1.

Immediate Spoilers—While the title states there is no heart for a thief, an in-world phrase that has religious connotations and heavy implications for the main character, the book itself is filled to the brim with heart. There is also a shockingly sparse amount of thieving done in the story, magic talent excluded.

The story is structured in a way that alternates between the past events and the present, sacrificing very little pace for, what I consider to be a well-done execution. While both arcs were enjoyable, the events of the past personally felt more interesting as we see the titular character, Kaylo, learn of his nature and the repercussions (both internal and external) that come with it. That being said, the present timeline arc isn’t lacking for action or growth, as he takes on the role of a somewhat grumpy, somewhat reluctant mentor to a very outspoken young woman named Tayen.

At the heart of the novel there is a struggle for self-acceptance, both for Kaylo and Tayen. But the scope of the tale being woven goes much further than that, seeing Kaylo and Tayen’s people, the Enneans, struggling against oppression from an Empire who wields “love” and “salvation” like a weapon, bludgeoning and breaking all who refuse it.

The magic system felt familiar in its ease of base understanding/access, but quickly managed to feel unique with how it was blended into the lives of the wielders and some of the questions posed and subsequently answered towards the end of the novel.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in No Heart For A Thief and have both the sequel, No Safe Haven, and the prequel, Don’t Bloody the Black Flag (which you can get for free by signing up for James’s newsletter here.) added to my TBR.

If you enjoy characters with depth, set in a world that feels realized, book one of the Malitu series is a great start. 4.5 Thieves out of 5.

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