Rating: 
Summary: The Thief's Gamble
Review: I found this book terrific.I can't believe its her first.and I loved the first person approach,and the fact that the heroine is of sterner stuff than the usual helpless,hapless,faint hearted sweet young thing,is a wonderfully refreshing approach.I highly recommend this book and can hardly wait for the sequel.This is an author that is definitely worth waiting for.READ!
Rating:
Summary: Be Sure to take this "Gamble"
Review: Strangely, I don't read much heroic fantasy, since I have never been able to identify with the many trolls, elves gnomes and the like that populate the genre. But, I love a human story. So it was with great pleasure that I sat down to read this book. It's great! The characters, especially, Livak seem to be real people in a fantastic situation. There's maturity in the storytelling. These are all grown up people and they act that way. There's a mad villian, but, he's not cackling like a maniac, which only makes him all the more frightening. There's enough action, romance and suspense to satisfy any reader. I can't wait for the sequel!
Rating: 
Summary: What I was thinking when I wrote this book
Review: I was wondering if anyone else wanted to read fantasy with characters who had lived lives of their own, whose personal concerns were at least as important to them as whatever epoch-shattering events they might be caught up in. On a purely personal level, I was finding so much of the fantasy I was reading unrealistic; I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms but just think about if for a moment. Other things I was getting tired of included heroines who went through their adventures untouched by human hand until ending up as the hero's reward in the final chapter and even more so of farm boys who turned out to be princes (unaccountably mislaid) or wizards (immensely powerful but not about to take over the world on account of being such darn nice guys) without anyone realising. Don't misunderstand me; some authors tell these tales very well but I knew I couldn't do it. I was finding a limit to what even the most inventive writer could bring to the traditional hero tale. So I set about writing a fantasy world where things like politics, religion and sex were facts of everyday life, rather than cosmos-shaping forces. Having studied history at school, university and latterly just out of interest, I wanted to develop a world with developments in science and technology, literature and philosophy, where life goes on quite independently of whatever it is has the heroes and wizards running around in circles. The more I pursued these ideas, the more the story came together and The Thief's Gamble was the result. In the meantime, thanks for your interest and happy reading, whatever it is that you are choosing to read.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read!
Review: This is a great book and a real page turner! Livak is a strong female lead and the male characters aren't too shabby either. A surprisingly great first book. I was quite dissapointed to learn that the sequel won't be out until Sept. 2000 - what shall I do until then? I will certainly read whatever Juliet E. McKenna writes!
Rating: 
Summary: Sequel please!
Review: It was odd at first reading a fantasy novel in first person. But, the storyline grabbed me and it became refreshing. I really enjoyed the sarcastic, witty humor that ran throughout this book. It was definately new having a heroine with questionable morals and yet made it seem quite normal. She set her own standards and yet was openminded enough to add some growth to her character. Not given to sentiment she finds more reason during her journey to re-think her priorities. Some of the male heroes had intersting, likable characters and yet left somewhat of a mystery. I wasn't quite satisfied with that fact; wishing for some more introduction into their lives. There was more reality put into this fantasy than is the norm. Not all the heroes will live to see the end and that put a more realistic touch to the story. All in all, it was very refreshing with wonderful ideas and I hope to see even more with the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Writing is rough, reading is good
Review: This is a very good first book. The writing is less than polished, but once you get the hang of the style, you begin to forget the writing and start to live the story. The characters are not the all-too-frequent near omnipotent forces but are more of the grunt level. Not everything goes well for them, and they have to be rescued. By, unfortunately, the nearly omnipotent forces of their stipulated leaders. Oh, well. I'm looking forward to book number two.
Rating: 
Summary: I liked the book...
Review: Personally, I was hoping a 2nd Book of the Einarinn had already been released. It wasn't the most sophisticated writing, but it was easy to read and the characters relatively believable (which is not always the case with the genre, but, hey! If you die or do nothing memorable, you don't get written about).The island of the mages reminds one of the disassociation those in power have with the general populace (re: Washington, DC). The problems in the surrounding world are actually quite typical in a society such as ours (the large cities such as LA, Chicago, Philly, DC, etc... especially DC... are dangerous if you get into the wrong part of town). Things happen. No one comes to the rescue. You pretty much have to take care of yourself. Juliet does take the time to introduce you to her characters and make you like at least the main character (the thief). Some of the other characters are a bit flat, but, their roles are secondary and don't have to be quite as fleshed out. It's a good book. If you've read Terry Goodkind and just want a book to relax to, I recommend this one. Then, you can go reimmerse yourself in the "Sword of Truth" or some other heavy-read novel that grabs you by the throat. This book will be put aside as you would a friend. Remembered.
Rating: 
Summary: You have got to be kidding me.
Review: I was surprised to see so many good reviews of this book: I, for one, thought it was very poorly written. Her ideas are imaginative and the world she has created is certainly unique---it was refreshing to read a fantasy novel based so tightly around historians and anthropological concerns---but it couldn't make up for the fact that the actual writing was amateurish and often painful to read. The worst aspect of the writing is in the first-person sections, and the author was almost certainly trying to go for a stream of consciousness realism in her style. It didn't work. The sentences are too rambling and awkward in many cases to be understood on the first reading, and yet too similar to the rest of the book's prose to make a definite stylistic statement. The other thing that bothers me about this book is that it lacks a sense of wonder that I think is necessary in a fantasy novel. There is magic, yes, and a fairly epic storyline, but there's never anything large enough or sweeping enough or glorious enough to ever thrill the imagination. This book will not inspire artists in the way that Tolkien or even AD&D have. The story is gritty and realistic, so much so that the setting and scenery are never lifted out of the mud and drudgery of the common peasant. If you like that, and I admit that has its place, then you'll love this book; I personally was very disappointed. I should mention, however, the one scene that acheived a sense of wonder, and did it very well: the encounter of Azazir, the water-mage. To some degree the realism in the book is actually very welcome and original. She does not glorify violence, and paints her fight scenes in the same muddy, bloody colors as, say, the movie "Braveheart". A character whose ribs are broken halfway through, for example, must deal with those broken ribs for the rest of the book---a detail that seems so simple, and yet is almost always neglected or ignored in fantasy fiction. My final summation is that Juliet McKenna has the potential to become quite an author. Her characters and her world are original and interesting, and her story is intriguing. I only hope that her writing improves substantially before the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: Fine but ordinary
Review: This is an ok book, but it is nothing out of the ordinary. I found the characters somewhat flat and unappealing, and the concept solid but standard fare. There is so much repetition in fantasy today, in order to be worth reading a book needs to break some molds. THE THIEF's GAMBLE does not take many risks or do anything original, though it is not bad reading, it just isn't anything special.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for any fantasy fanatic
Review: I was very surprised by the quality of work. The reader is in for a treat with an original take on fantasy magic and a first person writing style that showcases the skill and imagination that Juliet E. McKenna brings to Science Fiction. Very exciting and enjoyable. Can't wait to read the next one!
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