Book Review and Blog tour: The Orphan and the Thief by M L Legette

Toad thought it’d be easy to steal from Mr. Edward P. Owl. Unfortunately for Toad, he isn’t the best of thieves. Caught in the act, he’s in more trouble than ever before. Now to save his hide, Toad must track down five rare potion ingredients for Mr. Owl. Or else. All Melena Snead wants is her family back, but after the Miggens Street Fire, that isn’t very likely. Orphaned and miserable, forced to work in an apothecary, she’s determined to find Milo, her missing brother. No matter what.

When Melena finds Toad ransacking her apothecary, Toad gets a nasty shock: apothecaries don’t carry Mr. Owl’s ingredients. Luckily, Melena’s willing to help, for a price.

With Melena’s pet Spit-Fire dragon and Toad’s enchanted talking beer mug, they embark on a fantastical journey, traveling the country in search of the potion ingredients. But can they gather all of them in time, what with monsters, pirates, and axe-wielding thieves? And if they do, is there an even greater danger waiting for them at the end?

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My Review

This is a fascinating tale of a girl and boy who engage on a quest together, each thinking that the other needs their help.

I read the first section of this book with enjoyment, but was surprised when I stopped that I seemed to have read so little.  I don’t know whether the book is longer than usual, but it was a struggle to get through the first half.  There didn’t seem to be any reason for this; the book is well-written, the characters should be engaging, as they are lively and personable.  The fantasy world is fully developed and the quest is inventive, without too many tropes.

It wasn’t until we reached the home of Izzy Groot that I really settled into the book.  This may have been because this episode included details of potions, which piqued my interest with their detail and believability (as well as my admiration for a beautifully imagined card game).  I think the writing flowed much better from there, but the ending was not unexpected, although I think the author felt it was a surprising twist.  My favourite character was Hazel, the dragon.  I hope we see more of her.

It was a beer mug. The ugliest, foulest beer mug in Calendula, and yet Melena couldn’t stop staring at it. It had been fashioned to look like a human face. The color of its ‘skin’ was a sickly tan with a splattering of pale spots all over, like the skin of someone who had baked in the sun one time too many. It had tiny, striped, glass blue marbles for eyes that spun about in a frenzy, making Melena’s stomach twist sickly at the sight. A beaked nose sat above an enormous mouth and that mouth was what she couldn’t stop staring at, even more so than the spinning eyes, for it took up half its face.

With its spotted skin, frightful eyes, and long white teeth that jutted out and curved like the bars of a birdcage, it looked like something that belonged to a freak show. Or something that danced about in nightmares. And even worse: it was talking.
“Ahhh, sunlight,” it commented with a sigh.
Melena stared at Toad.
“What?” he asked.
“What is it?”
“Such an enchanting day,” the beer mug mused through its frightful grin.
“He’s Joe,” said Toad. “Ol’ Joe. The Bewitched Beer Mug of Thieves. I saw him in that crazy lady’s wagon.”
“So of course, you decided to steal him!”
“He doesn’t belong t’her,” replied Toad, hotly. “His rightful place is among thieves. Anyone who has Joe is the Thief Lord. Everybody knows that. I couldn’t let him stay with that—woman.”
“Wait, slow down. You’re a Thief Lord now?” asked Melena, incredulously.
Toad’s grin mirrored the beer mug’s.
“Sure am!”
“But—but how?”
“What d’ya mean how?” Toad snapped, glaring at her. “I just am.”
“But,” Melena pressed, utterly confused, “how can a beer mug make you a Lord?”
“That doesn’t matter! It’s just the way it is. It’s been this way forever. Everybody knows the rules.”
The hideous beer mug started humming his stupid song again and then expelled a loud belch. How something like that made you a Thief Lord, Melena could not fathom.

M.L LeGette:Melissa Lee LeGette has been writing seriously since she was a teen. She loves an old world vibe with a magical twist, and she puts her full focus on creating believable characters–even if they happen to be a talking beer mug. Her books are targeted for children and teens, but have been enjoyed by adults of all ages.She lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.

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