3 Stars.

In this age of booming YA, I would classify The Thief as more middle-grade than young adult. 

Clever and well-written, I heeded the advice of a trusted reviewer and did not "think too much about it", and was therefore surprised and pleased with the twist at the end. Gen is witty and devious both in character and as a narrator - his first few tricks fooled even me, but I learned to watch out for them.

The Thief is a light, fun read about a journey to steal a magical stone from a temple only known to a few, a task in which no one in history has yet been successful. While not overly descriptive or lengthy in general, the world building was set up well-enough, and I enjoyed the back stories about the gods and goddesses. The story moved very quickly, and that includes major plot points, climax and conclusion. I do not read middle-grade often, so I am used to a level of build up that was not present here, but I do not think this missing aspect too big a negative.

I've heard the next in the series, The Queen of Attolia, is even better, though I'm not sure if I will continue. I enjoyed Thief for what it is and am happy enough to end my journey with Gen here, though I may still change my mind.