Book review
Written by Douglas Hulick
Tor paperback
Release date Out now

Drothe is a Nose, a man capable of finding out secrets and rumours on the streets of Ildrecca. When Drothe isn’t reporting back to his boss Nicco, he’s dealing in Imperial relics, which leads him deeper and deeper into trouble. Before long Drothe has gained the attention of the Grey Princes – Ildrecca’s most fearsome crime bosses – and finds himself at the heart of a situation that could bring down the very Empire…

Douglas Hulick manages to conjure an odd sort of protagonist in Drothe (even if he’s a little too close to Patrick Rothfuss’s Kvothe). Drothe is not particularly good with weapons, nor does he do a particularly good job of staying on top of the shifting power struggles of Ildreccca’s criminality. He’s unremarkable looking, frequently described as a little on the short side, and spends most of the novel wearing borrowed clothes. In fact the only thing that Drothe has going for him is that he frequently wants to do the right thing – which is as much a curse as it is a blessing when you’re a hardened career criminal.

Hulick capably sets up a novel of double crosses and carefully planned scams as the various power bases in the city learn of an Imperial relic that could change everything. It’s a slickly constructed affair, with plenty of misdirection and hidden agendas. However, Drothe manages to get wrapped up in the action largely by accident, and then proceeds to blunder his way through to the end. It’s difficult to decide if this is oddly charming or just incompetent for a man of Drothe’s calibre.

As the story unfolds the central themes of loyalty, honour, broken promises and ‘doing the right thing‘ come back time and time again, resulting in a fantastic showdown in a market place between two Degans (ferociously adept swordsmen for hire). Perhaps most rarely of all in these times of ‘gritty‘ fantasy, Among Thieves has a satisfying, upbeat and entirely plausible ending. Den Patrick

VERDICT: 7/10
Douglas Hulick’s debut is a pacey, well-thought out romp through the cutthroat streets of Ildrecca. A fun, solid read full of desperate duels and cunning twists.