THREE THIEVES

Three young friends work together to break into the queen’s treasure tower in Chantler’s fantasy graphic novel.

Dessa, Topper, and Fisk work together in a traveling circus, and while they may not be related by blood, they are a family all the same. When entering Kingsbridge, the Royal City, Topper tells Dessa and Fisk his plan to break into Queen Magda’s tower and steal some of the gold and treasure that she’s hoarded for years. When Dessa fails to perform her tightrope act because she thinks she sees someone from her past, her boss decrees that Dessa is not allowed to return to the circus without bringing food or money to make up for the lost profits. While wandering the streets trying to come up with a plan, she runs into Topper and Fisk, who are initiating their break-in plans at the tower. Somehow, the three manage to survive the booby traps set to keep thieves away from the treasure, but Topper’s inability to wait for Dessa to finish searching for any final traps springs the biggest one of all, and they’re caught by the palace guards. While Captain Drake warns them that they will each lose a hand for thievery, the queen’s chamberlain, Master Greyfalcon, sentences them to death instead (“We’ll display their heads in the courtyard as a warning to others”). Now, the three must escape and figure out why the chamberlain is so eager to be rid of them. In this thrilling and colorful graphic novel, suitable for a middle-grade audience, readers will enjoy the mystery and excitement of Dessa, Topper, and Fisk’s adventures. The three young heroes are easy to root for, and the dilemma Captain Drake faces, caught between his empathy and his duty to the queen, makes him an intriguing possible anti-hero. Overall, this is an enjoyable read that is sure to please its audience.

A colorfully illustrated, thrilling fantasy yarn perfect for middle-grade readers and up.