The Child Thief
A Novel
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5.0 • 5 Ratings
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
The acclaimed artist Brom brilliantly displays his multiple extraordinary talents in The Child Thief—a spellbinding re-imagining of the beloved Peter Pan story that carries readers through the perilous mist separating our world from the realm of Faerie. As Gregory Maguire did with his New York Times bestselling Wicked novels, Brom takes a classic children’s tale and turns it inside-out, painting a Neverland that, like Maguire’s Oz, is darker, richer, more complex than innocent world J.M. Barrie originally conceived. An ingeniously executed literary feat, illustrated with Brom’s sumptuous artwork, The Child Thief is contemporary fantasy at its finest—casting Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, even Captain Hook and his crew in a breathtaking new light.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Chesley-winning illustrator Brom (The Plucker) weaves together gloomy prose and horrifying adventures in this macabre fairy tale inspired by J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Born of faerie blood, Peter hunts abandoned children, runaways and the hopeless, recruiting for his Devils in Avalon and promising them a place where you never have to grow up. He conveniently fails to mention that Avalon's monsters are very real, and the Devils must practice their war games or risk being tortured to death, eaten or worse. While early chapters are promising, this gothic fantasy stumbles on its own darkness. The devilishly amusing flashbacks to Peter's origins don't make up for the heavy-handed bloodshed, rampant violence and two-dimensional characters. It's all fiendish monsters and desperate battles in this twisted, dark Neverland; the Disney Peter's mirth and good humor are nowhere to be found.
Customer Reviews
Stunning.
A truly amazing book that blends the Tale of Peter Pan and the myths of Avalon together perfectly.
If you like dark, twisted tales mixed with the right amount of folklore then this book is perfect for you!
It's not a re-telling of Peter Pan, so don't worry it's an entirely new story to read. It grips you and doesn't let you go any time soon.
However, don't buy it on ebook format. I own the actual book because it's the only way to truly appreciate the artwork that Brom has included in the book. Buy the book and enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed.
You won't regret it.