After breaking into the Queen's treasury and escaping, Dessa, Topper and Fisk are on the run from her guard and in search of the mysterious Greyfalcon. Of course, they happen to take refuge from a storm at the same inn as the men they're running from.

A greedy innkeeper, his silent wife, and dangerous smugglers round out the cast of this quick adventure that only advances the story one day. Though I find these short episodes kind of frustrating, that really only means I'm so into this story that I'm anxious to find the answers to my questions. What happened to Dessa's brother? What is Greyfalcon hiding? Isn't ol' one-eye really a good guy under his tough exterior?

According to Scott Chantler's blog, the third installment is coming out this fall and will be titled THE CAPTIVE PRINCE. You can see excerpts here: http://www.scottchantler.com/2012/03/captive-prince-finished.html

Also, if you haven't read this series, you can now begin to read it online for free! Here's the link: http://www.three-thieves.net/2012/05/tower-of-treasure-page-1.html

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Dessa, Fisk, and Topper find themselves at the Black Rock Inn during a storm. The innkeeper's silent wife, Eudora, helps to hide and shelter them; the innkeeper, meanwhile, has his hands full with smuggling in wine and trying to get a reward out of the queen's "dragons" (elite soldiers), who are searching for the three thieves.

Eudora breaks her silence to reveal to Dessa that she once saw Dessa's twin brother with Greyfalcon, and she saw Greyfalcon's book while she was cleaning his room; he scarred her face in retaliation, but Dessa's brother saved Eudora from a worse fate. The dragons take the innkeeper, and the thieves escape. All of the action takes place in one stormy night. ( )

This has been my least favorite so far. The "thieves" arrive at a tavern as the Queen's men also arrive. The tavern owner's wife never speaks. After lots of running about, the thieves are caught. The wife hides them because Dessa tells what they're doing. Come to find out, the man who took her twin brother stopped at the tavern and had the book Dessa carries with her. She trusts Dessa and saves them. ( )

Just simply wonderful. One night at an inn during a dreadful storm with the protagonists, their enemies, smugglers, and the not-so-friendly innkeeper. ( )

In The Sign of the Black Rock, the second book in Three Thieves, we learn of Greyfalcon's kidnapping of Jared, taking him to this very inn, and assaulting Eudora. Coincidence that Dessa ends up here, an example of Chantler's efficient story telling. Chantler doesn't rely on this crutch for revealing Drake's story.

Apparently Jared is as headstrong as Dessa, having saved Eudora when Greyfalcon wanted to cut out her tongue for having read just one word in his book. That is the same book Dessa now has. But what does that word mean?

Strong parallels to Jamaica Inn in setting and subplot, potentially an homage on Chantler's part.

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Three Thieves offers a strong story arc over seven books, well plotted and set in a fabulist world. Each book has a distinctive subplot while moving the larger plot forward. Events include set pieces (castles & kings, chase on horseback, piracy & floating islands) as well as the through-line of a search for a missing sibling. There is enough here that is original to avoid feelings of recycling or cliche, while at the same time Chantler readily incorporates recognisable elements from classic adventure tales and even pop culture.

Overall, chock-a-block with cliffhangers & plot twists, well written and a good challenge for younger readers while keeping the interest of the older among us. ( )