The unnecessary gore and violence could be overlooked if the characters were more consistent. ( )

The blurbs about The Child Thief describe it as a dark re-imagining of the classic children’s tale of Peter Pan. This is true as far as it goes, but distinctly understated. Brom’s version dials the Dark up to eleven. He takes the story of Peter the Puer Aeternus, adds the Fae and a great deal of Celtic mythology, a group of puritan settlers turned monster, and throws in a large glug of Lord of the Flies and cooks it all up into an entertainingly nightmarish story, ably accented by his artwork.

I like dark re-imaginings of fairy tales and such, and enjoyed this one. But I found I had to consume it slowly, in rather small bites. ( )

I haven't read the original Peter Pan, but there didn't seem to be many links to the movies/cartoons I've seen other than Peter and a group of kids who never age. There was a Captain, but he really didn't come off as Captain Hook, and there was no Tinkerbell, though there were fairies that were kind of in the background.

It was a bit too long for what it was, but it was a cool story. A mix of modern times and medieval folklore. It was dark, as you would expect from Brom, and there's some great art in the book (if you're reading the dead tree version instead of listening to it). ( )

After reading Slewfoot and the Child Thief, I think I have found a new favorite author!! Brom kept me on my toes, anxiously anticipating each page. I thought I knew where this book was going, and it kept taking me for a new turn! All while continuing to build believable, lovable characters and palpable conflict in a gritty fantasy world not unlike our own. I also appreciate how much Brom borrowed from Scottish folklore! ( )

[b:The Child Thief|6308379|The Child Thief|Brom|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336347513s/6308379.jpg|6493440] is one of those rare books that you just don't want to put down and, once you finish, you want another 400 pages to read. This was definitely a thriller and a wonderful (and more realistic) take on Peter Pan and just what kind of child he really was. I loved being immersed in the world of Avallach and, apart from Ulfger, there wasn't a single character I wasn't interested in which is a rare thing indeed.

[MINOR SPOILERS] As for Ulfger, his character was a bit confusing. He went from just being a bully with daddy issues to being a full-on magic-powered murdering psychopath seemingly instantaneously and we never really learn exactly why he was hiding the Lady from the world (I understand it was to protect her and Avalon from outside influences but his methods were a bit more than unreasonable) or how his seemingly stable knowledge of politics gets twisted in such an extreme way (why is he suddenly killing the people he fought to protect). Overall, he seemed mostly pointless because the Flesh-eaters provided most of the conflict and danger. [END SPOILERS]

I can only hope to see more from this world in the future from [a:Brom|172487|Brom|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1302077137p2/172487.jpg]. This is the second book from him I've read in just over a week ([b:Krampus: The Yule Lord|13505670|Krampus The Yule Lord|Brom|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360091553s/13505670.jpg|19056087] was just as amazing) and at nearly 400 pages a piece, that can only mean good things for Brom's writing. ( )