Although rather late in the day, I am so glad to be part of the blog tour for The Apprentice Thief by Guy Gardner. Thanks to Donna Morfett of DLM Book Tours and Guy Gardner for the gifted ebook to write my honest review today.
Norfolk 1890.
14-year-old Sebi and his mother lead an idyllic life on the barges with a travelling community. When they befriend a local man, disaster strikes, and they are forced to leave their community behind to make their way to London. Despite being initially content, they soon struggle to make ends meet and must move to a poorhouse.
Conditions in the poorhouse are terrible, and Sebi and his mother are separated. He is beaten by a bully and thief called Moss, who is in charge of the children’s section. After Moss attacks and nearly kills him, Sebi knows he must escape, but fate intervenes in the form of charismatic Billy Flinn, who releases them and promises them a better life.
After a few weeks, it becomes clear that Billy is a thief, and he begins to train Sebi in his arts, mostly working at the Savoy Hotel. One night, the unthinkable happens, and Sebi’s mother goes missing, with only a bloody handprint left to give any clue to what happened.
Sebi escapes from the controlling Billy and begins a desperate search around London. Finally, his search takes him on a dangerous journey to Bombay and a past he never knew he had. After coming up against the British Army and the East India Trading Company, Sebi realises there are secrets people will kill to protect. Will he be able to unravel his past and find his mother before it’s too late?
The Apprentice Thief is the second book I have had the pleasure of reading by Guy Gardner. I was really curious as to what this book would be like, after The Mirror Game, his first one. As soon as I received my copy I couldn’t wait to begin.
I loved reading about Sebi, the fourteen year old main character of this story. His relationship with his mother, Lakshmi, was so precious. I wish I had that with my mum, too. The setting of Norfolk came alive before my eyes as I read. The barges and the community they live in all played out in the vibrant way that travellers and barges come to my mind.
This is not a fast-paced book, but the story isn’t slow, by any means. Sebi and his mother, Lakshmi, wormed their way into my heart. Every time tragedy struck or something bad happened, it broke a little piece of my heart. Lakshmi goes missing, and Sebi swears he will find her, and I believed him so much. He can’t find her in London then realises he must travel to Bombay, where he was born.
It is a story that encompasses so much. It’s a coming of age, friendship, love, truth, loyalty, betrayal, and so much more. Every character, good or bad, is unique and flawed, and most of all, I can see the authenticity of them all.
Guy Gardner truly captivated me with The Apprentice Thief. I spent the entire time feeling I was at the side of Sebi. The trip to India was a refreshing armchair travel, too! I am really looking forward to Guy’s next book!
Author Bio
Guy Gardner is a professional jazz pianist, and has played both at home and around Europe in venues such as The National Theatre, Pizza Express Soho, the 02 and The Royal Albert Hall. Having earned his degree in Music at Dartington College of Arts, he went on to gain a PGCE in teaching, which he used to teach in a prison for a time. Currently, he combines his writing with teaching piano in Dorset, where he lives with his wife, two young sons and dog. He is working on two more novels.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 