An action-packed, funny, and unexpected middle grade fantasy-adventure from the acclaimed author of Sidekicked.
The world is not a fair place, and Colm Candorly knows it. While his parents and eight sisters seem content living on a lowly cobbler's earnings, Colm can't help but feel that everyone has the right to a more comfortable life. It's just a question of how far you're willing to go to get it.
In an effort to help make ends meet, Colm uses his natural gift for pickpocketing to pilfer a pile of gold from the richer residents of town, but his actions place him at the mercy of a mysterious man named Finn Argos, a gilded-toothed, smooth-tongued rogue who gives Colm a choice: he can be punished for his thievery or he can become a member of Thwodin's Legions, a guild of dungeoneers who take what they want and live as they will. Colm soon finds himself part of a family of warriors, mages, and hunters, learning to work together in a quest to survive and, perhaps, to find a bit of treasure along the way.
But joining a legendary guild is just the beginning. Can a boy with a knack for thievery learn to become a hero?
- A Reluctant Hero: Twelve-year-old Colm is a gifted pickpocket, but he’s only stealing to help his family survive. When he’s caught, he’ll have to trade his quiet life for a dangerous one.
- A School for Adventurers: At Thwodin’s Legion, Colm must train alongside powerful mages and fierce warriors. But his greatest lessons will be about teamwork and friendship.
- A Legendary Mentor: The mysterious rogue Finn Argos offers Colm a choice: prison or a life of adventure. But can this smooth-talking stranger truly be trusted?
- Treasure Hunting and Teamwork: To survive their first dungeon, Colm and his new friends must face down monsters, disarm traps, and learn to rely on one another when everything goes wrong.
