Threadstealer by Rob Leigh
Blurb:
James has accepted his destiny as the Pathlighter, pledging to serve the emperor and forge a way forward as a better example than the gods. But with assassins lurking within the capital and his allies doubting his every move, he begins to question what a better path requires, and if he ever truly knew what it meant.
Meanwhile, Ariel searches her plagued homeland for both the cause of the sickness and a cure for her beloved Roy's demonic passenger. But the price of defending Spiath will challenge her convictions, and test what she's willing to sacrifice to save those she loves.
The now powerless Samira has cast herself into exile and returned to where her prophecy began. When an unlikely acquaintance seeks her help, they discover something in the lost pages of history that could also raze the future.
When the line between gods and monsters is obscured, what is left to believe in? Threadstealer continues the odyssey of the Chosen in the epic Pathlighter Trilogy.
Review:
To start, I read Pathlighter just in time to receive the ARC of Threadstealer, and while I usually do not read the same author back-to-back, I made an exception. A lot of that credit goes to Rob Leigh and to how Pathlighter ended. You can check out my SFF Insiders review of book one here: SFF Insiders Pathfinder Review.
To summarize that review a bit, I have always been fascinated by mythology, particularly Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. The idea of gods intervening in mortal lives, whether through divine favor or a vengeful course of destruction, has always appealed to me. I love characters pitted against uneven odds, so the Pathlighter Trilogy already had many of the structural elements I crave and wish more authors would explore.
Be that as it may, the real meat of Threadstealer is the character work.
To remain as spoiler-free as possible, you have James, a stubborn and often reluctant hero, now fully thrust into his new destiny. Alongside him is Leonard, who is also coming into his own. The dynamic scenes between these two were very well done. The character growth toward the end for both men, especially Leonard, is a real testament to Rob’s character-focused writing.
Roy and Ariel were my personal favorites and, in my opinion, the stronger plotline. Their story grips the reader from the start with intense scenes and never lets up. If you want your emotions stirred, this is where you’ll find them. Watching Roy and Ariel’s story unfold all the way to their final chapters feels like the epitome of a Greek tragedy.
Then we have Samira, whom I also really enjoyed reading. Her POV opens up much more backstory that enriches the overall narrative. From the first book to this one, we see Samira on a new journey of humility that builds naturally from where we left her in the previous entry.
And finally, we have the antagonists. Rob does excellent character work, but when you want to read some near-pure villainy, this series delivers. That said, there is still depth and nuance to these characters. They are three-dimensional figures with their own ambitions and contradictions that make them compelling to read. There is nothing better than a character you love to hate.
As I mentioned in my review for Pathlighter, Rob handles pacing well. There is a strong balance of action, emotional character growth, and worldbuilding while maintaining steady plot progression. Having read these books almost back-to-back, I can clearly see growth in Rob’s writing style and prose. He wrote a confident debut, and in this second installment, he allows himself to take even more risks—which, in my opinion, pay off.
My final thoughts: Threadstealer is the second book in a trilogy, but it never feels like a bridge book. It stands on its own as a worthy middle installment with merits entirely its own. The most recent time I felt this strongly about a middle book was with Jade War from The Green Bone Saga. Rob treats Threadstealer like its own story, delivering a character-focused narrative that ends on an emotional conclusion and leaves you ready for the final installment.
A recommended read, if you enjoyed Pathlighter, you’ll love Threadstealer
