MOIRA'S PEN

A new window into the world of the Queen’s Thief series.

What reader has not wished to linger a little longer in the world of a beloved story? With a compendium of short stories and fragments—some previously published and some brand new—Turner invites her readers to do exactly that. With the close of Return of the Thief (2020), Eugenides and the other monarchs of the Little Peninsula returned triumphant from war and ready to embark on the happily-ever-after portions of their stories. This new installment doesn’t contradict that closure so much as deepen the story that preceded it. The entries, best appreciated by those already familiar with the earlier books, are ordered chronologically. They leap around in time, space, and style, bridging old narrative gaps and sketching out entirely new side roads that are ripe for exploration, while flitting between storytelling styles and voices. Interspersed with the morsels of story are reflections, flashes of memory, and fascinating historical context from the author. The result is a reading experience that is as cozy as it is expansive, answering questions even as it provokes more. The book is illuminated with precise, sumptuous, black-and-white illustrations by So’Oteh. Ethereal cursive commentary by Moira, messenger of the gods, is sprinkled throughout.

A gift fans of the series will treasure.