Stay sized Ravens. Magical tattoos. Giants. Goblins. Witches. A freakin kraken. This author had a ball and so did I reading it.

The fact that he read his own book. He def has a special relationship with it. So often while listening to him narrate this book, I found myself feeling like he had a blast writing it.

It’s not easy being humorous and even tongue and cheek at times while still having a compelling plot, great character development, and a well structured magical world that makes total sense. Well, he does it. Can’t wait for the followup titles.

I really enjoyed this book - Buehlman is an excellent narrator of his own work. I loved the general tone of dark, wry, humor, and was caught up enough in the events that I listened to it very quickly. I would definitely pick up another of his books, and look forward to future installments in this series.

My only real criticism is that the female character felt like a bit of a cipher because we never see the world from her perspective. It completely makes sense from a story perspective because she is meant to be a bit mysterious, and the book is very much from the main character's perspective.

However, it still seemed like an omission because I'm used to authors like Joe Abercrombie who jump around between viewpoints and help us understand every character.

My phone broke and I wasn't able to listen to this audiobook. I couldn't download it again on my new phone, I'm so sorry for not being able to review this audiobook like I wanted to.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Blacktongue Thief is one of the best fantasy books I've read in ages! It's right up there with Lord of the Rings in terms of world-building and characters you want to root for. Kinch was definitely more developed than the others, but I was satisfied with how fleshed out the secondary characters were (more would have been lovely, because they were all uniquely interesting). I was surprised by how much I started to care for certain people, and heartbroken when something unfortunate happened to someone I'd grown used to. It was hard to like everyone, but I did enjoy their presence on the pages.

Buehlman has masterfully woven a tale of unlikely heroes, since Kinch himself is a certifiable thief trained by the Takers Guild. He's done some questionable things in his life, but his personality and heart more than make up for it. He's not afraid to do what needs to be done, but that doesn't mean he goes out of his way to do it. I wouldn't say he's loyal or trustworthy (he is to an extent), but he does care about Galva and Norrigal in his own way. He's also hilarious and I loved his sense of humor and way of viewing the world. His love of a blind cat is probably what cemented my affection for him.

This book was also a little dirty and a lot dark. The author didn't shy away from the nitty gritty bits of the world he created, and we get to see our fair share of impossible situations and unfortunate circumstances. People that are just trying to scrape by however they can, and the lengths they will go to for a few coins. I was thoroughly entranced by this story, and my heart hurt for these fictional people and their make-believe problems. That's how you know when a book is good - you care for something or someone that isn't real. Also, the language used in this book isn't for the faint of heart or those that would rather avoid obscenities and indelicate situations. I don't mind cursing and vulgarity, and even though Kinch used words and phrases that were unfamiliar, their meaning wasn't hard to figure out. ;)

I started reading a physical ARC of this book, but then I stumbled across the audiobook on NetGalley. Friends, if you have a chance, listen to this one! The author narrates the story and it was a truly amazing experience. Kinch's voice is something I'll be able to recall for days, if not longer. It was so unique and distinctive; I felt as if I were traveling right next to him on their journey. There's also singing! I've never heard a narrator sing before. They usually just read the words - sometimes with a little change in their voice - but this book had singing. I loved it. It made the book even more memorable, in my opinion.

At first I wasn't sure this book was going to be a good fit, but I am so glad I stuck with it. It took me a few chapters to get used to the world and its rules, but now I feel like I've lived there my entire life. Buehlman has created new languages, new peoples, and new monsters. I'm sure I'll have nightmares about goblins in the future, especially after what happened by the fence. I'm not going to lie, there were some BRUTAL aspects of this book that really made my stomach turn. I think it says a lot about the writing that I was able to feel so repulsed by certain actions and still wanted to keep reading.

Weirdly, I enjoyed the book's leisurely pace. It wasn't slow by any means, since the characters were constantly facing this or that challenge, but Kinch does love to tell a story. He used stories and anecdotes to educate readers on different aspects of the world we're reading about, and I thought it was crafty of the author to build the world through the eyes of one of its inhabitants (based on that person's experiences). Old tales, stories about gods and goddesses, a tale sung in a tavern - all added additional layers to the world. There's plenty of fighting, and the author does skip through some of the traveling, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable experience.

I honestly cannot praise this book enough. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it did feel like the author pressed pause on the story. There's definitely more in store for Kinch and the others, but I have no idea what their future will look like. We're left feeling hopeful, and also a little sad. There's a lot to love about this book, but it will definitely play your emotions like a fiddle (iykyk). It's one I always looked forward to picking up again, and one I know I'm going to be thinking about for days. A few times now I've caught myself reaching for something that isn't there, so I'm already eagerly awaiting the next one. If you enjoy fantasy books, make sure you add this one to your TBR! (★★★★★)

It's not what he'd dreamed of but Kinch Na Shannack finds himself in a forest by the highway waiting on someone to rob. He needs to pay the Takers Guild for his education. All that education on stealing, lying, robbing and how to tell a tattoo that contains a spell needs to be paid for and Kinch has no other way to find the money. But sometimes you are lucky and sometimes not. Kinch and his cohorts rush out to rob a company only to find it contains a female knight, Galva. She makes short work of Kinch's crew but at the end of the fight, the two decide to travel a bit together. Galva is searching for her queen, rumored to be in giant country and she is willing to spare Kinch's life in exchange for his help.
Thus starts an epic quest. There are dangers aplenty. Goblins abound and there is nothing they like more than a dinner of human flesh. Krakens kill everything in their path indiscriminately. Giants are not jolly folk but terrifying behemoths who can kill with a swat. Witches abound, including one called Deadlegs who lost her legs in a fight and now gets around by hacking off the legs of her dead enemies and using them until they rot past use. A blind cat takes Kinch as her soulmate. Kinch is alternately terrified and amazed, falling in love or fighting for his life.

I listened to this novel and it was wonderful. The author, Christopher Buehlman, was also the narrator and his accented narration was perfect. It is one of the few books I'd love to listen to again just to hear his voice some more. There are songs interspersed throughout and they are done well also.

This book is a five star rating for me. It's one of the best fantasy books I've read lately and I read a lot of fantasy. It is humorous and thrilling by turns. Kinch is a thief and a rascal but his exploits hide a heart of gold. The book is getting a lot of positive buzz with accolades such as editor's choice for Best Books of 2021 in the fantasy genre. It is the first of a proposed trilogy and the reader will finish the last page desperate to read the next. This book is highly recommended for fantasy readers.

I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The humor was spot on for me. This is the type of dark, epic fantasy that deals with tough topics but doesn’t take itself too seriously. In my opinion, similar to Mr Kindly in Nevernight. There’s even a black cat.

Our main character Kinch has been trained by a guild to be a thief, and therefore he owes them a small fortune. In order to pay the guild their coin, he decides to rob the next person who crosses his path. That person turns out to the Galva, a survivor of the goblin wars. The path of Kinch and Galva become intertwined, leading them on an adventure for a lost queen.

Even though this book is full of thieves and killers, you actually care about their well-being and survival. And there’s an adorable blind cat! What else do you need??

This book was filled with magic, fun, adventure. It features giant ravens, goblins, witches, and sea monsters. I had such a great time reading this book and can’t wait for the next installment!

This audiobook is also narrated by the author himself!! Holy smokes he is a great voice actor!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! Performed by the author, I loved the accents - and was quite genuinely surprised by the great singing in a few places! I just loved this audio - though like most of the fantasy listens that I have heard, there are a few moments when I did wish for a physical copy - to see the spellings of the names and places, if nothing else.

Narrator Kinch is an excellent character who really leaps into life. There's a lot of humor here - and excitement as well. I'm really looking forward to the sequel!! In many ways, this is a rather traditional journeying fantasy novel - but there are details and tidbits that really freshen this up and give it a modern edge. It's a great blend of action, romance and comedy!

I appreciated the way the world-building unfolds - almost as if Kinch relays the whole tale over a drink at a darkened tavern. Some of the creatures will feel familiar, but others (like the giant war ravens!) are more original. I had really had so much fun listening to this one! The performance is really great!

And while there's set up for where the sequel will go - this ends on a complete note, which I really appreciate. Hopefully the wait won't be too long before the next book comes out!

I honestly couldn't finish this book, so therefore I will not be giving it a review. I wasn't engaged and was a little bit confused by the plot line. However, the character work was fantastic. I would recommend this to a character driven fantasy lover. The audiobook narrated by the author was great as well. Disregard my rating since I DNF'ed the book.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Everything about it. Christopher Buehlman is a perfect narrator for his book and absolutely brought it to life! His voice is so easy and pleasant to listen to, he does a great accent, and he adds a great bit of saltiness in the writing's humor--all without being distracting from the story.

And the story?!?!?! Just, wow. The Blacktongue Thief is an adventure story following a lovable-unlikeable rogue through his shenanigans with a slew of supporting and side characters that were all equally interesting. The story manages to be both dark and HILARIOUS. I am no fan of slapstick or toilet humor, but Buehlman totally got me. I literally lol'ed at his stupid potty jokes, and I have no regrets.

But with all that aside, the adventure is awesome! It comes together piece by piece as he also builds a whole, fleshed setting and world of magic. It's written so well, so organized, so clear. And if I haven't convinced you by gushing over the characters, adventures, world building, and the writing, let me tell you that there's also romance!!!!! The love story that unfolds is precious.

As I write this review, it's been a few weeks since I finished listening to the audio, but I am still in the throes of a "book hangover." I need more books like this. I need more writing this. I NEED THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW. I have no criticism. None. This is a perfect story for those who love adventure fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy to review.

I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I really enjoyed this. There's a lot going on and maybe the plot doesn't move forward much, but Buehlman really builds up the world. It's also funny and very sarcastic.

I enjoy when an author tries to narrate their own book and Buehlman does a pretty good job. The only negative part is he doesn't have enough voices for all the characters, which often made it hard to follow who was saying what. Also, huge kudos to the author and audiobook publisher for bringing in a singer and music. Some of my favorite parts were the songs being sung because it felt so natural to the rest of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

The Blacktongue Thief is an excited gritty story about Kinch and Galva, who set out on an epic quest to find a missing queen. The story is fun, bloody, and magical.

Kinch is a thief, who owes the guild who trained him a fortune. To pay his debt, the seeks out Galva, who is a warrior that fought in the goblin wars, and they set out on an adventure.

There is lots of magic in this story, like tattoos that can come to life, and taking to animals. There are terrible Monsters, like goblins and krakens.

I listened to this story on audio, and it was great. There are some sound affects, singing, and the narrator has a Scottish accent (I think).

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* loved reading this book! i will reading more of this series when it comes out and rereading this one when it does too! loved the characters lmao

I wasn't sure what to expect going into listening to this book. I already finished reading this book on my Kindle, so I knew that I would enjoy the story. (It is one of my top 5 reads of 2021, and a candidate for being the Best book of the year). That said, when I see that the author of the book is also the narrator, I always get a little bit worried about the quality. Not the case here! Christopher Buehlman is an amazing narrator (and singer too!). I listened to this during a long road trip and I highly recommend that you give this book a try.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an early copy for me to listen to.

Sigh. This book has *everything* I would think I would want. And I did not enjoy it whatsoever. I am the one in the wrong here, lads, I will admit this. I wanted to like this book. But at about the 60% mark, I was just hoping to be done as soon as possible and I honestly don't think any of it was giving me any pleasure.

Firstly, I have to mention the audiobook narration. The author is American and he puts a thick Irish accent on and it makes it so hard to pick up on everything happening and I just think this was fully a mistake. I hated it. Understand, I got a free review copy from Netgalley (thanks, Netgalley + publisher!) and I disliked the narration so much that I procrastinated the book until it actually came out, got myself a physical copy, and finished it that way. That's how much the audio wasn't working for me. Maybe some people liked the Irish, but I did not. It is one thing if the author is actually Irish, but he is not, and I think its a mistake for authors to narrate their own fiction books. Also, Kinch is supposed to be funny and Buehlman delivered everything incredibly flat. I didn't find ONE thing funny until I switched to physical and could read it in my head instead. Terrible.

Now onto the actual book. The entire book is in Kinch's POV. He's a thief that is coerced into going on a quest. Twists and mayhem ensue. Here's the thing. I love a good quest. But I hated Kinch. I hated his humour. I hated his speech style. I didn't like a single thing about him. This may be partly the audiobook, again- everything he said and did was so flat for the first half that it made have affected how I viewed the character for the second half. I don't know. All I know was...he seemed annoying. And he seemed incompetent. He mostly just succeeded at not dying throughout this book, which is fine if you're trying to be funny, but I didn't find him funny. I think if you like Kinch, this book will land much better for you.

Onto the worldbuilding. This is the best interpretations of goblins I've ever seen. Truly great and fresh and horrifying. But everything else about the worldbuilding seemed pretty underwhelming. There were a lot of places and languages and types of people and I struggled to keep them straight, and I'm an epic fantasy fan. I think partially I couldn't be bothered to give a damn about any of them, and partially another audiobook problem (see the issue?). They would mention a type of person and I'd go, "yep, that's a word they've said before" and move on. I just finished the book now and you could not pay me to remember who the main conflicted nations/cities/groups were, besides The Guild, which Kinch is a part of. The previous Goblin Wars all seemed pretty brutal and harrowing, so that was well done. The magic was fun, but also seemed pretty unexplained and just formed a large part of all the resolutions so it landed a bit hollow. I think my disconnect is that everything is filter through Kinch's POV, and he knows all these places/things/types/magics already, and he just is like, "ah yes, Narnia" and continues on his day. Maybe Buehlman should have kept some of his world building for further novels. Or maybe I'm just an ass. I don't know.

I also hate that he called humans "kynds". This flies in the face of all logic. There are like 6 languages in this book, and Kinch presumably doesn't speak English. So he's speaking something that we, English speakers, don't speak. So everything is "translated" for us. So if Kinch's language says "kynd" for "human", it should be on the page as "human", the same as everything else. If he says "table", we understand he's probably saying "blah blah" instead. But if every word is rendered in another language, we just aren't reading a book in English anymore. So it's HUMAN! I admit, I'm being pedantic, and this bothered me more than it should. But it just seemed like an overt attempt to be different instead of being authentic.

Notice I didn't really talk about the characters. Galva is a genuinely good and interesting character and probably should have been the protagonist, but I'm in the minority here. She was just more captivating and the person who the quest actually mattered for. There is also a semi-boring love interest, a blind cat, and some red shirts. The characters were the least satisfying part of this. Tomorrow I probably won't remember anybody besides Galva.

So...this was a disappointment. And I'm truly sorry to be so hard on it, because I heard such good things and I was so excited to read it. Alas, not everything good works for everyone. I've seen many people say this is the best fantasy book of the year, and gush about it. I'm happy they enjoyed it. I didn't.

This was a very enjoyable book written with a unique voice and texture. The story is told from the POV of a thief traveling through these (irish-esque) land and the dialog, the slang and the vulgarities all reflect that. Lot of 'tosser' 'slipper' and those kind of things. You'll learn a lot about the vulgarities of the land throughout the book and that kind of led to it's enjoyment. There were plenty of quips and jabs and lots of action and an interesting crew of characters. Throw in a witch and an assassin animal companion and you have quite the quest.
I found the style a little difficult to get into at first but fell into the rhythm and terminology of it all. It was definitely different than anything else i had read before and I really enjoyed it.

After reading the synopsis for this book I could not wait for it to come out. It sounded like it was going to be right up my alley. However, I found the book to be so-so. I am a character-driven reader and I just did not care about any of the characters in this book. I had no connection with Kinch (the MC) and I was not a fan of his type of humor. It wasn’t bad just not for me. On a positive note, the world-building in this book is done really well.

I know that there are a lot of people out there that would love this book, but it sadly was not for me. If you enjoy crass humor then this is the book for you.

The Blacktongue Thief // written and narrated by Christopher Buehlman

I've been somewhat dreading writing this review because the mixed feelings I have about this audiobook are somewhat of a first for me. I have found myself laughing harder than I ever have before over a book but I've also found myself dreading listening to it again. It's been such a weird journey with Kinch Na Shannack, one that I am pretty sure I will find myself on again in the future.

Let me start with the reason I am giving this book a lower rating FOR RIGHT NOW: I just could not stay focused on this story for some reason. My mind kept wandering off almost every single time I listened. I have no idea why. But I would come back to it and would have no idea what city they're in now, who is with the main character, or what the goal of this journey even was for a long time. There is nothing specifically that I did not enjoy, to the contrary, I feel like this should've been great for me. I'm thinking that maybe I should have read the ebook for this instead because I realize sooner when my mind wanders and would've been able to pull myself back to paying attention sooner.

Now to the things I liked. If you are like me and have a mind that is deeply entrenched in the gutter, then this book will have you cackling out loud multiple times. The dirty jokes combined with the accent make for a very fun listening experience (I know, this sounds so weird after what I just said about the audiobook). This audiobook really is very well done and I couldn't have asked for a better narrator than the author himself. I also am a huge fan of animal companions and Bully-Boy stole my heart right away! I found this world incredibly interesting with its many different inhabitants, its history, and its magic system.

While I would've liked to learn more about the magic itself, I am hopeful for that in the rest of the series. I definitely am looking forward to more of his writing and am planning on rereading this in a different format before the next book comes out. I have a feeling that I will be able to immerse myself more thoroughly that way and have a better experience with it then.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The black tongue their, was full off everything I hope a character could be. Kinish was a smart mouth thief that had a come back with a good witty remarks. Even after you slapped him a got your reward from the barkeep. If you thought one thing could happen and it was over think again. This was a roller coaster of an adventure. It seem liked it would never stop. I the loose magic system was very impressive. I highly recommend this book if you want to follow only a few POVs and want a comedy comparable to Kings of the Wyld. Needs to be on all fantasy reader book shelf can’t wait for more. Christopher beuhlman keep up the good writing.

When Robin Hobb calls something “Dazzling.” I stop what I’m reading and pick it up.

This book was an absolute delight from start to finish. I laughed out loud so many times, it might now hold the record. It’s that dry, sardonic humor I always appreciate combined with a strong voice that carried the entire story. Definitely unconventional, it was funny without being stupid and animated without being overdone.

I was completely enamored until about the 80% mark, then my evaluation brain kicked on for a bit and I started to wonder if the story was amounting to anything or if was just all about the character and the delivery. The plot was incredibly straightforward and linear, in sharp contrast to a lot of the more complex fantasy novels being written these days. However it was still really interesting, containing some of the best chapter hooks I’ve read in ages. I definitely don’t mind simple as long as it’s done well.

What I do mind is lack of growth, little momentum, and small payoffs. It seemed to me the main character was in the exact same state of mind at the end of the book as he was at the beginning. Showing practically no growth, it made his character come across very surface-level. If not for the brilliant use of humor to show depth (somewhat reminiscent of Abercrombie’s Glokta, but a bit more jovial) I think I would’ve lost patience with him early on.

As it stands, the character voice and witty humor were enough to carry the book and make it incredibly fun to read despite the lack of aforementioned development or any sort of momentum. If those two things improve even a little in the next book while maintaining the elements I loved, I could have a new favorite on my hands. As it is, it’s just loads of irreverent fun.

Audiobook production: I was about halfway through the book, thinking the narrator was doing a great job digging into the nuances of the dialogue and delivering everything in a very conversational manner, before realizing that it was being read by the author himself O_o! To say he did a great job is an understatement. He really brought the text alive with his intimate relationship with the writing and knowledge of how things were supposed to sound. I imagine a few of the more subtle jokes landed because of his delivery that may not have otherwise. The only thing that suffered was the differentiation between characters. I had to pay closer attention to tags to figure out who was speaking because I couldn’t always tell by the voices alone. That was minor though. What was lost in character distinction was more than made up for by his conversational (and hilarious) dialogue. I highly recommend the audiobook. :)

Recommendations: this is a new slightly grimdark fantasy that delivers tenfold on humor and general entertainment. What it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in style. I’d highly recommend this to those who loved my suggested reading below, particularly the Greatcoats series by de Castell.

Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller

Net Galley ARC provided in exchange for an honest review, yada, yada, yada...

I can't think of enough good things to say about this book. Honestly. It has a little of everything I typically want in fantasy; antihero protagonists, an intriguing world, dark and gritty obstacles/antagonists, high stakes to keep the plot moving along, and of course, a sense of humor. My take on a couple of key elements as follows...

Character(s)/Voice: The main character, Kinch Na Shannack, is a Galtish thief indebted to the Takers (thieves' guild) and is an enjoyable narrator throughout the story. I was fortunate enough to get to listen to the audiobook, which was fantastically narrated by Christopher Buehlman, and it is easily one of the greatest audiobook narrations I've ever listened to. Having Buehlman do the voice acting allows us to hear exactly *how* he means us to hear Kinch tell the tale; and it feels like you're in a dingy bar with some scrawny, patchy-bearded drunkard telling you some slurred story about thieves and goblins.

Structure: If you enjoy traditional adventure formulas, you should like this story. It's much grittier than older fantasy, certainly edging toward the grimdark wheelhouse from time to time, but the story is shaped like your traditional fantasy; a party of adventurers with *mostly* shared and/or compatible goals go on an quest to distant lands and encounter multiple setbacks along the way! How fun!

Magic System: The magic systems are entertaining, and might serve as good inspiration for a D&D campaign. While there are powerful magics, they're kinda soft (for now) and left a bit mysterious, while others are more self-explanatory, such as magical tattoos. A few rules are set in stone and I'd like to see how they play out in the future of this trilogy. There's certainly a lot more to uncover in this department.

Worldbuilding: Regional mythology and history are often used as a reference to explain peoples' attitudes and behaviors. This is particularly true in regards to a recent war that the world is still recovering from. Each culture is fascinating to learn about and either add to understanding characters or understanding more of the history and relationships of the world. I'm partial to the (I think apparent) Celtic/Gaelic influence on Galtish culture.

I have no gripes about this book, really. I found myself looking forward to my commutes to and from work so I could hear what happens next. If you're in the mood for an entertaining story with rich worldbuilding and a fantastic narrative voice, give this book a read/listen.