The Diamond Thief

July 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Sixteen-year-old Remy Brunel is under dual obligation to her "Master" Gustave: maintaining a public persona astounding London audiences as a circus star called "Flying Bird," and working undercover as a stealthy cat burglar. Using her acrobatic skills and powers of deception, she almost manages to snatch the legendary jewel, Darya-ye Noor (Ocean of Light), until a rival thief, Lord Abernathy, tricks her and detective Thaddeus Rec out of that conquest. Remy and Thaddeus are initially on opposite sides of the law with two completely different goals for the famous diamond, but ultimately unite against the diabolical Abernathy who is trying to attain power and domination over London. This action-packed novel features almost as many unexpected twists as the heroine's high-wire act, beginning with her illustrious circus antics, continuing with the risky attempt to steal the jewel, and her daring escapade to restore it. Gosling sustains suspense by introducing new surprises at every turn, such as an underground society of slaves and a submarine fueled by the magical gem. There are more than a few puzzling threads that aren't completely explained, such as Remy's ability to hear other people's thoughts. Abernathy's evil nature and motivations warrant a more detailed description. Remy's circus performance is intriguing and well-written, but scarcely relates to the main gist of the novel. Megan Whelan Turner's The Thief (HarperCollins, 1996) is a more solid choice for a thief's adventurous tale-Etta Anton, Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Romance, political skullduggery and fantastical inventions giddily complicate a jewel heist. Sixteen year-old French circus performer Remy Brunel, a daredevil trapeze artist (and accomplished thief) in Victorian London, is tasked with stealing the Darya-ye Noor, a gem of extraordinary size and beauty. Remy-nimble, clever and uncannily lucky-pulls off the feat on her first visit to the gem's exhibition in the Tower of London, thanks to elderly Lord Abernathy, who accidentally smashes the gem's security case as he collapses to the floor. Remy assumes she's been efficient, but the gem she's stolen is a fake, a revelation that launches her into a caper more complex and dangerous than any she's undertaken before. She must navigate dangerous, filthy London, enter into an uneasy (yet increasingly affectionate) alliance with Thaddeus Rec, a police detective also suspected of stealing the jewel, and outwit wealthy villains armed with steampunk-y weapons. The whole affair often feels like an episode of Doctor Who: It's filled with running and exhilarating physical danger, many quippy, colorful characters and even some titanium suits strongly reminiscent of Cybermen. This is no bad thing. The plot groans a bit under the weight of all the twists and piled-on characters, but, like Remy, it sticks a fairly satisfying landing in the end. Readers will happily strap in for the ride, if only to see where it takes them. (Steampunk. 12-16)

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October 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 Little Bird R'my Brunel is a high-wire circus performer with a devious side job as a jewel thief. When circus owner Gustave instructs her to steal the Darya-ye Noor, one of the world's most valuable diamonds, from the Tower of London, where it is being displayed, her success is thwarted by naive, young Scotland Yard detective Thaddeus Rec. In events worthy of a Marx Brothers movie, the two are thrown together when the diamond is stolen and both are blamed for its disappearance. This is a pleasant, entertaining tale populated with well-developed characters, particularly R'my herself, and the fantasy elements are well interwoven with sweet romance. The Victorian setting, the traveling circus trope, and a fantastical underground cave for evil intent all signal steampunk; the bending of historical time lines also pushes it more toward fantasy than historical fiction. If readers are comfortable with all of this, they'll find it a rollicking good story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
When the master of her circus commands aerialist Remy to steal a gem during a heavily guarded Tower of London event, she nicks it only to find it's a fake. Plot turns involve circus folk, Remy's tragic past, and her romance with policeman Thaddeus. The action--much of it in a steampunk technological realm controlled by the (real) diamond's magic--is vivid and engrossing.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2014
Remy (a lovely young aerialist) is the thief, much abetted by her preternatural skills. Thaddeus (once a street child) is a nice, scrupulously honest Victorian policeman. When the nefarious master of Remy's circus commands her to steal a fabulous Indian gem during a heavily guarded event at the Tower of London, she nicks it, only to find it's a fake. The story hurtles on, with plot turns involving circus folk, an Indian man with news of Remy's tragic past, other diamonds, and Remy and Thaddeus's budding romance. It turns out that an evil someone is about to take over London with an array of slave-constructed underground machinery designed by the "Professor," who's also Thaddeus's mentor. Action is the word here, and it's both vivid and engrossing, with much of it in a steampunk technological realm entered from the Thames via a sewer and controlled, in part, by the (real) diamond's magic. The narrative reads like a film dramatization, with bit parts that might be enlivened by an actor and the sort of anachronistic, informal dialogue that can propel a suspenseful romp on screen. An entertaining light read. joanna rudge long

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)