The Mark of the Thief

The Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the gods — magic some Romans would kill for. Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic’s newfound powers for their own dark purposes. In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire’s most powerful and savage leaders.

The Good

Nic does everything he can to protect his sister, the common people, and his friends from the magic in him and the magic in others. Aurelias tries to help Nic as best she can.

The Bad

The cave of treasures from Julius Caesar is full of bones from people who tried to get the bulla before. Nic is attacked and tortured several times. The magic he has can control and move things, he can hear Radulf’s voice in his head, he can talk to animals, and he destroys an amphitheater with it. Nic can “feel” Caesar’s spirit when he goes into his temple.

Ages

Ages 10+ should read this book. It could also be a good read-aloud.

My Take

I enjoyed The Mark of the Thief. I think it was well written, filled with excitement, and had a pretty good plot. As you can tell from reading this review, this book is set in ancient Rome, where people really did believe in the gods. In this book one of the characters remarks that the gods are there to play with humans and watch them fail. It made me think about how lucky we are to have a God who loves us and wants to be intimately involved in our lives.

Review by Kaitlyn