Sweet-pea's Thief by J. Cassidy

Sweet-pea's Thief Reviews

• 
  Karen Eisenbrey

  Sweetpea's Thief is an unusual and captivating fantasy tale that kept me off-balance from beginning to end. I'm still not sure how reliable a narrator Sweetpea is, but I enjoyed her story.
  
  The book is structured as a series of episodes within a frame tale in which Charlie, a dying old man, plays cards with the young-appearing, old-seeming Sweetpea, gambling for more time. He's willing to risk what time he has left on the chance of winning enough to meet his grandchild. Sweetpea (never known by any name but that endearment, except once when an officious doctor calls her “Miss Pea”) tells her story while they play. This Scheherzade-like touch was the first clue that she might have more than one motive in keeping Charlie at the table. He is happy to keep listening, and what a story it is: a monster from a parallel world stole her body and is living as her, while her soul persists in a different reality where magic is real and time is literally money. She makes a deal that will allow her to get her body back without someone killing it to collect the bounty on the monster. In return, she has to earn an impossible sum to pay the bounty herself, by collecting “Old” (used time) from the recently dead and exchanging it for “New.” Before she gets anywhere close, strange events intervene as if she were the hero of an action adventure serial. Every time she thinks she'll never get back to her body, she finds a shred of hope to cling to, going on to a new episode, making friends and enemies along the way. All of this eventually reaches a startling but satisfying resolution.
  
  I was disappointed in one plot device, an herbal anxiety drug that Sweetpea uses the entire time she's out of her body. Everyone around her is warning her not to take it so much. It seemed to be building up to be important: would she do something stupid while on it? Would it give her superpowers? Would she run out and have to deal without it? But it just kind of fizzled out, a gun on the mantelpiece that was never fired. Aside from the plot, there are some fascinating ideas here, such as parallel worlds sharing the same buildings but not the contents, so Sweetpea can observe spectral occupants sitting on invisible couches. In one episode, Sweetpea and her friend Brin and trapped in a time loop for 200 years, yet when they get home, it has only been a few days—in both worlds! They were as blown away as the reader of their twisty tale.
• 
  Patricia

  This is an excellent read that keeps hold of you throughout. It was very frustrating to have to keep putting it down in favour of real life!
  
  The characters are brilliant and very believable. The interaction between all of them is completely realistic even in the fantasy setting. The plot line is good with a lot of different elements and twists and turns galore. All this adds up to a compelling read.
  
  I received a copy of this book as a birthday gift.
  
  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy
• 
  Chris

  Gambling for dollars is one thing. But gambling for days is something else. Charlie is dying of cancer. He only has months to live. But he hears of a raven-haired girl that will play poker with you, gambling for your remaining time. If you win, you leave with more time. If you lose, you... lose time. With little to lose, he plays poker with Sweet-pea, who relates during the game the incredible tale of why she is gambling Years of Life with the dying.
  
  With her body stolen by a monster, and her soul pushed into another parallel realm with monsters and magic, Sweet-pea's survival depends on the protection of others stuck in this horrific realm with her. Hunted by bounty hunters, monsters and the mysterious Tin Master, Sweet-pea finds that while attempting to regain her life, she may lose her soul.
  
  Content:
  Drug Content:
  PG - Sweet-pea is given a bottle of pills to help her cope with the shock of losing her body, pills she quickly becomes addicted to.
  
  Violence:
  R - There's a good deal of violence and death, blood and gore. A torture chamber provides a horrific gory backdrop for one of the scenes. A hand is cut off, a throat is slit.
  
  Language:
  PG - There are a few cuss words, nothing serious.
  
  Adult Content:
  G - there's really no sexual content, though some obviously happened once off-screen.
  
  Christian content:
  Nada. There are some concerning concepts in this work, mainly that souls aren't eternal and can be used for food, that Time can be gambled away, or gained through a game of chance. There are some references to an afterlife. Heaven and Hell are referred to as real places, in other dimensions, but monsters can capture your soul during the 'tunnel experience' while heading to the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Loyalty, self-sacrifice, destiny and friendship play large parts in this tale. There is a definite struggle between good and evil here, but the lines are grayed.
  
  Final analysis:
  This book has an incredible concept - that between life and death there is a dimension the soul must travel through, and those souls can be stolen. That the body can be stolen, and the soul released to wander rather than move on to heaven or hell. The plot behind this story is gripping, the world-building phenomenal, and the action fast and furious. New life, Old life, are gathered like glowing marbles. Strange creatures like Griwald and Deadly Mimics threaten constantly, along with Tin Men and other horrific creatures. Magic amulets and spells are formulated and used to gain access to further dimensions, while time passes at alarming rates. Characters are often larger than life. However, the pacing dragged for me. It seemed to take an eternity for me to plow through some sections, while other sections moved so quickly I had to reread to catch important details. So, a great read, but some pacing issues. Four Stars!
• 
  J C Steel

  Sweet-pea has had her body stolen and been, for all intents and purposes, transported into a mirror-universe version of her old hometown. Adopted by a pair of men who collect Old time, Sweet-pea seems to be a catalyst for disruption in the small community; beyond that, the roving dangers known as the Tin Men seem to be drawn to her. Sweet-pea wants nothing more than to find a way to get her own body back, but even that goal may have to be put on hold...
  
  Sweet-pea's Thief is a light, pleasant read, with good-hearted principal characters and villains who fall somewhere along the chaotic neutral scale. Sweet-pea's many predicaments are eased by a series of loyal companions who support and educate her in how to survive her new circumstances each time, while the book’s settings are leavened by magic, time travel, and a touch of true love. Much as I enjoyed this book, I would have personally found it more compelling if the consequences hadn't been so reliably softened by the lucky discovery of a faithful and useful companion at each turn in the story. However, I would recommend the read, especially for younger readers. It's a solid fantasy adventure with a strain of Peter Pan to it that will appeal to a wide audience.
  
  Reviewed for
  By Rite of Word.