Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel’s central idea is that fictional worlds are real places you can visit. How effectively did this premise work for you? Did you find the rules of “book-jumping” believable and compelling within the story’s world?

2. James Riley is also known for his Half Upon a Time series, which plays with fairy-tale conventions. If you’ve read his other work, how does Story Thieves compare in its approach to deconstructing and interacting with established stories? If not, how does it stand out from other fantasy books you’ve read?

3. Which part of the story captured your imagination more: Owen and Bethany’s adventures in the real world or Owen’s journey inside the world of the Kiel Gnomenfoot series? What made that particular storyline so engaging for you?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Owen is driven by a desire to escape the boredom of his everyday life. In what ways did you relate to his motivation to find adventure inside a book? Has a story ever felt so real to you that you wished you could step inside it?

2. Bethany lives by a strict set of rules for interacting with fictional worlds, with the most important being “do not change the story” (44). Think about a time when you set a personal rule for yourself. How did you feel when you, or someone else, broke it?

3. Owen’s main goal is to “fix” the plot of his favorite book by saving a character. Have you ever been so invested in a story that you wished you could change the ending or save a character?

4. When Bethany feels defeated, Kiel urges her to “[b]e more fictional” and embrace impossible solutions (287). Can you think of a situation in your own life where a more creative or unconventional approach helped you solve a problem?

5. The Magister has a full-blown existential crisis when he learns that his life is a work of fiction. How do you think you would react if you discovered a truth that fundamentally changed your understanding of your own reality?

6. After experiencing a dangerous adventure, Owen decides that he’s ready for a “regular, boring, quiet life” (377). How can challenging experiences change what we value or desire in our own lives?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel directly engages with the idea of fan entitlement and story ownership. How does Owen’s belief that he has the right to alter the Kiel Gnomenfoot series reflect modern fan culture?

2. The Magister frames his rebellion as a fight for liberation against an author who controls his destiny. What larger ideas about free will, fate, and creation do you think the novel is exploring through his story?

3. Story Thieves is built on connections to other novels, referencing everything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. What role does this shared knowledge of classic stories play in our culture?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Story Thieves shares a metanarrative premise with books like Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story, where a reader becomes an active participant in the story. How does Owen’s journey compare to other stories you know that break the “fourth wall”? What makes this novel’s exploration of the reader’s role unique?

2. How does the idea of “book-jumping” evolve throughout the novel? Consider how it transforms from a tool for personal escape for Bethany into a weapon of chaos in the hands of the Magister.

3. The Magister shifts from a beloved mentor figure into the primary antagonist. What does his tragic downfall suggest about the archetypes we expect in fantasy stories? Was he a sympathetic villain to you?

4. What is the significance of the Vault of Containment holding a pile of books as the Source of Magic? How does this reveal unify the novel’s worlds of science and magic and comment on the power of the written word itself?

5. The narrative frequently blends science and magic, such as when Kiel uses a ray gun or when Bethany uses a math textbook to trap the Magister. How does this fusion of genres serve the novel’s central themes about the nature of stories and reality?

6. Owen’s impersonation of Kiel forces him to confront the reality of being a hero, which is far more terrifying than he imagined. In what ways does the novel deconstruct the “chosen one” fantasy trope through Owen’s experiences?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you could send Owen and Bethany into any book of your choosing. Which fictional world would you pick, and why? What specific plot point do you think Owen would try to “fix,” and how would Bethany react?

2. The novel ends with Kiel Gnomenfoot arriving in Owen’s middle school. What kind of challenges do you think a fantasy hero like Kiel would face trying to adapt to a mundane, modern-day life?

3. If you were to design the cover for the next book in the Story Thieves series, what moment or character would you choose to feature? What would your design aim to communicate about the story’s direction?