The Blacktongue Thief

The novel is narrated by Kinch Na Shannack, a thief from Galtia (a subjugated region of Holt whose people have black tongues). Kinch is an unreliable narrator who often breaks the narrative for world-building and to address the reader directly. He is indebted to the Takers Guild, a powerful, widespread criminal organization that trains thieves and assassins and marks its debtors with magical tattoos. Kinch (who is later revealed to be indebted to the Guild and marked with the tattoo of an open hand) is secretly a Cipher: someone with an innate understanding of all written languages. He also possesses a supernatural sense for his own personal luck and can tell when an intended endeavor of his is likely to succeed or fail.

The story is set on the continent of Manreach, two decades after the Goblin Wars have killed off most of the human male population. In addition, nearly all horses have been slain in a plague. Now, as Kinch will soon learn, a new conflict is emerging; giants are invading the western kingdom of Oustrim. The narrative explains that magic exists in several forms, including spells that are nullified by iron, as well as bone magic, which is used to create creatures like war corvids—giant birds that were instrumental in helping humans to win the third goblin war.