It might seem odd to write about a series that was written almost twenty years ago. I hesitated for a long time myself, fearing it might come out poorly. But since I’ve just reread it—why not?
Alexey Pehov’s Chronicles of Siala is not just a trilogy; it’s essentially a single novel (an epic novel), divided into three large parts/books. This was Alexey’s very first work, and in the twenty years since, he has become a highly successful and sought-after author, with his books even being published abroad.
The main character of the story is a thief named Garrett. For years, readers have been puzzled by the question: is he the same Garrett from the world of the Thief video game, or not?
Formally—no. And here I’ll briefly repeat some information that Pehov’s fans are likely familiar with.
Yes, both are named Garrett, both are professional thieves living in the shadows, preferring to remain unnoticed but capable of defending themselves when necessary. Both favor a small crossbow as one of their preferred weapons. However, the worlds of the game and the book are different, and so are their plots (though meticulous fans do find “similarities”). That said, the first edition of the final book in the series, Shadow Blizzard, ended with the following phrase:
The name of the main character, as well as the thief’s attributes, come from the virtual reality of the THIEF universe. – The Author.
Later, the author adhered to a different version:
The Chronicles of Siala are not based on the game THIEF. This is quite easy to understand if you play the game and compare it with the book. I only mentioned the game THIEF when someone pointed out that my thief has the same name as the thief in the game. However, I chose the name purely because of my deep admiration for Glen Cook’s character—the detective Garrett. At the time, he was the most vivid figure for me.
The first line disappeared from subsequent editions. So perhaps it really is just a coincidence. But it’s such a beautiful legend, one that has lived on for many years. (By the way, I fully believe in coincidences—when I came up with the name Bartok for a little demon in one of my stories, I later found out it was also the name of Rasputin’s minion in the animated film Anastasia).
But let’s get back to the book itself. The novel is divided into three parts:
- Shadow Prowler
- Shadow Chasers
- Shadow Blizzard
Garrett, as a true thief, lives in the shadows. He makes his living by stealing valuable things from the rich—things that aren’t well-guarded but are worth a fortune. Then he enjoys a comfortable life for a while, only to repeat the cycle. However, he suddenly finds himself drawn into a matter where the fate of the entire kingdom is at stake. Only Garrett can save it because the salvation requires stealing something that is not poorly guarded and is also hidden in an unknown location. And Garrett doesn’t really have the option to refuse this job. Fortunately, he’ll have a motley crew of seasoned warriors from various races to help him. Together, they embark on a long journey to the legendary burial grounds of Hrad Spein, where they must retrieve a sacred artifact—the Rainbow Horn.
The story’s structure follows a fairly classic pattern: there’s a goal; a team is assembled to achieve it. The team members don’t all like or respect each other, but they must cooperate for the greater good. The journey is long and fraught with challenges. Strong adversaries appear with unclear motives other than trying to stop our heroes. Not everyone will make it to the end—some will become heroes, while others will not. And in the end, we’re treated to some resolution (whether good or bad depends on your perspective). It’s a bit like The Three Musketeers embarking on a quest for the queen’s diamonds.
All of this takes place in an interesting world with its own history, albeit one that’s quite standard for fantasy. There are humans, elves, orcs, and other races (though Alexey adds a unique flavor to his elves and orcs). There are also beings who have left this world but once ruled it, and whose magic can still perform wonders.
Although Alexey Pehov insists that his Garrett is not the Garrett from the game, the feeling you get from the first book is very much like immersing yourself in a grand fantasy RPG. You’re thrown into a vast world, parts of the lore are presented through optional texts (footnotes in the book), there’s a main storyline, and plenty of side quests. Like any self-respecting player, the protagonist tries to take on all the quests right away and then figures out which ones he can complete and which are beyond his style of play. Some quests feel odd, as if they were written by someone unfamiliar with the main plotline. In short, it’s exactly as it should be.
While reading the first book, you don’t get the sense that this is the writer’s debut work. Everything is vividly presented, the world is well-thought-out, and the characters aren’t “flat” placeholders. The events are engaging to follow, even though they often veer off the main storyline in favor of seemingly tangential incidents (which, as it turns out, often tie back into the plot). Most importantly, Garrett’s team grows, and some characters occasionally even outshine the thief himself in terms of interest (yes, I’m talking about the goblin Kli-Kli!)
With the transition to the second book, some of the “first pancake” issues start to show. Since the books were released with some intervals between them, the author decided to remind readers what had happened previously. Overall, I strongly support this idea, as I often forget the events of a previous book after a year-long gap, and I dislike reading epic novels in parts with long breaks. A “previously on…” summary is always welcome.
However, in the case of The Chronicles of Siala, the approach chosen by the author was more irritating than helpful. The reminders are overly abundant and delivered through the main character’s inner monologues, where Garrett repeatedly recounts the events of the first book, as if the reader has completely lost their memory. It feels a bit forced, though the author seems to have realized this issue since he never repeated this mistake in his later epic novels.
These “dives into the past” take up a noticeable portion of the book, but as soon as they’re done with, the story becomes much more engaging. Moreover, some events from the world’s history, which the characters are connected to in one way or another, are presented as brief interludes—vivid dreams of Garrett. In my opinion, some of these dreams, in terms of power and emotion, even surpass the main storyline at times.
At certain points, Garrett himself fades into the background, as other characters take center stage during their journey (with Garrett more like a figure under their care). The book, as I mentioned, is essentially a story of a journey—everyone moving forward to fulfill the ultimate mission.
The trilogy as a whole could be summarized as follows:
- Book 1: “Preparation and the beginning of the journey”
- Book 2: “A long and dangerous path”
- Book 3: “Artifact retrieval and the return.”
Yes, only by the third book do the characters finally reach their goal. Here, at last, Garrett is left to his own devices as he descends into Hrad Spein in search of the artifact, facing dangers at every corner in a place where survival is nearly impossible (none of the previous expeditions made it out alive). Nearly half of the third book is spent wandering through Hrad Spein. At some point, I honestly got bored following these back-and-forth wanderings. Everyone is afraid to venture into Hrad Spein, and the previous two expeditions vanished. But why? It’s not very clear. Most of Garrett’s journey is spent without much effort, and he evades most dangers using fairly mundane methods.
As for the climax of the search, I feel it’s a letdown. Garrett spends the entire journey worrying about the enemies ahead of him, but in the end, they all perish on their own, without his involvement. Even their leader dies because of a single mistake she makes. Garrett himself wouldn’t have made it to the end without help. It’s one “deus ex machina” after another in Hrad Spein—a bit awkward when the journey to the goal is more interesting than the goal itself.
Things pick up again once Garrett finally emerges from Hrad Spein. Adventures resume, hidden secrets come to light (many of which were hinted at in the earlier books), and the enemy grows closer. But as soon as the heroes approach familiar lands, the narrative takes wild leaps forward. Some of the supposedly most terrifying threats are clumsily brushed aside.
The orcs, the strongest race in the world of Siala, whose Spring War has been remembered for centuries, suddenly suffer a humiliating defeat on all fronts. The greatest threat to all living things, the Nameless One, invades the land—the very thing Garrett and his team were supposed to prevent. Yet he is quickly defeated (in Very rushed and without any explanation of the whole story about the mentioned Dancing Ones and the rest. Apparently, some Masters and a Player were just playing a game. That’s it, no time to explain, the book needs to wrap up.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I liked the book and read it with pleasure. But I was reminded why I felt a bit of bitterness the first time I finished it. It’s as if the story itself interested the author more than its resolution. Of course, this is only his first book, and Alexey Pehov’s talent has grown significantly since then. Every author should have such “issues” in their debut novels. Perhaps that’s why the “bitterness” is so noticeable—because the book doesn’t read like a debut, but like the work of an already seasoned writer.
That’s why my rating is “good.” Because I know Alexey Pehov can do even better. And despite all my “cons,” I still recommend reading this book. After all, I’ve read it twice already.
My rating: 4/5
 | Book 1: Alexey Pehov “Shadow Prowler” | buy |
| Book 2: Alexey Pehov “Shadow Chaser” | buy |
| Book 3: Alexey Pehov “Shadow Blizzard” | buy |
[…] often heard that Alexey Pehov’s Wind and Sparks series is perceived as a continuation of The Chronicles of Siala about the thief Garret. To be honest, I used to feel the same way myself, especially after the […]