I have noticed that a number of recently popular fantasy books feature criminal protaganists. It’s kind of like a mini-trend. Here are the ones that I know about or have recently read:
- Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Vin is an orphan who starts out as a small time thief in a small time crew and gets recruited into a new crew with supernatural powers and ambitions of a much more political and lofty nature.
- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Locke is an orphan who becomes the leader of a small but highly skilled team of con artists.
- The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks. Azoth is an orphan in a small gang of kid thieves, and he becomes the apprentice to one of the best assassins in the business.
- The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Kvothe isn’t a career criminal like the ones above, but he’s done his share of criminal deeds.
- The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. Logen is a warrior who’s killed too many men and made too many enemies. He’s been outlawed by his king and he has nowhere to go.
Are there others that I’ve missed?