I read this again tonight because I'm in the middle of rereading the rest of the series and really don't want to leave Gen's world even though I'm taking a break between books. I'm partially sating myself with the short stories. (In this review, spoilers for the rest of the series are hidden, but there are spoilers below for the story itself. If you're a fan of the series and have read some of the other books, go ahead and read this story for yourself - it can be found in it's entirety on the author's website.)

This is a very sweet and gently humorous short story in typical Turner fashion - only in miniature. I loved meeting a ten-year-old Gen during events of the backstory to The Thief and seeing him embarking on his career as a young thief , as well as his endearing love for earrings. I also loved the chance to meet his family and find out more about them, including his cousins (though that's bittersweet for me coming off of The Queen of Attolia), his father, and especially his older brother - who is incredibly sweet and wonderful. It was lovely to meet him in particular, since he's not much more than mentioned in the main series.

All in all, it's a very sweet and quality story that holds appeal and delight for fans of Gen and his adventures, but I'm not sure whether or not non-fans would enjoy it quite so much. I enjoyed it very much, however, even if it can't compare to the novels of its series. ( )