The Thief-Taker's Apprentice Series by Stephen Deas

Berren has lived in the city all his life. He has made his way as a thief, paying a little of what he earns to the master of their band, Hatchet. But there is a twist to this thief's tale.One day Berren goes to watch an execution of three thieves. He watches as the thief-taker takes his reward and decides to try and steal the prize. He fails. The young thief is taken. But the thief-taker spots something in Berren. And the boy reminds him of someone as well... moreBerren has lived in the city all his life. He has made his way as a thief, paying a little of what he earns to the master of their band, Hatchet. But there is a twist to this thief's tale.One day Berren goes to watch an execution of three thieves. He watches as the thief-taker takes his reward and decides to try and steal the prize. He fails. The young thief is taken. But the thief-taker spots something in Berren. And the boy reminds him of someone as well. Berren, not that the he has much choice, becomes his apprentice. And is introduced to a world of shadows, deceit, and corruption behind the streets he thought he knew. A city where he must learn to take not purses, but lives...Full of richly observed life in a teeming fantasy city, a hectic progression of fights, flights and fancies and charting the fall of a boy into the dark world of political plotting and murder, this marks the beginning of a new series for all lovers of fantasy. less

The sequel to The Thief-Takers Apprentice takes the reader back into the nocturnal and dangerous world of Berren, orphan and reluctant heroBerren is not enjoying himself. Trapped in a temple, forced to learn how to read, how to write, and how to recall the histories of the Saints, all he wants is to be given a sword. As a thief-taker's apprentice he imagined a world of daring night-time chases, glorious victories, and a life of excitement. His dreams aren't quite coming true... moreThe sequel to The Thief-Takers Apprentice takes the reader back into the nocturnal and dangerous world of Berren, orphan and reluctant heroBerren is not enjoying himself. Trapped in a temple, forced to learn how to read, how to write, and how to recall the histories of the Saints, all he wants is to be given a sword. As a thief-taker's apprentice he imagined a world of daring night-time chases, glorious victories, and a life of excitement. His dreams aren't quite coming true. So when a prince—the first and last prince he'll ever see—hires the thief-taker as a bodyguard, Berren is thrilled. When he hears that a troupe of Dragon Monks—exotic warriors and the best swordsmen in the world—are visiting, he sees an opportunity to learn how to fight. When one of the Monks turns out to be a girl of the same age, his future suddenly seems a lot brighter. But when a shadowy figure launches an attack on the life of Prince Sharda, Berren finds himself plunged into a world of danger, intrigue and terror. He may discover that being trained with a sword isn't enough—sometimes, you have to know who to fight. less

Press-ganged as a sailor, Berren spots someone who might be his old master Syannis, who killed Berren's first love. Thought dead, Syannis is hard to kill. Berren is caught in a web of political machination and danger. Syannis is a deposed prince willing to go to any lengths - including dealing with the black-hearted sorcerer Saffran Kuy - to regain his throne.