In 2021, the American comedian, playwright, and horror author Christopher Buhlman released the novel “The Blacktongue Thief”. For fans of his work, this was surprising, because the writer had never written high, classic dark fantasy, and then he took it upon himself to publish such a large book. It turned out that this novel was not just a successful attempt to master a genre that was new to the author but also an intention to breathe new life into it. With the help of brutal humor, unconventional magic, and a focus on the protagonist’s personal, bright voice. This is proof that sometimes fresh blood can really add something new to a genre, in this case irony, rudeness, brutal charm, and new energy. In 2025, the book was published in Ukraine by Vivat, so now everyone can read this wonderful and funny novel.
Pluses:
good quality of the publication and cover; an exquisite world with a deep history and magic system; an extremely characteristic narrator's voice; vivid dialogues, humor, and conflicts; an adequate balance between fun and horrific reality; bold presentation and style of the novel
Minuses:
insufficient development of secondary characters; lack of evolution of the main character
“The Blacktongue Thief”
Author Christopher Buhlman
Publisher Vivat
Language Ukrainian
Number of pages 480
Cover Solid
Year of publication 2025
Size 165×240 mm
Website vivat.com.ua
Kinch Na Shannak trained as a thief for a long time in the Guild of the Thieves. He did it on credit, so now he owes this powerful organization a lot of money. The protagonist works off the debt as best he can, taking on dubious jobs, robberies, etc. After getting involved with a gang near the road, Kinch becomes involved in an attack on the warrior Galva. Having miraculously survived the attack, the hero, on a mission from the Guild, becomes the girl’s partner and travels with her to the distant country of Ustrim, which was attacked by giants. Galva is looking for her queen there, and Kinch’s task is also somehow connected to this. On the way, the heroes will encounter an unusual black cat, a kraken and sea adventures, love and loss, goblins, wizards and witches, as well as a lot of problems and cruel reality.
Christopher Buhlman managed to create a classic dark fantasy novel. And here it is important to clarify that “The Blacktongue Thief” is also full of black humor, charming negligence, and, most importantly, it has a realistic protagonist, as if he were a real person. At the same time, the book does not have the pathos inherent in the genre, or violence for the sake of violence, because one has to work out the attitude to the dark fantasy genre. Instead, there is a lot of fun and sadness, black humor and hopeless love for life, no matter how difficult it is.
The protagonist of Kinch Na Shannak does not take himself too seriously. And this is his main strength as a storyteller. The novel is written in the first person, and it is very difficult to realize, because the author needs to convey a realistic magical world, other characters, etc. through one character. But Christopher Buhlman managed to do it.
Kinch’s voice is defiant and self-ironic. It is full of dark, black humor and obscenities that rarely seem artificial. He speaks directly, uncensored, sometimes rudely, often wittily, and always sincerely. His partner, Galva, is an indomitable warrior, hardened by the Goblin Wars. Her loyalty to duty, restrained emotionality, and resolute devotion to her mission create a sharp contrast to the frivolous, ironic Kinch, making their interaction particularly tense and dynamic. The creation of such a duo is not just a plot device; it is the author’s impetus for an enchanting yet classic adventure from point A to point B. All of this is flavored with a fantasy setting and multilayered reflections on loneliness, debt, redemption, and hope.
The world of the novel is an absolute advantage of the work. It is not only deeply thought out and painted, but also, as far as possible, really feels real. There is no endless exposition, i.e., stories about the world that slow down the narrative. The author skillfully weaves information about local history, magic, politics, religion, and mythology into each scene. Kinch himself also tells a lot of things, but he does it in such a fun, unusual and humorous way that it is sometimes interesting and, most importantly, funny to read his long stories.
The reader seems to feel that this world existed before the plot and will continue to exist after it. It is built not as a decoration, but as a real living organism, where the streets smell of death, where gods have faces and heroes have scars. It’s a world where goblins are not just monsters but flesh-and-blood horrors, where giants are not fairy tales but a threat hanging over the north, and where magic is not just powers but an important part of the culture. The magical system itself is deep, bizarre, often wild, and unpredictable, like the very nature of this world.
The structure of “The Blacktongue Thief” is simple and effective. The straightforward plot with standard adventures of the characters does not prevent you from enjoying the author’s style and the protagonist’s constant jokes. On the contrary, it allows you to fully focus on the characters and the world, without being distracted by the multi-layered narrative, complex politics, or dozens of characters. The author seems to have consciously decided not to surprise the reader with intricate twists and turns, instead relying on people, atmosphere, and dialogues. And in my opinion, it worked. Each step of Kinch’s journey is constantly an opportunity to reveal this world, himself, others, moral compromises, and inconvenient truths.
The main entertainment of the book is definitely the characters. Kinch carries the narrative on his shoulders, and judging by how well the writer has created this character, few people could have done it better. His voice is a real treasure for the reader.
This protagonist is cheeky, sometimes stupid, almost always angry, but never indifferent. His interactions with Galva and other characters who appear on the heroes’ path are laugh-out-loud funny, tense, and sincerely admirable. It is these moments of strange chatter, arguments, flirting, or moral clashes that add depth and interest to the novel.
The publication itself has an enlarged format (165×240 mm) and a more or less genre-specific fantasy cover. Of course, I would like to see more, but it’s definitely better than just an abstract picture, which we often see in many other cases. I like the yellow thick paper and the easy-to-read font. There is no lace, no illustrations. But there is a map of the world.
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