Den of Thieves

The first thing you should know about this movie is that, yup, it really is two hours and twenty minutes long. A fellow reviewer and I were discussing the timing given by the IMDb and we both thought, no way can this probably relatively dinky cops-and-robbers picture be almost two and a half hours. But it is.

“Den of Thieves” opens with some text explaining just how many bank robberies occur in Los Angeles California over the span of one year—broken down by months, days, hours, and minutes. Having rolled out the stats, and they are impressive, the text concludes that “Los Angeles in the bank robbery capital of the world.” Already one feels the movie, co-written and directed by Christian Gudegast, is doing some kind of special pleading. There are four million stories in this naked city, and not all of them can be “Heat,” but this one is KINDA like that, okay?

Indeed, the movie begins with crime that’s committed like a paramilitary operation. An armored car stops at a donut place and an SUV full of masked men armed to the teeth swoop in on it. A dropped coffee sets off a trigger-happy heist man, and a near-massacre ensues. This crew didn’t want it that way, but as its mastermind, Merriman (Pablo Schreiber) glumly notes when they’ve gotten to safety, “Now we’re cop-killers.” And they did it all for an empty truck.

That’s one of the things that Gerard Butler’s “Big” Nick Davis, the major crimes cop on the scene, has to figure out. He runs a half-rogue crew he calls “The Regulators,” and they’re not above kidnapping and torturing suspected perps to get their men. Butler, sporting a slightly unruly beard, plays the role as if he’s imitating Mel Gibson during his drunk driving arrest. He’s crude, boorish, and cavalier. Genre mavens will see where Gudegast, who wrote Butler’s last film, “London Has Fallen” and is making his feature directorial debut here, is pulling his threads from. The Neal/Vincent dynamic of “Heat” isn’t duplicated here; it’s more like the Chance/Masters dynamic in “To Live And Die In L.A.,” in which cop and criminal dealt in the same kind of corruption but the criminal was ultimately the more ethically pure of the two. Thing is, though, “Den of Thieves” never really gets that deep, and turns out not to be all that terribly serious a movie anyway. The various character dynamics are almost a smokescreen for a convoluted heist targeting the only bank in Los Angeles that has never been robbed: the branch of the Federal Reserve where, among other things, old money is destroyed around the same time as the serial numbers attached to it are erased.

The plot thickens ... and thickens ... and thickens. Gudegast is clearly an avid student of heist pictures, and he layers this one with a lot of spectacular complications even while he muddles the average viewer’s potential rooting interest. As charismatic as Schreiber’s gangleader and the criminal lieutenant played by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson can be (Gudegast engineers a scene involving Jackson’s character’s daughter going on a prom date for a comic-relief “dad gives the date a talking to” scene), they’re still guys who blew away almost a dozen cops in the opening scene, so the suspense when they’re finally inside the Fed building and almost pulling things off is potentially slightly compromised. As for Butler’s Nick, yeah, he’s consistently asking for a spanking to say the least. But where Gudegast really shows his hand, if you’re in the mood to stay ahead of this movie, is in the casting. There’s one character, played by an actor of star-quality charisma, who keeps getting put off to the side in the story, and you have to wonder why. Once you’ve decided why, you can figure out at least one of the twists. And of course, the actor, who I won’t name, is winning enough that you suddenly understand exactly where your rooting interest was supposed to have been all along.
 

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watch Den of Thieves movies in order

David Chandler is a pseudonym for David Wellington, critically acclaimed author of such popular horror novels as the Monstertrilogy, the Vampire series and the Werewolf Tales. He was also one of the writers of the New York Times bestseller Marvel Zombies Return. Den of Thieves is his first fantasy novel.

PLOT SUMMARY: Born and raised in the squalid depths of the Free City of Ness, Malden became a thief by necessity. Now he must pay a fortune to join the criminal operation of Cutbill, lord of the underworld—and one does not refuse the master . . . and live.

The coronet of the Burgrave would fulfill Malden’s obligations, though it is guarded by hungry demons that would tear the soul from any interloper. But the desperate endeavor leads to a more terrible destiny, as Malden, an outlaw knight, and an ensorcelled lady must face the most terrifying evil in the land...

FORMAT/INFO: Den of Thieves is 480 pages long divided over a Prologue, four titled Parts, and one hundred chapters. Also includes a map of the Free City of Ness and an excerpt from A Thief in the Night, book two of The Ancient Blades Trilogy. Narration is in the third person, mostly via the thief Malden and the knight Sir Croy, while minor POVs include Cythera. Den of Thieves is self-contained, but is the first volume in The Ancient Blades Trilogy, which will be followed by A Thief in the Night in September 2011 and Honor Among Thieves in November 2011.

July 26, 2011 marks the North American Mass Market Paperback publication of Den of Thieves via Harper Voyager. The UK edition (see below) was published on July 7, 2011 via Harper Voyager UK.

ANALYSIS: When I first started reading Den of Thieves, I thought I was reading David Chandler’s debut novel. Soon after, I learned that David Chandler was actually a pen name for David Wellington, a writer of numerous horror novels including the Monster trilogy, the Vampire series and the Werewolf Tales. I’ve never actually read any of David Wellington’s books, but I do own several of the author’s novels because they sound right up my alley. Factor in comparisons to George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch, and I admit I let my expectations run a little wild. So I’m partly to blame for my disappointment with Den of Thieves.

Of course, unfulfilled expectations is not the only reason David Chandler’s debut let me down. For starters, Malden is not very compelling as a protagonist, especially when compared to the likes of Locke Lamora from Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard Sequence, Mildmay the Fox from Sarah Monette’s The Doctrine of Labyrinths, and Drothe from Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves. All similar heroes/anti-heroes. The problem with Malden, besides a dry narrative voice that is devoid of personality, is the author’s failure to capture the charm and cleverness that Malden supposedly possesses. Plus, for someone who believes there is no honor among thieves, Malden is curiously honorable for a thief.

Sir Croy, the novel’s other main protagonist, is much more likable than Malden for the first three-fifths of the book, but then the knight’s naiveté takes center stage, transforming his admirable qualities—honor, chivalry, loyalty, duty—into annoyances. Then there’s Cythera. Cythera, the daughter of a witch, is an important figure in Den of Thieves because of her curse, her connection to the sorcerer Alebron Hazoth, and the fact that Malden & Sir Croy are both in love with her. As a character however, it’s hard to sympathize with Cythera. Much the way it’s hard to sympathize or care about Malden & Sir Croy. In fact, minor characters like Cutbill, the master of thieves; the card sharp Kemper, whose curse gives him a unique ability; and Murdlin, envoy of the Dwarf Kingdom, were much more interesting in my opinion, and I wish they had been featured more prominently in the novel. Especially Murdlin with his amusing manner of speech: “This way, most hurriedly, like a rabbit making love.” / “Stop standing there manipulating yourself in an erotic fashion.” / “Into the hay that itches like pubic lice.”

Secondly, Den of Thieves is oddly tame considering how much experience David Wellington possesses as a horror fiction author. Sure, there’s the Lovecraftian-inspired guardian of the Burgrave’s crown, Hazoth’s demon child, and various other atrocities, not to mention the violence and rare profanity, but overall, I was disappointed by how PG-13 the novel turned out to be. Particularly when the book is mentioned in the same breath as George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch, whose novels are known for their realism and grittiness. If only that was the case with David Chandler’s debut. Instead, Den of Thieves is much more fantastical and over-the-top, having more in common—based on what I’ve heard—with its other comparisons in R.A. Salvatore and Raymond E. Feist. Not a bad thing if you’re a fan of those authors, but not what I was expecting.

Third, the writing in Den of Thieves is disappointingly uneven. The story’s pacing may be engaging, the prose polished, and the action scenes entertaining and well-written, but I expected more from someone with ten novels under his belt. Because Den of Thieves is David Wellington’s first foray into fantasy, I can forgive the lackluster world-building, which primarily focuses on the Free City of Ness, its charter with the King of Skrae, Ancient Blades, and the Bloodgod Sadu, while including such familiar tropes as dwarves, elves and ogres. I can also overlook the lack of imagination found in the book’s magic system, which features curses, summoning demons, magic swords, paying a price to use sorcery, etc. What I cannot forgive or overlook, is the novel’s aforementioned shallow characterization and a story that suffers from predictability, weak plotting, and flimsy rationalizations. Like the whole reason the Burgrave’s crown was stolen in the first place!? Or Hazoth’s motives—If the sorcerer is so powerful, why would he even worry about the King of Skrae? Or anyone else for that matter?

Not only that, but was it really necessary for the author to spell out the novel’s various twists, especially considering how easy it was to figure things out beforehand? Also, is there any reason I should continue reading The Ancient Blades Trilogy? The first book ties things up so neatly, I have no motivation to pick up the sequel. I mean, what’s the overarching story arc? The conflict? The end goal? Worst of all, Den of Thievescould have been so much better. What if the book was darker & grittier? What if the main characters were charming and sympathetic? What if the story was cunningly plotted and full of unexpected twists & surprises? What if...

Despite my obvious disappointment with the book, Den of Thieves is not nearly as bad as I’m making it sound. David Chandler’s debut may not offer fully developed characters, indepth world-building, creative ideas, or clever plotting, but thanks to swift pacing and non-stop sword & sorcery action, Den of Thieves does provide lots of fun & thrills. Keeping expectations lowered though is the key to enjoying David Chandler’sdebut. Because of the thief protagonist, the plot involving the Burgrave’s crown, and various other factors, I can see why Den of Thieves has drawn comparisons to George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch. Unfortunately, neither the book nor the author is anywhere close to that level. In fact, Den of Thieves is not even on the same level as Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves, a similar, yet far superior fantasy debut that was released this same year. 

Den of Thieves Reviews

David Chandler is a pseudonym for David Wellington, critically acclaimed author of such popular horror novels as the Monstertrilogy, the Vampire series and the Werewolf Tales. He was also one of the writers of the New York Times bestseller Marvel Zombies Return. Den of Thieves is his first fantasy novel.

PLOT SUMMARY: Born and raised in the squalid depths of the Free City of Ness, Malden became a thief by necessity. Now he must pay a fortune to join the criminal operation of Cutbill, lord of the underworld—and one does not refuse the master . . . and live.

The coronet of the Burgrave would fulfill Malden’s obligations, though it is guarded by hungry demons that would tear the soul from any interloper. But the desperate endeavor leads to a more terrible destiny, as Malden, an outlaw knight, and an ensorcelled lady must face the most terrifying evil in the land...

FORMAT/INFO: Den of Thieves is 480 pages long divided over a Prologue, four titled Parts, and one hundred chapters. Also includes a map of the Free City of Ness and an excerpt from A Thief in the Night, book two of The Ancient Blades Trilogy. Narration is in the third person, mostly via the thief Malden and the knight Sir Croy, while minor POVs include Cythera. Den of Thieves is self-contained, but is the first volume in The Ancient Blades Trilogy, which will be followed by A Thief in the Night in September 2011 and Honor Among Thieves in November 2011.

July 26, 2011 marks the North American Mass Market Paperback publication of Den of Thieves via Harper Voyager. The UK edition (see below) was published on July 7, 2011 via Harper Voyager UK.

ANALYSIS: When I first started reading Den of Thieves, I thought I was reading David Chandler’s debut novel. Soon after, I learned that David Chandler was actually a pen name for David Wellington, a writer of numerous horror novels including the Monster trilogy, the Vampire series and the Werewolf Tales. I’ve never actually read any of David Wellington’s books, but I do own several of the author’s novels because they sound right up my alley. Factor in comparisons to George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch, and I admit I let my expectations run a little wild. So I’m partly to blame for my disappointment with Den of Thieves.

Of course, unfulfilled expectations is not the only reason David Chandler’s debut let me down. For starters, Malden is not very compelling as a protagonist, especially when compared to the likes of Locke Lamora from Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard Sequence, Mildmay the Fox from Sarah Monette’s The Doctrine of Labyrinths, and Drothe from Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves. All similar heroes/anti-heroes. The problem with Malden, besides a dry narrative voice that is devoid of personality, is the author’s failure to capture the charm and cleverness that Malden supposedly possesses. Plus, for someone who believes there is no honor among thieves, Malden is curiously honorable for a thief.

Sir Croy, the novel’s other main protagonist, is much more likable than Malden for the first three-fifths of the book, but then the knight’s naiveté takes center stage, transforming his admirable qualities—honor, chivalry, loyalty, duty—into annoyances. Then there’s Cythera. Cythera, the daughter of a witch, is an important figure in Den of Thieves because of her curse, her connection to the sorcerer Alebron Hazoth, and the fact that Malden & Sir Croy are both in love with her. As a character however, it’s hard to sympathize with Cythera. Much the way it’s hard to sympathize or care about Malden & Sir Croy. In fact, minor characters like Cutbill, the master of thieves; the card sharp Kemper, whose curse gives him a unique ability; and Murdlin, envoy of the Dwarf Kingdom, were much more interesting in my opinion, and I wish they had been featured more prominently in the novel. Especially Murdlin with his amusing manner of speech: “This way, most hurriedly, like a rabbit making love.” / “Stop standing there manipulating yourself in an erotic fashion.” / “Into the hay that itches like pubic lice.”

Secondly, Den of Thieves is oddly tame considering how much experience David Wellington possesses as a horror fiction author. Sure, there’s the Lovecraftian-inspired guardian of the Burgrave’s crown, Hazoth’s demon child, and various other atrocities, not to mention the violence and rare profanity, but overall, I was disappointed by how PG-13 the novel turned out to be. Particularly when the book is mentioned in the same breath as George R. R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch, whose novels are known for their realism and grittiness. If only that was the case with David Chandler’s debut. Instead, Den of Thieves is much more fantastical and over-the-top, having more in common—based on what I’ve heard—with its other comparisons in R.A. Salvatore and Raymond E. Feist. Not a bad thing if you’re a fan of those authors, but not what I was expecting.

Third, the writing in Den of Thieves is disappointingly uneven. The story’s pacing may be engaging, the prose polished, and the action scenes entertaining and well-written, but I expected more from someone with ten novels under his belt. Because Den of Thieves is David Wellington’s first foray into fantasy, I can forgive the lackluster world-building, which primarily focuses on the Free City of Ness, its charter with the King of Skrae, Ancient Blades, and the Bloodgod Sadu, while including such familiar tropes as dwarves, elves and ogres. I can also overlook the lack of imagination found in the book’s magic system, which features curses, summoning demons, magic swords, paying a price to use sorcery, etc. What I cannot forgive or overlook, is the novel’s aforementioned shallow characterization and a story that suffers from predictability, weak plotting, and flimsy rationalizations. Like the whole reason the Burgrave’s crown was stolen in the first place!? Or Hazoth’s motives—If the sorcerer is so powerful, why would he even worry about the King of Skrae? Or anyone else for that matter?

Not only that, but was it really necessary for the author to spell out the novel’s various twists, especially considering how easy it was to figure things out beforehand? Also, is there any reason I should continue reading The Ancient Blades Trilogy? The first book ties things up so neatly, I have no motivation to pick up the sequel. I mean, what’s the overarching story arc? The conflict? The end goal? Worst of all, Den of Thievescould have been so much better. What if the book was darker & grittier? What if the main characters were charming and sympathetic? What if the story was cunningly plotted and full of unexpected twists & surprises? What if...

Despite my obvious disappointment with the book, Den of Thieves is not nearly as bad as I’m making it sound. David Chandler’s debut may not offer fully developed characters, indepth world-building, creative ideas, or clever plotting, but thanks to swift pacing and non-stop sword & sorcery action, Den of Thieves does provide lots of fun & thrills. Keeping expectations lowered though is the key to enjoying David Chandler’sdebut. Because of the thief protagonist, the plot involving the Burgrave’s crown, and various other factors, I can see why Den of Thieves has drawn comparisons to George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch. Unfortunately, neither the book nor the author is anywhere close to that level. In fact, Den of Thieves is not even on the same level as Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves, a similar, yet far superior fantasy debut that was released this same year. However, as long as readers understand what kind of book they’re getting with David Chandler’s debut, then Den of Thieves has plenty to offer...