'Thieves' blends darkness, humor, history and some new vocabulary

Imagine you have been sent to get a dozen eggs. Seems painless enough, right? Now imagine your very life depends upon retrieving those eggs, still not a very menacing directive, considering the trouble-free world we live in today. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if there were an app for that.

Now, imagine you are in Russia during WWII in a city under siege and you will be killed if you don't get a dozen eggs for the colonel. Commerce ended when the Germans took over; they have disabled the train tracks, they occupy the air space, and their soldiers have claimed every resource in the city for themselves. Rations are strict and scarce and people are starving...to death. "City of Thieves" by David Benioff is a story about a boy and a man, strangers to each other until fate pairs them up for an ominous expedition in the worst imaginable surroundings.

I found Benioff's writing style to be very easy to read. He is efficient and artful with his descriptions without using too many fancy words and phrases. I didn't have to consult the dictionary one time, although I felt like I might have skipped class the day we learned about WWII in high school history class. What is needed to comprehend the plot can be gleaned from the context and organization of the details, but I did find myself eager at times to know more about the German occupation in Russia during that period.

Benioff was a little vague in places concerning the specifics of this particular part of the war, and I would have liked a little more of an explanation about the different military and policing factions that play a large part in this story. This, however, did not detract from the book; the main characters are truly lovable, and some of the supporting characters are truly hate-able. The dialogue is very pure and believable, and at times very amusing, although in a dry sort of way- my favorite kind of humor.

While Benioff's characters are emotional and authentic, the book is definitely an action-fueled page-turner. Sometimes I like a book that delves deep into the setting and the backgrounds of the characters, building a solid platter on which to serve the real meat of the story. It is a very skilled author who can create that and not bore you to death in the process. Benioff has found a balance that lays just enough groundwork before escorting you down the plank and shoving you into the deep end.

The overall theme of the book is centered on the noble concepts of friendship, loyalty, patriotism, strength in the face of adversity and the unbelievable endurance and tenacity of the human spirit. Be warned however, this is a dark and gloomy tale with some disturbing things going on. If you are partial to Nicholas Sparks' books, walk away now and don't look back. If you think you are made of the kind of stuff that can handle it, I highly recommend it. Give this one a try if you are looking for a fairly quick, uncomplicated project-of-a-book. I would not be surprised if it was adapted for the big-screen (I say that about all my favorite books) and I have some ideas about whom I would cast in the starring roles, but I don't want to meddle with your imaginations, so I'll keep it to myself!

Listen to Benioff's own take on "City of Thieves" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P_QI0FoT...