G. S. Jennsen lives somewhere in the U.S., in a locale that may or may not be where she lived the last time she published a book (she's a gypsy at heart), with her husband and one or more dogs. She has become an internationally bestselling author since her first novel, Starshine, was published in 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under an independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of her stories and her ability to execute on the vision she has for their telling.

While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer and an editor, she's found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude. When she isn't writing, she's gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she's dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a line at Walmart and wondering who all these people are (because she's probably new in town). Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there.

The Thief by G. S. Jennsen

* A stand-alone adventure set in the Amaranthe universe *

The Hesgyr are thieves. "Scavengers," to hear their victims tell it; "repurposers" by their own reckoning.

As Chief of Intelligence for Non-Anaden Affairs, Eren Savitas' job is to protect the Advocacy from all manner of alien threats: sabotage, assassination, insurgency and, way down the list, theft. So when he spots a Hesgyr running off with valuable technology, he follows the alien home—and discovers a civilization unlike any he's ever encountered.

Yes, the Hesgyr are thieves. But they are also being hunted. Systematically exterminated by an insidious enemy they can't see, touch or find. Eren finds himself drawn ever deeper into the Hesgyr's fascinating yet labyrinthine world as he races against time to solve the mystery of the deadly attacks. What he discovers is a complex web of loyalties and betrayals, of grudges and grievances millennia old—and beneath it all, a secret that may hold the key to the survival of more than one civilization.

The Thief is a humorous, pulse-pounding sci-fi adventure about alien culture clashes, the flaws and foibles that transcend species, and the satisfaction that comes from breaking all the rules to save the day.

CURATOR'S NOTE

The Thief by G.S. Jennesen explores alien cultures through Eren's investigation of the Hesgyr civilization, combining detective work with xenoanthropology. The story delves into the exploration of complex interspecies relations and ancient mysteries. – C. Gockel

 

REVIEWS

  • "The Thief is such a fantastic read - I enjoyed every second of it and would be perfectly happy with a full series of the side adventures of Eren and Nyx."

    – Reader review

  • "Space opera at its finest. Always looking forward to the next novel, and G. S. doesn't disappoint. Good twists and stories about interesting people. Highly recommend by a science fiction lifer."

    – Reader review

  • "This story is so well written, I was pulled in from the very beginning and didn't leave until it was finished. It was everything I expected from a G. S. Jennsen book and so much more–the worlds she builds, the characters she creates and the personal stories make every book special. If you have never read an Amaranthe book, then this is a perfect starting point, and if you're already a fan then this makes the universe bigger and better."

    – Reader review
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

The alien moved to one of the mismatched cabinets and placed the weapon in a locked drawer, then leaned against the counter and studied Eren. "How did you find my ship?"

Eren rotated his shoulders and flexed his fingers, confirming the webbing was gone; damn, that had been claustrophobic. Of course, he was now held equally immobile by multiple sturdy straps, but they were merely normal restraints. These, he'd done before. "I followed you to it from downtown Olympia."

"Then how did you spot me in the city?"

"Are you kidding? Do you think you actually looked anaden?"

"Anaden enough to get me into and out of…" the alien stopped himself "…you're baiting me. Nice try."

"No, seriously, though. That was a shite disguise."

"It fooled everyone else."

"I'm not everyone else."

"So it seems. Police? Security? Intelligence?"

Eren shrugged within the restraints. "Close enough. What did you steal?"

"What makes you think I stole something?"

"I'm good at my job."

The alien's blanched lips widened, as if he were baring fangs. "Not so good, considering you're my prisoner and not the other way around."

"Give me a few minutes. You speak Communis remarkably well for someone not from Concord space."

"You all scream into the void with your broadcasts and entertainment and commerce. It's deafening. Makes picking up the language a trivial matter."

It was true. Concord invested its prodigious funds in many endeavors, but masking its presence from the other inhabitants of the cosmos wasn't one of them. "Your ship is obviously sophisticated, so why does it resemble a junk store inside?"

The alien drew up straighter. "You dare insult my ship?"

"I see what I see."

"You would."

"What does that mean?"

"Concord is so supremely arrogant, with its vast riches and impervious starships and interdimensional trinkets. And among all its species, none are more arrogant than the Anadens."

Eren started to retort, but instead gave the observation its due, then nodded mildly. "Fair enough. So, what are you?"

"We call ourselves Hesgyr."

"Why tell me so easily?"

The alien flicked a long, bony finger at his nose. "It's just a word. It doesn't reveal anything about us."

Eren forced himself not to glance back at the viewport. No, but a location was apt to. The powers that be were going to be tickled to learn he had discovered a new intelligent species, and he was going to hate to temper their enthusiasm with the fact that these Hesgyr—or at least one Hesgyr—was infiltrating Concord worlds and stealing…well, something.

"Then you won't mind telling me your name, either."

"Tolje Alainor. You?"

What the hell. The alien was correct—they were just words. "Eren Savitas. I'd say 'pleased to meet you,' but I'm finding the hospitality a mite lacking."

"You're the one who sneaked aboard my ship and tried to take me prisoner."

"Because you concealed your identity and landed your ship in the middle of a fucking park—do you have any idea how many centuries it took for us to get grass to grow on Ares? Oh, and then you absconded with anaden property."

"All true. So now you're here. What am I to do with you?"

Eren's job was, at the end of every day, to identify and neutralize alien threats to the Advocacy, the still-pretty-new anaden government. He did this primarily by knowing the grievances, real and imagined, of every would-be rebel and agitator on dozens of worlds.

He'd rectify this theft by arresting Tolje Alainor and confiscating whatever the Hesgyr had stolen. But if one alien could sneak onto the anadens' capital planet, conceal his ship, stroll through downtown Olympia, steal something from a highly secretive research lab and wormhole away while whistling a tune, then so could other Hesgyr. The security implications were enormous. So he should probably do his job.

Eren offered his most charming smile. "Why don't you tell me why you stole the item you did? If your people are in trouble and need help, you'll find that Concord is most generous with its bounty."

Tolje threw his head back and…Eren was going to go with 'laughed.' The sound was guttural and echo-y, as if it resounded out from the gaps in the alien's sinew. "Hesgyr do not beg for scraps from others. We take care of ourselves."

"By stealing what you need."

"Often, yes. It's a brutal universe out there. The strongest don't always survive, but the most clever do."

Eren found he couldn't disagree with the sentiment. In different circumstances, he might like this chap. "And why do you need to be clever? What issue are you trying to solve?"

Tolje huffed air out of his wide nostrils. "Why do you care?"

"Ninety percent of the time, I get my job done in one of two ways: talking out a peaceable solution, or blowing shit up. Since I'm currently resident on this ship, I'm not inclined to blow it up, so I'm giving the first option a go."

"You're not what I expected."

"Thank you, probably."