Seen through the eyes of the young male protagonist (Weasel, to you), Shield of Stars is an interesting tale, set both in the city and in the country, which--in this culture--is practically two different worlds. Nimble pickpocket turned law clerk, Weasel is firmly of the opinion that he is his own primary responsibility; and secondary, etc. His rule gets challenged and broken repeatedly as those he feels obligated to are put in danger.
Realizing he can do nothing to help them by himself, he sets off to find the Hidden, an illegal religious group, or the Falcon, a bloodthirsty bandit. Naturally, nothing turns out as he expects, but as the events turn, so does his thinking. By the end of the book, he's almost ready for the final challenge of keeping the solution to a very bad situation from being worse than the very bad situation!
I liked Weasel (aka William, Will, and Willy). He's smart, resourceful, and capable of learning. He doesn't make friends easily, per se, but he makes good friends. And he's a good friend to have. ( )

This book, the first of a new series, was full of adventure. Well written and very involving, it sucked me in from page 1. Set in less modern times, this book involves two main characters, a young girl and boy who end up in a makeshift cell together for separate reasons. Their stories become intertwined and is wrapped up nicely by the end of the book. Of course, there are more books to come, but I did feel some closure with this first novel. ( )

Thief-heroes abound in youth fantasy, as in Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord (2002) and Megan Whalen Turner’s The Thief (2006). Bell, author of the Farsala Trilogy, introduces one more streetwise trickster here. When kind Justice Holis is seized for plotting against Deorthas’ unjust ruler, the nimble reflexes of Weasel, his 14-year-old clerk and a former pickpocket, serve both in good stead. First, Weasel escapes his own imprisonment; then, with the help of his scrappy cellmate, Arisa—a country lass who, startlingly, excels in hand-to-hand combat—he rounds up outlaw allies to rescue his beloved mentor. Throughout, Bell illuminates tensions between new and ancient ways, and explores the potency of symbols (like a lost royal shield) to tilt public opinion. Weasel’s history with Justice Holis is too briefly summarized to convincingly motivate all of this risk taking, and it’s easy to miss the political nuances shading the conclusion. But with its Artful Dodger action and the satisfying expansion of its protagonist’s social conscience, this first entry in the Shield, Sword, and Crown series will leave many readers wanting more. Grades 5-8

Political situations are a bit confusing and convoluted, but the characters are well drawn and interesting. Action, scandal, humor, and criminal activity sprinkled throughout. I think fantasy readers will enjoy. ( )