HERR DER DIEBE (THE THIEF LORD)

Who hasn’t dreamed of being part of a gang of thieves made up entirely of children? Following the death of their mother, brothers Prosper and Bo head for Venice to escape their cold-hearted legal guardian, Aunt Esther Hartlieb. Once in Venice, one of Europe’s most mysterious cities, they join a juvenile gang operating out of a deserted theatre and headed by Scipio, the brilliant “Thief Lord”.

And who hasn’t dreamed of being able to freely switch between having the advantages of a grownup one second and experiencing the carefree feeling of being a child the next? This is exactly the power supposedly possessed by the wing belonging to a magical merry-go-round: after one ride, you are an adult and can do whatever you like; ride it again, and you are a child without any responsibilities. The enigmatic Conte wants to own that wing and engages the gang to steal it for him. THE THIEF LORD is full of action and surprising twists as it explores how the children stick together in a world seemingly not made for them. But they also encounter some extraordinary grownups who seem to take delight in helping the children succeed and conquer new worlds together. The dream of a merry-go-round that playfully jumbles up a person’s age is the key motif in this magical heist story.

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