The Coral Thief moved much too slowly for me. Daniel Conner, the main character, is difficult to care about. He is young and naive-which usually means I will feel some sort of sympathy. Not this time though. He just could not persuade me to care about him. The plot is slow-moving, and I never felt like I actually got anywhere. I had similar feelings about Ghostwalk, and I have concluded that Stott's work just isn't for me. ( )

Rebecca Stott scores another high mark for her second novel, The Coral Thief. Set in Paris in 1815 shortly after the final fall of Napoleon, the story draws together Daniel Connor, a Scottish student of comparative anatomy, with a cast of striking French characters including a fascinating philosopher-thief who is also a beautiful woman and something of a changeling. If this introduction makes this historical novel sound peculiar or even unique, well and good -- that is just what it is. Meticulously researched, the novel leads us into the intellectual ferment regarding the origin of species diversity that preceded the publication of Darwin's work on natural selection. The topic seems very current, and the almost religious fervor with which it was discussed in the early 19th Century seems to reflect the same kind of emotional arguments we hear today from the evolutionists and the advocates of intelligent design. Stott creates a compelling ambience in her descriptions of post-Napoleonic Paris. Artworks stolen from the great capitals of Europe are being carted out of the Louvre and returned to their rightful owners. The city is full of French veterans, many of them grievously wounded at Waterloo. It is a time when the normal order and boundaries of society, even French society, were loosened. There was room for philosopher-thieves and their protagonists in the security bureaucracy. Stott has found just the right pace and length to tell her story well and to develop her characters to the point of interest but not to excess. We have to take a few matters on faith -- for example, what makes Daniel Connor so attractive? I enjoyed Stott's willingness to move forward with her story without feeling bound to tie up every loose end. The ultimate effect is a masterfully written story that held my interest throughout and that transported me into a fascinating moment in the history of a great city. This is Paris before Hausmann, a Paris without electricity, a Paris of narrow streets contrasted with the striking new Jardin des Plantes. This world is lost to us now, but Rebecca Stott brings it back to life in this fine novel. ( )

Young Daniel Connor falls into intrigue, love and dishonesty before he ever reaches Paris. While on a coach to take him into the city, He is joined by a woman and small child. The woman steals important papers from him, as well as specimans meant as gifts for the renownded famed Dr. Cuvie studies at Jardin des Plantes. Daniel meant to study with Dr Cuvie. The loss of these items would mean his career path was in serious jeopardy.

The woman herself was unusual and somewhat extraordinary. Despite the fact that she may have taken from him a chance to follow his dreams, he was intrigued and eventually obsessed with her, with Lucienne.

During the telling of Daniels story, and his unfortunate decisions, we are given glimpses of Napoleon Bonaparte, following his defeat at Waterloo. I did not manage to find any real connection to the main story.Perhaps there was something I missed.

Once again, I found myself feeling very ambivalent about the story, and rather unconnected to the characters. I felt that Daniel was a bit of a fool, and Lucienne simply eluded my understanding altogether. Her actions and stories of her past did not quite mesh for me.

So...three stars. I am not sorry I read it. It was short, took little time and was mildly interesting. Perhaps fans of Ghostwalk will be more inclined to like this story than I was. ( )

The Coral Thief didn't move fast enough for me, though I thought it was well-researched. The ending was not worth sticking to it till the end. I sometimes had to force myself to pick it up. I thought the idea was good, it was just boring. I liked the setting, but that was it. 1 1/2 rating. ( )

Ugh. This book is just not for me. So much waiting around for something to happen...and it never seems to be the main character that causes anything change. He is in the dark about so many things, and therefore, so is the reader. ( )