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Squeak Thief [Book Review]
8 months ago
Squeak Thief by Kyell Gold came out at Anthrocon 2024 and it has taken me a while to get to the review of it.
Quickly and succinctly: a fun romp of a book well worth the $15 as an entertaining read. I’d describe this as a scuzzy jolly jape of a read. Heavily leaning into more erotic and horny aspects compared to some of his other recent works Squeak Thief is a breezy book perfect for when you have a day off or just want to have a frothy gay read.
Disclaimer: as has been noted before I know Kyell Gold from conventions and have been around him a few times. I often sell books at the FurPlanet table and this book is published by FurPlanet.
The physical book can be ordered here for mail: https://furplanet.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=1272
The ebook is here:
https://baddogbooks.com/product/squeak-thief/
This book, to me, falls into the category of a jolly jape. Those are books that rely on witty banter, character interplay, and a somewhat silly plot. The concept for this novel is a heist movie (Oceans 8, The Sting, How to Steal a Million) style robbery of a necklace. It is very clear Kyell Gold likes the genre of the heist movie and he has put a lot of thought not just into how to pull off a clever heist, but also the mechanics of how this genre works and is effective.
The elements of a heist movie are: compelling characters, interesting set pieces, at least one double cross, and a clever theft of some object from a security system. Often the word you want to say during and after a heist movie is: clever. This genre depends on misdirection and unreliable narrators as its stock and trade. I think Kyell Gold pulls that off admirably with this story. What I also like is that he subverts the heist concept pulling it from its stylized and romanticized framing and setting it into a more realistic setting. The characters do not have plot armor, they are not geniuses with brilliant omnipotence, instead they are two regular men trying to pull of a daring plan.
I liked how the heist played out. Their various plans and adaptation of the two characters to problems. How Bryce and Kris balance each other’s weaknesses in their thieving and how they solve problems together and use that to become closer to each other. There was a fun propulsion to this story that was interesting but also an acidity to the often humorous situations the two get into. As the story slowly reveals why this particular item is being stolen and reveals more of the characters (a classic Kyell Gold story conceit played of well in this genre) I genuinely liked the antics.
As I have noted before I like Kyell Gold because every novel he puts out tries some new variation on his writing. Some level of experimentation is visible if you read enough of his novels. Here there is a real leaning into the scuzzy and unseemly parts of life and a really interesting discussion about responsibility and adulthood. Kyell’s books do center on LGBTQIA+ romance and are driven by character emotions and interactions. However, I find the variations and set up for how these events interesting as well as the variety of characters he often plays with, rarely does he repeat a main character. The two main characters are a contrast to each other which underscores the novel’s larger themes of contrasting extreme wealth and poverty.
Here we have Bryce and Kris, who are two of his more fun characters to spend time with, in a story. Both deeply flawed, both a little seedy, and both satisfyingly interesting. I genuinely did not want the story to end because I just wanted to spend more time with these two fellows and their back and forth. As a story driven by character interaction and interplay that says a lot. Even as their affection grows for each other and they learn about the each other it is made clear both are feeling out the other for how to double cross each other. It is an interesting dynamic to see two people you, as a reader know, are looking to hoodwink each other, but who you want to have a positive relationship at the end of the story. I think Mr. Gold delivers nicely on resolving those tensions and showing why they resolve. Kris and Bryce earn their relationship and both are forced to shift their personal perceptions and be more vulnerable to each other.
Kris as a character comes from extreme privilege and personal security. The mouse has never had to seriously struggle and as the story evolves we see he often has a very naïve understanding of life. It is underscored often that he views the entire heist in the framing of movies and popular culture, and needs to be corrected. He has talent and intelligence but has never had to focus them. If he wanted he could have a comfortable life, but it is underscored that he wants to have more then that, at the very least he wants sincere connection, which is in part what draws him to Bryce. There is a lot to Kris that speaks of a person with ideals who has never had to practice those ideals living in a comfortable ivory tower of stories and theory. Smart but naïve, and a little to assured of his own talents. In some ways at the start we get the feeling he wants to enter into committing crimes as a past time and isn’t worried about consequences.
Bryce meanwhile has had a life of serious struggle: loss, abandonment, homelessness, and institutionalization. As we learn more of his backstory we see a man who has had to struggle with life and trust. Bryce has had to deal with consequences constantly to things outside of his own control. He yearns for people he can trust, but can’t be vulnerable. Kris offers him a challenge but also a chance to be vulnerable by fulfilling Kris’ need for sincerity. There is a fascinating scene where Bryce explains part of his life that really defined the two characters nicely for me. He is as smart as Bryce, clearly, but it is honed with a wisdom of failure and experience.
These two men with different skills, different expectations, and backgrounds make a wonderful pair of thieves and an interesting contrast to each other. Kris wants to play at criminality, Bryce has been forced by circumstances into it. As I noted early on this story leans in on a scuzzy and skeezy aspect. There is a feeling of grime and oiliness to many locations that contrast with the bright glitz and anodyne locations of the wealthy and powerful. Bryce comes from a world where people struggle and have been defined by those struggles, and Kris from a world of such extreme privilege that he knows people who are almost gelatinous. This does not celebrate poverty as noble and strengthening, rather it is an indictment of how these ultra wealthy people waste their lives while others struggle needlessly. What point is there to a car you never drive, never truly enjoy, but only can sit in once in a while whereas other people wonder about their next meals. A lot of heist genre material does not always play with that concept and I think it is done in an interesting way here.
The sexual politics in the story are interesting as Bryce and Kris figure out their physical attraction and mutual interest. This one is heavy on sexual encounters but they often are not just for titillation but about how the two men are finding ways to trust and interact with each other. How they see sex and each other’s bodies is tied up with modern gay sexual politics but also their backgrounds. Even there with a few of them there is that same sense of grime. It works well though I admit I wanted more scenes of the fox and mouse just playing off each other as they have excellent charisma together.
The story itself is fun, interesting, and I kept turning the pages. I loved the story of two people thieving and stealing each other’s hearts. I think it did a good job playing with the genre, concept, and characters. I loved the climax of the story and how it played out because of how it used the genre of the heist. The ending made sense and had a playful quality reminding us that these two people have come far but they have not changed fundamentally, they’ve just learned to trust. I don’t think there needs to be more with these two people, but I am sorry I don’t have them as my companions and that likely says a lot about the characters.
Pick this one up if you want a fun quick read that will make you miss two interesting characters.
Quickly and succinctly: a fun romp of a book well worth the $15 as an entertaining read. I’d describe this as a scuzzy jolly jape of a read. Heavily leaning into more erotic and horny aspects compared to some of his other recent works Squeak Thief is a breezy book perfect for when you have a day off or just want to have a frothy gay read.
Disclaimer: as has been noted before I know Kyell Gold from conventions and have been around him a few times. I often sell books at the FurPlanet table and this book is published by FurPlanet.
The physical book can be ordered here for mail: https://furplanet.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=1272
The ebook is here:
https://baddogbooks.com/product/squeak-thief/
This book, to me, falls into the category of a jolly jape. Those are books that rely on witty banter, character interplay, and a somewhat silly plot. The concept for this novel is a heist movie (Oceans 8, The Sting, How to Steal a Million) style robbery of a necklace. It is very clear Kyell Gold likes the genre of the heist movie and he has put a lot of thought not just into how to pull off a clever heist, but also the mechanics of how this genre works and is effective.
The elements of a heist movie are: compelling characters, interesting set pieces, at least one double cross, and a clever theft of some object from a security system. Often the word you want to say during and after a heist movie is: clever. This genre depends on misdirection and unreliable narrators as its stock and trade. I think Kyell Gold pulls that off admirably with this story. What I also like is that he subverts the heist concept pulling it from its stylized and romanticized framing and setting it into a more realistic setting. The characters do not have plot armor, they are not geniuses with brilliant omnipotence, instead they are two regular men trying to pull of a daring plan.
I liked how the heist played out. Their various plans and adaptation of the two characters to problems. How Bryce and Kris balance each other’s weaknesses in their thieving and how they solve problems together and use that to become closer to each other. There was a fun propulsion to this story that was interesting but also an acidity to the often humorous situations the two get into. As the story slowly reveals why this particular item is being stolen and reveals more of the characters (a classic Kyell Gold story conceit played of well in this genre) I genuinely liked the antics.
As I have noted before I like Kyell Gold because every novel he puts out tries some new variation on his writing. Some level of experimentation is visible if you read enough of his novels. Here there is a real leaning into the scuzzy and unseemly parts of life and a really interesting discussion about responsibility and adulthood. Kyell’s books do center on LGBTQIA+ romance and are driven by character emotions and interactions. However, I find the variations and set up for how these events interesting as well as the variety of characters he often plays with, rarely does he repeat a main character. The two main characters are a contrast to each other which underscores the novel’s larger themes of contrasting extreme wealth and poverty.
Here we have Bryce and Kris, who are two of his more fun characters to spend time with, in a story. Both deeply flawed, both a little seedy, and both satisfyingly interesting. I genuinely did not want the story to end because I just wanted to spend more time with these two fellows and their back and forth. As a story driven by character interaction and interplay that says a lot. Even as their affection grows for each other and they learn about the each other it is made clear both are feeling out the other for how to double cross each other. It is an interesting dynamic to see two people you, as a reader know, are looking to hoodwink each other, but who you want to have a positive relationship at the end of the story. I think Mr. Gold delivers nicely on resolving those tensions and showing why they resolve. Kris and Bryce earn their relationship and both are forced to shift their personal perceptions and be more vulnerable to each other.
Kris as a character comes from extreme privilege and personal security. The mouse has never had to seriously struggle and as the story evolves we see he often has a very naïve understanding of life. It is underscored often that he views the entire heist in the framing of movies and popular culture, and needs to be corrected. He has talent and intelligence but has never had to focus them. If he wanted he could have a comfortable life, but it is underscored that he wants to have more then that, at the very least he wants sincere connection, which is in part what draws him to Bryce. There is a lot to Kris that speaks of a person with ideals who has never had to practice those ideals living in a comfortable ivory tower of stories and theory. Smart but naïve, and a little to assured of his own talents. In some ways at the start we get the feeling he wants to enter into committing crimes as a past time and isn’t worried about consequences.
Bryce meanwhile has had a life of serious struggle: loss, abandonment, homelessness, and institutionalization. As we learn more of his backstory we see a man who has had to struggle with life and trust. Bryce has had to deal with consequences constantly to things outside of his own control. He yearns for people he can trust, but can’t be vulnerable. Kris offers him a challenge but also a chance to be vulnerable by fulfilling Kris’ need for sincerity. There is a fascinating scene where Bryce explains part of his life that really defined the two characters nicely for me. He is as smart as Bryce, clearly, but it is honed with a wisdom of failure and experience.
These two men with different skills, different expectations, and backgrounds make a wonderful pair of thieves and an interesting contrast to each other. Kris wants to play at criminality, Bryce has been forced by circumstances into it. As I noted early on this story leans in on a scuzzy and skeezy aspect. There is a feeling of grime and oiliness to many locations that contrast with the bright glitz and anodyne locations of the wealthy and powerful. Bryce comes from a world where people struggle and have been defined by those struggles, and Kris from a world of such extreme privilege that he knows people who are almost gelatinous. This does not celebrate poverty as noble and strengthening, rather it is an indictment of how these ultra wealthy people waste their lives while others struggle needlessly. What point is there to a car you never drive, never truly enjoy, but only can sit in once in a while whereas other people wonder about their next meals. A lot of heist genre material does not always play with that concept and I think it is done in an interesting way here.
The sexual politics in the story are interesting as Bryce and Kris figure out their physical attraction and mutual interest. This one is heavy on sexual encounters but they often are not just for titillation but about how the two men are finding ways to trust and interact with each other. How they see sex and each other’s bodies is tied up with modern gay sexual politics but also their backgrounds. Even there with a few of them there is that same sense of grime. It works well though I admit I wanted more scenes of the fox and mouse just playing off each other as they have excellent charisma together.
The story itself is fun, interesting, and I kept turning the pages. I loved the story of two people thieving and stealing each other’s hearts. I think it did a good job playing with the genre, concept, and characters. I loved the climax of the story and how it played out because of how it used the genre of the heist. The ending made sense and had a playful quality reminding us that these two people have come far but they have not changed fundamentally, they’ve just learned to trust. I don’t think there needs to be more with these two people, but I am sorry I don’t have them as my companions and that likely says a lot about the characters.
Pick this one up if you want a fun quick read that will make you miss two interesting characters.
