Steal the Morrow

A Retelling of Oliver Twist

By: Jenelle Leanne Schmidt

Narrated by: Benjamin Fife

The city may be dangerous, but it holds his only hope....

Abandoned on a remote highway after bandits murder his parents, young Olifur finds safety with Fritjof. The gruff woodsman teaches him and other orphans to live off the land. When Fritjof falls ill, Olifur will risk everything to save his mentor—even travel to far-off Melar seeking a doctor.

However, the city of Melar is more perilous than Olifur imagined, and doctors aren't cheap. His quest leads him first to a hazardous job working on the elevated trains high above the city. But the dangers in the clouds are nothing compared to those on the ground. Olifur soon finds himself ensnared in a web of professional thieves, and he must think fast if he is to survive the day and bring the much-needed aid to Fritjof before it is too late.

Schmidt reweaves Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist into an exciting tale of integrity and perseverance in this gaslamp-fantasy adventure.

©2023 Jenelle Leanne Schmidt (P)2023 Jenelle Leanne Schmidt

Loved it

I loved this little story. Having read and watched many versions of Oliver Twist I kept trying to tie things up, however it kept me guessing. If you like retellings, give this a go!

A Fantastic Twist on Classic Fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Schmidt writes an engaging tale of hope and courage and the value of perseverance and honesty in a dark world, full of great characters and giant cats! STEAL THE MORROW reimagines Dickens’s OLIVER TWIST as an original gaslamp fantasy with a dollop of Robin Hood and the lost boys that give it a fun, fresh flair.

To top it off, Fife does an absolutely stellar performance! I loved his different voices for the characters—especially Fritjof!—and his talent lends a whole other layer of depth to the experience. I highly recommend it!

A Delightful Romp

Over the past year, I've developed a renewed love for fantasy that features as main characters. This charming story far exceeded my expectations.

Olifur, presumably named for his Dickensian counterpart, is a darling and precocious child. He experiences a great deal of tragedy as well as tremendous compassion. And while the story may be slow to start, the world building is delightful, and I enjoyed watching Olifur grow accustomed to his new life in the forest and getting to know his new companions.

But when a beloved mentor becomes gravely ill, Olifur sets out for the city by himself to find a doctor who can help. He is met with betrayal and learns how to be a bit more street-smart without losing any of the goodness that makes us love him so much. He might even be beginning to run off on some of his new friends.

This is a cozy story, with stakes that are personally high, without being world-ending. At least, not yet. And I loved Olifur so much. While this is a fantasy, it reminds us of how the good in one person can cause a ripple effect, changing the lives of far more people than one could ever anticipate.

I was given an audio arc by the author, which I solicited because I love her writing and her narrator so much, and I have reviewed this willingly.