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The Child Thief
	First edition cover (publ. HarperCollins)
Author	Gerald Brom
Language	English
Genre	Dark fantasy
Published	2009
Publisher	HarperCollins

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The Child Thief is a 2009 dark fantasy novel by the artist and novelist Gerald Brom.^[1] A dark retelling of the stories of Peter Pan and The Lost Boys, Brom takes many liberties with the originals by J M Barrie. Brom incorporates monsters and faeries, as well as a poverty-ridden populace in New York.

Synopsis

The novel begins with a prologue. A young girl awaits her abusive father, only to be rescued by a boy with auburn hair, freckles, pointy ears, and golden eyes. He comforts the girl, telling her of a place where there are no grown-ups and lots of adventure. The girl goes with him.

The novel follows several characters in their adventures through Avalon, an enchanted isle in its final death throes. Brom makes liberal use of Celtic and Scottish mythology as, in a parallel storyline, he describes Peter's history from birth to Lord of Deviltree.

In the modern day, a child named Nick flees his home with a bag full of methamphetamine. A gang of drug dealers has taken over his home, abusing him while his mother and grandmother are powerless to do anything. His first night on the run he is pursued by the gang members and runs into Peter. Peter displays superhuman speed and strength, driving the gang members off. He tells Nick about Avalon and convinces him to come there. Nick makes it through the mist to Avalon, joining up with the other children Peter has taken there over the years (many of whom have not aged a day since arriving in Avalon).

Peter's clan of human children is the final force between the Flesh Eaters and The Lady. The Lady's magic keeps Avalon alive and the Mist up to keep out unwanted humans while, unfortunately, keeping the Flesh Eaters in. The Lady is trapped within the heart of Avalon, a prisoner in her own land by her nephew and Avalon's heir apparent, Lord Ulfger (who shares the same father as Peter).

The children at Deviltree are also affected by the magic of Avalon. However, being children, they were not twisted into malicious scaly creatures. Instead they grew strong, fast, and amazingly powerful while their eyes changed color to match their leader's eyes. They were honed into warriors, fighting alongside Peter to save Avalon and The Lady and rid the land of the Flesh Eaters. Their predecessors were revealed to be pagan and druid children fleeing from enslavement, persecution and execution by knights working on behalf of the church.

Peter spends his time searching for new children to take back to Avalon. Always searching in the poorest neighborhoods, Peter only takes those children that are abused, forgotten, or, his personal favorite, runaways. Many children die in the Mist. Many more die fighting for their lives in Avalon, and Peter must go out seeking blood for Deviltree.

Ulfgar, out of jealousy, leads the children of Deviltree into an ambush where many of them are killed and many more are captured by the Flesh Eaters (he then brainwashes one new recruit, self-serving Leroy to murder and further betray for him). The Flesh Eaters during this time are revealed to be a group of English Puritans who sailed to Avalon accidentally while en route to North America. They want to go home and believe that killing the Lady is their only way to do so. In reality she could dispel the mists and allow them to leave, but neither side trusts the other enough to try and communicate.

After being tortured, (during which one Devil, feral child Redbone due to his sustained injuries doesn't survive the process) some of the devils lead the Flesh Eaters to the Lady's hiding place and they kidnap her (on discovering Leroy's treachery Peter executes him as Leroy shows his true colors and cowardly tries to shift blame from himself). Avalon dissolves around them and everyone is swept to New York City. The Flesh Eaters are startled by their surroundings, some even believing themselves to have entered Heaven, and cause a panic among anyone who sees them, which leads them to kill several police officers who come to investigate them.

The Flesh Eaters go to Central Park to execute the Lady, only for Peter and the remaining devils to attack in a desperate rescue attempt. During the battle, Ulfgar reappears and, having absorbed some of Avalon's remaining magic, has turned into some sort of monster. The Flesh Eaters and devils briefly join forces to defeat him during which almost all of them are slain by him. Ulfgar is killed and the Lady restores Avalon. Nick is mortally wounded during the battle and with his last breaths makes Peter swear to kill the gang living in his old house.

The remaining devils, now only one or two who are left out of the well over three dozen before, head back to rebuild Avalon while Peter heads off to fulfill his promise.

Literary analysis

Children as warriors

The children become merciless, bloodthirsty and savage. Taken from abusive homes, they leave for a place where there are children from similar backgrounds. Brom discusses ^[2] how this relates to gang culture. The children are slowly affected by Avalon's magic and become a powerful force. This knowledge of superiority coupled with the right circumstance could easily cause innocent children to become killing machines. Judging from what goes on in modern gang culture, seeing how quick teens are to define their own morals, to justify any action no matter how horrific, I believe it wouldn't be that hard. (Brom, The Child Thief)

Humans as monsters

The Flesh Eaters were a group of Puritans who set out to the new world from England, as well as the crews of the ships that carried them. They became trapped in Avalon when their arrival promoted the Lady of the Lake to shroud the island in a magical mist to avoid further arrivals. When they came to Avalon they were people no worse or better than others of their time, but after 300 years they have degenerated in body and soul to resemble demonic creatures with horn and black scales. In addition to being corrupted by the magic of Avalon, their desperation to escape over the long years have driven them to further madness. In the most extreme cases they have become twisted caricatures of themselves, so that The Reverend, originally a just and inspiring man has become no more than a fanatical sadist. Even those among the group who have not fallen into degeneracy mostly go along with those who have, either out of fear, complacency or simply the desire to band together against the dangers of the land.

The beasts of Avalon were—before the Flesh Eaters—a light and airy people who cared only for merriment and joy, and even when danger or serious matters pressed upon them. They worship the pagan gods of the land, who live and walk among them. They would like nothing more than for the Flesh Eaters to leave, which is the same goal the Flesh Eaters have, though by the time of the novel the hatred between them has grown too deep for them to work together on any common task.

Characters

Devils

Peter: A main character and "Lord" of Deviltree, his only apparent goal is to gather children to fight the Flesh Eaters and save Lady Modron. Peter's mood often changes between that of a hardened warrior and a child, especially when recalling fallen Devils. He has red hair, pale, freckled skin, golden eyes, and pointy ears. He wears hand-stitched leather pants with pointy-toed shoes sewn in, a raggedy, tailed tuxedo jacket over a black hoodie, and a rawhide pack.
Nick: A major character, Nick's story begins as he runs away from home, where a drug lord tenant and his minions torment Nick, his mother, and his grandmother. He is cornered by several other boys when Peter comes to his rescue. Once they are through the Mist he is left with the other Devils as a "new blood". Nick is fourteen, slender and a bit small for his age, with dark, choppy bangs, and a pallid complexion.
Cricket: A New Blood at Deviltree, she arrived there a little before Nick. It is implied she was the girl from the prologue. She becomes good friends with Nick, and there is some attraction between them. She has a scar above her ear where her hair no longer grows, from before she came to Avalon.
Sekeu: The most experienced warrior at Deviltree with the exception of Peter, she has been in Avalon since the first colonists settled in America. She is Native American, with golden eyes, dark hair, lean, muscular features, and a regal bearing. She teaches the New Bloods at Deviltree how to fight, and acts as leader when Peter is out.
Redbone: He has been at Deviltree since 1974 and is one of Peter's more experienced warriors, described by others as a wild feral child. He rubs a red dye into his skin and hair, creating a devilish effect, and ties a red bone into the wild top knot on his head. He wears a beat-up, but genuine, leather jacket. His grin is fierce and wide and his eyes are squinty and fiendish. A scar runs down his face right between his eyes that he got from his pimp, prior to being brought to Avalon.
Leroy: The most experienced of the New Blood, Leroy is crafty and self-serving. He bullies and intimidates Nick, and eventually becomes a Devil by falsely claiming to have performed Nick's acts of bravery. He fled to Avalon to escape punishment for murdering his father and later is brainwashed by Lord Ulfger to betray the other Devils.
Abraham: A one handed former runaway slave who has been in Avalon for well over a century. After Sekeu he is the most experienced of fighters who helps her train the new recruits.
Dirk and Dash: Both of whom were always in a fight with one another but still neither were never apart. Dirk has a resemblance to a bulldog with shaved scalp and ragged, jagged, ritual scaring. Dash is said to have a slight under-bite and is covered with piercings of bone and metal over parts of his face and nipples.
Danny: Another New Blood recruit. Described as a pre-teen who is pudgy and bespectacled whose glasses are wrapped round his head with a strap. He is one of the very few Devils to survive.
Amos: A Devil who once lived in an Amish community prior to be shunned and cast out. Ever since his banishment and being brought to Avalon, he has been by Peter's side.
Cutter: A Devil who is said to be a serious, reserved kid, with dark, severe eyes. He is known for being one who is of few words who seems to keep himself to himself.
Ivy: A Devil who was left with a lazy eye by her mother after she was kicked for wearing makeup. She is known for her distinct curly hair.
Nathan: An ill-fated twelve year old potential recruit. He was brought to Avalon having been saved after seeing his older brother Tony get murdered for causing a drug shipment to be accidentally destroyed.
Billy: A former Devil who ended up being captured by the Flesh Eaters. Because of him they were then able to learn about the current state of the outside world.
The Lady: Peter and his followers live to serve the Lady. Lady Modron (also known as The Lady of the Lake), daughter of the god Avallach, rules as the queen of Avalon. It appears that she uses her healing powers to entrance the inhabitants of Avalon into a spell of unconditional love, and devotion to her and Avalon itself.

References

^ "Art of Brom". Bromart.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
^ The Child Thief - Brom, HarperCollins, 2009

[1] "Art of Brom". Bromart.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.

[2] The Child Thief - Brom, HarperCollins, 2009

[1]

[2]

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+{{short description|2009 novel by Gerald Brom}}
-'''The Child Thief''' is a [[Dark fantasy]] novel by the artist and novelist [[Gerald Brom|Brom]].<ref>http://www.bromart.com</ref> A dark retelling of the stories of [[Peter Pan]] and The Lost Boys, Brom takes many liberties with the originals by [[J M Barrie]]. Brom incorporates monsters and faeries well alongside a poverty-ridden horrific heap of a sad populace in New York.
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
+{{More citations needed|date=October 2021}}
+{{Infobox book
+|name           = The Child Thief
+|image          =  File:TheChildThief.jpg
+|image_size     =
+|caption        = First edition cover (publ. [[HarperCollins]])
+|alt            =
+|author         =  [[Gerald Brom]]
+|illustrator    =
+|cover_artist   =
+|country        =
+|language       = English
+|series         =
+|subject        =
+|genre          = [[Dark fantasy]]
+|publisher      = [[HarperCollins]]
+|published      = 2009
+|media_type     =
+|pages          =
+|awards         =
+|isbn           =
+|oclc           =
+|dewey          =
+|congress       =
+|wikisource     =
+}}
+'''''The Child Thief''''' is a 2009 [[dark fantasy]] novel by the artist and novelist [[Gerald Brom]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bromart.com/|title=Art of Brom|website=Bromart.com|access-date=30 October 2021}}</ref> A dark retelling of the stories of [[Peter Pan]] and The Lost Boys, Brom takes many liberties with the originals by [[J M Barrie]]. Brom incorporates monsters and faeries, as well as a poverty-ridden populace in New York.
 ==Synopsis==
+The novel begins with a prologue. A young girl awaits her abusive father, only to be rescued by a boy with auburn hair, freckles, pointy ears, and golden eyes. He comforts the girl, telling her of a place where there are no grown-ups and lots of adventure. The girl goes with him.
+The novel follows several characters in their adventures through [[Avalon]], an enchanted isle in its final death throes. Brom makes liberal use of [[Celtic mythology|Celtic]] and [[Scottish mythology]] as, in a parallel storyline, he describes Peter's history from birth to Lord of Deviltree.
-=== Plot Intro ===
-The novel begins with a horrifying prologue. A young girl still in the early stages of puberty, mother dead, alone with ''the man'' that was with her mother, awaits the ''bad thing'' to happen. He was drinking and getting more drunk by the minute. As he appears in her doorway he drops his pants, leaves them on the floor, and approaches her. But this night would be different. This night, a shadow appears in the window and that shadow is a boy. He bounds into the room with amazing speed and knocks the man into the hallway. Thuds, screams, and a horrific "Oh, God" and the apartment falls silent. The boy reappears, auburn hair freckles and ''pointy'' ears with golden eyes. He comforts the girl telling her of a place where there are no grown-ups. An enchanted island with other children like her and lots of adventure to be had. A glance around the room and the girl thinks, what else is there to lose? If she could have spoken to the other children that followed the golden-eyed boy, she would have known: There is ''always'' something else to lose.
+In the modern day, a child named Nick flees his home with a bag full of [[methamphetamine]]. A gang of drug dealers has taken over his home, abusing him while his mother and grandmother are powerless to do anything. His first night on the run he is pursued by the gang members and runs into Peter. Peter displays superhuman speed and strength, driving the gang members off. He tells Nick about Avalon and convinces him to come there. Nick makes it through the mist to Avalon, joining up with the other children Peter has taken there over the years (many of whom have not aged a day since arriving in Avalon).
-===Plot Summary===
-The novel follows several different characters in their adventures through Avalon. First following Nick from the slow charming attraction to the golden eyed boy, to the horrifying walk through the mist, pass the barghest and the flesh eaters, and into the ''safety'' of Deviltree, the story only begins to unravel. Brom makes liberal use of Celtic and Scottish mythology as, in a parallel storyline, he describes Peter's history from birth to Lord of Deviltree.
+Peter's clan of human children is the final force between the Flesh Eaters and The Lady. The Lady's magic keeps Avalon alive and the Mist up to keep out unwanted humans while, unfortunately, keeping the Flesh Eaters in. The Lady is trapped within the heart of Avalon, a prisoner in her own land by her nephew and Avalon's heir apparent, Lord Ulfger (who shares the same father as Peter).
-Peter spends his time searching for new children to take back to Avalon. Always searching in the poorest of the poor neighborhoods, Peter only takes those children that are abused, forgotten, or, his personal favorite, runaways. He befriends these children before taking them - the mist would never allow him to take a child without the child's consent. ''I go willingly,'' the last words ever spoken by the children before leaving for the mist and Avalon. Many children die in the mist. Many more die fighting for their lives in Avalon, and Peter must go out seeking more... more blood for Deviltree.
+The children at Deviltree are also affected by the magic of Avalon. However, being children, they were not twisted into malicious scaly creatures. Instead they grew strong, fast, and amazingly powerful while their eyes changed color to match their leader's eyes. They were honed into warriors, fighting alongside Peter to save Avalon and The Lady and rid the land of the Flesh Eaters. Their predecessors were revealed to be pagan and druid children fleeing from enslavement, persecution and execution by knights working on behalf of the church.
-Avalon is an enchanted isle in its final death throes. Peter's Clan of human children is the final force between the Flesh Eaters and The Lady. The Lady's magic keeps Avalon alive and the mist up to keep out unwanted humans while, unfortunately, keeping the Flesh Eaters in. The Lady is trapped within the heart of Avalon, kept a prisoner in her own land by her nephew and Avalon's heir apparent, Lord Ulfger.
+Peter spends his time searching for new children to take back to Avalon. Always searching in the poorest neighborhoods, Peter only takes those children that are abused, forgotten, or, his personal favorite, runaways. Many children die in the Mist. Many more die fighting for their lives in Avalon, and Peter must go out seeking blood for Deviltree.
-The Flesh Eaters arrived on Avalon when the first refugees left the British Isles in search of a new home free of religious persecution. When they arrived, they were greeted by a glorious delegation of horned beasts, elves, satyrs, and faeries looking to secure peace among the newcomers. At the sight of monsters and devils, the humans fled back into their gates and a war begun. Termed the Flesh Eaters for eating any of the living things they killed, including the magical creatures, the humans holed up in their sanctuary and hid from the evil outside. Likewise, the magical creatures hid in their wood from the horrors coming out of the pilgrims' stronghold. The Lady released the mist so that no others might enter. Yet, thus, none were allowed to leave. The magic of Avalon twisted the grown humans into black scaly monsters and they became stuck in the war against The Lady - to kill her and release the mist so they might leave this island.
+Ulfgar, out of jealousy, leads the children of Deviltree into an ambush where many of them are killed and many more are captured by the Flesh Eaters (he then brainwashes one new recruit, self-serving Leroy to murder and further betray for him). The Flesh Eaters during this time are revealed to be a group of English [[Puritans]] who sailed to Avalon accidentally while en route to North America. They want to go home and believe that killing the Lady is their only way to do so. In reality she could dispel the mists and allow them to leave, but neither side trusts the other enough to try and communicate.
-The children at Deviltree are also affected by the magic of Avalon. However, being children, they were not twisted into malicious scaly creatures. Instead they grew strong, fast, and amazingly powerful. They were honed into warriors, fighting alongside Peter to save Avalon and The Lady and rid the land of the flesh eaters.
+After being tortured, (during which one Devil, feral child Redbone due to his sustained injuries doesn't survive the process) some of the devils lead the Flesh Eaters to the Lady's hiding place and they kidnap her (on discovering Leroy's treachery Peter executes him as Leroy shows his true colors and cowardly tries to shift blame from himself). Avalon dissolves around them and everyone is swept to [[New York City]]. The Flesh Eaters are startled by their surroundings, some even believing themselves to have entered [[Heaven]], and cause a panic among anyone who sees them, which leads them to kill several police officers who come to investigate them.
-The story reaches its climax with all of the forces meeting in a final unexpected clash that will shake the order of things in both worlds forever.
+The Flesh Eaters go to [[Central Park]] to execute the Lady, only for Peter and the remaining devils to attack in a desperate rescue attempt. During the battle, Ulfgar reappears and, having absorbed some of Avalon's remaining magic, has turned into some sort of monster. The Flesh Eaters and devils briefly join forces to defeat him during which almost all of them are slain by him. Ulfgar is killed and the Lady restores Avalon. Nick is mortally wounded during the battle and with his last breaths makes Peter swear to kill the gang living in his old house.
-==Literary Analysis==
+The remaining devils, now only one or two who are left out of the well over three dozen before, head back to rebuild Avalon while Peter heads off to fulfill his promise.
-===Children as Warriors===
-The children become merciless warriors, bloodthirsty and savage. Taken from homes that abused them, they leave for a place where there are children from similar backgrounds. Brom discusses <ref>The Child Thief - Brom, HarperCollins, 2009</ref> how this relates to gang culture. The children are slowly affected by Avalon's magic and become a powerful force. This knowledge of superiority coupled with the right circumstance could easily cause innocent children to become killing machines. ''Judging from what goes on in modern gang culture, seeing how quick teens are to define their own morals, to justify any action no matter how horrific, I believe it wouldn’t be that hard.''(Brom, The Child Thief)
+==Literary analysis==
-===Humans as Monsters===
-The Flesh Eaters were Christians in search of a place to live without anything that contradicts their belief systems. The Reverend, once a good man, if somewhat bigoted, becomes a twisted soul that takes sadistic pleasure in torturing children. The people are led deeper and deeper into insanity as the magic of Avalon affects them. The Flesh Eaters are evil creatures, but the reader is introduced to their side of the story. They want to go home to families and away from this island, and put what they want ahead of all decency. This still leaves the question of whether you could go anywhere to be safe from anything that contradicts your beliefs.
+===Children as warriors===
-The beasts of Avalon, however, are (before the Flesh Eaters) a light and airy people that worry more about merriment and joy than seriousness or war. They worship pagan gods with true powers that live among them. They want the same thing as the Flesh Eaters, for them to leave and never return.
+The children become merciless, bloodthirsty and savage. Taken from abusive homes, they leave for a place where there are children from similar backgrounds. Brom discusses <ref>The Child Thief - Brom, HarperCollins, 2009</ref> how this relates to gang culture. The children are slowly affected by Avalon's magic and become a powerful force. This knowledge of superiority coupled with the right circumstance could easily cause innocent children to become killing machines. ''Judging from what goes on in modern gang culture, seeing how quick teens are to define their own morals, to justify any action no matter how horrific, I believe it wouldn't be that hard.'' (Brom, The Child Thief)
+===Humans as monsters===
-The beasts are a joyous lot and if it were not for the arrival of the flesh eaters, they would be yet in a similar situation. Brom finally reveals the story of the Flesh Eaters, and although it doesn't change their evil action, it does explain how they got there. The reader is left to decide for themselves who to root for.
+The Flesh Eaters were a group of Puritans who set out to the new world from England, as well as the crews of the ships that carried them. They became trapped in Avalon when their arrival promoted the Lady of the Lake to shroud the island in a magical mist to avoid further arrivals. When they came to Avalon they were people no worse or better than others of their time, but after 300 years they have degenerated in body and soul to resemble demonic creatures with horn and black scales. In addition to being corrupted by the magic of Avalon, their desperation to escape over the long years have driven them to further madness. In the most extreme cases they have become twisted caricatures of themselves, so that The Reverend, originally a just and inspiring man has become no more than a fanatical sadist. Even those among the group who have not fallen into degeneracy mostly go along with those who have, either out of fear, complacency or simply the desire to band together against the dangers of the land.
+The beasts of Avalon were—before the Flesh Eaters—a light and airy people who cared only for merriment and joy, and even when danger or serious matters pressed upon them. They worship the pagan gods of the land, who live and walk among them. They would like nothing more than for the Flesh Eaters to leave, which is the same goal the Flesh Eaters have, though by the time of the novel the hatred between them has grown too deep for them to work together on any common task.
 ==Characters==
 ===Devils===
-* '''Peter''' : A main character and "Lord" of Deviltree, his only apparent goal is to gather children to fight the Flesh Eaters and save Lady Modron. Peter's mood often changes between that of a hardened warrior and a child, especially when recalling fallen Devils. He is described to have red hair, pale, freckled skin, golden eyes, and pointy ears. While wearing hand-stitched leather pants with pointy-toed shoes sewn in, a raggedy, tailed tuxedo jacket over a black hoodie, and a rawhide pack.
+* '''Peter''': A main character and "Lord" of Deviltree, his only apparent goal is to gather children to fight the Flesh Eaters and save Lady [[Modron]]. Peter's mood often changes between that of a hardened warrior and a child, especially when recalling fallen Devils. He has red hair, pale, freckled skin, golden eyes, and pointy ears. He wears hand-stitched leather pants with pointy-toed shoes sewn in, a raggedy, tailed tuxedo jacket over a black hoodie, and a rawhide pack.
+* '''Nick''': A major character, Nick's story begins as he runs away from home, where a drug lord tenant and his minions torment Nick, his mother, and his grandmother. He is cornered by several other boys when Peter comes to his rescue. Once they are through the Mist he is left with the other Devils as a "new blood". Nick is fourteen, slender and a bit small for his age, with dark, choppy bangs, and a pallid complexion.
+* '''Cricket''': A New Blood at Deviltree, she arrived there a little before Nick. It is implied she was the girl from the prologue. She becomes good friends with Nick, and there is some attraction between them. She has a scar above her ear where her hair no longer grows, from before she came to Avalon.
+* '''Sekeu''': The most experienced warrior at Deviltree with the exception of Peter, she has been in Avalon since the first colonists settled in America. She is Native American, with golden eyes, dark hair, lean, muscular features, and a regal bearing. She teaches the New Bloods at Deviltree how to fight, and acts as leader when Peter is out.
+* '''Redbone''': He has been at Deviltree since 1974 and is one of Peter's more experienced warriors, described by others as a wild feral child. He rubs a red dye into his skin and hair, creating a devilish effect, and ties a red bone into the wild top knot on his head. He wears a beat-up, but genuine, leather jacket. His grin is fierce and wide and his eyes are squinty and fiendish. A scar runs down his face right between his eyes that he got from his pimp, prior to being brought to Avalon.
+* '''Leroy''': The most experienced of the New Blood, Leroy is crafty and self-serving. He bullies and intimidates Nick, and eventually becomes a Devil by falsely claiming to have performed Nick's acts of bravery. He fled to Avalon to escape punishment for murdering his father and later is brainwashed by Lord Ulfger to betray the other Devils.
+* '''Abraham''': A one handed former runaway slave who has been in Avalon for well over a century. After Sekeu he is the most experienced of fighters who helps her train the new recruits.
+* '''Dirk and Dash''': Both of whom were always in a fight with one another but still neither were never apart. Dirk has a resemblance to a bulldog with shaved scalp and ragged, jagged, ritual scaring. Dash is said to have a slight under-bite and is covered with piercings of bone and metal over parts of his face and nipples.
+* '''Danny''': Another New Blood recruit. Described as a pre-teen who is pudgy and bespectacled whose glasses are wrapped round his head with a strap. He is one of the very few Devils to survive.
+* '''Amos''': A Devil who once lived in an Amish community prior to be shunned and cast out. Ever since his banishment and being brought to Avalon, he has been by Peter's side.
+* '''Cutter''': A Devil who is said to be a serious, reserved kid, with dark, severe eyes. He is known for being one who is of few words who seems to keep himself to himself.
+* '''Ivy''': A Devil who was left with a lazy eye by her mother after she was kicked for wearing makeup. She is known for her distinct curly hair.
+* '''Nathan''': An ill-fated twelve year old potential recruit. He was brought to Avalon having been saved after seeing his older brother Tony get murdered for causing a drug shipment to be accidentally destroyed.
+* '''Billy''': A former Devil who ended up being captured by the Flesh Eaters. Because of him they were then able to learn about the current state of the outside world.
+* '''The Lady''': Peter and his followers live to serve the Lady.  Lady Modron (also known as The [[Lady of the Lake]]), daughter of the god [[Avallach]], rules as the queen of Avalon.  It appears that she uses her healing powers to entrance the inhabitants of Avalon into a spell of unconditional love, and devotion to her and Avalon itself.
+==References==
-* '''Nick''' : The second protagonist, Nick's story begins as he runs away from home, where a drug lord tenant and his minions torment Nick, his mother, and his grandmother. He is cornered by several other boys when Peter comes to his rescue. Once they are through the Mist he is left with the other Devils as a "new blood". Nick is fourteen, slender and a bit small for his age, with dark, choppy bangs, and a pallid complextion.
+{{Reflist}}
-* '''Cricket''' : A New Blood at Deviltree, she arrived there a little before Nick. It is implied that she was the girl form the prologue that Peter saves from ''that man''. She becomes good friend with Nick, and there is some attraction shown between the two of them. She has a scar above her ear where her hair no longer grows, from before she came to Avalon.
-* '''Sekeu''' : The most experienced warrior at Deviltree with the exception of Peter, she has been in Avalon since the first colonists settled in America. She is Native American, with golden eyes, dark hair, lean, muscular features, and a regal bearing. She teaches the New Bloods at Deviltree how to fight, and acts as leader when Peter is out.
-* '''Leroy''' : The most experienced of the New Blood, Leroy is crafty and self-serving. He bullys and intimidates Nick and eventually becomes a Devil by falsely claiming to have performed Nick's acts of bravery.
-* '''The Lady''': Peter and his followers live to serve the Lady.  Although her name is not revealed in the book, she is said to have lived in Avalon her entire life.  It is also said that she has healing powers.
-==References==
-<references />
 {{Peter Pan}}
+{{Authority control}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Child Thief, The}}
-[[Category:Peter Pan]]
+[[Category:Books based on Peter Pan]]
-[[Category:Fantasy novels]]
+[[Category:Dark fantasy novels]]
+[[Category:American fantasy novels]]
+[[Category:2009 British novels]]
+[[Category:HarperCollins books]]