Jebel Rum is scrawny. He is thin. And in a world where only the burly and strong can make a living, he has no chance to beat his older brothers to their father's title as executioner, the most glorious, noble, profession in Wadi. To become Executioner, Jebel would have to win in a contest based on skill and power, and he has absolutely no way of winning. That is, unless he goes on a grueling quest to ask the fire God to bless him with immortal power. As his only option to gain some honor, Jebel leaves on his quest after enlisting the life of a slave to be sacrificed to the fire God. Tel Hesani is a strong man who only wishes to see his family freed by laying down his own life, which Jebel has promised him. Jebel refuses the see Tel Hasani as more than a slave, but after the man saves him multiple times and shows a depth to his soul that the boy could never have guessed at, Jebel finds that it may be hard to kill the man at the fire mountain when the time comes. Jebel is naive to the world outside Wadi, and Tel Hesani has to try very hard to keep his master out of harm's way. Along their journey, the two come upon cannibals, thievery, and a pair of clever con artists with kind faces and regal manners. It seems that the quest is doomed from the very start, things get increasingly worse for Jebel and his slave, and Jebel begins to think that this may be a journey he would rather not have taken. While he previously held honor above all else, he may have to put survival higher on the list.

A singular, large novel from the talented author of the Cirque du Freak series, Darren Shan, The Thin Executioner is morbid, exciting, and sometimes sickening. Darren Shan set the theme in a world very different from our own, where public beheadings are common family entertainment, and where the justice system is painfully flawed. Selfish, naive, and cruel, Jebel Rum is a main character that is hard to feel bad for, but after just a few chapters, the audience will be miserable with him.

I picked this book up because I read everything by Darren Shan!

I finished this book because it seemed hazardous to my health for me not to.

I'd give this book to any fan of gory detail, or just any fan of Darren Shan in general.

***** It was amazing!