Set against the stark background of World War II, City of Thieves is a historical fiction novel by David Benioff published in 2008. Centering around two young boys in Soviet Russia and their daring quest, the story qualifies for the Bildungsroman (coming of age) genre.
City of Thieves follows two Russian youths who after being thrown into prison for their own separate reasons, are offered a deal by a Soviet officer: if they can somehow round up a dozen eggs (a rarity, but needed for a wedding celebration) they would win their freedom. If not, they would be executed. Both decide to take the deal, and subsequently are thrown into a frantic search with their lives on the line that takes them to hazardous places, most dangerously into German territory.
The novel was well-received by both critics and the public. In fact, Bruce Straley, director of The Last of Us, an extremely famous post-apocalyptic survival game, said he took inspiration from the book's harsh setting during creation of the game.
