diff --git a/include/cppkafka/consumer.h b/include/cppkafka/consumer.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8ebd9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppkafka/consumer.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#ifndef CPP_KAFKA_CONSUMER_H
+#define CPP_KAFKA_CONSUMER_H
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+#include "kafka_handle_base.h"
+#include "topic_partition_list.h"
+
+namespace cppkafka {
+
+class Configuration;
+class TopicConfiguration;
+
+class Consumer : public KafkaHandleBase {
+public:
+    Consumer(const Configuration& config);
+
+    void subscribe(const std::vector<std::string>& topics);
+    void unsubscribe();
+
+    void assign(const TopicPartitionList& topic_partitions);
+private:
+    void check_error(rd_kafka_resp_err_t error);
+};
+
+} // cppkafka
+
+#endif // CPP_KAFKA_CONSUMER_H
diff --git a/include/cppkafka/kafka_handle_base.h b/include/cppkafka/kafka_handle_base.h
index 76b8606..76fad22 100644
--- a/include/cppkafka/kafka_handle_base.h
+++ b/include/cppkafka/kafka_handle_base.h
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ class TopicConfiguration;
 class KafkaHandleBase {
 public:
     virtual ~KafkaHandleBase() = default;
+    KafkaHandleBase(const KafkaHandleBase&) = delete;
+    KafkaHandleBase(KafkaHandleBase&&) = delete;
+    KafkaHandleBase& operator=(const KafkaHandleBase&) = delete;
+    KafkaHandleBase& operator=(KafkaHandleBase&&) = delete;
 
     rd_kafka_t* get_handle();
     Topic get_topic(const std::string& name);
diff --git a/include/cppkafka/message.h b/include/cppkafka/message.h
index 14a53f7..d004fde 100644
--- a/include/cppkafka/message.h
+++ b/include/cppkafka/message.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ public:
     const Buffer& get_key() const;
     int64_t get_offset() const;
     void* private_data();
+    explicit operator bool() const;
 
     rd_kafka_message_t* get_handle() const;
 private:
diff --git a/include/cppkafka/topic_partition.h b/include/cppkafka/topic_partition.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4946980
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppkafka/topic_partition.h
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#ifndef CPPKAFKA_TOPIC_PARTITION_H
+#define CPPKAFKA_TOPIC_PARTITION_H
+
+#include <string>
+#include <cstdint>
+
+namespace cppkafka {
+
+class TopicPartition {
+public:
+    TopicPartition(const std::string& topic);
+    TopicPartition(const std::string& topic, int partition);
+    TopicPartition(const std::string& topic, int partition, int64_t offset);
+
+    const std::string& get_topic() const;
+    int get_partition() const;
+    int64_t get_offset() const;
+private:
+    std::string topic_;
+    int partition_;
+    int64_t offset_;
+};
+
+} // cppkafka
+
+#endif // CPPKAFKA_TOPIC_PARTITION_H
diff --git a/include/cppkafka/topic_partition_list.h b/include/cppkafka/topic_partition_list.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ff99d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/cppkafka/topic_partition_list.h
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+#ifndef CPPKAFKA_TOPIC_PARTITION_LIST_H
+#define CPPKAFKA_TOPIC_PARTITION_LIST_H
+
+#include <memory>
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <librdkafka/rdkafka.h>
+#include "topic_partition.h"
+
+namespace cppkafka {
+
+class TopicPartition;
+
+class TopicPartitionList {
+public:
+    TopicPartitionList();
+    TopicPartitionList(size_t size);
+    template <typename ForwardIterator>
+    TopicPartitionList(ForwardIterator start, const ForwardIterator& end) 
+    : TopicPartitionList(std::distance(start, end)) {
+        while (start != end) {
+            add(*start);
+            ++start;
+        }
+    }
+    TopicPartitionList(const TopicPartitionList& rhs);
+    TopicPartitionList(TopicPartitionList&&) = default;
+    TopicPartitionList& operator=(const TopicPartitionList& rhs);
+    TopicPartitionList& operator=(TopicPartitionList&&) = default;
+
+    void add(const TopicPartition& topic_partition);
+    size_t size() const;
+    bool empty() const;
+
+    rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_t* get_handle() const;
+private:
+    static const size_t DEFAULT_CONTAINER_SIZE;
+
+    using HandlePtr = std::unique_ptr<rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_t, 
+                                      decltype(&rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_destroy)>;
+
+    static HandlePtr make_handle(rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_t* ptr);
+
+    HandlePtr handle_;
+};
+
+} // cppkafka
+
+#endif // CPPKAFKA_TOPIC_PARTITION_LIST_H
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index fc7ada5..2cd8c2f 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@ set(SOURCES
     partition.cpp
     buffer.cpp
     message.cpp
+    topic_partition.cpp
+    topic_partition_list.cpp
 
     kafka_handle_base.cpp
     producer.cpp
+    consumer.cpp
 )
 
 add_library(cppkafka ${SOURCES})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/consumer.cpp b/src/consumer.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..046bc1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/consumer.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#include "consumer.h"
+#include "exceptions.h"
+#include "configuration.h"
+#include "topic_partition_list.h"
+
+using std::vector;
+using std::string;
+
+namespace cppkafka {
+
+Consumer::Consumer(const Configuration& config) {
+    char error_buffer[512];
+    rd_kafka_t* ptr = rd_kafka_new(RD_KAFKA_CONSUMER, config.get_handle(),
+                                   error_buffer, sizeof(error_buffer));
+    if (!ptr) {
+        throw Exception("Failed to create consumer handle: " + string(error_buffer));
+    }
+    set_handle(ptr);
+}
+
+void Consumer::subscribe(const vector<string>& topics) {
+    TopicPartitionList list(topics.begin(), topics.end());
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t error = rd_kafka_subscribe(get_handle(), list.get_handle());
+    check_error(error);
+}
+
+void Consumer::unsubscribe() {
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t error = rd_kafka_unsubscribe(get_handle());
+    check_error(error);
+}
+
+void Consumer::assign(const TopicPartitionList& topic_partitions) {
+    // If the list is empty, then we need to use a null pointer
+    auto handle = topic_partitions.empty() ? nullptr : topic_partitions.get_handle();
+    rd_kafka_resp_err_t error = rd_kafka_assign(get_handle(), handle);
+    check_error(error);
+}
+
+void Consumer::check_error(rd_kafka_resp_err_t error) {
+    if (error != RD_KAFKA_RESP_ERR_NO_ERROR) {
+        throw HandleException(error);
+    }
+}
+
+} // cppkafka
diff --git a/src/message.cpp b/src/message.cpp
index ce0ac61..f7457d2 100644
--- a/src/message.cpp
+++ b/src/message.cpp
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ void* Message::private_data() {
     return handle_->_private;
 }
 
+Message::operator bool() const {
+    return handle_ != nullptr;
+}
+
 rd_kafka_message_t* Message::get_handle() const {
     return handle_.get();
 }
diff --git a/src/topic_partition.cpp b/src/topic_partition.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34bce0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/topic_partition.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#include <librdkafka/rdkafka.h>
+#include "topic_partition.h"
+
+using std::string;
+
+namespace cppkafka {
+
+TopicPartition::TopicPartition(const string& topic) 
+: TopicPartition(topic, RD_KAFKA_PARTITION_UA) {
+
+}
+
+TopicPartition::TopicPartition(const string& topic, int partition) 
+: TopicPartition(topic, partition, RD_KAFKA_OFFSET_INVALID) {
+
+}
+
+TopicPartition::TopicPartition(const string& topic, int partition, int64_t offset) 
+: topic_(topic), partition_(partition), offset_(offset) {
+
+}
+
+const string& TopicPartition::get_topic() const {
+    return topic_;
+}
+
+int TopicPartition::get_partition() const {
+    return partition_;
+}
+
+int64_t TopicPartition::get_offset() const {
+    return offset_;
+}
+
+} // cppkafka
diff --git a/src/topic_partition_list.cpp b/src/topic_partition_list.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85445a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/topic_partition_list.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#include "topic_partition_list.h"
+#include "topic_partition.h"
+
+namespace cppkafka {
+
+const size_t TopicPartitionList::DEFAULT_CONTAINER_SIZE = 5;
+
+TopicPartitionList::TopicPartitionList() 
+: TopicPartitionList(DEFAULT_CONTAINER_SIZE) {
+
+}
+
+TopicPartitionList::TopicPartitionList(size_t size) 
+: handle_(make_handle(rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_new(size))) {
+
+}
+
+TopicPartitionList::TopicPartitionList(const TopicPartitionList& rhs) 
+: handle_(make_handle(rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_copy(rhs.get_handle()))) {
+
+}
+
+TopicPartitionList& TopicPartitionList::operator=(const TopicPartitionList& rhs) {
+    handle_.reset(rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_copy(rhs.get_handle()));
+    return *this;
+}
+
+void TopicPartitionList::add(const TopicPartition& topic_partition) {
+    rd_kafka_topic_partition_t* element = nullptr;
+    element = rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_add(handle_.get(),
+                                                topic_partition.get_topic().data(),
+                                                topic_partition.get_partition());
+    element->offset = topic_partition.get_offset();
+}
+
+size_t TopicPartitionList::size() const {
+    return handle_->cnt;
+}
+
+bool TopicPartitionList::empty() const {
+    return size() == 0;
+}
+
+rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_t* TopicPartitionList::get_handle() const {
+    return handle_.get();
+}
+
+TopicPartitionList::HandlePtr
+TopicPartitionList::make_handle(rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_t* ptr) {
+    return HandlePtr(ptr, &rd_kafka_topic_partition_list_destroy);
+}
+
+} // cppkafka