Title: The Magic ThiefAuthor: Sarah Prineas
Publisher: HarperTrophy (an imprint of HarperCollins), 2008
This is a fun fantasy for younger readers, around middle grade and possibly a bit younger, as well as of course anyone else who likes MG fantasy. It's the story of Connwaer, a gutter thief who lives in the Twilight (a rough part of the city of Wellmet). He tries to steal a wizard's locus magicalicus, which is basically like a wand but in the form of a stone, and that's where the adventure starts. He ends up the wizard's apprentice, sort of by accident, and ends up trying to save the city from losing all of its magic, as well as its lifeblood.
I really enjoyed this first book in the series. Conn is a great character, tricky and thieving when he needs to be, but loyal and truthful down to his core. Nevery, the wizard, is a grump, but a grump with a heart of gold. And the secondary characters are just as enjoyable.
The story is fun, too, though this first adventure is really just a gateway into the rest of Conn's apprenticeship in my opinion. Here, characters are established, Conn's ability is revealed, and an open ending leaves the return of villains an almost certainty.
I look forward to the next books in the series. I'd recommend this to fans of the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud and Megan Whelan Turner's books.
I think I picked this up a while ago but don't remember why I didn't read it all the way through. This book has gotten consistently positive reviews from mostly everyone; I really should check it out. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! It does start off kind of slow, and you have to go in knowing it won't blow your mind, but I had fun reading it.
Delete