The Magic Thief
by Sarah Prineas

    THE MAGIC THIEF by Sarah Prineas
    Category:  Fantasy
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  6/3/08
    Publisher:  HarperCollins
    Reviewed by:  Lynn Crow
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Conn was just hoping for a few coins to buy food when he picked the pocket of the wizard who passed his
    alleyway.  What he gets is an adventure far bigger than he could have imagined.  The wizard, Nevery, takes an
    interest in Conn, and takes him in as a servant and then an apprentice.  With regular meals, blankets to sleep under,
    and enough magical objects and lessons to keep Conn's eager mind occupied, the once-homeless boy couldn't be
    happier.

    Unfortunately for Conn, nothing is as simple as it seems.  Before he can truly become an apprentice, he must find
    his locus magicalicus (the stone which will focus his magical power) in a most unlikely place, convince Nevery that
    one of his fellow wizards is consorting with the city's cruel Underlord, and figure out why the city's magic is fading
    away--and how to save it--before the city dies from the lack of it.  It's a terribly large task for a boy who has only
    just started learning his letters, but Conn is nothing if not resourceful.

    THE MAGIC THIEF will pull readers in so completely that they'll have trouble setting the book aside.  The details
    of the Victorian-esque world are so vividly drawn that readers will feel the chill of the icy winds and taste the
    buttery goodness of Conn's favorite biscuits.  What makes the book particularly special is Conn himself.  His voice
    is lively, with exactly the sort of street-smart practicality and frankness you'd expect from a boy who has spent
    most of his life on the streets.  Despite his criminal background, Conn is good-hearted, and simply longs for a place
    where he can make something of himself.  

    Readers will sympathize with his struggle to prove himself to Nevery and the city's authorities, and appreciate his
    clear-headed thinking amid all the secrecy and scheming of the adults around him.  The novel's conclusion is quite
    satisfying, while leaving lots open for the second book in the trilogy, which many will be clamoring to get as soon as
    they have finished this one.  An all-round enjoyable read that easily stands out from the many fantasy novels on the
    shelves.