Book Review: July

My mother told me the Hobbit made her hungry. Well, The Magic Thief made me doubly so and with a craving for buttery biscuits. Although, biscuits are so delicious that it takes very little to make me crave them.

My mother bought this book for me. She went to the store
when the author was there and got me a signed copy.
It is one of the most touching gifts I've received and
I absolutely adore this book.

The first thing you should know about The Magic Thief is that it's fun. That might seem simple, but never underestimate the power of a fun book. Most of the time I want to read a book to be entertained. I want to read something that will capture my imagination and show me things that I've never seen before. A good book is powerful because it can light those fires in your mind and turn mere shadows of a story into a stained glass window of color.

I suppose I'm being a bit dramatic, but I was drawn to the cover and the books appearance. The pages are edged and create fun ridges. The first line drew me in: "A thief is a lot like a wizard." Just breathe that in. A thief and a wizard, comparing the two, it makes a lot of sense actually.

The voice is strong though. Conn, the main character and pick-pocketing thief, is on the street when he picks the pocket of a wizard. Thus begins his life from a street urchin to living in an old manor and making a life for himself with Nevery (the aforementioned wizard) and his muscle, Benet.

I love the language used and how things are described. Conn is direct and yet, he has a talent for comparisons and stating things that just ring true. "No luck that day for my quick, pocket-pick hands..." or "I hunched into my lurking spot..." or "Old man, I thought. A bent, bearded cloak-wearing old croakety croak leaning on a cane." How can you not love those words and not want to know more about the character behind them.


Conn becomes embroiled in the conflict brewing in the city as he learns more about the world and the magic that it supposed to ensconce Wellmet. He aims to be Nevery's apprentice, but to do that he must get a locus stone (a stone that helps a wizard channel magic and call upon it). Time begins to tick down as Conn learns more about the loss of magic and as magic weakens, dark figures emerge ready to squeeze the city.

 Worth every copper to read it. I think you'll enjoy Conn and finding out more about Wellmet. Prineas has a unique world with scientific explanations for magic and reasonings that make quite a lot of sense if you hear them in Conn's words. So, make yourself some biscuits, pull yourself close to the fire (to avoid any nasty encounters with misery eels), and open The Magic Thief.

I'll save you the trouble of decoding the message.
It says, To Megan - A little advice: never eat
Conn's biscuits.

I mentioned how this book made me hungry at the top of the post and here is why. One of the first scenes of Nevery and Conn takes them to a chophouse. Then, Prineas describes the food.

"The pork chops were fragrant and crisp, the potatoes swimming in butter with a sprinkling of black pepper over their shiny brown backs...a plate of pie oozing with berries and dusted with sugar."

Another meal,

"As long as he kept talking, I could keep eating. I eyed the biscuits. Maybe one with butter this time. Mmm, and pickle. Sadly, there wasn't any bacon left."

That is sad, but now you know and this is just a taste of the book. You might not want to read it when you're hungry. You've been warned.