The Magic Thief [Paperback]

Sarah Prineas (Author), Antonio Javier Caparo (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Magic Thief

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who—or what—is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–6—Conn, a pickpocket on the streets of Twilight, one day picks the pocket of a powerful wizard and steals his locus magicalicus, the center of his power. It should kill Conn, but it doesn't. Nevery, the wizard, has just returned after a 22-year exile, to try to save the town from the leaching of its magic, upon which so much, including its economy, depends. Curious about the boy, Nevery takes him on as an assistant and then an apprentice. Although it is the wizard's job to stem the tide of the disappearing magic, he seems unable to do so. Conn believes he knows the answer, but his enemies are closing in. Prineas has created an appealing cast of characters, which she carefully reveals through their actions. The story is told primarily by Conn, and is interspersed with cryptic journal entries by Nevery, which offer a tantalizing counterpoint to the protagonist's viewpoint. Their voices are consistent and well handled. Exciting without being frantic, the narrative wastes no time getting to the heart of the story. This novel would work well as a read-aloud, as it has a conversational rhythm that moves the plot along. The book is long, but the large print and appealing drawings will encourage younger readers. Fantasy and adventure lovers alike will groan when they get to the tantalizingly mischievous ending, and are likely to hound you until the sequel arrives.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Young Conn opens the first volume of this new trilogy, noting “A thief is a lot like a wizard.”  Conn is a thief but, through desire and inevitability, becomes a wizard by book’s end. This evolution begins when Conn picks the pocket of the wizard Nevery, who is startled that the nicked magical stone didn’t kill the boy. Nevery takes on Conn as a servant, but the boy’s inquisitiveness and talents move him to apprentice status. Nevery has recently returned to Willmet to save the city-state, which is faltering as its magic seeps away. As Conn becomes more enmeshed in his new life, he navigates through the intricate dealings of both the wizarding world and the political machinations of the Underlord. The events are not as lively as in some middle-grade fantasies—though Conn’s turn as a cat is delightful, and his search for his own stone is very well played. What works wonderfully well here is the boy’s irresistible voice, which is supplemented by the writings of Nevery in his journal, its creased and stained pages appearing as apart of the design. Readers will particularly enjoy the way Conn often knows just a little more than his master, and they’ll look forward to seeing how much more he learns as the series progresses. Grades 4-6. --Ilene Cooper --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (April 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006137590X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061375903
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #74,387 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 3, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Thief (Hardcover)

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.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Characters and World, June 15, 2008

By 

Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic Thief (Hardcover)

THE MAGIC THIEF by Sarah Prineas is one of the most elegantly written and touching juvenile fantasy novels I've had the pleasure of reading to my ten year old in some time. The story centers around a young thief named Conn who pickpockets a locus magicalicus (a powerful stone that allows a wizard to unleash great magic) from an old wizard. The fact that Conn isn't struck dead at once interests the wizard enough to take him on as a servant. Conn says apprentice, but that's hardly the job he receives.

The old wizard is as disreputable in his own way as Conn is. Twenty years ago, Nevery was accused of attempting to kill the Duchess of Wellmet where Conn lives. Nevery was run out of town just ahead of the soldiers that would have doubtlessly hung him.

Now, twenty years later, Nevery is drawn back to the city because the magic that powers the place is mysteriously drying up. Nevery uses that predicament to leverage his own return and gets the Duchess to grant him amnesty for his past wrongs, even though he didn't try to kill her.

I love the way Prineas has Wellmet sectioned off into Twilight, Dusk House, Dawn Palace, and the other regions. Illustrator Antonio Javier Caparo's maps and drawings really established the tone well and led my son and me into a wonderful imaginary journey throughout the city. The place just feels real.

The relationship between the characters, though predictable because they are steeped in tradition, are even more wonderful because the reader knows what to expect. Prineas expertly moves those relationships along, teasing the reader with them. I kept wanting Nevery to acknowledge Conn as his apprentice for so long, then - when Conn was in such dire straits - I'd forgotten about it and Prineas delivered that so expertly that I knew it was coming and was so concerned about other things that I'd temporarily forgotten.

That relationship, that push/pull of wills and the need to understand each other, drives this book and I'm sure will drive the other two in this trilogy. The addition of Benet as the hired muscle and his - eventual - doting uncle role with Conn is amazingly portrayed as well.

I have to admit that the first few pages seemed to dawdle a bit, but this is a relatively big world to explore, and there's some history - particularly between the major players - that has to be revealed slowly. Prineas makes the whole thing play well, and it isn't long before she has everything up and running.

Along with all the mystery and intrigue, as well as the duplicitous and suspicious nature of the characters, the author also throws in one-liners that and humor that is to die for. One of the best scenes in the book was when Conn was captured by the duchess's guards, thrown into a prison cell, then lets himself out with his Lockpicking skills. Only to give himself away when he gladly hails Nevery, whom he hadn't expected to see at all.

When Prineas locks onto the final scenes of the book, about the last sixty pages so be prepared to keep reading for a bit, there's just no way to tear yourself free. My son and I were nailed to the pages, pushing way past our bedtimes as we finished up the last one hundred and forty pages in a reading marathon that had us hanging on by our fingernails.

THE MAGIC THIEF ends well, resolving several questions, but it raises several others that will keep my son and I anxiously awaiting the next installment. This is definitely a book to pick up for the kids to read over the summer, and you may find yourself chasing Conn and Nevery through Strangle Street and avoiding the Underlord's minions yourself!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look Out Harry & Artemis, There's a New Magic Kid on the Block!, June 9, 2008

By 

K. E. Bush - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Magic Thief (Hardcover)

I have never been able to "get into" the Harry Potter books. While the rest of the world raved about them, I could only sit back and listen and, occasionally, "catch the movie". Thus, when Sarah Pirneas, whose short fiction I have devoured for years, announced her first novel was about a young wizard's apprentice, I became a bit nervous. What if, after waiting for years for her to publish a full-length book, I didn't like it? My husband said I should not lie in writing this review, so I will admit, I did NOT like The Magic Thief--I loved it!

My delight began the very moment I laid hands on the book. The slipcover is made to look like blue leather with gold leaf and the pages are deckle-edged, giving it an "old book" appearance. The inside has beautiful illustrations by Antonio Javier Caparo, a map, journal entries by the wizard Nevery written on stationary, and recipes for biscuits at the very end, because inside The Magic Thief there is a great deal of eating biscuits and bacon.

The story had me hooked within the first few pages. Conn is a gutter boy who survives on the streets of the bad side of town by picking locks and pockets. One cold night he unwittingly chooses a wizard as his mark, pinching a magical item that should have killed him, but does not. Intrigued, the wizard Nevery takes the boy on as his servant. Nevery was banished from The Magic City of Wellmet twenty years ago. He has only returned because something is draining the city's magic. Can a former exile and a reformed thief save the great city of Wellmet?

The Magic Thief is well written, delightfully entertaining and, well, magical. It is a book that can easily be read out loud to younger children and the 10 to adult crowd will find it equally enchanting. Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl had best keep a sharp eye on their biscuits and bacon, because I have a very strong feeling that they have met their match in the quick hands of Conn and the imaginative talent of Sarah Pirneas.