The Magic Thief: A pickpocket named Conn touches a wizard's locus stone and survives―now he must find his own before Wellmet's magic runs out

I read The Magic Thief to help a student I’m tutoring. I couldn’t put it down. It is detailed, the characters are well developed, the places are easy to imagine, and the story will keep you on your feet. Excellent, also to teach about story elements.

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.

Sarah Prineas does an excellent job in her debut novel, The Magic Thief, by enchanting and intriguing the reader. The characters she creates are ones of great quality and full of life. I find the construction of the city of Wellmet quite interesting; for example through the illustrated map one can see how she set up the two polar opposites through the Dawn and the Twilight and how they are the good and bad parts of the city respectively. The characters throughout The Magic Thief are developed really well, some trustworthy and others are suspicious, but none are completely bland characters. Conn, the main character, starts out as a gutterboy in the Twilight of Wellmet where he pickpockets in order to survive. One day he pickpockets the Wizard Nevery and accidentally steals his locus magicalicus (a stone all wizards have, much like a wand). This stone should have killed Conn upon contact but does not and this fact intrigues Nevery greatly, who then takes Conn in as his servant (though Conn mistakenly sees himself as Nevery's apprentice). Nevery is a great wizard who had been banished from Wellmet twenty years ago by the Duchess because she believes that he tried to kill her, he has returned due to the crisis of a lack of magic within Wellmet. He must restore the magic in order to save Wellmet from dying from the lack of magic. He is a well developed character whose character plays an important role with Conn as well as with the survival of the city. One always excited to hear his thoughts at the end of a chapter. Eventually Nevery does take Conn as an apprentice and he begins to go to a school of magic called the Academicos. This reminds one of the Harry Potter series and Hogwarts as a school of magic, bringing joy to many readers who greatly appreciate the series. Conn has only thirty days to find his own locus magicalicus. Much of the novel focuses on Conn finding his locus stone and one is constantly on edge in anticipation of whether he will find it or not. At school he makes some friends and finally learns how to read! Will he be able to convince Nevery that he knows who is taking the magic? Will he be able to save Wellmet before it dies from the lack of magic? Many can agree that The Magic Thief is an extremely compelling juvenile novel that intrigues readers of all ages so much that it is difficult to put the book down. One truly feels as if he is on this adventure with Conn, he feels he is walking through the damp streets of the Twilight or eating Benet's delicious and buttery feasts. It is easy for one to sympathize with Conn because although he has made bad decisions in the past one can justify them and his honesty compels one to adore and respect him. For a "gutterboy" who has no schooling his narration is fascinating and intrigues the reader with humor, curiosity, and knowledge. Prineas wraps the book up really well. She keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and ready to turn the next page. The ending answers many questions but also raises more. It is a good ending to this book but also opens up many questions for the next installment of the trilogy that I am certainly looking forward to reading. It is a different take on magic with a new plot different yet similar to other wizardry books. It is truly a delightful piece of children's literature that should be added to the bookshelves of children across the country.

This is a great third/fourth grade intro to fantasy, magic, and adventure tales. The hero, Conn the street thief, is destined for great things as a wizard. Nevery the wizard senses this and takes him on as an apprentice. Adventure and excitement follow. Conn is the primary narrator, and his wonderful voice carries the book. He is street smart, but not a wise guy. He is made of true-blue hero stuff, being loyal, honest, conscientious, brave and shrewd. He is also subject to youthful error, exaggeration and false hope, so he presents a well-rounded, age appropriate protagonist. Nevery is a classic fair-but-firm, grumpy/softy master. Benet, Nevery's "muscle" is an effective soft-hearted tough guy. Rounding out the gang is Rowan, the ruling Duchess's daughter. She is smart, sassy, adventurous, and an excellent partner for Conn. She also provides a nice counterpoint to Conn, (in a Hermione Granger kind of way). This book is not frantic, and there are no monsters. It's about how Conn grows up to be a wizard, and how he and his companions use magic and their own pluck to solve problems and help their city. There is "political intrigue", but it is simple enough to not confuse the story, (i.e. some bad wizards, a criminal kingpin, some spies and sneaks - that kind of thing). I'm a big fan of Delaney's Spook's Apprentice series, which covers similar ground, but for an older reader. (More violence, more complexity, more depth.) But, this Magic Thief series is a wonderful way to introduce a reader to fantasy, and would be a great stepping stone to the Spook's Apprentice series. Then, as your reader gets older, you could move on to F.E. Higgins' Black Book of Secrets, (yet a more advanced and deliciously well-written apprentice type book), and beyond. So, well worth serious consideration.

First off I'll say that The Magic Thief is an excellent fantasy adventure. Sarah prineas portrays an excellent story through the eyes of a young child pick-pocketer named Conn. He is a super clever, mischievous young boy who lives in the slums of Wellmet. He lives a hard life and is unsure of his future until he decides to pick pocket the pockets of Nevery, a wizard. What he finds is a locus magicalicus, a wizards main source of power, magic, and life. Without it he/she is no longer a wizard, almost. Anyway when Conn is not killed by the mysterious stone, Nevery decides to take him on as his possible apprentice, and the adventure continues frome their. You will be completely engrossed as Conn desperately tries to find himself, his locus magicacilus, and save the city of Wellmet. This book portrays magic like you've never seen, finally no more wands, not to say I'm against them, but I've read abut too many. Sarah Prineas deserves major credit for this epic tale, but in the big world of books, it's easy for an author and their adventure to get lost. When you discover this series you will be so glad you did, just like I did. So don't let this book get lost, find it! You won't regret it.

The engaging narrator of this fast-paced middle-grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy, is Connwaer, an orphan boy who survives as an expert pickpocket and lock-picker in the Twilight zone of Wellmet, a city that runs on magic. He steals the locus magicalicus (magical stone) of a powerful wizard, and when the stone's power doesn't instantly kill the boy, the wizard realizes there's something unusual about him and takes him on as an apprentice. Conn's principal challenges in this story are to find his own locus magicalicus and to investigate and put a stop to the theft of the living magic that Wellmet depends on. This tale is action-packed, and full of interesting characters, among them the grumpy but kindhearted wizard Nevery, who has just returned to Wellmet after a 20-year exile, and whose journal entries and letters are effectively interspersed throughout the story as a sort of counterpoint to Conn's narrative; Benet, Nevery's big, burly, thuggish-looking servant/bodyguard, who bakes delicious biscuits and knits Conn a warm black sweater; and Rowan, daughter of the Duchess of Wellmet, who is interested in swordcraft and becomes Conn's mentor at the school for wizards and teaches him to read. I'd recommend this suspenseful, well-written story to anyone who enjoys a good middle-grade fantasy, and especially to those who liked Angie Sage's "Septimus Heap" series.

If you like Harry Potter then you'll love The Magic Thief. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters are well developed, the plot is clear and moves forward to a real goal, the world is described in enough rich detail to make you want to explore it for yourself. Conn was a gutterboy, an orphan trying to survive alone on the cruel streets until he picks Wizard Nevery's pocket and accidentally comes out with his magic stone instead of coins. Touching the stone should have killed him but the fact that it doesn't says much about Conn. Its at that moment when we discover that Conn is much more than just a gutterboy and the fate of this city rests in his small hands.

I really enjoyed this tale of a boy who knows he is something more, seeking to help and to discover. Sarah Prineas delicately intertwined trust, disrespect, courage, fear, confusion, and truth in her fabulous story. It was a little short, but the sequels take care of that. Set in an unknown world, the reader is given just enough information to understand the setting and conflicts in this city, but not overloaded and boredom inducing. Not too shabby, and I'll probably purchase the rest of the series. Recommended for grades 4-8.

This book combines Oliver Twist by Dickens and Sans Famille by HECTOR MALOT in the magical world. Conn, the boy thief, tries to steal from a wizard and becomes his apprentice despite the wizard's misgivings. In research for his own locus magicalicus, Conn discovers a real reason behinds the city's dwindling supply of magic and tries his best to recover the magic for the city.

I initially bought the book for my kid as it was recommended by school. The storyline was really engaging and kept my kid engrossed throughout - the book was finished in 3 days with a demand for the rest of the books in the series as well. That tells !!

This is a book by an author that I have never heard of before, but found by chance whilst looking for other books on Amazon. Am glad I found her, and downloaded this wonderful little story onto my Kindle, after reading other reviews about it. It really is a fascinating read from start to finish, so much so, that I have now purchased the following two of the trilogy. Although aimed at the younger reader, it is trilogy that will appeal to all ages, if you like this kind of genre. I say that, and I have 3 grandchildrem! All I can say is buy the Trilogy, it is cheap, at half the price. and enjoy. Will write further reviews regarding the following 2, when I have read them which will not be in the too distant future.

Prompt delivery and the product was exactly as described. Purchased as a gift for son as it was his favourite book when he was younger.

I read this to my 6 yr old daughter who begged me to keep on reading. The truth be told I really enjoyed it myself!