The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas is the story of Conn, a young thief living in the Twilight, a rundown and dangerous section of the magical city of Wellmet. When he steals the powerful magician Nevery's locus magicalicus, the stone that all magicians use to perform magic, and doesn't die, Nevery is both surprised and interested. He takes the boy on as his servant and soon agrees to make him his apprentice. The only catch is that Conn must find his own locus magicalicus within 30 days. But that's not the only problem Conn has. The city of Wellmet is dependent upon magic to survive, and the level of magic in the city is disappearing at an alarming rate. As Conn tries to figure out who or what is draining the city's power, his time to find the stone is quickly diminishing.

The characters are very well-developed and believable. Conn's feelings seem real as he struggles for acceptance. This is a fast-paced and engrossing classical story of good vs. evil, the story of an impoverished child whose newly discovered magical skills give him a better chance in life. What is new at least to me is that this story presents an interesting concept I've never seen before: Conn believes that magic is a living being, and Sarah Prineas leaves it wide open to be explored further in the sequel, The Magic Thief: Lost.

More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006137587X
• ISBN-13: 978-006137587
• Source of book: Public library
  

The Magic Thief is a finalist in the Cybils' Fantasy & Science Fiction category.