My Final Book for Once Upon a Time

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas.

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (June 3, 2008) YA
ISBN-10: 006137587X

Product Description

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.

What a surprising little book! And it is a little book, even for a hardback! The dimensions are 7.2 x 5.8 x 1.6 inches, the sentences are double spaced, and there is nice artwork at the beginning of each chapter. Therefore, this was a fast read... but also a story that made me keep reading. (I like those sort of books!.. a lot!)

Conn was a young thief who reached into an old mans pocket one day and stole a stone.. or rather a locus magicalicus. An object to focus magic. It should have killed him according to Nevery.. but it didn't. (what is that saying? What doesn't kill us makes us stronger? Might have some truth to it!)

It seems once Nevery decides to keep this orphaned thief, good (and bad) things begin to happen to him.

He finds his calling.. he wants to become a magician like Nevery. But he can't until he finds his own locus magicalicus. And that's not as simple as it sounds.

While he is studying to become a magician it seems the magic is disappearing all around him. Nevery is trying to find out how and why this is happening. But Conn decides he's been chosen to be the one to find out.

This was a very enjoyable book. I guess I like things not too complicated. Double spaced helps a lot! Short chapters keep me reading well beyond books with long chapters. (I know, it makes no sense but I read more pages if they are short chapters, whereas I tire easily if they are like 20 pg. chapters.. go figure ) Then of course it helps to have a good story with interesting characters! And I do believe Sarah Prineas filled the bill nicely.

I also want to mention the Illustrator Antonio Javier Caparo, who certainly made this book more enjoyable by the super cover and by the artwork throughout the book.

This is my absolute LAST entry for the Once Upon A Time Challenge!

Once again Carl has held a terrifically fun challenge! I hold a love/ hate relationship with this particular challenge!! heh.. I love it, I love it! But my wish list grows so darn long I can't stand it!!

After the initial books that I listed I would read, quite a few that came after were books that others had reviewed . Of 28 books only one disappointed me.. I think it's safe to say that I"m pleased with those odds!!

I don't know if Carl does any challenge over the summer but I do know he has the RIP Challenge that comes up around Halloween, which is another enjoyable challenge! I'm not into blood and gore, or vampires like many people are but thanks to Carl I did discover some mystery/gothic like: The 13th Tale, which I loved and so I hope I have found another like that to read for this year called The House at Riverton. And A Lee Martinez has one more book I haven't read called A Nameless Witch. (and I really really liked his book of Gil's All Fright Diner!) I also have the Historian in my tbr pile.. so I think I'm ready!

Thanks again Carl... you manage to make reading just a little more enjoyable!