It an expansion on the last chapter of [b:Found|6940291|Found (Magic Thief, #3)|Sarah Prineas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1306167490s/6940291.jpg|7173017], isn't it? *laughs silently*
I remember the part about magics splitting the city between them.

Excellent!
All the loose ends are tied up. Some very important things are said.

And there's a lot of flirting - that goes right over the top of Conn's head. I kept finding myself amused and delighted. I'm also a little worried about the fate of Sunrise and Twilight - but only a very little.

This is a wonderful homecoming! ( )

12-year old wizard Conn is appointed Ducal Magister by his best friend Rowan, the Duchess of Wellmet, angering older wizards, especially given Conn's humble roots as a street urchin and thief. Meanwhile, someone is stealing the locus stones of the other wizards and most believe that Conn is responsible. Conn flees the safety of the palace to clear his name and find the guilty party; however, just as he starts making progress, masquerading as a chimney sweep, he is captured and imprisoned. His nemesis is working to frame Conn for the planned havoc, and wrest control of Wellmet from Rowan and Underlord Embrey. Conn is forced to concede he needs help, reaching out to those who care most for him, including Nevery and Benet.


( )

Here's a bias of mine: when characters are offered something wonderful (a great job, nice digs, diamond necklace, free cruise, etc.) and turn it down, because they're simple folk who would rather wallow in the mud with their honest realness. Drives me bonkers. It seems a huge slap in the face to actual poor people who would likely embrace such a deal with open arms, from an author who is probably not homeless and has a good, working bathroom.

So Connwaer irritates me off-the-bat when, true-to-form, he rejects everything (and I think we're supposed to assume he's noble or something). I keep waiting for the scene where he despairs of his rejection and bitterly regrets his foolish, proud decision, but nothing quite like that comes.

The series as a whole never lived up to the first volume, which charmed me thoroughly. I'd recommend reading the first, and imagining it as a one-off, and moving on to other novels.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). ( )

The Magic Thief has gotten better with each book, and this finale is no exception. Connwaer's relationships with Nevery, Benet, Rowan, and Embre's relationships continue to evolve. Connwaer's search for who / what he is easily leaps from Wellmet into the thoughts of every preteen / teen / young adult.

Pros: Wonderfully rich writing, mystery, and great characters make The Magic Thief a rewarding, enjoyable read. Highly recommended as a read aloud.

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Fairly satisfying installment in this fantasy series. It's nice to see Conn grow and find his place, there's a good bit of intrigue and sneaking about, and Prineas' take on magic continues to be an interesting one. The focus on the former guttersnipe/thief turned wizard does mean that the other characters get pushed to the periphery, and their letters back and forth to each other (in which they mostly exchange their concerns about what's going on) reinforce this instead of doing the reverse. The humor is still there, though, especially in Conn's paper on dragon magic at the end and his notes on the ducal magister's menu. ( )