The Magic Thief: Found by Sarah Prineas

The Magic Thief: Found, by Sarah Prineas, was published in 2010 by HarperCollins. It is the sequel to The Magic Thief: Lost.

Sneaking out of prison isn’t easy, unless you are a thief, or a wizard. Luckily, Conn is both! Trouble is, once he’s out, where does he go? His home is a pile of rubble since he blew it up doing magic. His master, the wizard Nevery, is not happy with him. Worst of all, Conn’s been exiled, and staying in the city will mean his death. But Wellmet is in danger from an evil predator coming to destroy the city, and Conn must set off on a quest to fight it. Suddenly, a huge shadow looms over him and he is swept away by something more awesome than his wildest imaginings. Is Conn brave enough to answer magic’s call, or is he really just a thief at heart?

We don’t see so much of the world in Found as we see worldbuilding. Conn does travel, again, but the place he goes is devoid of humans, making Prineas’s world still seem as if Wellmet and the people in it are the only ones who live there. I do love the world of The Magic Thief, but I wish it didn’t seem so empty.

I do, however, love all the revelations in this book about the dragons, and I’m glad that Conn has finally found his locus stone, even though it again shows how Super Special he is. But Prineas has done a good job with Conn’s character and personality and showing that when Conn does something, he does it big, so of course his locus stone would also be beyond the norm.

I still love the relationship between Nevery and Conn, and Nevery’s “I miss him” about killed me when I read it. Also, Conn thinking his name is “Boy” when he has amnesia (thank goodness Prineas did not drag that out) is so endearing.

I was confused, though, as to why Arhionvar, after striving to obtain a city, was satisfied with what Conn gave it. Perhaps it was just that it was tied to the city, instead of just occupying it superficially? I admit, the concept is interesting, but I thought it was a little anticlimactic. And I thought the river-as-slowsilver came a little out of nowhere, but perhaps I am merely forgetting something from the first book. Also, I have no idea how Prineas is going to continue the plot in the last book. This one wraps up everything and has a nice ending, so I’m confused as to how the next book will go.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended Age Range: 12+

Warnings: None.

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade

It was as if the sun had fallen down from the sky. The spell-line keened a high song. The dragon was as big as a house, with red-gold, liquid-looking scales covering its broad back and muscled legs and tail, smoothing out over tis chest and belly. Its head was mostly muzzle and long teeth; it had horns and a spiked crest that ran in a double row down its back to the end of its tail, which ended in a bristle of spikes.

It folded its golden wings and turned its head, glaring around the clearing with flame-bright eyes.

Overall Review:

The Magic Thief: Found doesn’t do much to make the world seem less empty, but it does do well in terms of worldbuilding and establishing exactly how the magic works (and what the magic is). I adore the relationships in this book, and Conn himself is an endearing protagonist, but I did think the ending was a little confusing and anticlimactic. Also, what in the world will the last book be about…?

You can buy this here: The Magic Thief: Found