Cover Image: Thief's Magic

Thief's Magic

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THIEF'S MAGIC falls into a narrative structure that I really don't like. There are two characters whose stories do not touch at all. It's not even that they don't meet (even by the end) but their actions do not affect the other in anyway. This means the book effectively feels like two entirely separate, unconnected stories smushed together. It doesn't feel like there's a reason for the other character to exist within the book, leading to a jolting disconnect overall.

I enjoyed Tyne far more than Rielle. His chapters are a chase across new lands, trying to find out the truth of magic and multiple worlds while protecting a book others want to destroy for holding their secrets. He was so easy to root for, unjustly persecuted and trying to protect a book. It was also fun to see the magical industrial revolution and its affects on his world (plus there were so many new places to see.)

By contrast, I was not engaged with Rielle at all. For a start, her story is entirely based around a set of tropes I do not enjoy. She's a woman in a patriarchal world and she is seen as only someone worth marrying off. She starts a forbidden romance (and much of the plot revolves around this.) Magic is forbidden for reasons and she must hide it (I usually like this trope but the way it combined with the patriarchal nature irritated me.) The only reason I kept reading her part because I was hoping Tyne would eventually link up with her (which didn't happen.) (It also felt like her world had been stereotyped on negative Arab stereotypes, which felt wrong.)

The narration is reasonably enjoyable, with two narrators for the characters, which helped separate out the two. Some of the accents felt a little forced at times, and the accent for Rielle felt unnecessary and leaning into stereotypes (the narrator wasn't using her natural accent for Rielle's words, unlike the narrator for Tyne, which added to the sense of her being "othered".)

I am not reading on. Even though I suspect they will link up and the patriarchal themes are going to be discarded now Rielle is away, I don't have any desire to find out about Rielle's life, and I don't really want to sit through her to get to Tyne.

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This book has a cool YA fantasy vibes premise. It also reminded me of Sorcery of Thorns with the book magic which is one of my favourite books. Trudi Canavan is a well known fantasy author and this is quite a popular book. The magic system felt quite unique and it was interesting! The perspectives of the two main characters was great, they didn't interact much but perhaps in future books!

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Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavan is from two different points of view.  Tyen is a student wizard who is also studying as a historian.  He finds a magic book that will learn everything about a person if they touch it.

Rielle is a woman in a society where only priests are allowed to learn magic.  Rielle can see when magic has been used, and so has the ability to learn magic.

They both have to learn some truths that will change their worlds for them, and can affect others.

I thought this was a good story with lots of set up for the following books.  

 Thief's Magic  by Trudi Canavan was published on 7th May 2015, and is available on  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

You can follow Trudi Canavan on  Facebook ,  Twitter ,  Instagram  and her  website .

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*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

I read some Trudi Canavan books 20 years ago and found them to be quite trashy. So checking this out was giving the author another chance and to be honest, I haven't changed my mind.

Some ideas were really cool, so the mind reading dangerous book, but overall I couldn't really relate to the characters. A sheltered young girl with a knack for magic who falls in love with a charming painter? Not surprising. That our young protagonist will be tricked is also of no surprise as he's neither smart nor sneaky enough to successfully hide the book.

Weirdly heteronormative, weird sex scenes, and incredibly weird ideas in connection to motherhood!? I don't know. Skim-read the majority of it, so...

2.5 stars

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I will not be able to review this book because I was not able to access the file. However, I love Trudi Canavan and greatly enjoyed her BLACK MAGICIAN and AGE OF THE FIVE series so will certainly pick up other works by her in the future. I would also recommend Trudi Canavan to anyone interested in a great fantasy series.

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Another great book from Trudi Canavan!

As a fan of some of Canavan's previous works, I had somehow missed this series when it first came out.

We follow two completely different stories, set in different worlds. I was expecting that we would follow each story a chapter at a time, so was surprised instead that we followed each main character for a chunk of the book before moving on to the next one. The concept is fascinating, and I liked that we got to spend a good chunk of time with each character getting to know them but it did mean I was more invested in Tyen's world and plot. Because his first section ended on such a cliffhanger, I ended up wanting to rush through Rielle's part a little to get back to Tyen and Vella. However, I don't think the sections could have worked any other way!
The characters were brilliantly written, and I loved seeing them change and grow throughout the book, adapting to the difficult situations they were thrown into.

I enjoyed reading about the different magic systems found within the novel, the multiverse was fascinating and I love Canavan's worldbuilding. There was so much going on and so many cool concepts (steampunk with magic was highlight) that I found myself gripped by each page. I can't wait to find out what happens next in this series, as Canavan is a master worlbuilder and phenomenal writer!

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I've been a Trudi Canavan fan for a while now, so was excited to see her coming out with a brand new series! Right from the start the concept of this book intrigued me, with the idea of an industrial revolution fuelled by magic. As the first book, this did a great job of establishing characters and world building, whilst feeding in enough plot to get me intrigued. I look forward to reading subsequent books to see where the story takes us!

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To say I've been wanting too read contemporary and nothing else for such a long time, I saw this and was super intrigued, I genuinely didn't know if it'd be a book I could read just because of my reading taste at the moment, so I'm SO happy to get out of my Fantasy Slump!

I found both stories engrossing, the world was so well developed, I ADORED the characters.

I NEED MORE!

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It was a bit of a slow burner at first, but once I got into it I couldn’t stop reading. I absolutely loved it. Canavan’s world building is absolutely fantastic - she draws you in and doesn’t let go.

I’ve now bought the rest of the series as I absolutely NEED to know what happens next.

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I adore Trudi Canavan’s writing. Ever since I opened The Magician’s Guild (a long time ago) I’ve devoured every novel that she has deigned to gift to the world. I love how she creates these amazing worlds, magic systems and characters who come to life within the narrative and make you feel at home. It’s always a comfort coming to a Trudi Canavan novel so to read Millennium's Rule series in lockdown was just what I needed.


I read Thief’s Magic back in 2014 when it was first released and I followed up with Angel of Storms in 2015 when that was released too. Successor’s Promise wasn’t released until 2017 - I bought it before going on holiday so I could read it in style but when I found out that it wasn’t a trilogy but a quadrilogy … I decided to wait until I had an idea of when the fourth book would be released before I would read it. Bring on 2020 and the release date of May 20th gave me a push but I needed to re-read the first two books (oh no! ha!).


The Millennium’s Rule series is ambitious to say the least! The series is set in a multiverse, there are thousands and thousands of worlds and each world has its own rules, systems, fashions, language etc etc etc yeah I know - mind blown. Thief’s Magic is the first novel of the series and is told from the perspectives of two protagonists - Tyen and Rielle who hail from two very different worlds and who don’t know each other … both can use magic although only one is trained and they are both, obviously destined to have an amazing story to tell.


Tyen finds himself in a difficult situation when he discovers a book that used to be a woman - details are in the book (lol) but you can use your imagination. Vella holds thousands of years of history in her ‘memory’ and Tyen is duty bound to hand over his discovery to the School of Magic that he attends. So when he doesn’t do that, he is branded a thief and leaves in search of a way to give Vella her body back.


Rielle lives in a world where magic is forbidden so when she discovers at a young age that she can sense it (and therefore use it) she hides her ability from everyone. Her world believes using magic is stealing from the Angels and as magic leaves a void where it was used, hiding it from the priests who serve the Angels is difficult and comes at a cost.


The development of the characters and the worldbuilding in Thief’s Magic is phenomenal. While the novel builds a lot of aspects up and acts as an introduction to the series it also tells a powerful tale on it’s own. Every detail has been thought of and just when I think I know what to expect, another curveball comes my way. Out of the two characters I much prefer Tyen, probably because he reminds me of myself. He is a sensitive character who finds himself in difficult situations, struggling to choose a side. His relationship with Vella is complicated, ranging from student, teacher, friend and protector which is interesting to pick apart.


Through the narrative you really get a strong feeling of who the characters are and how they will respond in certain situations. Both Tyen and Rielle find themselves facing challenges which push them out of their comfort zones and force them to adapt and grow throughout. I loved seeing them both evolve and by the final chapter I couldn’t wait to see how their story would continue.


To any fantasy fans who haven’t given Trudi Canavan a go I would recommend you start!

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I actually read the next book in this series first …….. which was a little disconcerting ……. knowing what was going to happens next was ok as this book sets the main characters reasons in place for their future actions .
That being said this is an enjoyable book and if you enjoy the genre , one I would recommend .

The story is almost told in two parts ………. each central character has their own part to play ……….. before
everything is brought together … leaving me wanting to know more .
Young student Tyen discovers a book , one which opens a door to a realm and disaster threatening the world .
Rielle live is a land ruled by Priests , using magic , for which she has a talent , is seen as stealing from the Angels .
Most of what they have been taught to believe in is no longer certain …… who/what can they trust ? ….. not the magic and not even people who the have always trusted .

This is an entertaining book with interesting world building , however the writing in two parts was a little off putting .

I was given an arc of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

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Ms Canavan can surely write fantasy books that will keep you hooked till the end.
Her world building is amazing, the characters are fleshed out and she's a talented storyteller that weave fascinating plots.
I love this book and I look forward to reading the next instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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Hello my fellow readers! Hope you are all doing well and keeping safe in the light of things - and obviously keeping busy with reading :D I was super stoked to be sent a copy of Thief's Magic by Trudi Canavan; it's an author I've kind of always admired, but maybe not someone I have intensely followed throughout the years. In any case, I was really happy to have been sent this book, and pretty much immediately delved into it.

Right off the bat, this book is definitely up my alley (if it is a fantasy book with an interesting political-scape, I will basically always be interested). I thought that the two polar opposite ways that magic was in place in the two different storylines of the book was super well done, even if I maybe thought that having the two distinct storylines was maybe a little, well, jarring. It kind of felt like I was reading two different books at once; where on the one hand I was reading a more traditional fantasy book, and on the flip-side, an Indiana-Jones-type fantasy. On a personal note, I am definitely someone who likes to lose themselves in another character, and so when I am cut off half-way through someone's story, and suddenly I have to follow someone else? Meh, I am not usually thrilled, which I'm not going to lie, was the case with this book. It's just a personal preference, but I don't really like it unless it is exceptionally well done. MINOR SPOILER YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED And I still cannot decide whether or not I like the fact that the two storylines never seem to connect? Like, I thought it was frustrating, but also good because it was not what I expected? Still cannot make up my mind END OF SPOILER.

Character-wise is where I have to say that the book fell a little flat for me; even though I liked both Tyen and Rielle, sometimes I felt like their actions (that were used to drive the plot forward) were a bit naive and juvenile. MINOR SPOILER YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED Just, ARGH, Rielle just does not get that she should think for herself sometimes and not trust people (even though this quality probably stems from her upbringing) BUT STILL END OF SPOILER.

Writing-wise, I thought that the language used in the book was really good; even if the overall story and the characters were a little bit frustrating at times, you can obviously tell why Canavan is such a household name in the fantasy genre.

Overall, I thought that this was a super interesting book with a really fascinating political landscape. Even though the characters and the way the book was written was perhaps a little annoying, I definitely want to see what happens next and will make sure to continue on with this book series.

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"Thief's Magic" is the story of two main characters, Tyen and Rielle. Actually, it's two stories - one for each - so you get more than you'll probably expect! This is my first Trudi Canavan book, though I do have some of her work on my shelves (Oops! Sorry!)... and reading this book has made me eager for more. I love the writing, loved some characters, hated some, and found myself scowling in disapproval at the actions of others. The plot(s) though... perfection!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

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Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

Well, this definitely wasn't what I was expecting from a Trudi Canavan book. I'm sad to say that Thief's Magic was really quite disappointing for me, though I can't speak for further on in the series, where I suspect things get better. This novel is, essentially, two stories - neither quite interesting enough to be its own book - smooshed together. And, to follow that, it's 99% exposition. Events occur, but the story clearly hasn't started yet. In the epilogue, I was literally wondering why that wasn't the prologue for the first book. 500+ pages is a lot for what was, at best, an entertaining exposition dump.

Now, in all fairness, I've read many books at the beginning of a series that have mostly been setting up things to come. But usually, I'm drawn in by the characters. Quite the opposite here, unfortunately. Tyen, one of our protagonists, is a complete idiot throughout the whole thing. He's naïve, dum, and sometimes straight-up ignorant. Sure, it's part of the world and how he's been brought up in his society, but it's hard to sympathise or root for him when his mistakes are so obviously stupid and his judgements so shallow all of the time. Rielle, our other protagonist, is honestly pretty passive too, though she's given a bit more intelligence and a more fleshed out background and culture to explain her expectations and actions. She's not perfect, but I didn't want to push her off a cliff. This wasn't helped by the fact that the book is filled with internal monologues trying to justify why the characters think and act the way they do. But that doesn't automatically make me empathise with them. Canavan's books have always had a lot of internal monologue, and I have no issue with it, however it was relied on far too much in this book.

But, most of all, I hated the structure of Thief's Magic. Everything else is forgivable or bearable if misjudged, but the structure is badly done and probably would've made the book a lot more enjoyable if it had been done differently. The book is told in parts, switching between Tyen and Rielle's story (which remain completely unrelated for the whole novel - I'm sure they'll meet further into the series but that doesn't help me now). The problem is, these are told in massive chunks that cut away from each story right when something significant happens. First of all, it's just unfair and infuriating to deny your reader the dramatic pay-offs, but second to that is the fact that I don't care about the resolution to the cliffhanger by the time we finally get back round to it. It's like I was being pulled in with one story and then it was abandoned right when I started to engage with it, for reasons I don't understand. Literally, if the chapters were just interchanging throughout the whole book I would have been a lot less frustrated.

Thief's Magic disappointed me mainly because it's not what I expect from a Trudi Canavan book. The Black Magician Trilogy and the Traitor Spy books are some of my favourite stories of all time, and some of the key novels that introduced me to the world of high fantasy. Look, I'm sure things will get more interesting further into the series now that the characters have some spine, a motivation, and there's some sort of goal (literally - LITERALLY - not even mentioned until the last few chapters). But that doesn't make this first instalment any less disappointing.

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This book was... shall we say somehow lacking? After hearing so very many goofs things about this author I was expecting something of a Tolkien greatness - a hidden diamond amongst the rocks - but the whole thing for me seemed to lack a sense of depth.
The writing itself was lovely, the characters well developed and had good potential all around to be really great read - unfortunately, the actual plot was lacking in anything to make me want to keep reading. It was quite the chore to finish the book!

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A fabulous read, this is t my first time reading this book but it was wonderful to return to it. Trudy is a skilled and one of the best fantasy authors around. Her writing is beautiful, the world building perfect and her character and character development is just amazing. The stories she weaves especially this one are full of magic, adventures, twists and turns, writing so good you won’t see anything coming, full of emotion and intrigue. Just an amazing book. Highly recommended.

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Probably Canavan's most accomplished series to date. I was glad for the opportunity to reread this before finishing the series. One of the things I most admire about Canavan is her seemingly effortless, open and engaging style. It really only takes a sentence of two to hook you and her world building is sublime. Highly recommend this entire series.

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