Sunday 17 January 2016

I'm not ready to give up just yet, we could stay until we both forget, so baby, don't kill, don't kill the magic.



The Magic Thief
Author:
Publication Date: November 10th 2015 
Publisher: Orchard Books
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Even witches fall in love...

Mal has an idylic childhood on Prince Island with Essie, the next witch of Salt and Storm. But all that changes when Essie, in a fit of anger, tells everyone what he really is.

With no choice but to leave his home, Mal becomes the magic thief, stealing magical items for the higest bidder. And when he steals the shar, a knife with the ability to cut the magic out of those it touches, he finally finds a way to get his revenge on the girl he once loved...




I loved The Witch of Salt and Storm last year, it was something different, the writing was gorgeous, the characters were strong, the plot so damn clever and an ending that was true to the story and its main character.

That being said, The Magic Thief is on a whole other level. Although it is centred and tied to Prince Island, we get to explore with Mal outside of the island and see the effect magic has and the way it's used in other parts of the world. We also get sneaky fun with Boone and Mal as hunters, their (and almost every other hunter out there) next job trying to find the Tsar and by doing so, establishing themselves and start a confederation, but to Mal, there's only one thing in sight: revenge. 

I went from serious highs and lows during reading The Magic Thief, and by that I mean, I really connected to Mal, he had a lot of highs and lows himself, mostly lows. Being a blank, Mal's immune to magic, but by being a blank means a monster, living on Prince Island surrounded by magic and charms, Mal had never felt more at home with Essie Roe at his side, but having to leave Prince Island with hate in his heart for everything Roe, it brings out his darker side. Working witch Boone gave him something back. When you rely on somebody as your home, it can be taken away, and when you rely on people as your home, you only see what they want you to see.

Once again, The Magic Thief is complicated and although not as twisty as its predecessor, it's not predictable and it has its own twists that play into The Witch of Salt and Storm.

The Magic Thief is darker than The Witch of Salt and Storm, broadens the world building and shows you a different side of it with a complicated character that you can't help but like, even when he's hard to like, and it tells the story of Essie (Avery's mother) and Mal, and both books tie into one another perfectly, and I love how it all comes full circle.

Rating: 4.5/5