Thief's Magic

March 10, 2014
Australian fantasy author Canavan (the Traitor Spy trilogy) introduces a restrictive magical culture to open the Millennium’s Rule trilogy. Tyen, scholar and ambitious archaeologist, uncovers an ancient magic tome, a font of potentially dangerous information, forged from the body of an unwilling woman named Vella. Rielle struggles against the strictures of polite society, where inborn magical gifts can too easily lead to arrest and assault, and where women are expected to submit to loveless arranged marriages. Tyen’s empathy for Vella, and his desire to protect her from the machinations of others, force him to flee. Rielle’s desire for love and a self-directed life similarly sees her cast out from the ranks of the powerful, consigned to a fate few would seek. There is much to recommend in Canavan’s new venture; Tyen is a bit dull, but Rielle’s story entrances. This trilogy launch does not so much conclude as stop, leaving readers eager for the next two volumes.

April 15, 2014
First of a new fantasy series from the Australian author of The Traitor Queen (2012, etc.). In one world, the use of magic results in black trails of depletion known as Soot, until eventually more magic seeps in to replace it. Student sorcerer-archaeologist Tyen Ironsmelter discovers a sentient book named Vella in an ancient tomb. A thousand years ago, Vella was a real woman until transformed by the era's greatest sorcerer. She still has her memories, and she can also absorb the knowledge of any person who holds her. She tells Tyen that magic can be generated by creativity; modern scholars disagree, though it's indisputable that their world's magic-powered industrial revolution is rapidly depleting the magic. Reluctant to give up such a powerful tool to professor Kilraker, his supervisor at the Academy (where, of course, no women are permitted), Tyen conceals Vella--and when Kilraker learns of her existence, he accuses Tyen of theft. Facing ruin as well as the loss of Vella, Tyen steals an aircart and flees. In another world, meanwhile, only (male) priests in the service of the Angels may wield magic. Here, using magic creates Stain, black blobs of depletion that fade only slowly. Dyer's daughter Rielle Lazuli can see Stain, but if she attempts to use magic, she'll be stealing from the Angels. Unwilling to accept a husband selected by her parents, she runs away to live with painter Izare Saffre. From a "tainted" woman, Rielle learns how to wield magic only to become the target of blackmail by corrupt young priest Sa-Gest. Canavan narrates in a pleasant tone of voice, the plotting is plausible and the backdrops reasonably persuasive. Characters, though, tend toward the bland. Despite the lack of sharp edges, Canavan's creation is intriguing enough to tempt patient readers back for more.

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April 15, 2014
In Tyen's world, magic is used to power machines, and as a student of history and alchemy at the Academy he hopes to learn arcane lore. While on an archaeological dig, Tyen discovers an enchanted book that can read the mind of anyone holding it and communicate through writing on its pages. Possessing it will change Tyen's life forever. In Rielle's world, magic is rare and its use is limited to the priesthood. But Rielle has been able to sense the supernatural since she was a child, and when her happiness and love are threatened, she seeks out a woman who can show her how to use her talents. VERDICT The two alternating stories are each engrossing in how they unfold and in the very different relationships each reality has with magic. The only frustration readers will have with this series launch is that Rielle's and Tyen's universes don't yet intersect, although Canavan ("The Black Magician" trilogy) obviously has a plan.

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