I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Lost
by
Sarah Prineas
fantasy in Hardcover edition that was published by HarperCollins on May 12, 2009 and has 400 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Illustrator: Antonio Javier Caparo
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include The Magic Thief
Second in The Magic Thief fantasy series for middle-grade readers and revolving around Conn, a thief turned wizard’s apprentice. But, but, that was then.
My Take
No matter how much you know, never get so hidebound that you can’t listen to someone else. And that bunch of wizards are sooo hidebound, it ain’t funny. They’re much too busy with the current crisis to be able to think without spending hours, days, weeks in committee meetings. Between their refusal to accept they don’t know all and the horrifying deaths occurring every night, it’s no wonder that Nevery would be ticked off at his fellow magisters. Idiots.
It’s a contrasting perspective from one side. I know, that doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? Well, Prineas is using dual first-person protagonist point-of-view with Conn’s and Nevery’s perspectives. Where the contrast comes in is with Conn’s young viewpoint that keeps him open to the possibilities and immaturity that creats problems while Nevery is older and wiser…partly because he’s had his own youthful, ahem, indiscretions.
Prineas’ The Magic Thief series reminds me of Angie Sage’s Septimus Heap series, although Sage’s work is more confusing with its timelines, and it is written for a slightly older reading audience. It’s an interesting contrast with The Magic Thief being so much more simplistic.
I do like the characters in The Magic Thief. I’d’ve never expected Benet to be so homey, *grin*, while Nevery is the kindly gruff master. Ro is another who is open to possibilities, and her mother is quite the political animal. One never knows which way she’ll turn. She is at least open to possibilities AND yet very protective of her city. A good thing. Now if only Conn weren’t such a “troublemaker”, sigh…
The Story
After events in The Magic Thief, Conn is back to hunting for another locus stone. Without one, the magisters say he cannot be a wizard. An attitude that only worsens when he tries to tell the truth about the magic in Wellmeet.
Part of that truth wants Conn gone. Out of the city. Exile will do nicely, especially when Conn knows he’s not to play with fire, and it all blows up in his face.
Conn will have to find another way to save those he loves, and his quest will bring him face-to-face with a powerful sorcerer-king and a treachery beyond even his vivid imagination.
The Characters
Connwaer was a pickpocket who managed to become Nevery’s apprentice. Nevery Flinglas is the wizard who came in from the cold in The Magic Thief, 1, and reopened Heartsease, his home. Benet is the thug Nevery employed as chief cook and bodyguard. Lady is the white and tabby-tailed cat.
Wellmeet is…
…where magic is alive and protecting the city. As one of a loose confederation of cities, the Peninsular Duchies, it is ruled by Willa Forestall, the Duchess of Wellmet, who lives in the Dawn Palace in the well-off Sunrise neighborhood. Rowan is Willa’s daughter and friends with Conn. Kerrn is the captain of the guards who doesn’t like Conn; some of the other guards include Mira and Farn who will become the acting captain. Sir Argent is Rowan’s fencing master.
Wellmeet Academics is…
…the wizard school located on the island on which the wizards live. Brumbee A is the chief idiot, er, the master wizard. Keeston is his new apprentice. Trammel and Nimble are more wizards.
The Twilight is the poor section of Wellmeet. Sparks works with black gunpowder; Embre is her grandson. Uncle and Underlord Crowe and Pettivox had conspired to imprison the city’s magic. Dusk House had been Crowe’s headquarters. Hand and Fist were some of Crowe’s minions. Dee is a gutterboy.
Desh is…
…a city built on sand and slowsilver mines ruled over by Lord Jaggus, a young and powerful wizard. Arhionvar is a white cat and filled with dread magic. Half-finger is captain of Jaggus’ guard.
Be wary of the Shadows, those created with darksilver. If they touch you, you’ll…*shudder…you don’t want to know! A locus magicalicus is any stone that speaks to you. The embero spell causes you to shapechange. Slowsilver attracts and confines magic.
The Cover and Title
The cover has the look of tooled leather, a deep brownish red worked with arcane symbols inside the fancy brass frame that holds the inner circular frame surrounding the pastel graphic of Jaggus tossing a red ball charged with electrical magic and young Conn ducking behind him. That same jewel sits at our right at the bottom with a salamander opposite it on the left. The series information is large on a brass plaque at the top, a semi-circular addition with a black connwaer looking over his shoulder below that, and below that, the much smaller title inside a scroll-like shape. At the bottom of the round frame, is another arc of brass holding the author’s name.
The title is a metaphor that can apply to Conn and Lord Jaggus, for both are Lost in their own ways.
