Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Found (Magic Thief #3)

by Sarah Prineas (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 2,073 ratings · 189 reviews

Never turn your back on a dragon!

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 We...more

Hardcover

Published May 25th 2010 by HarperCollins

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

YA Trilogies

234th out of 264 books — 233 voters

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

4 and 5 Star Books

464th out of 530 books — 110 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 24, 2013 Ginger rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you’ve had a chance to peruse my review of the first two books in this series, you’ll know that I loved them both and that same level of enjoyment was extended to this final book in the series. It is not easy to write three books that maintain the same high level of excitement from readers, yet Sarah does it flawlessly. In fact, I was very sorry to finish and wished she was continuing it!

In this final installment of the The Magic Theif series, the magic takes a firmer grip on Conn in this sto...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy

The sweet, streetwise gutterboy Conn and the crusty, lovable old wizard Nevery are back for a third magical adventure in the city of Welmet. Conn is in hiding after breaking out of the Dawn Palace prison. He’s holed up in secret within Welment, helping Nevery devise some kind of plan to keep an evil magic from taking over the city.

What Conn needs is a new locus magicalicus, the stone that focuses a wizard’s magic - kind of like a wand. Conn sacrificed his locus stone to save Welmet in The Magic...more

like · see review

Aug 27, 2011 Chris Le rated it 5 of 5 stars

The magic thief is one of the best books in the world.

The book is about a boy named Connwaer and his magical

helpers, Benet, Embre, and Nevery. I like this book

very much. Conwaer is looking for a stone that has

power to stop a dangerous kind of magic called

ArhionVar which can destroy the whole city, but to do

that it has to destroy the magic that protects the

city, called wellmet. Connwaer is on a journey to find

his stone called the Lucus Stone, but he makes big

mistakes and dangerous decisi...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2010 Jasmine Giacomo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Boy howdy. I loved this book. Very much the sort of fantasy I enjoy reading. By mistake, I picked up book three, while believing it was book one (not having a memory of book one's cover, I overlooked the significance of the word FOUND on the cover in my book-selecting frenzy - silly me). Once home, I realized by looking at the first pages that I had skipped searching for The Magic Thief and The Magic Thief: Lost, and jumped to the end of the trilogy.

However, happily, Ms. Prineas was kind enough...more Boy howdy. I loved this book. Very much the sort of fantasy I enjoy reading. By mistake, I picked up book three, while believing it was book one (not having a memory of book one's cover, I overlooked the significance of the word FOUND on the cover in my book-selecting frenzy - silly me). Once home, I realized by looking at the first pages that I had skipped searching for The Magic Thief and The Magic Thief: Lost, and jumped to the end of the trilogy.

However, happily, Ms. Prineas was kind enough to let Conn have the occasional flashback, and I soon fit right in to his world, gleaning relevant facts from books one and two. I had the oddest impression that the first bit of the story, where Conn lurks in the dark, waiting to pick Nevery's pocket, was perhaps a throwback to the beginning of book one. Whether or not this is the case, I did pick up a lovely sense of cycle and repetition that in no way overwhelmed the narrative, and instead gave it excellent touches of continuity and closure (see beginning and end of book for a good example).

The concepts in this book were amazingly entertaining. What is magic? Where does it come from? How do cities begin? What is Arhionvar, and what is its motive? Why has Wellmet always been so divided? (this wasn't ever stated outright, and might have been touched on in earlier books, but there were plenty of delicate hints in this book to make me believe that there was more than just a cultural divide where the river flowed)

While Conn is the youngest character in the book, he's crucial to the plot, not least of which is in his interconnectivity between various disparate groups of adults. Without him, they'd never speak to each other or learn different perspectives. He is the medium through which the book's plot unfolds, and he personifies communication, despite the fact that he's notorious for not speaking at all.

Conn's character was in full flower in this third book, and I found him amazingly consistent and true to himself. This is a strong point of the author, I see, as her other major characters are easily recognized by their behaviour and attitude as much as by their appearance or location. Strong characters always make me love a book, along with brain-fizzingly awesome magical concepts and strong settings. Kerrn, Nevery and Benet were favorites. The little dragon, Pip, was the least developed, most likely because it couldn't communicate, and thus felt pretty random as an addition to the plot. It struck me as little more than a device to make Conn's magic sporadic throughout the remainder of the book.

The pages that were notes from one character to another were an entertaining addition, and I enjoyed seeing the characters' personalities come through in their own writing. Way to get around the single-perspective limitation that first person POV brings. Personally, I heartily dislike first-person for precisely this reason: it's so limiting, like a baldly artificial attempt to draw out the story simply by withholding information from the only character whose perspective the reader is exposed to. However, the connection with younger readers is fostered by this more direct link to a character's inner thoughts, so there is a positive trade-off. But it's my firm opinion that first-person POV isn't something an author outside of YA/MG/romance genres needs to use. (You see what I did there.)

Happily giving The Magic Thief: Found five of five stars, for including a great set of literary tools, and not overdoing any of them. Excellent balance, superb storytelling. (less)

like · see review

Aug 28, 2010 Charlyn Trussell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gr. 4 and up

Shelves: adventure, dragons, fantasy, fiction, magic, series, strong-male-character

Conn's nimble fingers have helped him escape trouble again--this time the prison cell that held him. Now a fugitive, he's not safe anywhere and truly has no place to go. But he's seen the menace Arhionvar and he knows that the evil magic will arrive in Wellmet. Without his locus magicalicus, the wounded magic still alive in Wellmet cannot speak to him. Then, he finds the directions for a spell that will lead him to a new locus magicalicus. Unfortunately, it involves pyrotechnics and those who've...more

like · see review

Jul 22, 2010 Eva Mitnick rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, fantasy

Although I was delighted with the first book in the series, the second was rather disappointing due to the grayness of the setting and the apparent depression of our hero, who seemed uncharacteristically listless. Good news - Conn gets his fire and verve back in Found. Perhaps we can thank the dragons, which (like Tapatio hot sauce) add a welcome spice to anything. And these dragons are particularly enigmatic and uncuddly - there is none of that bonding or getting to know each other business goi...more

like · see review

Nov 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magic, adventure, child

Conn has been exiled from Wellmet, but he is hiding inside the city anyway because he knows that a predator magic is coming to try and destroy the city. Only his master Nevery and Rowan the daughter of the Duchess believe him. Conn and Nevery are working on a way to protect the city and to do that Conn must find his locus magicalicus. Without it he can’t talk to the magic and protect the city. His quest to find it is a wild ride.[return][return]This was a really fun read. There is such an enjoya...more

like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 Bayou rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh my... this third book was amazing! I will be very careful not to spoil anything in this review, but I can’t guarantee that I’m managed to do it. I’m so excited!! ^^

I was so eager expecting Conn to get his other locus magicalicus. Though I was pretty much could guess what it would be, the journey to get it was the one making it interesting, and I couldn’t stop reading to the end.

An unpredictable end too! I was so sure that Arhionvar would be annihilated, but the conclusion was way much better...more

like · see review

Sep 28, 2010 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great end to a great series. I did find a passage or two a little bit confusing, which is probably why I can't quite stretch to 5 stars, but I want to. :) The ending is by far more satisfactory than the ending of several series I have read as of late, though I did see a few things coming. (This is after all Juvenile Fiction and as an adult I ought to be able to read the foreshadowing, agreed?)

Great characters and descriptions. Fun plot twists.

There are also several fun extras to be found at th...more

like · see review

Jun 28, 2010 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any and all

It is predictable that in this age of Harry Potter afterglow, with its attendant post novel rollouts, that Prineas' trilogy would have similar elements of the orphan boy, the caring mentor, dependable friends, wizardry, magic, evil to fight, and a sacrifice to be made. But...I had to hone in to find those because Prineas does an admirable job of crafting "original" characters. Certainly the characters are well-drawn, well-developed, and unique to themselves. And the twist in story plot at the en...more

like · see review

Jul 06, 2010 Abby Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Cat Barth, Sharon Irwin, Kathleen Dalton Woodbury

Another great installment in Sarah Prineas's Magic Thief trilogy. Conn, Nevery, and all the rest are back, although not as prominent as they were in the earlier books, as this one is mainly just about Conn and his fight to defend Wellmet from the approaching danger against the danger to his city.

The action is pretty steady in this installment, with the only reason I didn't give it a total of five stars, is that I felt that the story focused a bit too tightly on Conn, at the expense of the other...more

like · see review

Jun 09, 2010 Hallie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, fantasy

From an LJ post:

Then I went off to my bed and the rest of The Magic Thief: Found, which was just wonderful. It's younger than YA, and still has one of the most interesting magics (you can't really call it a system of magic, which is part of the interest) I've read in ages. And the development in this (the third) book is just perfect - as you might guess from the subtitle, but that of course, could be referring to anything. Conn continues to be a wonder - as well as the understated depictions of...more From an LJ post:

Then I went off to my bed and the rest of The Magic Thief: Found, which was just wonderful. It's younger than YA, and still has one of the most interesting magics (you can't really call it a system of magic, which is part of the interest) I've read in ages. And the development in this (the third) book is just perfect - as you might guess from the subtitle, but that of course, could be referring to anything. Conn continues to be a wonder - as well as the understated depictions of his emotional responses I've mentioned before, I was very taken with his blend of complete clarity and totally blinkered vision in this one. He sees so clearly what needs to be done, and simply can't imagine others - those in positions of authority especially - not getting it once they've had the chance to see it themselves. And another chance. And another. His dawning recognition that they were really going to exact the punishment imposed on him despite the massive, immediate crisis facing the city was brilliant.

Aside from that, I love - lovelovelove - the quiet and unselfconscious way in which there's playing with expected gender roles. There's disruption of a lot of expectations, for that matter. The family of Nevery, Benet and Conn is so delightful and the ties between them so delicately varied: Nevery's treating Conn as an equal to the extent he doesn't notice he's literally starving; Benet's nurturing care for Conn, which is all shown physically, while he rarely calls him anything other than 'you' (with the odd desperate attempt to protect him by violence when needed), and Conn's worry that either of them will get in trouble for helping him, along with his ability to quietly disobey Nevery if it's a question of something he knows he just has to do, for example(s). And poor Ro! (Though she's got to kick stupid Argent hard, soon.) And Kerrn. She's been so antagonistic to Conn, for obvious reasons, but when her sense of duty and loyalty to the commands of her ruler finally came into unavoidable conflict with her sense of justice - not to mention commonsense - she doesn't disappoint. Oh, and the reveal about another character, and the way it affects the question of social injustice? Win.

I was mentally comparing it to a few adult fantasies I've read (nothing written by *anyone* who'll be reading this!) and it's the lightness of touch with which the reader (Magic Thief reader, that is) is given a cooking, knitting bruiser of a bodyguard, or a tough-as-nails (female) captain of the guard that really impresses. Or the unexpected joy of discovering why Conn has been a Chosen One - not that I'm going to spoil that. Not all adult fantasies thump their chests and say "Look at me - *I'm* transgressing gender - or race, or class - stereotypes", of course. But I'm still not going to miss the opportunity to point out complexities and meaningful subversions in my non-adult book reading, either!

Finally, even if it didn't have all these (and more) delights, it's got awesome dragons. They're anything but cute, but I still defy any reader not to melt over Pip. "The cave dragon spoke. Its voice rumbled up through the stone step and into me. TALLENNAR Inside the knapsack, the tiny dragon squeaked - Pip!" It's a biting, escaping thief of a tiny dragon - does that suggest anyone for whom it might be a perfect match?

(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read_2010, fantasy, juvenile

In this totally satisfying conclusion to the Magic Thief series Conn is once again on the run. He's been banned from Wellmet, so he's hiding out in the Twilight, with some help from Nevery and Benet. They're working to fortify the city against an evil magic that is on it's way, and Conn is still on the lookout for his locus magicalicus.

This is the first time I've read a book in this series instead of listening to it, and while I love the audio I've discovered I've missed out on some fun illustra...more

like · see review

Jul 05, 2010 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Our family could hardly wait for this third installment in The Magic Thief series. Great for bedtime stories! The plot was fairly predictable, but we enjoyed it, and the end did have some surprising twists and turns. Character and voice are some of Sarah Prineas' strengths as a writer, although personally, I'm tired of Conn being mistreated by people who have good reason to know better (Kerrn, Argent, the Duchess, the idiot magisters, even the Twilight minions). My kids weren't phased, however (...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2010 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, kids-fantasy

I have a massive confession. I feel if this is the end of the series utterly cheated. I have no closure, I felt it was a bit of a weak ending and I just... feel like the whole series was wrapped up way to quickly.

I am glad that there was more of Conn and the wizard in this book. I felt it was missing from the second one and it made me sad. But I am still a bit disappointed in the ending.

That said, there were a few sections that weren't explained very well and I felt I missed out on something....more

like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Rachel Neumeier rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Stochiometrical" got to be one of the most unusual words ever to appear in a fantasy novel, wouldn’t you agree?

I laughed out loud when the concept of stochiometry and stochiometrical measurement appeared. I guess it’s not totally coincidental that Prineas' husband is a physicist?

Anyway, great book, loved the resolution of the main problem. Didn’t see it coming. Way more interesting than a standard Good Guy Defeats Bad Guy ending.

And I’m glad that Conn didn’t . . . well, never mind! Don’t want t...more

like · see review

Aug 15, 2011 Res rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sff

The one where Conn goes in search of his locus magicalicus, makes an amazing discovery about magic, picks up some strange new allies; the Twilight asserts itself; and the magical threat to Wellmet is resolved in a very satisfying fashion.

I particularly appreciate a story in which a conflict that's framed as Good Vs. Evil can be resolved somehow other than by Good people killing masses of Evil ones. I adored the life cycle of magic, was very pleased with the Twilight resolution, and think Rowan w...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 SilverRaindrops rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sorting-last-in-series, fantasy, reviewstatus-reviewed

Well ... that was an unexpected finish to the series about Conn, the thief-turned-wizard.
(By the way, if you haven't read books one and two yet, please pick up Stolen and Lost, and go away.)

Here's what happened before:
In book one, Stolen, two bad guys from Wellmet tried to steal the city's magic and nearly destroyed it in the process.
In book two, Lost, Conn travelled to Desh, where a magical being coming from a vanished place called Arhionvar was destroying everything it could find. And so the...more

like · see review

Oct 03, 2011 Betty-Braden rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won-via-giveaway

"Never turn your back on a dragon!

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,...more

like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Utami rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Buku terakhir dari trilogi The Magic Thief. Puncak dari semua ketegangan.

I would say that Prineas arranged this trology in such a smart way. Di buku pertama, we have the basic ideas aboutmagic. Di buku kedua, latar belakang dan pencarian Conn tentang bahaya yang mengancam sihir. Dan puncak dari ketegangannya, adalah di buku ketiga ini.
I like the way magic is being described a s a living being in this trilogy, dan chemistry antara Conn dan Nevery yang benci tapi rindu itu juga menjadi hal yang s...more

like · see review

Jun 01, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: youth-fiction, 2012

After barely escaping Desh, Connwaer (Conn) returned to Wellmet only to find that the situation there hadn't gotten any better. Knowing he needed to do certain things to defeat the Arhionvar (dark magic) and keep it from destroying them all. The need for certain materials and spells kept Conn and Nevery busy until the time came to cast the spells. Causing yet another explosion aroused the attention of the Dawn Palace guards as well as the minions that had been keeping an eye on Conn since his re...more

like · see review

Apr 14, 2011 Saille rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: ages 5-12

Shelves: childrens-novels, fantasy, books-for-connor

The conclusion of the series did a nice job of building suspense, and wrapping the story up. Unlike book 2, book 3 includes bits and pieces of the previous story, just in case you've forgotten, and as such, could conceivably be read stand-alone.

The series in general lends itself very well to audio. It is written in first person, and Connwaer (Conn) thinks/talks very descriptively. Tastes, smells, sights are all described in ways easily accessible to the listener, placing us firmly within the sto...more

1 like · like · see review

May 22, 2011 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-series, books-i-own, read-2011, middle-grade-lit

I am still debating on how many stars I should give this last book of the installment.
(btw, I just found out that even though it might not get published for another two years, the author has written a fourth book of the series !!!)
I wish I could give it a 3.5 but since Goodreads doesn't support that system I would have to give it a 4.

I'm afraid this series does not have a very strong satisfied ending...
but I guess I can't say for sure until I read the fourth book that will or will not be publi...more

like · see review

Jun 22, 2010 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Perhaps the last adventure in this entertaining series. Conn's penchant for getting into trouble is going strong, since he has a death sentence on his head, decreed by the Duchess, and the minions of Twilight are after him. Meanwhile he knows the predator magic is on the hunt for Wellmet's magic, but few will take him seriously, and he must try to find a new locus magicalicus. When he does find it, finally, it is beyond his wildest imaginings. Recommended fantasy adventure for middle grades.

like · see review

Mar 07, 2013 Hobby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, high-fantasy, legends, great-illustrations, mystery, owned-a-copy

What can I say about this thirth books, it was amazing and I love it !!!
And then I hear that Sarah - the author will be write the fourth book on this year ...OMG, that's was awesome, even I have to wait until next year until the book (will be) release, it was worth it, hopefully it much-much better than the previous books that's already awesome

more about this book, check on my review at here :
http://my-fantasy-readings.blogspot.c...

like · see review

Oct 25, 2010 Philip Fracassi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids

These books, as you'll note from my ratings, are sort of losing steam. It's the characters she's created that make them intriguing reads, as the stories themselves tend to get a bit convoluted. My son still doesn't really know what happened in Book 3, and I'm not sure I can help him.

But my son and I once sent. Ms. Prineas a note, and she sent a very nice note back. Anytime an author responds to a fan, I'm gonna say go buy all their books - so go buy all these books.

like · see review

Aug 30, 2011 Haddayr rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What I really liked best about this book and all the books was the voice. Conn has a strong presence. I also liked how he just refuses to go along with what he is told and he finds his own way. My son LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. As I read it, his eyes grew bigger and bigger as he dramatically clutched the covers under his chin in suspense and awe.

If Prineas does not publish the very last book I shall never forgive her, and more to the point, neither will my son.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 27, 2010 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Conn, wizard's apprentice and erstwhile gutter-boy, continues his quest to find a way to communicate with Wellmet magic before invading magic overcomes it. Credit the author with one of more original plot twists I've come across in a good long time. Without spilling too many beans, I'll just say that "there be dragons."

Usually I prefer to see authors strike out in new directions and I hope Prineus does, but I must admit I'd like a return visit from young Conn.

like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Ruthie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this series of books. I loved them enough to buy them so all of my children can read this wonderful story. The books are about being alone, being honest and true, belonging. They're about having integrity, and never wavering from the course that you've been called to follow.

But that's the mom version. If I was 13, I'd tell you that this was a series of books about a gutterboy pickpocket with quick hands whose life changes when he picks a wizard's pocket. And that's all I'd tell you beca...more

like · see review

Aug 25, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series wavers between a three and a four stars for me (I always have a hard time when I wait too long to write the review. Sometimes things fade into memory). I was pleasantly surprised with the engaging plot and characters. The books were fun and quick to read. The story arc is well conceived and the end installment is a satisfying conclusion to the ideas introduced in Books 1 and 2.

Library note: Fans of the Septimus Heap series will like this

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Conn and the Flame Dragon [SPOILERS]	1	3	Mar 06, 2013 02:03pm

combine
Other Editions (15)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy

103 users

Fantasy > Magic

24 users

Young Adult

15 users

Childrens

13 users

Adventure

13 users

Fantasy > Dragons

8 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

7 users

Childrens > Juvenile

7 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

4 users

Paranormal > Wizards

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

The Dragon of Trelian
by Michelle Knudsen
Dragon Games
by P.W. Catanese
The Eternal Hourglass
by Erica Kirov
The Basilisk's Lair
by R.L. LaFevers
Player's Ruse
by Hilari Bell

About Sarah Prineas

I'm from rural Johnson County, Iowa, and my first novel, The Magic Thief, was published by HarperCollins in June 2008 and by a bunch of other publishers around the world. The next book in the series, The Magic Thief: Lost, came out in May 2009, and the third, The Magic Thief: Found, was published in spring 2010. My next book from HarperCollins was Winterling (2012), followed by two sequels, Summer...more

More about Sarah Prineas...

Books by Sarah Prineas

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Found

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Found

“Tallennar. I knew what it meant. It meant thief. Well, that was all right. Because a thief really was a lot like a wizard.” — 8 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Found
avg rating	preview: Found Goodreads rating: 4.11 (2073 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6940291-found?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1306167490l/6940291.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6940291-found?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Found by Sarah Prineas[/url]

Found (Magic Thief #3)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website