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Thief's Magic

(Millennium’s Rule #1)

Trudi Canavan

3.87 · Rating details · 9,649 ratings · 830 reviews

The beginning of an all new epic fantasy series by international bestseller, Trudi Canavan.

In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, unearths a sentient book called Vella. Once a young sorcerer-bookbinder, Vella was transformed into a useful tool by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. Since then she has been collec ...more

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Paperback, 553 pages

Published May 27th 2014 by Orbit (first published May 13th 2014)

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Apr 20, 2014 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, fantasy, epic, magic

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

I was very excited when I first heard about Trudi Canavan’s Thief’s Magic, and doubly more so when I discovered it was going to be an introduction to a brand new universe we’ve never seen before. I’m not completely unfamiliar with the author’s work, having read The Magician’s Guild, book one of her Black Magician trilogy, but knowing that she has two series and a couple more novellas based in that world of Kyralia which I 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

I was very excited when I first heard about Trudi Canavan’s Thief’s Magic, and doubly more so when I discovered it was going to be an introduction to a brand new universe we’ve never seen before. I’m not completely unfamiliar with the author’s work, having read The Magician’s Guild, book one of her Black Magician trilogy, but knowing that she has two series and a couple more novellas based in that world of Kyralia which I haven’t even yet come close to finishing, I was glad to have a fresh start in Millennium’s Rule.

Magic and magic users seem to feature strongly in Canavan’s books, and that’s no exception here. At the beginning of this novel we meet Tyen, a young archaeology student (though calling what he and his professor and fellow students do “Archaelogy” might be a bit of stretch…they’re more like tomb robbers) who discovers a sentient book while excavating an ancient tomb. The book can read the minds of anyone who makes physical contact, communicating through text appearing on the pages. Calling herself Vella, the book claims to have once been a sorcerer-woman, until she was transformed into her current form by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. She has been gathering and storing information through the ages ever since. Sensing bad things to come if Vella were to ever fall into the wrong hands, Tyen decides to keep her to himself for now, but as we all know, a secret this big is always bound to come out sooner or later.

Meanwhile in another world, a dyer’s daughter named Rielle harbors a secret of her own. From a young age, she has had the ability to sense magic – and hence the potential to use it. However, Rielle’s society could not be any more different from Tyen’s, where magic is used freely (and some might say TOO freely) to power their fantastical machines. Instead, the priests of Rielle’s world teach that to use magic is the equivalent to stealing from the Angels themselves. Anyone caught committing this crime is published severely then cast out from the city to live out the rest of their lives in a prison. Rielle is therefore all too happy to just keep her head down, hoping to also to do what her family wants of her and find a prospective husband. But then she meets and falls in love with a local artist named Izare, which is patently NOT what her parents had in mind. Oh, hello, Forbidden Love.

What do these two plot lines have to do with each other? Very little, actually. Reading Thief’s Magic felt essentially like reading two-books-in-one. The novel’s structure can be a little jarring if you’re not expecting it. We first start with Part I which follows Tyen’s story, and several chapters after that Part II begins with Rielle’s. The novel continues like this, alternating back and forth between their narratives. Actually getting the hang of this perspective-jumping isn’t all that difficult, but Canavan likes to tease, and she seems to have this knack for choosing the most suspenseful moments to make the switch between characters. Often, I would find myself pulled away into Rielle’s story just as I was getting completely drawn into Tyen’s, or vice versa. This format was both simultaneously addicting and frustrating, though I have to admit I kind of liked it.

When it comes down to it, I’m just completely hooked by these two characters and their respective worlds. Both Tyen and Rielle are written very well, even though occasionally their naiveté would grate on my nerves. However, their decisions – misguided as they are sometimes – always led to interesting things happening. I’m fascinated by the differences in their cultures and how each of them view magic. I love that their own personal conflicts take them on completely disparate adventures, so that the individual challenges they face differ profoundly as well. I’m especially intrigued by Rielle and her struggles in a society where unauthorized use of magic is treated as the greatest sin, where women like her have very little choice and practically no future when they are discovered to possess magical abilities.

I don’t know if Tyen and Rielle’s paths will ever cross, though something tells me that they will – but that particularly story is not for this book to tell. At this point, I feel I’ve been given enough information to formulate a tenuous theory on how the two characters’ worlds are linked, but for the most part we don’t get too many answers on that front. I really enjoyed following both story lines, but if you’re the kind of reader who prefers self-contained story arcs or at least some closure at the end of a novel, you won’t really find it here. It’s a factor to think about, though I already know I will be picking up the next book in spite of it. Thief’s Magic may have all the hallmarks of a “Book One”, but Canavan has crafted a very fine beginning (technically, TWO very fine beginnings) and I want to find out what happens to both Tyen and Rielle.
...more

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Jan 19, 2016 Althea Ann rated it liked it · review of another edition

Trudi Canavan is a new author to me. She has a very accessible, cosy writing style, suitable for YA fantasy. I'd recommend for fans of Tamora Pierce and/or Mercedes Lackey.

In this book we have two stories:

In one, we are introduced to a steampunk/magical world. A young student of magic named Tyen discovers a powerful book while on an archaeological expedition. It's not just a book - it contains the consciousness of a woman, Vella, imprisoned in this form by a ruthless sorcerer long centuries befo Trudi Canavan is a new author to me. She has a very accessible, cosy writing style, suitable for YA fantasy. I'd recommend for fans of Tamora Pierce and/or Mercedes Lackey.

In this book we have two stories:

In one, we are introduced to a steampunk/magical world. A young student of magic named Tyen discovers a powerful book while on an archaeological expedition. It's not just a book - it contains the consciousness of a woman, Vella, imprisoned in this form by a ruthless sorcerer long centuries before, and imbued with the ability to glean the knowledge of anyone who touches her. However, Tyen's professor turns out to be ruthless as well, and as he tries to gain the book's knowledge for himself, Tyen finds himself framed for a crime, kicked out of school, and fleeing for his life.

In the other story, we have a more 'traditional' fantasy setting. Rielle lives in a land where the use of magic is reserved for priests alone. Others found using magic secretly are subject to arrest and unknown punishments. Therefore, Rielle has always hidden her natural talents in that direction. At first, magic seems like the least of her worries. Her social-climbing parents have enrolled her in a young ladies' school where her colleagues treat her with ill-concealed disdain. Caught under the weight of her parents' expectations, Rielle ends up running off to become the lover of a poor artist. But will her lover treat her own artistic ability with the respect she deserves?

I'm sure you're familiar with stories where two different POV characters are introduced; where separate storylines are created and developed before being woven together. Well, in this book, the two stories never come together. They don't mirror one another, they don't comment on each other. They take place in two different worlds and they are totally unconnected. Now, since there's that "#1" up there in the subtitle, I'm certain there will be a sequel where Tyen and Rielle meet. But it doesn't happen in this book - which means that the whole format of intercutting the stories with each other doesn't work. They should simply have been presented as two separate stories.

However, I'd still be happy to find out what happens to both - or either - of the characters next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read. As always, my opinions are solely my own. ...more

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May 19, 2014 Phrynne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Sadly the only word I can think of to describe this book is dull. And reading over 500 pages of dullness took a lot of perseverance. It is not a bad book, it just never captured my interest, the characters were bland and not much happened for page after page after page.
The possibilities were all there for something really good but for me it just never happened.

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Nov 04, 2016 Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: uhhhh, high-fantasy

I have finally FINALLY finished this book!
I had just over a week off of college with nothing arranged yet in that week I failed to finish a single book..
Because I don't want to read this again..
(view spoiler) I have finally FINALLY finished this book!
I had just over a week off of college with nothing arranged yet in that week I failed to finish a single book..
Because I don't want to read this again..
(view spoiler)[This book has two stories each set in different worlds. One story is of Tyen an archaeological student and it follows his adventure as he, while searching a tomb, finds Vella a book he can communicate to. Vella was once a sorcerer book binder over a thousand years ago from another world but she had a love interest in the most powerful sorcerer of her time and he transformed her body and consciousness into a magical book that can communicate with its user and read the users mind when they are touching. Also she experiences what the user experiences when they are touching. She was made to gather information and knowledge and use that information to educate the sorcerers followers and people he wished to educate. Tyen promises to find a way to restore vella to her human form. Vella had the belief that magic in all the worlds is generated by creativity but in Tyen's world magic is being used up rapidly to fuel the new machines of an industrial revolution. When Tyen withheld Vella from the academy where he was studying, she was eventually discovered and told about by Tyen's friend who brought the attention of the academy directors who locked her away then planned to destroy her once they discovered she had learned their secrets. Tyen's teacher on the other hand wanted to steal vella for himself and frame tyen for her theft. Tyen escaped from the academy with vella but was pursued and he met and travelled with two young women who were of royal lineage from a country the empire had conquered so could not have the throne. Their goal was to travel to the academy to learn to be sorcerers but the academy refused to take them in for their gender. They join together and travel over the mountains to reach the far south where the women finally grasp an opportunity to travel to another magic school in this new land. This is where Tyen parts with them. Vella at one point told tyen that the sorcerer that changed her was killed a thousand years ago by another even more powerful sorcerer known as the Successor. She explained that many worlds believe that every thousand cycles (a cycle is a period a little longer than tyen's worlds year) a very powerful sorcerer is born and when that successor comes to full strength he will kill the old sorcerer. This cycle is known as millennium's rule.

Tyen hadn't been long in the far south when his old teacher catches up with him. This time however they have no interest in the accademy or vella. They want to save their worlds magical depletion by bringing magic in from another world (magic is more plentiful in the far south because the people don't rely heavily on machines) and allowing it to flow into theirs. The king of the south agrees to their plan as long as they travel to the other world by using magic from outside his stone city not inside it. Tyen manages to make himself and vella cross into another world but one of his teachers tries to follow him but unlike tyen, he drew magic from inside to spire to push him out of the world. On this the spire which was held up by magic collapses killing tyens teachers and anyone who didn't escape in time. Tyen lands in a snowy world.

Rielle's story is set in a world where magic is not plentiful at all and she is taught that to use magic is to steal from the angels. The angels each represent a great force in life e.g. birth, death, fire etc. Only priests in her world are accepted to use magic and even then they are taught to purify and cleanse themselves afterwards. Anyone who is not a priest and uses magic is known as a tainted (oh I forgot to mention using magic in both worlds leaves stain or soot an empty space of nothingness devoid of magic). In Rielle's city there was a woman teaching the tainteds magic she was known as the corrupter. Rielle sought out the corrupter in a hope she could report her to the priests but she found she couldn't do that without revealing she herself had used magic. Rielle moved in with her lover (a painter) but one day used magic to undo the contraceptive spell the corrupter had put on her. But the stain left over from her efforts is later discovered by the priests. She is later tried and charged with being a tainted and exiled from her city and taken to a mountain temple. She heard that women tainted are taken to the temple to produce more children to become priests but it turned out this had changed. Once at the temple rielle actually comes face to face with an actual angel who hears her story then forgives her. He forgives her on the condition that she only use magic in self defence, never mentions she met him, never tries to contact or return to her own city and goes to a faraway land to start a new life and work to repay the magic she used. It was rumoured that the angel arrived at the temple because of all the bad things that were happening to the tainted before. It was later revealed that the corrupter in rielles city could have been sent there by the angel and that he is trying to raise an army of sorcerers or tainted to take over the world. there were also hints of a rebellion from people who were once victim of the evils of the mountain temple. (hide spoiler)]

Ok now on to the actual review..

This book started off alright but I've got to say there was a strangeness surrounding all the events and characters. I did find it hard on more than one occasion to connect to the characters and their situations. They were just crafted in such a strange way and it felt like there was no depth to them. The writing style itself also lacked in character and while I was reading it I became distracted with other things hence the reason it took me so long to finish this.

I also felt there could have been more description and world building around the two settings. Part of enjoying a high fantasy novel for me is learning about a totally different world with a different culture and belief system. Things like that give me a sense of wonder but there was hardly any in this book.

Despite all the boredom I felt, I might read the next book. This is because I'm intrigued about a few things mentioned at the end and I genuinely am curious as to what will become of these two characters in their new settings. I'm also interested to see what becomes of Tyen's promise to Vella.... For all I know this book might have just been a prologue and maybe things will heat up later on.. Or maybe there are better high fantasies out there. ...more

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May 09, 2014 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone who loves fantasy or wants to give it a go

5 Words: This book is so awesome.

What can I say? I freaking loved this book!

It's safe to say that I loved Trudi Canavan's first series The Black Magician Trilogy and I've read it over and over (seriously, my first copies are falling apart I think I've gone through 3 of each book) and recommended it to all of my friends who loved it too and fell in love with her world and her writing. But then I kind of fell out of love with her as I read her newer works.

But oh my god, I am back in love. Truly, m ...more

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Dec 13, 2014 Carolyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: australian-author, fantasy

I've been looking forward to this new series from Trudi Canavan because I really enjoyed her excellent Black Magician trilogy. However, I was somewhat disappointed that it is a fairly long book (560 pages) where not too much happens.

The book is comprised of two stories, that of Tyen, a young magic and archaeology student and Rielle, daughter of a wealthy family who own a large dyeworks. They live in different countries but have the common problem that the world supply of magic is running out. In I've been looking forward to this new series from Trudi Canavan because I really enjoyed her excellent Black Magician trilogy. However, I was somewhat disappointed that it is a fairly long book (560 pages) where not too much happens.

The book is comprised of two stories, that of Tyen, a young magic and archaeology student and Rielle, daughter of a wealthy family who own a large dyeworks. They live in different countries but have the common problem that the world supply of magic is running out. In Tyen's country, magic is used as the energy to power machines and advancing technology is rapidly depleting supplies. In Rielle's country, magic is conserved by only allowing priests to use it. Ordinary people caught using magic are labelled tainted, put in chains s and taken away to a secret location by the priests. I had expected that these two story threads would link up at some stage but that did not happen in this volume.

The book started well with a 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' type scene where Tyen, his classmates and tutor, looking for treasures in newly discovered tombs have to flee when chased by angry locals. However, this turns out to just be a device for Tyen to discover and then learn to use a very special magic book. This ultimately leads to him running away from the Academy where he is a student and the rest of the book is about his (fairly boring) journey to get to a country where he can be free to learn and practice magic.

Rielle's story is also fairly drawn out. She has fallen in love with an artist, a lower class of man than her family will allow her to marry. She knows her ability to detect when magic has been used must be kept a secret but she ultimately lets down her guard when she is with him and is captured by the priests and taken away.

Whether these two will meet up in the future we don't know but my guess is that this first instalment in the series is setting the scene for what is to come and hopefully the next volume will be better paced and more engrossing. Despite it being a long book and centred on these two characters I didn't feel there was a lot of character development so that they are still very flat and I don't feel any emotional investment in them at this stage. Hopefully, that will also improve as the series develops.

The final section of the book did finally provide a bit more action and interest, propelling Tyen and Rielle into new places with the promise of more adventures in the next book. ...more

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Oct 09, 2013 Becky (Blogs of a Bookaholic) rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Readers 15+ who enjoy rich fantasy worlds, good writing and entertaining characters.

Shelves: fantasy, advanced-reader-copy

This review was originally published on Blogs of a Bookaholic.

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait. :)
Update 6th April: I JUST RECEIVED AN ARC OF THIS. I AM SO DAMN EXCITED, IT'S MY FIRST ONE EVER AND FOR A BOOK BY MY FAVOURITE AUTHOR. ISN'T IT PRETTY? :D Thank you to the Little, Brown Book Group for providing it.
description

Intelligent world building and complex storytelling at its best.
Thief’s Magic is an epic adventure/fantasy novel that follows a young man named Tyen struggling to make his mark on the wor ...more

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Mar 07, 2019 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, magic

My first Trudi Canavan! I bought this out of curiosity several years ago, started and dropped it several times, then was just about to remove it from my kindle and gave it one last chance. I loved it! I found both T yen and Rielle's story equally engrossing too. Richly imagined worlds, strong characters and good plotting. I call that a win! ...more

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Jan 01, 2014 Nico rated it it was ok · review of another edition

German review on GosuReviews

After the somewhat disappointing second magician's trilogy by Trudi Canavan I had high hopes for her new book series in a completely new universe.
And it started out great. I liked the magic system, which had a few similarities to the one used in her previous books, but far more worked out. Story wise I liked the first part with the introduction to the world and Tyen as well, but then I got to part Two and it all went downhill from there. The story about Rielle is just ...more

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Apr 05, 2014 Milo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, notable-2014-releases, 2014-releases-read, orbit

The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2014/07/....

“My first Trudi Canavan novel is mostly a success. Smart, well written and compelling Thief’s Magic may not be perfect, but it is one of the better Fantasy books you’ll read this year and I can certainly recommend it.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields

In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, discovers a sentient book in an ancient tomb. Vella was once a young sorcerer-maker, until sh The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2014/07/....

“My first Trudi Canavan novel is mostly a success. Smart, well written and compelling Thief’s Magic may not be perfect, but it is one of the better Fantasy books you’ll read this year and I can certainly recommend it.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields

In a world where an industrial revolution is powered by magic, Tyen, a student of archaeology, discovers a sentient book in an ancient tomb. Vella was once a young sorcerer-maker, until she was transformed into a useful tool by one of the greatest sorcerers of history. Since then she has been gathering information, including a vital clue to the disaster Tyen’s world faces.

Elsewhere, in a land ruled by the priests since a terrible war depleted all but a little magic, Rielle the dyer’s daughter has been taught that to use magic is to steal from the Angels. Yet she knows from her ability to sense the stain it leaves behind that she has a talent for it, and that there are people willing to teach her how to use it, should she ever need to risks the Angels’ wrath.

Further away, a people called the Travelers live their entire lives on the move, trading goods from one world to another. They know that each world has its own store of magic, reducing or increasing a sorcerer’s abilities, so that if one entered a weak world they may be unable to leave it again. Each family maintains a safe trading route passed down through countless generations and modified whenever local strife makes visiting dangerous. But this is not the only knowledge the Travelers store within their stories and songs, collected over millennia spent roaming the universe. They know a great change is due, and that change brings both loss and opportunity.

Trudi Canavan has always been one of those authors who has been high on my to-read list but someone whose work I’ve never actually read. When Thief’s Magic came around as the start of an exciting looking series with lots of potential I leapt at the chance, and was really glad I did, with the focus split between two characters making this a very good read and something that is most likely going to be one of the strongest fantasy titles of the year. It’s certainly got me interested in reading more of Canavan’s work and I’ll be interested to see where she can take the series from here, with the second book Angel of Storms having an expected publication date of August 2015 according to Goodreads. Needless to say, I will be picking that one up for sure based on the strength of this title.

There are several strong things about this book. The world building is done cleverly and imaginatively – not only do we get one fleshed out world with its laws and settings, but two - for the two main characters that are on offer start in entirely different settings and it’s great to see the creative display of Canavan on offer here as the despite the large attention to world building, the pace doesn’t suffer, with the title managing to be a compelling and enthralling read despite this featuring two likable and sympathetic lead characters who you will be able to get behind.

Firstly we have Tyen, who studies Archaeology. In the process of excavating an ancient tomb he stumbles across a book that’s capable of communication with anyone who can touch it, and with the name of Vella – it gives Tyen a narrative that we follow for most of the book. It’s interesting to see how is character grows and develops over the course of the title and how he struggles with his choice to keep Vella a secret. Like all secrets, even the most well kept ones – they’re bound to come out sooner or later.

It isn’t long before we meet Rielle, and the differences between her world and Tyen’s come quickly. Whilst like Tyen, both of them are unfortunately and annoyingly naive in places, her world doesn’t ban magic and its inhabitants can use it freely. It’s interesting to see how this affects her world and the changes from Tyen’s are fascinating to see, which is great but comes at a cost, because the split between the two characters doesn’t always work. Just when you’re beginning to be invested in Tyen’s story the narrative switches to Rielle and then back again to Tyen, which can become frustrating in places especially as there’s no clear connection between the two characters.

However, if you can put that aside, then you’ll find Thief’s Magic a compelling read and hopefully the sequels will build on what this title has fleshed out for us. It’ll be great to return to this setting for sure and I can despite the problems recommend this book based on the strength of its characters and world building.

VERDICT: 8/10
...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Kirsty (Amethyst Bookwyrm) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, review, fantasy, favorites

This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me this book to review.

Tyen is a student of archaeology and magic, living in a world where all machines are powered by magic, he finds a book which used to be a person called Vella. Since Vella can read the minds of anyone she touches and has to tell the truth, she has been collecting information which some people would do anything to get their hands on This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me this book to review.

Tyen is a student of archaeology and magic, living in a world where all machines are powered by magic, he finds a book which used to be a person called Vella. Since Vella can read the minds of anyone she touches and has to tell the truth, she has been collecting information which some people would do anything to get their hands on her, Tyen must find a way to protect her. In another world where only priests are allowed to use magic, and everyone else who uses it is stealing from the Angels, Rielle has always been able to see the stain left behind when someone has used magic. But when she is attracted to a man her family does not approve of, she is worried that the corrupter’s interest in her will lead her astray and she will face the angel’s fury.

Thief’s Magic is Trudi Canavan new fantasy trilogy and I loved it as it has action, fascinating and different worlds, romance and magic. The pacing is a bit slow to start but it really picks up and I struggled to put it down. It is told from the POV of both Tyen and Rielle, and I love how different the use of magic and the worlds are, as in Rielle’s world magic is seen as something holy which only angels and priests can use, however, in Tyen’s, magic is seen as a commodity.

I liked Rielle as she was kind and always wanted to do what was right and good, however, I got annoyed that she never asked questions and always believed what she was told instead of thinking for herself. I really liked Tyen as he comes across as proper but will always do what he thinks of as right even when others are against him, and will try to help those in need. I liked Vella but I hope we get to know her better in the next book.

I can’t wait to see what happens next to Tyen and to Rielle, and see what other worlds there are out there. I would recommend Thief’s Magic to anyone who enjoys fantasy books, especially those by Trudi Canavan.
...more

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May 05, 2014 Monica rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book just needed to stick with the young man journey which was interesting. Rielle story was boring from the start and i couldnt get into it. I felt like i was reading two different fantasy novels(which rielle story was an awful fantasy). i really dont know what to make of this book which was too long because both characters just kept repeating the same thoughts in different ways which got annoying. Fantasies use to have great adventures with great characters and worlds that u could imagine ...more

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Mar 23, 2014 Lucy Hounsom rated it liked it · review of another edition

My rating: 7/10

Tyen is a student of history at the influential Academy. When he falls foul of its politics and powers, he finds himself on the run, his fate now inextricably bound to a sentient book who calls herself Vella. Rielle is a socially oppressed young woman from a well-to-do family. When she inadvertently helps the authoritative priests to capture a ‘tainted’ (a person found using illegal magic), she begins a journey that will take her far from the life she has been raised to lead. Thie ...more

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May 23, 2014 Ctgt rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Having never read a Canavan book before when I saw the inexpensive preorder price for a Kindle version I decided to take the plunge. This was one of those middle of the road type fantasy books that had some interesting ideas but lacked any real punch for me. The writing was....utilitarian, that might be the best word for her style, at least in this book. There are two primary POV, Tyen a student sorcerer/archeologist. This was one of my biggest diassapointments with the book, this combination se ...more

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Jun 04, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Full Review: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2014/0...

Sometimes I really crave a good character driven book. I want to experience the story from the central character, feel and understand them, get inside their head. This was exactly that (plus magic and a cool new world). True there are two POVs in this, but they are actually self-contained stories with no intersection or overlap. Yet.

I know not everyone is a fan of books that start as pretty much multiple stories that have no known connection f ...more

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Oct 28, 2015 gio rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, abandoned-series

1.5

I. Give. Up.

I made it to the 83 percent of the book, but I can't keep reading when I have no interest of whatsoever when it comes to the story and the characters both.

The biggest problem I had was how flat the book is. I've read much worse over the years, but if a book is so flat that it can't hold my interest I can't give it more than 1.5 stars. I don't know if the final 20 percent is actually good, but the point is: a good chunk of the book made me completely uninterested in finishing this ...more

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May 14, 2014 Katharine (Ventureadlaxre) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review, read-2014, aurealis-awards-2014

‘Thief’s Magic’ by Trudi Canavan is the first in the Millennium’s Rule series. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems that this series is set in the same world as her previous series, The Black Magician trilogy and Traitor Spy – though perhaps in a world that has has become more developed.

We see a world that is currently in an industrial revolution that is powered by magic – there are machines, but they need a skilled man of magic to power them. Tyen is currently studying at the academy, worried th ‘Thief’s Magic’ by Trudi Canavan is the first in the Millennium’s Rule series. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems that this series is set in the same world as her previous series, The Black Magician trilogy and Traitor Spy – though perhaps in a world that has has become more developed.

We see a world that is currently in an industrial revolution that is powered by magic – there are machines, but they need a skilled man of magic to power them. Tyen is currently studying at the academy, worried that this is the life that awaits him – he would much prefer to be an adventurer, or, failing that, teach history at the academy. It is on an adventure with Professor Kilraker of archaeology that Tyen discovers a seemingly disappointing book. It’s not even jewel-encrusted or gold-embellished, and is even empty when he first opens it… that is until, words start appearing on the page.

The words tell him that the book is in fact made from human skin, hair, bones and tendons, and contains the spirit and thoughts of a woman called Vella, who was transformed into a book by one of history’s most powerful and feared sorcerers of their history. As long as the book is touching human skin, Vella is awake and aware, and able to absorb all knowledge from the person. She is already a wealth of knowledge, though sadly lacking the last few hundred years while she was trapped in the tomb Tyen discovered her in.

From there, Tyen’s life is turned upside down. He must give all discoveries to the Academy, but thinking of giving up Vella is a hard thing to come to terms with. When the Academy discover her existence, they think her evil for the secrets she could so easily gather, and then pass on without hindrance. Then when she goes missing from the vault she’s kept in, Tyen’s set up to take the fall… and with his future at stake, soon there’s only a few options left open to him…

Throughout the novel, it switches between that of two characters – Tyen, as described above, and then also Rielle, a girl situated elsewhere (they never meet in the novel) who, as a female, leads a life of rules and guidance, whether it be from her family or the priests that rule the land. Coming from a family of artisans she’s considered little more than worthless from the rich girls her age she must mingle with, but as her family are wealthy, she is held above the truly dirty, and is pushed from all sides to do the right thing at all times in order to keep her family’s name in good standing. That is, at least, until she meets a very good looking man, who is unfortunately, also an artist.

Combine the above with the fact she has a talent for magic, even though to use magic itself is considered to be stealing from the Angels, and we have an unfortunate life for Rielle. It truly doesn’t seem like a good land to be a woman, especially one that can use magic, and see the taint it leaves behind.

Overall this is a rollicking start to a new series by Canavan, who writes books that are hard to put down and easy to read in one sitting. One minor quibble I have is for a plot point in Rielle’s life, that seems to happen too suddenly without the build-up required. By the time the effects of the plot point are in motion, I found it hard to believe it was actually happening, as it seemed to have come on too easily as though nothing dramatic was really happening. It seemed like a little more writing was needed in between, that may have been cut to get Rielle from one stage in her life onto the next within a few pages.

Other than that, the characters were interesting and very enjoyable, and it’ll be interesting to see how they meet eventually. Really, there were two stories in this book as Rielle and Tyen don’t intersect at all.

The next book in the series is slated to be called Angel of Storms to be released in 2015. Then there shall be Successor’s Son in 2016. ...more

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Mar 14, 2014 Rinn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2015, fantasy, library, review-copy

I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

Yet again, I have found a book that I really wish I had picked up earlier.

Thief’s Magic had been sat on my Kindle for a while, one of my many Netgalley requests from when I was still really getting to grips with the whole system (i.e. not thinking through what I could read and when…). Unlike some of these requests, it was one that I knew I’d get around to – the question was I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

Yet again, I have found a book that I really wish I had picked up earlier.

Thief’s Magic had been sat on my Kindle for a while, one of my many Netgalley requests from when I was still really getting to grips with the whole system (i.e. not thinking through what I could read and when…). Unlike some of these requests, it was one that I knew I’d get around to – the question was just when.

A story that features archaeology? Check. A setting that includes a magical school/university? Check. Those are pretty much the two main factors that drew me to this one, and although the archaeology element is very minor, it was a good way to set up the story and introduce the reader to Tyen and Vella. Thief’s Magic is, at its current place in the series, more like two separate stories that do not really meet, but sooner or later you know they will. Although the two points of view did not combine as I hoped, they showed two very different worlds in which magic is seen and treated in two very different ways. In Tyen’s world, magic keeps things running – literally. It pretty much does the job of electricity in our own world. It is not seen as a negative thing. In contrast, Rielle’s world sees magic as something only Angels, and their priests, can use. If anyone else uses magic, they are seen as ‘stealing’ from the angels, and are punished.

However, in both worlds the use of magic has a similar result – a black cloud or void in the area where the magic was used, the size of the cloud depending on the strength of the magic. In Rielle’s world it is known as the ‘Stain’, reflecting the negative associations with magic, whereas in Tyen’s it is just referred to as ‘Soot’, a byproduct of industry. I personally enjoy magic systems where the use of magic demands a sacrifice of some kind, such as in The Name of the Wind. Whilst the magic in Thief’s Magic did not, I have a feeling that something will come into play later on in the series that reveals what the ‘Stain’ or ‘Soot’ actually is, and it won’t be a good thing.

Whilst at the beginning of the book I much preferred Tyen’s chapters, Rielle’s really started to pick up later on, and I was just as happy to read either point of view. Tyen’s world had a sort of fantasy-steampunk feel to it, whilst Rielle’s felt more like a ‘traditional’ fantasy world. From Tyen’s chapters especially I got a real sense of exploration and adventure, and overall found Thief’s Magic to be an extremely fun read. It made me feel as though I hadn’t read a good old fashioned fantasy adventure novel in a while, and I was glad to amend that.

Strangely enough, it seems I actually picked the right time to read this – the second book in the series is due to be published next month. I will definitely be looking out for it! ...more

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Nov 03, 2018 Tommye Turner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-read

SPOILER FREE

Having purchased the third book of this series recently, I thought it was about time to read the first one. The second best part about reading this book was that when I first bought it, about 4 years ago, I must have put £25 inside it - no idea why - but it was a nice surprise!

- The best part was obviously the book itself.

To anyone who knows me, It is no secret that Trudi Canavan's fantasy is what made me fall in love with the genre. Her books are so accessible, relatable, and hav ...more

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Oct 29, 2014 Vi ~ Inkvotary rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewer-s-copy, hc, i-o-a-c, 2014-release-g

I don´t know what I expected, but maybe it was more than I got in the end from this fantasy novel.

From the beginning till the end, I was hoping and searching for at least a few answers what Trudi Canavan´s unique style looks like and why she´s called one of the best and most famous high-fantasy writers. Well, I got one answer for sure: She has an uncommon writing style.

This first book of her Millennium’s Rule trilogy seems to be one big foreplay and introduction of her main figures. Two plots wh ...more

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Oct 15, 2015 Metaphorosis rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2015-rev

3.5 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews

Tyen is a student at the Academy, the only place in the Leratian Empire where magic can be properly investigated. Rielle is the daughter of a scorned but influential family of dyers, in a land where only priests are permitted to use magic. Both run afoul of the authorities, and must try to understand how to apply their magical abilities in difficult circumstances.

I quite liked Trudi Canavan's first (Black Magicians) series, though I know some found it overly roman 3.5 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews

Tyen is a student at the Academy, the only place in the Leratian Empire where magic can be properly investigated. Rielle is the daughter of a scorned but influential family of dyers, in a land where only priests are permitted to use magic. Both run afoul of the authorities, and must try to understand how to apply their magical abilities in difficult circumstances.

I quite liked Trudi Canavan's first (Black Magicians) series, though I know some found it overly romantic. Her second trilogy (Age of Five) was less compelling, and I skipped the third (Traitor Spy) completely.

In this latest offering, the first in the Millennium's Rule trilogy, Canavan treads familiar ground. Very familiar; in fact the first book has a very formulaic feel to it. Young people, oppression, misunderstanding, romance. The writing is generally quite good, but there are very few surprises in this novel. It's been slightly updated to include a nod to steampunk, and slightly more sex, but otherwise, it's ground we (and Ms. Canavan) have trodden before. Even the societal pressures (girls must marry, raise children, not speak; creative types are poor but happy) are from some decades back.

The book is further weakened by a particularly limp magic system. Not everyone can (or should) be Brandon Sanderson, with a painstakingly (sometimes painfully) logical mechanism for magic. But, aside from an interesting innovation on depletion and creation of magic (inconsistently applied), Canavan doesn't even do much hand-waving. It's the kind of magic where you just exert your will and things happen. That can be fine as well, but when magic is easy, there must be limitations or consequences. Here, there are social barriers, but few magical rules. There's a strong feeling that the rules are at the convenience of the author, rather than having any kind of internal logic. Some of the non-magic elements were equally non-credible or inconsistent. It makes for disappointing and unfulfilling reading.

These limitations are a shame, because otherwise, Canavan is generally a good writer (leaving aside some awkward infodumps). The characters are (within their tired settings) interesting, and the story ends with plenty of things that call for exploration. If Canavan had taken the time to try for something a little fresher, the story could have been very good. As it is, it's a decent but not compelling entry in the generic fantasy ranks; one that suggests Canavan either hasn't grown as an author, or isn't really trying.
...more

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Apr 05, 2014 ♥ Unaeve ♥ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

http://unaeve.blogspot.com/

I was so happy when i found out about this new series, because her Black Magician trilogy
is on the top of my favorite books.
So i am very thankful to the Orbit publisher for providing me the book.

In this story we actually follow to story's. One is about Tyen, the magic and archeology student
and the second is about Rielle the daughter of a good-standing dye-works family.

And this to stories are very different, and they never meet each other, never intercept. Ah well, mayb ...more

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Sep 24, 2014 Blodeuedd Finland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

It was different, but then fantasy mixed with industrialism always is. Flying cars + magic, makes it different.

The book has 2 POVS, 2 worlds. First there is Tyen, a student of magic and sometimes archaeologist (well grave robber). Here they use magic for a lot as technology has made it into the world, but not by its own means, but by magic. Tyen was somewhat grey at times, he was a follower, but he finds his way. And grows a bit of backbone.

The other world was actually more interesting. Here pr ...more

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May 30, 2015 Casey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2010s, 21st-century-australian

Thief’s Magic is the first book by Trudi Canavan I have read, and it is the first in a new trilogy. There is an interesting story and world here that did keep me reading, but the execution felt flat. The story is split between two main characters: Tyen and Rielle. Both live in different worlds in their universe and their lives do not intersect. By the end of the book, it seems that there is a chance they may have an opportunity to meet at some point in the future, but it’s not definite.

The reade ...more

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Jan 16, 2014 Crini rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2014, g-fantasy, amazing-worldbuilding

Originally posted at All About Books

It was not easy for me to rate this book and I’m still sad to only be able to give it 3 stars and not more. When I started reading Thief’s Magic I was sure I was going to love this story. The first few pages made me all excited, I enjoyed the story and loved the setting. Sadly only one half of this book, only one of the two POVs made me feel this way, the other half was rather boring.

+ Two very different POVs
Tyen and Rielle, the two main characters of this sto Originally posted at All About Books

It was not easy for me to rate this book and I’m still sad to only be able to give it 3 stars and not more. When I started reading Thief’s Magic I was sure I was going to love this story. The first few pages made me all excited, I enjoyed the story and loved the setting. Sadly only one half of this book, only one of the two POVs made me feel this way, the other half was rather boring.

+ Two very different POVs
Tyen and Rielle, the two main characters of this story live in two completely different worlds, literally. Their societies have different views on all things magic and who is allowed to use it. It was interesting to see the two distinct views on these societies and learn about the lives of these two characters. I enjoyed reading from Tyen’s POV a whole lot. He is an interesting character and he experiences exciting things in this story. It was fun to follow his adventure and learn the things he finds out about the past of these worlds. Rielle on the other hand was a very boring character in my opinion. She has no depth and her story wasn’t interesting enough for my taste. Where Tyen’s story was all about the magic and finding out about new things, learn new magic, hers was more about a girl whose parents want to see her get married and her of course falling for the wrong guy. At least she made some new friends I liked a lot and who were interesting to read about. If this book has been only Tyen’s story I would have given it 5 stars without missing a beat. Switching to Rielle’s story always made me want to stop reading or rushing through her part just to get back to Tyen’s story as fast as possible again.

+ Awesome worldbuilding
I have read quite a few books about magic now and love that Trudi Canavan can still make me excited about it. Trudi Canavan created an interesting magic system that was not new but with the societies and how they deal with magic, it has something unique about it. Here again, I liked Tyen’s world a lot more than Rielle’s.
What made me all excited right from the start was this steampunk like setting mixed with magic. The combination of the two made for a unique and thrilling story and came with new aspects, a lot of things to discover.
Rielle’s world on the other hand is about magic being forbidden because they see its use as stealing from the angels. Sounded like another interesting concept to me, sadly made for a rather boring story though with the lack of magic. Her world still had some aspects about it that caught my attention but it was never like Tyen’s world, that was fascinating.

+ Two different worlds, like reading 2 different books
On the one hand I loved that Trudi Canavan created not only one world, but multiple and shows us two of them. I didn’t mind switching between these two worlds, but it was definitely weird at first. The problem is that it felt like reading two completely different books. As if I switched one book for another when it switched POVs. That’s not only because of the different worlds but also because of something I have never experienced like this with multiple POVs: no time passes at all in one character’s story while reading about the other’s, especially with as long as these parts always were.

Had this story solely been about Tyen and his world, this would have been a raving review about me loving this book. His world that combines technology with magic made me all excited and his story was an adventure I had fun reading about. Sadly this book is also about Rielle who I didn’t really care about. Her story was flat and predictable and I was annoyed by her as a character. I’m still excited to see were this story is going and to learn more about the Millennium’s rule, something that has only been mentioned briefly so far but hopefully gets a lot more attention in the next book. ...more

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Sep 03, 2013 Natalie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014, netgalley

I received this ARC through net-galley to review and give my honest opinion.

Woah Trudi canavan has done it again, another amazing book. I have loved Trudi canavan since the age of 14. Remember reading the black magician's trilogy all those years back and absolutely loving it. It quickly became one of my favourite trilogies even to this day. Even now I always recommend any Trudi canavan books, because honestly there has never been a bad book.
Yet again another extremely imaginative world Canavan I received this ARC through net-galley to review and give my honest opinion.

Woah Trudi canavan has done it again, another amazing book. I have loved Trudi canavan since the age of 14. Remember reading the black magician's trilogy all those years back and absolutely loving it. It quickly became one of my favourite trilogies even to this day. Even now I always recommend any Trudi canavan books, because honestly there has never been a bad book.
Yet again another extremely imaginative world Canavan is the best at world building. This is a very Canavan book, true to form it has the usual trademarks. This book though is still very much a book in it's own world literally. The universe is big there's many world's in this book. I like how there's lots of twists on problems we have in the real world. Put in a magical world with a twist.
The magic system is very different but really creative. Magic is like how we are burning through fossil fuels at the moment. So was a clever twist based on the very real problems we have now.
I'm not going to go too much into plot as I think, it's better going in to this not knowing.
What I love though is how Canavan writes her female character's. She just has a knack for strong female character's.
I also loved how this book is basically two books running along side each other in this universe. This book is told from two POV's and I don't normally like that. But in this book it worked really well. I liked both character's and was intrigued by both stories. Which also normally doesn't happen. Canavan is just a very talented writer and makes you feel for every single character. I liked how this was told from two opposing viewpoints gave us a full picture of this world.
The writing as usual is poetic and just flows so well I'am never bored I'm just sucked in straight away from page one.
Yes for some people these books will appear slow but that's just her style, and I personally love the build up for things to come.
As usual another amazing start to another, trilogy which will proberly be up there with the black magician trilogy.
I have given this four stars but I will be rating this more towards 4.5.
If you have never read a trudi canavan book this is a good place to start as she's on top form with this latest instalment.
Can't wait until I get my physical copy thank you for letting me read this early.. ...more

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Jun 17, 2014 Dorian rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books

In a steampunk-ish world, where such things as aircarts and railsleds are powered by magic, Tyen is a student of archaeology and sorcery (though frankly, archaeology here is merely a term used to dignify grave-robbing). As the story opens, he finds a book that turns out to be sentient, holding the mind of a several-thousand-year-old sorceress named Vella. Tyen chooses to hide Vella from the Academy authorities (to whom he is supposed to turn over all treasure found on a dig), but soon enough the ...more

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Mar 31, 2014 IndigoBlue rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fave

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I love reading fantasy and science fiction. I especially love reading well-written fantasy and science fiction. Trudi Canavan writes extremely well and is a truly gifted author; this book bears testament to her astounding talent.

This book is the first of a new series - the Millennium’s Rule Trilogy. It follows the main characters - Tyen - an archaeology student and Rielle - a dyer’s daughter. There’s also a third main (fabulous!) character - Vella, the sentient bo ...more

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Mar 31, 2017 Lynxie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: smirk-worthy, 3-star-review, aussie-authors, fantasy, netgalley, aww2017, a-z-challenge-2017

Thief's Magic is the first Trudi Canavan book I've read, and while I enjoyed the world created, the overall pace was plodding which made the read a bit more of a struggle than I expected.

I am intrigued enough to continue with the series, just not any time soon. 500+ pages is enough for anyone.

Using two main characters, Rielle and Tyen, in alternating sections, both in different locations meant a lot of ground was covered.

The supporting cast was varied and consisted of a good mix of good, bad an ...more

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Nov 18, 2017 Chris rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf, fbr-group-buddy-reads, physical-books-that-i-own

So I'm going to DNF this book on the comment of: "It's not you, it's me!" I was REALLY enjoying the opening story line with Tyen and his mysterious book artifact. We had secrecy, buddy interactions, corruption, theft, man hunts, it was awesome! I had so many questions that I was hoping to be answered and then the author took that thrill ride on a detour trip through "romanceville"... OH lordy, that's just not my thing! I don't mind a little romance in my novels because it can play an important r ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Thief's Magic [Nov 2017]	58	49	Nov 21, 2017 12:38PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Fantasy, two storylines; Male student of a magic university finds sentient book; Young woman trying to hide her magic in a town with magic outlawed [s]	4	27	Dec 07, 2015 07:55AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Fantasy/Steam Punk Book From 2014? Sentient Book found in Tomb at beginning made from human skin/hair. [s]	4	23	Oct 02, 2015 11:44AM
The Magician's Guild: Thief's Magic (Millennium #1)	51	54	Apr 04, 2015 12:22AM
The Not a Book Cl...: TM: Part 8 - Rielle	2	16	Jun 27, 2014 09:40PM
The Not a Book Cl...: TM: Part 4 - Rielle	4	15	Jun 20, 2014 03:59PM

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About Trudi Canavan

Trudi Canavan

5,775 followers

Trudi Canavan was born in Kew, Melbourne and grew up in Ferntree Gully, a suburb at the foothills of the Dandenongs.

In 1999 she won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story with “Whispers of the Mist Children”. In the same year she was granted a writers residency at Varuna Writers’ Centre in Katoomba, New South Wales.

In November 2001, The Magicians’ Guild was first published in Australia. T ...more