The Magic Thief: Lost

In this thrilling sequel to The Magic Thief, Conn, ""a gutterboy from the streets of Twilight,"" continues to seek solutions and instead finds trouble. Still the unconventional apprentice of Nevery Flinglas, Magister of Wellmet, Conn, having lost his ""locus magicalicus"" (the stone that allows him to commune with the magic), is forced to improvise when his hometown is threatened by the sorcerer-king Aspeling. To further complicate matters, Conn gets exiled from Wellmet for using pyrotechnics, the Dutchess's daughter is in danger and Conn's ""embero"" spell turns him into bird instead of a cat. Conn has a heart of gold, but struggles with his past reputation as a thief, and his reluctance to work with a partner holds him back (""I wasn't sure, exactly, what diplomacy was""). Like its predecessor, this story is interspersed with letters and journal entries, as well as skillful etchings, giving readers an intimacy with the characters. Eloquent and suspenseful, this follow-up doesn't disappoint. Ages 10-up.