Thief’s Magic

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