City of Stolen Magic

Product Information

This imaginative debut novel is bursting with dynamic characters, atmospheric locations and a fast-paced plot. There are also parallels with real historical events, when Britain colonised India and exploited its people and riches, resulting in widespread poverty, famine and enslavement. I also have a soft spot for Tipu, who proved he could stand up for himself and was an amazing and kind-hearted friend.

City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, review: a critique of City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, review: a critique

I won the physical copy in the giveaway and so it's really special for me. First things first the book cover is beautiful ❤️. Sir Clive Devaynes (names derived from real people from the East India Company) of the “East Merchant Company” is collecting them for a nefarious purpose. I can’t quite put my finger on what was wrong with this book, but I was just bored by it. It took me two full weeks to finish, which is incredibly unusual for me for a middle grade novel of this length, and I considered DNFing it multiple times, despite knowing I was reading it for review. The story just dragged, and I found Chompa herself really irritating.

I loved how there was more than one kind of magic in the story, and each character had different skills and strengths and every one of them was important in how the action played out. This story was a lovely and impactful read, the plot itself being very fast paced with twists and turns along the way.. Chompa is a flawed but relatable character, particularly for children, she is impulsive (as children tend to be) and this impulsivity does lead to negative consequences that she then works tirelssly to fix, even when the adults around her seem to think it impossible. Chompa her determination and resourcefulness to her advantage and making sacrifices to help others.

City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak | Goodreads City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak | Goodreads

Disclaimer: I did read the book with the eye of an adult, rather than that of a teenager, which I suspect is the targeted audience. This is too bad, because I enjoy the genre and was unaware of this age limitation. Yet, I stand by my assessment as I do believe it is possible to both achieve depth in character and play with the rhythm and pace of a book, without losing the calm simplicity that flows throughout. The author does an incredible job of weaving Indian Culture with magic. Is such a good story to introduce white children to Indian culture. Or even just show Indian children that they are represented and seen. I’m a white reader, and I learnt too much about my friends culture just from reading this book. I sent one of the paragraphs where Chompa talks about how unseasoned the British food was to one of those friends and we had a good laugh because that’s a little joke between us about how bland white food is. Chompa is a brilliant lead and one I think a lot of readers will resonate with. She doesn't understand her mother's rules at the start which I think is something that children everywhere will identify with! She grows to be a strong character though, and one who will do everything she can to protect and help her friends and family. I enjoyed seeing her friendships with Tipu, Laurie and Leeza blossom. What i liked about the story is the magic system where we get to learn about djinnspeakers and djinnborn children. How they can work with different elements and djinns. I also really loved the Author's note as it shows what inspired the author to write the scenes in the book which were related to the British rule and the racism, theft and the slavery faced by the Indians and also other minorities.I loved this book! It's a wonderful exploration of magic and also friendship, perfect for younger readers. When Chompa uses her finger-magic to light a fire, little does she know that she has started a series of events that will endanger the lives of many. When her mother is kidnapped, Chompa uses the magic she was always forbidden from using to try and rescue her. But she will learn that not everyone can be trusted and that using her powerful magic comes at a price… I also really enjoyed the way magic was handled in this, the pull for Chompa between Ammi's traditional writing magic and her seemingly more powerful "finger magic" was compelling and helped add to Chompa's character arc.

City of Stolen Magic | BookTrust City of Stolen Magic | BookTrust

On the day Chompa disregards the warning against using her finger magic, her Ammi (mother) tries to quell it and is discovered and taken away. The book has a captivating premise, with a well-crafted magic system and a rich setting. Among the many characters, my personal favorites were Tipu and Laurie. Their duo was the best thing in the book. The concepts of djinn-borns and djinn speakers, finger magic, and written charms were fascinating. The author beautifully portrayed the friendships between the characters and the mother-daughter relationship. It effectively reflects the cruelty and exploitation of colonialism through the lens of magic. An unexpected gem of a story . . . A stellar setting, a gut-punch of a twist, and an unforgettable heroine. This has all the hallmarks of classic children's storytelling' - Nizrana Farook This book is pitched for 9-14, and I agree: it has the complexity for upper middle grade and a further layer of stolen magic as a voice for India’s colonized past. However I did find that I was more invested in side characters stories than the main characters. By the 60% mark I was missing Tupu and his story which I found more interesting than Chompa’s story. I think it may have been because I didn’t really gel with Chompa as a character as much as I did with Tipu or Laurie. Which I must mention, Laurie’s sarcasm made the book that much more enjoyable for me. But I think my disconnection with Chompa despite her emotional journey in the book is because the book seems to treat Chompa as older than she is. In the first like 10 chapters I thought she was a teenager maybe 17. Turns out she’s still a child, which I should have expected since the book is middle grade. But the writing of the book left her age ambiguous when it wasn’t explicitly mentioned. Maybe this is because Chompa saw herself as older than she was but considering it’s third person and not first person that message got a little lost in execution.

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Chompa lives with her mother in a small village in India. Her mother is teaching her to write charms and learn her Farsi, whilst sternly encouring Chompa to never use her 'finger magic'. With the help of an old friend, Chompa goes off after her, traveling on a fast ship powered by a tree djinn. For Chompa and others like her are djinnborn or djinnspeakers, able to think or write words to do magic and manipulate the elements. The magic system and world-building are explained gradually. I was really excited to see how the various characters in the book would wield their powers in the fight against the colonial rulers.