City of Stolen Magic

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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 author, The Girl Who Stole an Elephant 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, review: a critique of City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak, review: a critique

Hair was what princesses worried about, but in real life, it got in your eyes and mouth… Chompa threw the scarf aside. She was never going to be a princess. And she didn’t want to be one, either. She was something far more powerful. She was a witch.” I loved the magic system, and the distinction between finger magic and written charms, djinn born versus djinn speakers. The latter are people who can communicate with Djinn who are trapped and bound to some natural element. One of the characters, Tipu, talks to a Djinn called Aaliya trapped by a palm tree (and later a date stone) and forced to do his will. Tipu promises to free her but first she has to do magic for him. Tipu is one of our heroes, one of the children exploited for their magical ability, and Aaliya helps the good side. I though it was an interesting addition to the story, raising the question regarding whether his actions (albeit on a much smaller and kinder scale) really differ from the villains.Plot wise I thought the story was fantastic. There is enough danger here for it to feel like a real adventure, but without being too graphic or scary for younger readers. The magic systems are really well described, and I particularly enjoyed that we get to see several different types of magic and how they worked. There is a lot of detail in the world building, and it really helped to bring the story to life. The discussion of colonialism also felt a bit jumbled. I definitely think fantasy can be used to comment on really world issues, but something about the way the magic was incorporated in this case felt like it obscured the actual atrocities that the British committed in India – again, I can’t really verbalise why, but it just didn’t work for me. When Chompa sets out to prove herself to Ammi (her mother), her bravado leads to a horrendous accident. Soon, the agents of the Company take Ammi away. The story takes place in the past and it starts in the then Bengal province of India, which was under British rule. Now the story, the characters and the magic are fictional. But this story is most definitely inspired by true historic events and is well researched, like the Bengal famines and people forcefully being taken to another country. This is a story for children, so the true horrors of the past are of course not mentioned. But enough is said to make this painful part of history come to life.

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

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. India, 1855. The British rule, and all across the country, Indian magic is being stamped out. More terrifying still, people born with magic are being snatched from their homes. Rumor is that they are being taken across the sea - to England - by the all-powerful, sinister Company. I LOVE a good middle grade but because the story is told by Chompa's POV as a VERY young girl, it feels almost a bit... Too young... For me 🌸

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I thought all of the characters were well developed to be honest. Chompa is the one we get to know the best being the protagonist, but the others were still detailed enough for them to have their own personalities and be strong characters in their own rights.

City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak - Google Play City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak - Google Play

Chompa is certain that she is ready to perform finger magic. But her mother keeps insisting that it’s not safe and that she should focus on learning charm writing. 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'.

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. Note: Since this is a children’s book, I think it is important to let readers know that the story includes a death scene. City of Stolen Magic is a middle-grade fantasy novel that weaves together magic, colonial history, and secrets. I love a good middle-grade fiction and was happy to see that this is yet another children’s story that is meaningful to people of all ages. 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.