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.

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

The author’s writing style is vivid, emphatic, and full of cultural significance. It creates the perfect atmosphere of adventure and magic, drawing you further into the story and its many layers. Chompa and her mother live in a small village in India in 1855. The country is under British rule, and magical people are being kidnapped across the country in an effort to stamp out the magic so feared by the British. Chompa doesn't understand why her mother forbids her to use her finger magic, not realising the dangers, until one night when her mother is taken. Realising her mother has been kidnapped by the all powerful Company, Chompa is heartbroken and alone as she sets out on a journey to try and rescue her.

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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. Yara’s life is thrown into disarray when, following the death of her mother, she learns that they’re from Zehaira, a kingdom of sorcerers, alchemists and magic. In this compelling fantasy adventure, Yara bravely embarks on a dangerous quest to save her magical homeland. I won the physical copy in the giveaway and so it's really special for me. First things first the book cover is beautiful ❤️. 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.

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

More terrifying still, people born with magic are being snatched from their homes. Rumour is that they are being taken across the sea - to England - by the all-powerful, sinister Company. However, I found it challenging to connect with the main character, Chompa. The story is narrated from the perspectives of both Chompa and Tipu, and Tipu's story is more engaging. There's also a twist that was quite predictable. Nazneen Ahmed Pathak is an author that is going to make a mesmerising contribution to children’s literature. You will be under Chompa's spell immediately.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. This is a charming and delightful children's book , I loved howit was full of family and friendship, with such a beautiful mother daughter relationship. I also appreciated the emphasis on colonialism and the British Empire affect and injustices they imposed. So refreshing to read the truth and hopefully many more to follow When Chompa discovers that people born with magic are being transported to England by the sinister, all-powerful ‘Company’, she knows she must follow. Within a few cliffhanger chapters, she has found herself on a perilous quest through Victorian London, during which she starts to untangle the truth surrounding her father, and discover where the true limits of her magic lie. I also have a soft spot for Tipu, who proved he could stand up for himself and was an amazing and kind-hearted friend.