City of Stolen Magic
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
A spellbinding, epic and heart-racing magical adventure from an exquisite new storytelling talent.
'Ahmed Pathak is a wonderful new voice; the book took her years to write, and it shows in the depth and care of each beat of the story' - Katherine Rundell
'A wonderful writer who paints a thoroughly convincing heroine' - The Daily Telegraph
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. Rumour is that they are being taken across the sea - to England - by the all-powerful, sinister Company.
When Chompa's home is attacked and her mother viciously kidnapped, Chompa - born with powerful and dangerous magic that she has always been forbidden from using - must travel to the smoky, bustling streets of East London in search of her. But Chompa will discover far more treachery in London than she had bargained for - and will learn that every act of her rare magic comes with a price . . .
'Cracking pace, fabulous magic system, characters, relationships . . . The whole package' - Louie Stowell
'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
'Phenomenal' - Sophie Anderson
'Dazzling from start to finish' - Abi Elphinstone
'A gripping and spellbinding fantasy woven together with threads of magic, secrets and colonial history . . . An incredible cast of characters and a truly multicultural Victorian London that we don't see often enough' - Rashmi Sirdeshpande
'A wonderfully vibrant debut . . . A vivid magical adventure' - Jasbinder Bilan
Customer Reviews
Don’t give up
I struggled at first with the writing style being a visual person and there are no visual descriptions to help set the scene, which I feel is a wasted opportunity, as India is the richest of scenery to imagine. However once the story leads to London which I know well, I didn’t need the help to visualise it and the story became richer and more intense and action packed as it went on. I love that the writer used real events to base parts of her story on as this creates many opportunities for learning, empathy and growth in both adult and child readers alike. I’m glad I persisted with this book, for I have learned a lot from it and enjoyed the rollercoaster of the story of the protagonist. Knowing now that the writer is trying to bring awareness to certain events in history and issues that still stand, I look forward reading more of her books, now that I know what to expect.