An Illusion of Thieves

This awkward debut novel builds a complex world of political intrigue and magic, but slow pacing and a lack of focus on the central plot make for a slow start to a larger series. In the mythical land of Costa Drago, Romy of Lizard’s Alley must give up her life as the courtesan of the city’s leader, il Padroné, to save her family from being put to death as punishment for her brother’s use of forbidden magic. In addition, Romy must learn to control her own powers in order to stop a plot against her former lover. While the details of the setting are intriguing, so much time is spent building it that the “epic plot” to overthrow il Padroné feels like an afterthought with no real risk of succeeding. Romy has hardly used her magic, but command of it comes easily when she needs it to. The magical team Romy assembles is strong, but their magical abilities are not clear; meanwhile, no effort is spared to describe the colors of the various nobles’ livery. Readers who enjoy European-style secondary worlds and don’t mind slow pacing will appreciate this tale of illegal magic and hope the sequels do more to develop the characters. (May)