I once thought that I enjoyed reading epic fantasies - you know books with characters (like sorcerer, priests, and thieves) and storylines that could be pulled from a game of Dungeons and Dragons. But the more I read the more I find them seeming all too much the same, as if they were, well, characters and storylines pulled from a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

In Trudi Canavan's Thief's Magic, the first book in a series, we find a world just entering its industrial revolution and, like most fantasy books, this revolution is powered by magic. Here we meet Tyen, an archaeology student who uncovers a special book. Special because it's a living, intelligent item.

Here in this world we also meet Rielle, raised in a community run by priests. Rielle is taught to wield magic. She is aware that she has the ability to steal from the Angels, and there is someone willing to teach her how to do this, but she's not certain she wants to risk the wrath of the Angels.

These two come together and ... no, wait ... these two don't come together! These are two separate stories. Canavan seems to be setting up the reader by showing different looks at how magic is seen and used in this world. Why? Perhaps that's addressed in another book.

Aside from the fact that the two storylines don't merge, which is unique, this is a very unremarkable book. In a library full of fantasies there isn't anything here to make it stand out. It wasn't a terrible book, it wasn't a great book. It's just yet another fantasy.

I don't read a lot of epic fantasies like this anymore, though I do have a few in my ARC queue, and this is part of the reason for that. These characters are only slightly unique (an archaeology student was kind of a nice twist) and the world itself could be pulled from or dropped into any one of a dozen similar books and you wouldn't notice the difference.

Looking for a good book? Trudy Canavan's Thief's Magic is a fantasy that reads like many other epic fantasy adventure books and unless you are a fan of Canavan's other books, there's nothing here to recommend.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

A great addition to the High Fantasy genre, which is a favorite of mine. I love stepping out of our contemporary world and into a fictional land. With fantasy novels anything is possible; I love the magic, politics and mystery. This story had them all.

This is a book of two tales: one centered on a student of history and magic whose life is turned upside-down by the discovery of an ancient artifact, the other on a girl living everyday life while trying to ignore her abilities in a society that bans magic. There are friendships and betrayals, forbidden love and mysterious religious figures, nasty peers and kindly older mentors

The magical system/theory in this book is very interesting, as magic is drawn from your surroundings, which in itself isn’t that new, but when you take magic it leaves soot/stain behind, as all the magic is taken from that area. It’s great that throughout the book we see a few different societies, and while each one has to deal with the diminishing of magic, each one handles the use of magic differently. While it's nothing groundbreaking, Canavan's style is appealing and I'm very much looking forward to how the concept of the "Millenium's Rule" will bring this tale of two magicians together.

Trudi Canavan always write stories that are gripping and immersive. I've lost count of how many of her tales I've read but each one is just as exciting. The world is so incredibly cool and watching the characters grow is always so much fun.

Tyen, a sorcerer-archaeologist student at the Academy in Leretia discovers a mysterious book on a archaeology dig. He knows he should turn it in but first he wants to study it – only this isn’t any ordinary book. Vella was once a live woman, transformed by a famous sorcerer long ago into a book that records any information it receives from its holder whether spoken or thought and must answer any question they ask – assuming, of course, that someone else has given Vella the information sought.

Rielle lives in Fyre, a world where magic is forbidden to everyone but priests, all of whom are men. For anyone else, using it is considered stealing from the angels and, if caught, are first humiliated publicly and then disappear. All of her life, she has had to hide the fact that she can see Stain or ‘the taint that magic left behind’. But the temptation to use it may be too strong for her to ignore especially when she falls in love with an artist, a man her parents disapprove of.

Both of these people will discover that everything they thought they knew about their lands, magic, and the people they thought they could trust may be a lie; both will find themselves on the wrong side of their societal rules and will be forced to leave their homes, the only lands they have ever known, on the threat of death. The book is divided between the two stories, going back and forth as their lives follow similar but separate paths.

Thief’s Magic by author Trudi Canavan is the first book in the Milennium’s Rule trilogy and the first book I have read by this author. Canavan has created two interesting worlds, one secular, one religious, both deeply flawed. Of the two main protagonists, I must confess I much preferred Tyen: he is resourceful, intelligent, curious, and capable of making independent choices. Rielle, on the other hand, is less interesting at least for much of the novel: most of her decisions are based on what others want for her and she is constantly worrying about these decisions, many of which she should worry about because many of them seem somewhat arbitrary and just a means to move her story along. In simple terms, I guess, Tyen acts while Rielle reacts. Still, if they are not equally engaging, they are equally likeable and I look forward to seeing how their disparate stories work out and, I’m guessing, merge.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It is well-written and kept my interest throughout. As in most series, this first book ends on a cliffhanger and I will definitely be reading book two.

Thief's Magic is the first Trudi Canavan book I've read, and while I enjoyed the world created, the overall pace was plodding which made the read a bit more of a struggle than I expected.

I am intrigued enough to continue with the series, just not any time soon. 500+ pages is enough for anyone.

Using two main characters, Rielle and Tyen, in alternating sections, both in different locations meant a lot of ground was covered.

The supporting cast was varied and consisted of a good mix of good, bad and indifferent characters. I particularly enjoyed the women from the West and Tyen's little created beetle.

I imagine Rielle and Tyen will cross paths at some point in the next book/s but I am unsure how this will be done. I look forward to exploring that thread of the story.

I was reading an unproofed NetGalley copy of the book, so wasn't keeping tabs on the typos and editing issues (there were a lot!) I can only hope that the editing team did a good job of the final product.

Overall, a slow but intriguing read.

**Note: I was provided an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review.**