Crow: Thief of Magic

The author has a vivid imagination and writes well. The magical world she describes is convincingly rich and strange. Twelve-year-old Crow, a street urchin existing through petty crime, has a new chance when he is chosen to work for Victor. He is an elderly and seemingly benign expert at making and then bottling dreams, both good and bad, which can then be marketed for those who wish to experience them.  But can he be fully trusted and why does the ghost of a past apprentice warn Crow to be watchful?  In addition to these worries their mythical town of Starsgard is threatened by an approaching planet which may have the power to unleash the dreaded mara.  This vindictive force is out to destroy everything in its path and must never get in the wrong hands. Crow also has some dangerous human enemies out to drag him back into thieving.

Lots to be getting on with, then, and Crow also worries about his mates still living a precarious existence while he is now having it easy. Readers will know that Crow is very concerned here because his creator Fiona Dixon has told them so, not just once but many times over.  This over-intrusive authorial presence stops characters from ever progressing from two-dimensions, denied a strong inner voice of their own that would lend them a true sense of personality. But there is still much to enjoy, with street fairs in true Harry Potter style offering ‘Griffin feathers, mermaid scales and freshly collected unicorn tears.’ By the end villains are finally beaten, and as for dreamcatcher Victor, sadly the ghost was right. If there is to be a sequel, I hope this talented author will this time allow her characters adequate room to speak and think for themselves.