The Magic Theif, Books One and Two by Sarah Prineas: Find Your Locus

When I saw that author Sarah Prineas was offering a signed copy of her most recent book, The Magic Thief: Lost to anyone willing to post a review of it on their blog and on the major book seller sites, I jumped at it, and besides which ran out to buy the first book.  After all, it's a Middle Grade secondary world fantasy with a steampunk slant.  Right there it pushes a lot of my favorite literary buttons.

Conn is a street smart thief from Wellmet's downtrodden Twilight district.  He knows he's lucky.  The Underlord may have put a word out on him and he might be poor as dirt, but he isn't dead yet, or crippled, or sick.  And he has Quick Hands.  So when a well dressed man walks close by, he reaches into his purse and grabs a whole mess of trouble, because the man is a wizard, and stealing from a wizard isn't something anyone wants to do unless they also want to die...

( All in all, not a bad system. If you live on the Sunrise side of the river. )

When Conn needs to find a new way to talk to the Magic, he takes on some of Nevery's bad habits and starts experimenting with Pyrotechnics.  People are turning to stone, and Wellmet's Magic is under attack.  But if he gets caught, he could be exiled, or worse...

( It sounded like somebody sighing, far, far away, alas, alas, alas. )

All told, I think I will probably contrive a way to get my hands on the last book.