The Thief of Farrowfell Written by Ravena Guron. Reviewed by Mafoya, Age 11

Colourful. Vibrant. Magical. These are not only words that describe this book cover of ‘The Thief of Farrowfell’, they also describe its story. Welcome to Farrowfell, a magical haven filled with thieves and con artists.

In Farrowfell, magic isn’t some Hocus-Pocus-Alakazam fire out of your hands kind of thing. Oh no. Magic is solid, valuable. And to impress her grandfather, our protagonist Jude Ripon steals the most valuable magic of all which is, unfortunately, protected by a magical jinx. One only she can break. In a world where nothing is as it seems, will she succeed? Or will this curse plague her and her family forever?

I really love this book for two main reasons. First, the author was consistent in the writing of the book, leaving no stone unturned and always finding a way to use every hint she picks at, building suspense quite nicely before resolving it. Two, the story’s pacing was Goldilocks; not too fast and not too slow but just right.

On a deeper level, the story is also about how nothing should be seen as true until proven to be. This is seen in the fact that Jude’s sister, though always seemingly cold, was always the one trying to protect her. Jude’s grandfather however (not sure if he’s a villain or an anti-hero) turned out to be a kinda-villain, though Jude looked up to him the most in the family.

Oh, and two more things I really love about the book are its character and characters. I love its characters because each one is unique in their own way, complete with their own perfections and flaws (some having more flaws than most). And I love the book’s character as it offers a different perspective of the word ‘magic’ and uses it as a commodity instead of an ability.

I don’t have a favourite character because all the characters are amazing and they all play equally big roles in the story (though I am quite partial towards Jude as she is brave in an impulsive manner and very clever too!)

Overall, looking at the pacing, characters, storyline and a few more factors, I believe that this book is great and even if it doesn’t end up being a hit with others (though I doubt that will be possible) it’s certainly a hit with me.