Stealing from Wizards: Volume 3: Kidnapping

Stealing from Wizards #3

by R.A. Consell

High adventure and petty crime.

The heir to the throne of Tirnanog, missing for fifteen years, is rumoured to be alive and attending Avalon Academy. Despite his hopes to finally have an ordinary school year, Kuro is relentlessly dragged into the centre of the hunt for the identity of the lost heir. He is hounded for answers he doesn’t have, pulled away from the safety of the school, all while his unfinished schoolwork taunts him with seemingly unavoidable failure.

Haunted by his criminal past and besieged on all sides by threats of expulsion, imprisonment, and romance, does Kuro have any hope of graduating from junior high, or of survival?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction

362 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2023

About the author

R. A. Consell is a Canadian author living and in Ontario. He is a writer of fantasy fiction, a nerd culture critic, science consultant, costumer, prop builder, and engineering instructor.

He has been featured in Game Developer Magazine, Kotaku, The Mary Sue, and Bully Pulpit Games. He also consulted on The Science of Game of Thrones by Hellen Keen.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just as good as the previous two! Loved stepping back into the world. Plots are thickening, things are getting more exciting but still a lovely and cozy read. The only problem with starting it immediately after it comes out is how long I’ll have yo wait for the next one!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series so much! Favorite characters return and expand, new ones join the cast, they visit places as-yet-unexplored even by Kuro, and there's just enough callback to the previous books to ensure the same familiarity anyone has when returning to a new school year. I'll be buying copies for gifts!

[Bjørnar Tuftin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series! I think there's something about the genre that makes me expect something simpler, so the books keep exceeding my expectations. Kuro and his friends are interesting and real seeming characters, especially Kuro despite his unique background.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series so much, and this book expands the world and the overall story, settles some things, ends satisfyingly, and left me eager for the next one (which I know will be...a while, since this one JUST came out).

[Eagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun and whimsical and enchanting, while simultaneously packed with mystery and suspense. We get to meet new people, and learn old secrets, and uncover deadly plots. I loved every second of it!

The characters I already fell in love with in the first two books in the series have somehow made me love them even more, and I absolutely adored seeing them grow and fight, both for and beside each other. There were characters who were unashamedly themselves, characters who were shamedly themselves, and other characters who weren't really sure who or what they were supposed to be, but they still did their best, and I think they'll serve as a great inspiration, not just to the younger readers to whom I'm sure this book is targeted, but anyone who picks the series up.

I did have one uncertainty, however. So, the Summer Heir is around the age of Kuro and his friends (obviously), and 'disappeared' a few weeks or so after they were born, before anyone ever saw them. But then Azalea, who is a year younger than Kuro and the gang, was a baby when the Summer Heir was stolen? Am I missing out on something, here? Was the Summer Heir actually a year old when they were taken? But further in the novel, it says this all happened 15 years ago, which is how old they all are, so that can't be the case. How could Azalea have been born and a baby, when that all when down, if she is a year younger than the Summer Heir? I'm so confused! I'm not sure if this is really an inconsistency in the book, or if I'm just remembering things wrong, but it was a little distracting for a while there.

Not distracting enough to lose this book a star, however, I absolutely adored everything about it (everything about the entire series actually, stumbling across it was one of the best things I've ever done) and I know it's going to be a long, painful wait for volume 4.

[Camila Barrio de Mendoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creo que hasta ahora este libro ha sido el más plot heavy. Me gustó ver a los personajes portándose más como adolescentes, y aun así manteniendo su esencia original.
El estilo del autor es excepcional, y su estilo de worldbuilding asi como de hilar la trama te mantienen enganchada de inicio a final.
Solo sufro sabiendo que va a pasar un buen tiempo hasta que salga el siguiente libro.

[HafsahRai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyable audiobook narration

[Reid Loveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Fun Installment

I am very happy to read the further adventures of Kuro. I really thought it was done with the 2nd book. Now with the end of this one it's left open for a possible 4th ad adventure.

[Manween · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Whimsical. Endearing. Precise.

It's the 3rd book of the series but nothing seems to drag on, the pacing seemed very measured. It also expertly managed to keep the characters growing while maintaining their uniquely endearing and complex qualities.

Hoping that this isn't the end.

Worth a read? Easy yes. Even without context provided by the prequels, one might be able to enjoy the book.

[Ness ┏ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ┛ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan, sir, you are an amazing writer. I can't wait for the next one.

If anyone's hesitating because the premise or the covers seem simple, don't. While it may be a familiar premise it's so well written you will fall in love right away. 10 out of 10 on every front.

[Susan]

Love everything about this series. This one was so different from the others--so much more world building, so many different locations, started off with a bang, and dropped a big reveal.

Can't wait for the next one! Hurry hurry, R.A. Consell!

[Randi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, cozy fantasy that has me giggling and anxious for the characters without the stakes of books like Harry Potter or the Scholomance (both of which I adore).

Despite an irregular publishing schedule I am eagerly awaiting then next installment and encourage EVERYONE else to join me!

[Deborah Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not the same reading and not listening 😭 it didn’t feel like the same book without the distinctive characters voices. I could get through it faster though so that was nice. Overall quite astonishing and I don’t know about where it’s going quite yet

[Rani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series! Kuro is just wonderful, and it's a very charming world and cast of characters. Can't wait for the next one!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consell captures all the magic and humor of his first two in the series and expands upon his world building excellently. This series is a fresh take on the genre and suitable for YA and adults!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listening to this in the car with the kids. It’s free on Spotify! Great installation of the series!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[aqeelah ❀༉˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much <3 <3 <3

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stealing from Wizards is becoming increasingly impressive; the way its world has expanded without becoming overwhelming is brilliant. Especially because we still want to know more and more about each of its inhabitants, about each of its mechanics. Yet, at no point does their visit become unwelcome. I can't wait for Volume 4, especially to find out how our protagonist Kuro is going to change now.