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The Young Magicians and The Thieves' Almanac
On a London street, four unlikely friends stand before the astonishingly ordinary-looking blue door of the Magic Circle . . .
Alex doesn't say much, and once jumped when handed a satsuma, but, wow, is he amazing with a deck of cards.
Zack is undoubtedly one of the best pickpockets in the country (but always puts things back).
Sophie once convinced her Brown Owl that all the other Brownies were jellyfish thanks to her nifty hypnosis skills - and then never returned.
Jonny - who is quite possibly the tallest boy in the universe - mixes science and magic with spectacular consequences (mostly explosions).
Join these young magicians as they step inside the world-famous conjuring club in an adventure that may or may not involve the search for a secret book, a set of impossible crimes and . . . oh, yes - a flock of very confused pigeons.
Intrigued? Confused? Well, you're just going to have to decide for yourself, AREN'T YOU?
Alex doesn't say much, and once jumped when handed a satsuma, but, wow, is he amazing with a deck of cards.
Zack is undoubtedly one of the best pickpockets in the country (but always puts things back).
Sophie once convinced her Brown Owl that all the other Brownies were jellyfish thanks to her nifty hypnosis skills - and then never returned.
Jonny - who is quite possibly the tallest boy in the universe - mixes science and magic with spectacular consequences (mostly explosions).
Join these young magicians as they step inside the world-famous conjuring club in an adventure that may or may not involve the search for a secret book, a set of impossible crimes and . . . oh, yes - a flock of very confused pigeons.
Intrigued? Confused? Well, you're just going to have to decide for yourself, AREN'T YOU?
400 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2017
4 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 19, 2017
This was just a magical, fun book with lots of mystery, great characters and some interesting twists that had me re-think what I just read. :)
I spotted this book (miraculously) at Library #1 and just had to pick it up. It sounded like a book I would enjoy, and I was right! I enjoyed it a whole lot. Though, sadly, due to one element I didn't rate this one the 5+ star I wanted it to rate. What that element was?
President Pickle. What a terrible, horrible person that was. He totally didn't care about bringing in some young people in his group, instead he was being an absolutely terror about them. He was being rude towards all of them, especially Zack. And sorry, I am amazed that the Magic Circle was still alive with him as a president. I kept hoping he would just disappear (like a magic trick) but instead he got only more and more frustrating with each passing page.
The book starts off pretty calm (our quartet meeting each other and the start of the week at the Magic Circle), but we quickly see that there are things that are awry. A bank is robbed, and our quartet starts to snoop around to find out what is going on. How it happened without there being any trace of entry. I loved that there was something like a Thieves' Almanac in the world.
We have four characters and I had 1 big favourite and one runner-up. Namely Sophie and Zack.
I loved Sophie for her powers, all the other guys had the standard-ish magician tricks (though Zack definitely trumped them all), but Sophie could manipulate minds and hypnotise. Which was totally awesome. How people didn't even know they were manipulated/hypnotised, and how much it helped their cause in this book (though I was surprised it worked on that as well, she sure is awesome). So yes, her being a mentalist? Loved it! Plus she was so tough and kick-ass, we see that her home situation is definitely not the best (from the hints here and there), but she isn't letting that stop her. It was pretty cool that she was living at a hotel for the time being, and again, by the powers of her mind. :P
Zack was a fun character, I think I mostly liked him because I felt sorry for him and I was rooting for him. He is a pretty awesome magician, but some people may confuse his powers with stealing (though he always puts stuff back afterwards). I loved that even though he was accused of so many things, even though it wasn't always fun, he just kept on going. I think if he keeps training and keeps practising he will be one hell of a legend of a magician! Someone that people will talk about for years.
Jonny (I kept reading his name wrong, namely as Johnny) was so said the tallest character, though if I have to believe the illustrations he isn't that much taller than Zack. Sadly his "tallness" was constantly named and I got a bit annoyed. If you tell us a character is tall, then make him actually tall. :|
But he is talented, he definitely inherited some of the awesomeness from his grandpa who is also a legend in many people's eyes.
Next to his magic he is also a wizard with inventions. Especially his last invention was just pure epicness and I want to try it out as well!
Alex, my least favourite character. He was pretty great with cards and in the end also with lockpicking, but sorry, I was mostly just annoyed with him and how he thought. Insecurity is something I am familiar with, but I thought it was just too much in this book. He does get a bit braver, but I was mostly annoyed at how he kept whining about each and every little thing. All the other characters also needed more than one trick to show, but did you hear them complain? Oh no. Nope, not at all. They just went with it.
The ending? The whodunnit? I already knew who the culprits were, it was just too easy. But I didn't mind it that much, it was still very fun to see our characters find out the same things as I did. Plus I loved seeing that person pop up, and then to see her have that accent? It made me laugh so hard.
Also the narrator ending? Boy, that really changed some things for me, I even flipped back to make sure it wasn't a joke, and OMG, I didn't even notice it when I read it. I loved that they added that.
The narrator popping up? It can be annoying, but it was really well done in this one. The narrator was funny, he didn't exaggerate, plus he was quite helpful at times (explaining some of magic stuff, or giving subtle hints).
The book is full of details, even without the illustrations I could imagine the Magic Circle in detail. I could just see myself discover all the hidden spots, discover the library, and everything else. Though I am sure I wouldn't want to be in the part with all the kids. Boy, that place sounds terrible and icky.
What else? Ah yes! The illustrations! With the exception of how un-tall Jonny was, I loved the illustration. The style fits perfectly with a mysterious and magic book like this.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I spotted this book (miraculously) at Library #1 and just had to pick it up. It sounded like a book I would enjoy, and I was right! I enjoyed it a whole lot. Though, sadly, due to one element I didn't rate this one the 5+ star I wanted it to rate. What that element was?
President Pickle. What a terrible, horrible person that was. He totally didn't care about bringing in some young people in his group, instead he was being an absolutely terror about them. He was being rude towards all of them, especially Zack. And sorry, I am amazed that the Magic Circle was still alive with him as a president. I kept hoping he would just disappear (like a magic trick) but instead he got only more and more frustrating with each passing page.
The book starts off pretty calm (our quartet meeting each other and the start of the week at the Magic Circle), but we quickly see that there are things that are awry. A bank is robbed, and our quartet starts to snoop around to find out what is going on. How it happened without there being any trace of entry. I loved that there was something like a Thieves' Almanac in the world.
We have four characters and I had 1 big favourite and one runner-up. Namely Sophie and Zack.
I loved Sophie for her powers, all the other guys had the standard-ish magician tricks (though Zack definitely trumped them all), but Sophie could manipulate minds and hypnotise. Which was totally awesome. How people didn't even know they were manipulated/hypnotised, and how much it helped their cause in this book (though I was surprised it worked on that as well, she sure is awesome). So yes, her being a mentalist? Loved it! Plus she was so tough and kick-ass, we see that her home situation is definitely not the best (from the hints here and there), but she isn't letting that stop her. It was pretty cool that she was living at a hotel for the time being, and again, by the powers of her mind. :P
Zack was a fun character, I think I mostly liked him because I felt sorry for him and I was rooting for him. He is a pretty awesome magician, but some people may confuse his powers with stealing (though he always puts stuff back afterwards). I loved that even though he was accused of so many things, even though it wasn't always fun, he just kept on going. I think if he keeps training and keeps practising he will be one hell of a legend of a magician! Someone that people will talk about for years.
Jonny (I kept reading his name wrong, namely as Johnny) was so said the tallest character, though if I have to believe the illustrations he isn't that much taller than Zack. Sadly his "tallness" was constantly named and I got a bit annoyed. If you tell us a character is tall, then make him actually tall. :|
But he is talented, he definitely inherited some of the awesomeness from his grandpa who is also a legend in many people's eyes.
Next to his magic he is also a wizard with inventions. Especially his last invention was just pure epicness and I want to try it out as well!
Alex, my least favourite character. He was pretty great with cards and in the end also with lockpicking, but sorry, I was mostly just annoyed with him and how he thought. Insecurity is something I am familiar with, but I thought it was just too much in this book. He does get a bit braver, but I was mostly annoyed at how he kept whining about each and every little thing. All the other characters also needed more than one trick to show, but did you hear them complain? Oh no. Nope, not at all. They just went with it.
The ending? The whodunnit? I already knew who the culprits were, it was just too easy. But I didn't mind it that much, it was still very fun to see our characters find out the same things as I did. Plus I loved seeing that person pop up, and then to see her have that accent? It made me laugh so hard.
Also the narrator ending? Boy, that really changed some things for me, I even flipped back to make sure it wasn't a joke, and OMG, I didn't even notice it when I read it. I loved that they added that.
The narrator popping up? It can be annoying, but it was really well done in this one. The narrator was funny, he didn't exaggerate, plus he was quite helpful at times (explaining some of magic stuff, or giving subtle hints).
The book is full of details, even without the illustrations I could imagine the Magic Circle in detail. I could just see myself discover all the hidden spots, discover the library, and everything else. Though I am sure I wouldn't want to be in the part with all the kids. Boy, that place sounds terrible and icky.
What else? Ah yes! The illustrations! With the exception of how un-tall Jonny was, I loved the illustration. The style fits perfectly with a mysterious and magic book like this.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 23, 2017
Nick Mohammed is a British actor and comedian, now turned writer. But despite these similarities, he's no David Walliams. He's also a somewhat snarky narrator of his story, as though he is endeavouring to channel Lemony Snicket. Alas, I found these narrations a distraction in what was otherwise a fast-paced heist-style romp.
The main gang of four are wanna-be magicians. Not the Harry Potter kind, but genuine prestidigitators, practitioners of the trick shuffle, and students of misdirection. It is their dream to join the illustrious Magic Circle. However, their hopes are foiled by the rather close-minded Circle President; their wily ways and lack of respect for the (admittedly rather weak) authority and (ridiculously confining) rules, all acting against them. A quartet of heroes are lead by Zack, somewhat rebellious, but skilled at the magical art, Zack has already been expelled from the Circle once. Towering over him, Jonny, whose claim to fame is his grandfather - a skilled magician who taught him the tools of the trade. Sophie, hypnotist extraordinaire and finally we have Alex. Alex is the one that I found easiest to identify with: awkward and nervous, but with hidden talents. The children work well together, their skills complementing each other neatly. However, they have some pretty difficult (and rather crazy) challenges. Firstly, the Thieves' Almanac has been stolen. It looks like Zack's the culprit, but he denies all knowledge. And some dastardly thieves are using it: first in an elaborate plot to steal from the Bank, and then to steal the Crown Jewels. The latter encourages our quartet of heroes, the self-named Young Magicians to conceive an elaborate solution to save the day.
There's lots of adventure, mysterious noises, madcap antics and a ridiculous scheme, guaranteed to entertain the younger reader. However, the constant narratorial insertions head off on a tangent, disrupt the flow and distract from the main plot, turning it into a somewhat extended read - especially if one were to attempt to read it aloud. For a first novel, it's fun and has potential, but Mohammed is certainly not the next Roald Dahl. For lovers of magic, there's some insight into the process, including appendices containing a super-simple "trick" you might be able to try at home and an explanation of the "Any Card at Any Number" trick (warning: it's written in science-speech).
The main gang of four are wanna-be magicians. Not the Harry Potter kind, but genuine prestidigitators, practitioners of the trick shuffle, and students of misdirection. It is their dream to join the illustrious Magic Circle. However, their hopes are foiled by the rather close-minded Circle President; their wily ways and lack of respect for the (admittedly rather weak) authority and (ridiculously confining) rules, all acting against them. A quartet of heroes are lead by Zack, somewhat rebellious, but skilled at the magical art, Zack has already been expelled from the Circle once. Towering over him, Jonny, whose claim to fame is his grandfather - a skilled magician who taught him the tools of the trade. Sophie, hypnotist extraordinaire and finally we have Alex. Alex is the one that I found easiest to identify with: awkward and nervous, but with hidden talents. The children work well together, their skills complementing each other neatly. However, they have some pretty difficult (and rather crazy) challenges. Firstly, the Thieves' Almanac has been stolen. It looks like Zack's the culprit, but he denies all knowledge. And some dastardly thieves are using it: first in an elaborate plot to steal from the Bank, and then to steal the Crown Jewels. The latter encourages our quartet of heroes, the self-named Young Magicians to conceive an elaborate solution to save the day.
There's lots of adventure, mysterious noises, madcap antics and a ridiculous scheme, guaranteed to entertain the younger reader. However, the constant narratorial insertions head off on a tangent, disrupt the flow and distract from the main plot, turning it into a somewhat extended read - especially if one were to attempt to read it aloud. For a first novel, it's fun and has potential, but Mohammed is certainly not the next Roald Dahl. For lovers of magic, there's some insight into the process, including appendices containing a super-simple "trick" you might be able to try at home and an explanation of the "Any Card at Any Number" trick (warning: it's written in science-speech).
March 14, 2019
Excellent read, great fun! Will be recommending to my Friends and Family. Good for 9-12 year olds. Look forward to seeing what the Young Magicians get up to in future.
April 20, 2017
Readers who love snarky, intrusive narrators and suspense and magic will enjoy this fast paced adventure. Nick Mohammed, a magician and comedian, has written an adventure story about four aspiring magicians. Alex, Zack, Sophie and Jonny, all with unique and different magic gifts, are desperate to join the famous Magic Circle and the group meet and form friendships at their orientation at the Magic Circle Headquarters. The society is not quite what it seems and the unlikely group make it their mission to get to the bottom of the secrecy and mystery surrounding the Magic Circle and the legendary Thieves’ Almanac.
With action, humour and jokes that will also appeal to adults this story will interest fans of David Walliams.
Suitable for 9+ - mystery, humour and action.
With action, humour and jokes that will also appeal to adults this story will interest fans of David Walliams.
Suitable for 9+ - mystery, humour and action.
July 4, 2017
I'm sure everyone reading this knows that feeling of intrigue when you're wandering around a book store or browsing a book website and a book jumps out- not because it's what you were looking for but because it sounded 'right'. It's a strange feeling that overcomes you when you find something that gets your interest, especially if it's not something you'd normally pick up. This is how I felt about this book, I went looking for YA like Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu but got swept away by this novel by Nick Mohammed.
The Young Magicians and The Thieves Almanac is an easy read, it's magical (sorry for the pun) and the four main characters, all different but united in a marvellous way. This is not a serious book, this is something to get swept away with- not overly long but the chapters are manageable, the pace is quick. I liked the footnotes at the bottom of pages which helped explain some points of the book, I also loved the fact this was written by a real magician.
It's not for everyone, I doubt most adults would enjoy it but I thought it was a good afternoon spent reading a very different book than I'd normally pick.
If you're interested in magic or simply want to read a caper about four young teens tearing around London scaring pigeons and solving seemingly unsolvable crimes as well as popping in to see the Queen then I highly recommend this book.
The Young Magicians and The Thieves Almanac is an easy read, it's magical (sorry for the pun) and the four main characters, all different but united in a marvellous way. This is not a serious book, this is something to get swept away with- not overly long but the chapters are manageable, the pace is quick. I liked the footnotes at the bottom of pages which helped explain some points of the book, I also loved the fact this was written by a real magician.
It's not for everyone, I doubt most adults would enjoy it but I thought it was a good afternoon spent reading a very different book than I'd normally pick.
If you're interested in magic or simply want to read a caper about four young teens tearing around London scaring pigeons and solving seemingly unsolvable crimes as well as popping in to see the Queen then I highly recommend this book.
September 13, 2021
Here's a fun middle school level, somewhat complex, story about young magicians trying to audition for the Magic Circle in London. Events in the process get pretty wacky, including some odd lampooning of the Magic Circle, which is a real organization. The author plays with the names of some real magicians, but in a haphazard manner, sometimes using full real names, though often in the wrong context. Non-magicians won't know the difference.
The kids solve a couple of mysteries, though fortunately not any murders, as is too common in most magic related novels. The Queen makes a bizarre appearance that will be tough for Royals to swallow, especially the EastEnder accent.
The story dances around a few actual tricks, and there are both a glossary of magic terms (though often delivered tongue in cheek) and the hoary 21 Card trick.
The kids solve a couple of mysteries, though fortunately not any murders, as is too common in most magic related novels. The Queen makes a bizarre appearance that will be tough for Royals to swallow, especially the EastEnder accent.
The story dances around a few actual tricks, and there are both a glossary of magic terms (though often delivered tongue in cheek) and the hoary 21 Card trick.
September 10, 2019
It took me a while to finish this one because simply put, it was a chore.
Although the characters were well written, interesting and diverse, and although the plot was nice enough, I couldn’t stand the writing style! And I feel so bad saying that because it seemed like such a personal choice of the author’s.
The author had little references and interjecting narratives that just really put me off course and confused me. It made me just want to give up on the story itself, which really was quite fun!
Overall, it was a nice read. But nothing that I would recommend unless you are a child who is particularly into magic or London.
Although the characters were well written, interesting and diverse, and although the plot was nice enough, I couldn’t stand the writing style! And I feel so bad saying that because it seemed like such a personal choice of the author’s.
The author had little references and interjecting narratives that just really put me off course and confused me. It made me just want to give up on the story itself, which really was quite fun!
Overall, it was a nice read. But nothing that I would recommend unless you are a child who is particularly into magic or London.
May 12, 2017
Although this is a book for younger readers the story is very funny and there are lots of magic references for those in the know. Nick Mohammed is a fellow Associate of the Inner Magic Circle and he makes points about the pomposity of some older magicians, the stealing of ideas, the need for practice and so on. His take on Queen Elizabeth II is hilarious but you will need to read to story to find out.
April 9, 2020
I found this book very good because of the interesting plot and intriguing twists. It is all about some magicians who are hopefully going to enroll into a magic club. I love how each of the characters are very different. I think that each moment was very highly described and illustrated brilliantly. I remember borrowing this from the library about five years ago but only because "oh it was so long and in such a small print" I agree with my younger self that maybe it is isn't readable by a 6 year old but maybe 9-12. I'm only 11 but found it quite difficult but then I am a pretty able reader. Looking forward to the next one published May 7 2020!!!😄
May 16, 2020
A book full of magical fantasy. A story is born and a fantastic series awaits the reader. A miss direction classic.
October 8, 2020
I DNFed this book the best thing about was when someone was trapped in a safe.
February 7, 2017
Review by my daughter-
My Mum and I have been reading this book at bedtimes and we have both absolutely loved it, it is so much fun.
I liked the way the author talked to me as well as narrated the story, although he did interrupt a lot. I didn't mind this as it was usually really funny.
The book also has lots of extra information at the end. I liked the quiz to find out who I was most like.
As both me and my mum loved this book I think that it is suitable for any age readers as long as you like mystery and fun.
With thanks to love reading 4 kids and penguin books for the arc to read and review.
My Mum and I have been reading this book at bedtimes and we have both absolutely loved it, it is so much fun.
I liked the way the author talked to me as well as narrated the story, although he did interrupt a lot. I didn't mind this as it was usually really funny.
The book also has lots of extra information at the end. I liked the quiz to find out who I was most like.
As both me and my mum loved this book I think that it is suitable for any age readers as long as you like mystery and fun.
With thanks to love reading 4 kids and penguin books for the arc to read and review.
January 11, 2017
this book will be awesome for any kids who like/love magic!! i liked it and im 31!! really good twists to the story and it didnt slow down it kept the pace it started with!! really enjoyable!! wish i got into magic when i was younger!!
July 23, 2018
It's rare I DNF a children's book, but this just didn't grab me at all. Overly complex, too many characters not significantly different from each other too early on, and generally too much of everything, including sub-Snickett snark.
I'm curious to see what the children make of it.
I'm curious to see what the children make of it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews