The Threads of Magic by Alison Croggon (review)

When twelve-year-old street rat Pip steals a stone heart from a nobleman, it causes him and his sister a whole lot of trouble, as it belongs to a murdered seven-year-old prince and it’s charged with the power to eliminate the Specters, people who have gained near-immortality by transporting their souls to new bodies. This starts a series of events involving fifteen-year-old Princess Georgette, who is betrothed to a Specter from another country; Sibelius, who works for the anti-witchcraft Cardinal and who is the one who initially lost the heart; the witches, who need to figure out how to use the heart before the Specters retrieve it; and Pip himself, who has made a strange connection to the murdered boy and is losing track of which thoughts are his own. Croggon’s interesting world spans a variety of perspectives that add tension and insight at integral moments. The premise and the power-squabbling between the Specters, maneuvering with and against each other, are intriguing, but the distinct characters and a vein of humor that ensures the story never takes itself too seriously are really where this novel shines. Australian author Croggon, author of The Books of Pellinor series (The Naming, BCCB 9/05, etc.), delivers another great story targeted toward a younger audience in this new page turner.