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City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak
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City of Stolen Magic

$10.23

Narrator Shaheen Khan

This audiobook uses AI narration.

Weโ€™re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.

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Length 10 hours 35 minutes
Language English
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Brought to you by Penguin.

A spellbinding, epic and heart-racing magical adventure from an exquisite new storytelling talent.

India, 1855. There are two kinds of magic in Chompa's world. The kind her mother favours: writing-magic, which anyone can do if they take the time. Write a spell in Farsi, and wait. It's calm, controlled, safe, says Ammi. It's slow, frustrating, boring, thinks Chompa.

Then there's finger-magic, which only those descended from ancient djinn are born with. Immediate, powerful - and dangerous, for every act of finger-magic leaves a trace, and comes at a price . . .

Growing up in an isolated village, hot-headed Chompa has never understood why her mother forbids her from using her potent finger-magic - until, one day, Chompa defies Ammi, and casts a spell. Soon after, a group of pale men attack their home and snatch Ammi.

In desperate search of her mother, Chompa must travel to another world: to England, and the smoky, bustling streets of East End London, where the powerful Company is transporting magical people like her and Ammi for the most sinister purpose . . .

'A wonderfully vibrant debut . . . A vivid magical adventure' - Jasbinder Bilan

'An unexpected gem of a story . . . A stellar setting, a gut-punch of a twist, and an unforgettable heroine. This has all the hallmarks of classic children's storytelling' - Nizrana Farook


ยฉ2023 Nazneen Ahmed Pathak (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Nazneen Ahmed Pathak (Author)
Nazneen Ahmed Pathak is a British Bangladeshi writer, historian and visual artist who lives in the port city of Southampton. She spent most of her teen years in commuter belt suburbia writing, reading, and listening to melancholy indie music, going on to study English literature at the University of Warwick and completing a PhD in Bangladeshi literature at the University of Oxford. As a historian she researches the geography and history of migration, a subject which is also at the heart of much of her fiction, poetry and visual arts practice. She was selected as one of 12 mentees from 2000 applicants for the 2016/17 inaugural round of Penguin Random House's Write Now mentorship scheme which aims to support and publish underrepresented writers.

She has held residencies at Southampton Central Libraries, John Hansard Gallery, Southampton Museums and Archives, and the Francis Crick Institute in association with Poet in the City. She has been published in Poem: International English Language Quarterly, Places of Poetry: Mapping the Nation in Verse (OneWorld Publications), The Puffin Book of Big Dreams (Puffin), and A Match Made in Heaven: British Muslim Women Write About Love and Desire (Hope Road Press).

Nazneen's debut children's novel was City of Stolen Magic.

Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)
Sandhya Prabhat is an independent animator and illustrator from Chennai, working out of California, USA. Prabhat is an independent animator and illustrator from Chennai, working out of California, USA. She has illustrated children's books, as well as animating for TV and movies, and designing for social media platforms. Her clients include Penguin Random House India, HarperCollins India, Candlewick and Lantana Publishing.

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Reviews

A wonderfully vibrant debut . . . A vivid magical adventure filled with thrilling characters, pacy storytelling and important historical detail. Children and adults are in for such a treat An unexpected gem of a story. Packed with atmosphere - whether the narrow streets and red dust of Dacca or the grimy Dickensian squalor of Spittlelfields - it's populated by larger-than-life characters you will love and hate. A stellar setting, a gut-punch of a twist, and an unforgettable heroine. This has all the hallmarks of classic children's storytelling A gripping and spellbinding fantasy woven together with threads of magic, secrets, and colonial history. An incredible cast of characters and a truly multicultural Victorian London that we don't see often enough in books Exhilarating and enthralling - I relished every page. A glorious blend of history, magic and thrilling adventure with a truly unforgettable heroine, this book is rare, rich and special City of Stolen Magic is phenomenal - vivid storytelling that skilfully and unflinchingly weaves colonial history into an epic, breathtaking, magical adventure Ahmed Pathak draws heavily on real history to open up conversations about colonialism and empire, while weaving a vivid and richly imagined adventure. A vibrant and important debut, full of magic and mystery. Dazzling from start to finish. A spellbinding adventure fused with Indian folklore which sees glorious heroine Chompa journey from rural India to Victorian London as she searches for her mother An incredible story. I'm blown away by the layers of detail and drama, along with a history we don't see spoken of enough . . . A wonderful, thought-provoking story of magic, community and power - sure to enchant readers Exhilarating, thoughtful and rich . . . Easily one of the year's best books for children A wonderful writer who paints a thoroughly convincing heroine . . . Highly imaginative Ahmed Pathak is a wonderful new voice; the book took her years to write, and it shows in the depth and care of each beat of the story One of the best children's books I have read in a decade . . . Cracking pace, fabulous magic system, characters, relationships, the whole package! Imaginative . . . Bursting with dynamic characters, atmospheric locations and a fast-paced plot Expand reviews
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