★★★☆☆ Historical Fantasy of India and England

City of Stolen Magic

Nazneen Ahmed Pathak

Nazneen Ahmed Pathak's City of Stolen Magic begins in a small village in what was then India and is now (I believe) Bangladesh. Chompa and her mother Amina live there. They are witches, and that, Amina knows, is a dangerous thing to be. Chompa, a rebellious kid, is difficult to convince, but learns the hard way when her Ammi is kidnapped. Her mother's old friend Mohsin shows up to take Chompa away to the city of Dacca (modern Dhaka). Chompa and Mohsin hear rumors that Ammi is being held in London, and make arrangements to travel there. London is the City of Stolen Magic named in the title.

As explained in an extensive Author's Note, City of Stolen Magic, although a fantasy, is firmly rooted in the real history of India and Britain. The main villain is The Company, instantly recognizable as the East India Company, whose business was the economic exploitation of India by Britain. In City of Stolen Magic exploitation takes a magical twist -- the Company intends to steal magic from Indians, there being none native to England itself (which felt implausible to me). The magic system is also historically based -- it is founded on djinn, magical spirits that, in one form or another, appear in the folklore of many nations.

It's a good, exciting story. Chompa is a good heroine, active and intelligent. If I have one criticism, it is that the story is heavy-handed. The bad guys are very bad, all dark with little or no hint of light in them. They are also personally repulsive in their treatment of others. I suspect that Pathak might argue that historical accuracy demands that the personnel of the East India Company be presented so. I cannot say that she is wrong. But, purely from an entertainment perspective, it felt overdone to me.

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