The Threads of Magic

The Threads of Magic is a captivating stand-alone fantasy adventure for middle-grade readers, following Pip, a resourceful pickpocket, and his sister El. When Pip inadvertently steals a cursed magical artifact, they are plunged into a world of forbidden witchcraft, assassins, and a looming revolution. The siblings, alongside secret witches and a defiant princess, must confront a tyrannical king, a power-hungry cardinal, and an ancient evil. This beautifully written story explores themes of courage, kindness, justice, and the strength of chosen family, set against a richly imagined magical city with stark contrasts between its opulent palaces and impoverished slums. It's an immersive read that will keep young readers engaged with its gripping plot and compelling characters.

In a gripping stand-alone fantasy from the acclaimed Alison Croggon, a pickpocket steals the cursed Stone Heart and is propelled into a power struggle, woven with witchcraft, that will change the kingdom forever. Pip lives by his wits in the city of Clarel. But when he picks the wrong pocket, Pip finds himself in possession of a strange dried heart in a silver casket—and those who lost it will stop at nothing to get it back. With assassins on his trail and the ominous heart beginning to whisper to him, Pip and his childlike older sister El are drawn deeper into the forbidden world of magic. Now they must seek the help of the secret witches of Clarel and Princess Georgette—who is sick of being a pawn in everyone else’s game—to wage revolution against a chilling king, a power-hungry church cardinal, and an ancient evil they don’t truly understand. A beautifully written adventure full of courage and kindness, The Threads of Magic transports readers to a magical city of airy palaces and rotten slums, of agents of the Office of Witchcraft Examination and midsummer dancing in the Weavers’ Quarter, of dangerous fathers and chosen family.