City of Magic: (Midnight Magic #3)

by Avi

Overview

From Newbery Medalist Avi comes a richly imagined, action-packed companion to his bestselling medieval mysteries Midnight Magic and Murder at Midnight

* "The novel’s pace is quick, and. . . the ending completely satisfying." – Booklist, starred review “Another smart and compelling novel from one of our best children's writers.” — Tim McCarthy, Boswell Book Company​​​​​​​

When King Claudio sends Mangus the Magician and his faithful servant, Fabrizio, to Venice to steal a manuscript that explains a magical method of making money, they must succeed in their mission or risk death. The manuscript is key to obtaining great profits for the king—and a secure future for Mangus and Fabrizio.

But Venice in 1492 is a dangerous place, full of foggy canals, cunning informers, and harsh punishments for those who steal its secrets. Before long, Mangus is snatched away into prison, and it’s up to Fabrizio and his secretive new friend, Bianca, to navigate the city, find the manuscript before their enemies do, and keep Mangus alive!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545321976
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/28/2022
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	683,522
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Avi's work spans nearly every genre and has received countless major prizes, including the Newbery Medal for Crispin: The Cross of Lead and Newbery Honors for Nothing But the Truth and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Avi lives in Colorado. You can learn more about him online at avi-writer.com.

Date of Birth:

December 23, 1937

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Education:

University of Wisconsin; M.A. in Library Science from Columbia University, 1964

Website:

http://www.avi-writer.com

Editorial Reviews

Praise for City of Magic:

* "In this companion book to Avi’s Midnight Magic and Murder at Midnight (2009), he transports readers to a series of vividly realized Italian Renaissance settings and continues the adventures of Fabrizio, a flawed but lovable character. . . . Avi is a pillar of kid's historical fiction, and this companion to a beloved series is sure to attract his stalwart fans." – Booklist, starred review “It's a story of suspense, with healthy doses of wisdom, set in a fascinating and complex city, and it’s based on a real book, over 500 years old, that changed history. Another smart and compelling novel from one of our best children's writers.” — Tim McCarthy, Boswell Book Company

Praise for Murder at Midnight:

"Readers will be glued to this suspenseful, headlong caper from first page to last." — Kirkus Reviews

"The suspense simmer[s] right through to the end." — Booklist

Praise for Midnight Magic:

* "With snappy dialogue, nonstop action and lavishly embroidered period backdrops, this will please Avi's fans and may well win over some new ones."— Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The pages fly with intrigue and action." — The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2022-03-29
Rumors of a new kind of magic draw young Fabrizio and his aging master, Mangus, to Renaissance Venice in this follow-up to Murder at Midnight (2009).

Fabrizio and Master Mangus are dispatched by the king of their town of Pergamontio, who has heard of a mysterious new way of making money, explained in a book by Franciscan friar Luca Pacioli. Superstitious Fabrizio discovers a world of seemingly magical wonders as he shepherds the increasingly sick and feeble Mangus through the cosmopolitan city of canals. They are pursued, for no evident reason aside from drumming up tension, by the king’s tax collector and an equally sinister confederate. Fabrizio quickly falls in with Bianca, a fellow orphan who serves as a local guide and who has an Egyptian gondolier (the one character with a speaking part who doesn’t present as White) on call for transportation. She even turns out to be trained in the new magic, otherwise known as double-entry bookkeeping. Some chases, captures, escapes, and nighttime boat rides provide at least a framework of a plot, but along with providing no real rationale for the bad guys’ pursuit, they offer Mangus no active role beyond prisoner in need of rescue and barely sketch in the distinctive setting. The author seems chiefly interested in introducing readers to Pacioli, a real historical figure, before finishing off with a happy ending…for the good guys, at least.

Despite the manufactured suspense, this may draw middle-grade students of accounting history to the series. (author’s note) (Adventure. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews