Stealing Magic

Douglas Barbour is a professor of English at the University of Alberta.
He is the author of Lyric/anti-lyric : Essays on Contemporary Poetry,
Breath Takes, and Fragmenting Body Etc.

In Stealing Magic, Tanya Huff has created a delightful jeu d’esprit in
which the comedy always inheres in the narratives rather than being
forced on them. This new expanded edition also pays homage to the old
Ace Doubles by having the thief stories on one side and the wizard
stories on the other.

Tales of powerful images often sink into mad, paranoid visions of world
domination. Making “the most powerful wizard in the world” a
remarkably lazy, sensual woman is the first of many nifty twists in the
tales of Magdeline. Magdeline begins as an apprentice to a wizard who
wants to rule the world, once he can take her power away. First he must
take her virginity; but, as Magdeline points out, “Who took? I gave it
to you.” When the poor fool can’t handle her magic energy, he just
burns right up.

After this silly and alarming start to her career, Magdeline seeks out
warmer climes in the south. The fun in these stories depends on her very
real distaste for hard work, and Huff’s sure knowledge of, and delight
in puncturing, the superfluous conventions of much magic fiction.

Terazin, the best thief in the city of Oreen if not the world, is the
protagonist of the other set of tales. These are a bit more complicated,
and their characterizations a bit stronger. Terazin decides to join the
Thieves Guild for safety. But, since she follows the entrance rules and
does something no other thief has managed, this only makes the three
Tribunes of the Guild demand that she steal something really difficult
for her test. Both love and a need to unmask a corrupt politician lead
to an entirely different theft.

In the other stories, Terazin’s mettle as a thief is tested both
valiantly and comically. Huff’s style is nicely straight-faced. The
situations build and generate the humour in these stories. Stealing
Magic does not pretend to any great depth, but it offers sure-fire
entertainment, always with a flourish.