Rating: 
Summary: Magic and mayhem
Review: Secrets run wild in this Regency Era fantasy flavored with elements of mystery and farce. An unusual combination to say the least, as is the pairing of Mairelon, the gentleman magician, with Kim, the master lockpicker. The hilarious, whirlwind plot revolves around the chasing and stealing of a set of magical silver objects, involving a disgruntled dwarf, a French ex-patriate, wannabe druids, a country house party, and the Bow Street Runners.Patricia Wrede departs from her fantastic Enchanted Forest Chronicles by setting this story in semi-real Regency England, but the quick wit and light touch are still here with the bonus of exceptional period detail. Kim's thieves' cant (slang) is interesting to decipher, contrasting nicely with Mairelon's toff's (aristocratic) education. They make for rather amusing conversation, as you can imagine. In the midst of all the comedy and adventure, there are glimpses of the great class divide and the dark underbelly of the London streets. A street thief didn't have a bright future, a girl's was much, much worse. Wrede does an excellent job of recreating London¡¯s seamier side without becoming morose or harsh. Kim is a wonderful heroine - tough, shrewd, wise, spirited, but tinged with a bit of sadness. Overall, the mood is bright and witty, the humor a little wry, a little goofy, and a little sweet. Particularly charming is the unpretentious Mairelon, who is very much an absent-minded-professor type. The supporting characters are zany and lively. The plot defies summary because it is complicated by many characters and places, but it's a surprisingly swift and smooth read - primarily due to Wrede's keen descriptive skills. It was such a page-turner, I went out and got the sequel, The Magician's Ward, the next day because I was afraid it would end all too soon. A satisfying, fun read, it will be over before you know it (or wish it to be).
Rating:
Summary: Magic and mayhem
Review: Secrets run wild in this Regency Era fantasy flavored with elements of mystery and farce. An unusual combination to say the least, as is the pairing of Mairelon, the gentleman magician, with Kim, the master lockpicker. The hilarious, whirlwind plot revolves around the chasing and stealing of a set of magical silver objects, involving a disgruntled dwarf, a French ex-patriate, wannabe druids, a country house party, and the Bow Street Runners. Patricia Wrede departs from her fantastic Enchanted Forest Chronicles by setting this story in semi-real Regency England, but the quick wit and light touch are still here with the bonus of exceptional period detail. Kim's thieves' cant (slang) is interesting to decipher, contrasting nicely with Mairelon's toff's (aristocratic) education. They make for rather amusing conversation, as you can imagine. In the midst of all the comedy and adventure, there are glimpses of the great class divide and the dark underbelly of the London streets. A street thief didn't have a bright future, a girl's was much, much worse. Wrede does an excellent job of recreating London¡¯s seamier side without becoming morose or harsh. Kim is a wonderful heroine - tough, shrewd, wise, spirited, but tinged with a bit of sadness. Overall, the mood is bright and witty, the humor a little wry, a little goofy, and a little sweet. Particularly charming is the unpretentious Mairelon, who is very much an absent-minded-professor type. The supporting characters are zany and lively. The plot defies summary because it is complicated by many characters and places, but it's a surprisingly swift and smooth read - primarily due to Wrede's keen descriptive skills. It was such a page-turner, I went out and got the sequel, The Magician's Ward, the next day because I was afraid it would end all too soon. A satisfying, fun read, it will be over before you know it (or wish it to be).
Rating:
Summary: Mairelon the Magician is worth reading.
Review: The amusing characters along with the interesting plot held my interest from the beginning. Wrede's storytelling offers a combination of wit, humor, and a light tone that many fantasy novels lack. I have read the long awaited sequel to Mairelon the Magician which I highly recommend as well. :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Hmm
Review: The character development (except for the main character Kim) was not very good. This did not matter for the minor characters, but the main ones (like Mairelon!) sufferred from it. The idea of a Regency world with magic was fascinating and well written. The plot was too complicated- especially since I kept getting the characters mixed up. It wasn't very full of life either, yet there is something about it that makes me reread it occasionally. The second book is much better though.
Rating:
Summary: A great beginning . . .
Review: This book is the reason I started to read Patricia Wrede, and I haven't stopped since. A juvenile read? Perhaps it is since I first read it in middle school, and that is when I fell in love with it. Maybe it should be in the young adult section, but it is still quite enjoyable to me. I was so thrilled to see that a sequel was written, and I ordered it immediately. Mairelyn and Kim are quite vivid characters with a spark that seems faded in some other fantasy books I could name. The story is a mystery, which I don't usually care for, but the interplay between characters left me laughing outloud. I've read it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Regency Fantasy!
Review: This book was written for people who love Jane Austen and enjoy a good story about magic. This one is set on the streets of London and in the English countryside. Kim is a street kid who makes a living as a thief...and a good one! When Kim breaks into the wagon of a performance magician named Mairelon, however, the magician turns out to be real. What's more, the magician knows Kim's carefully-guarded secret. Kim is a girl. Fortunately, Mairelon is more intrigued than angry about Kim's trying to rob him, and he offers her a new profession--that of stage assistant to the great Mairelon himself. As she travels the English countryside with him and his delightfully gloomy henchman Hunch, she discovers that Mairelon's magic is more than a show, and that he himself is wrapped up in some dark business which he will, undoubtedly, need her help to escape. This is a madcap adventure full of laughs, with colorful and kooky characters, spies, magicians, druids (or at least aspiring druids), and a delightful French woman who escaped the unpleasantness with Napolean. Read this, and read Patricia Wrede's other fantastic Regency Fantasies, Mairelon's sequel Magician's Ward, and the delightful epistolary novel Sorcery & Cecilia
Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: This is a masterpiece. I'm waiting eagerly for it to be reprinted , so that I can buy it. The accents, innuendos, the humor, but most of all the magic leave you asking for more. I can't wait to read the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: a little fantasy, a little mystery for the young adult
Review: This is a nice light fantasy/mystery aimed at the young adult market, but shouldn't be limited to that market. Adults will find it a quick easy and relaxing read. Younger readers might have difficulty with the lower class British language of Victorian England (cockney and street cant/slang) - even I wondered what some of the slang terms meant. Not as good as the Dealing with Dragons series but nice. my ratings: 1-don't bother, 2-get from the library only, 3-nice read, get it from the library or buy it, 4- buy it, read it, 5- a must read, BUY IT!
Rating:
Summary: Great book for Fantesty-readers
Review: This is a really great book, one of my fav. I strongly recommend it to anyone. An easy read but very interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Charming work of light historical fantasy
Review: This tale of magic and courtly intrigue is set in a alternative, magical Regency England, a time period that lends itself well to stories of romance as well as gentle adventure. It features a typically Wrede-ian heroine (read: plucky, intelligent, and down-to-earth) and a huge cast of supporting characters, some menacing, some mysterious, and some just plain ridiculous. The plot is brisk and interesting. A great novel for young and young-at-heart.
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