Good vs. Evil

In the Magic Thief, the forces of good and evil are at war with each other. At first, this tension is not so obvious to the reader. The structure of the city seemingly ensures that good and evil are kept in their respective areas: the Duchess governs the Sunrise, a “good” affluent area, and Underlord Crowe governs the Twilight, the “bad” more industrial area. The wizards and magisters, who live on the island between the two areas, are intended to act as neutral arbiters of these two forces. Even Conn, who is generally streetwise and capable of reading a situation, believes that this balance is not at stake.

Yet, as more is revealed about the characters, it becomes clear that things in Wellmet are not so black and white. Though Pettivox is a magister and therefore supposedly a neutral force, Conn learns that he...