Midnight Magic is a middle grade mystery novel by Avi. Originally published in 1999 by Scholastic Press, Midnight Magic is the first title in Avi’s Midnight Magic series, followed by Murder at Midnight (2011) and City of Magic (2022). The novel is set in 15th-century Italy and traces a young servant boy named Fabrizio’s attempts to help his master, Mangus the Magician, solve a mystery at the castello. Written from the third-person point of view, the novel explores themes including the Vulnerability of Those Serving Powerful Institutions, Critical Thinking as a Counter to Superstition, and Loyalty Tested by Competing Obligations.

This guide refers to the 1999 Scholastic Press paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source text and guide feature depictions of graphic violence, mental illness, and death.

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Fabrizio lives in Pergamontio with his master, Mangus the Magician. Although Mangus has recently stopped practicing magic to avoid his execution at King Claudio’s hand, Fabrizio still believes Mangus might return to the art of illusion someday. One night, he lies in the hall at his master’s house and draws tarot cards. He hopes the deck will reveal a new and hopeful fate for his master, and for himself. However, the cards portend death for Mangus.

A knock at the door startles Fabrizio. A royal soldier informs Fabrizio that the king wants to see Mangus at the castello (castle) at once. Mangus is hesitant to obey the summons, but he knows he is powerless to disobey the king’s orders—the king recently pardoned him and gave him back his life. Fabrizio offers to accompany Mangus and vows to protect him no matter what.

Upon arrival at the castello, Fabrizio is overcome by fear. The place is imposing, and he does not know what to expect inside. Count Scarazoni (King Claudio’s right-hand advisor) leads Fabrizio and Mangus into a hall where King Claudio, his wife Queen Jovanna, and his daughter Princess Teresina are waiting. The king informs Mangus that Teresina has been tormented by a ghost for nearly a month, and he wants Mangus to end her suffering. He does not care if Mangus has to use magic. Mangus promises to try but reminds the king that he doesn’t believe in ghosts and no longer engages in trickery.

Over the following days, Fabrizio panics that Mangus will not be able to get rid of Teresina’s ghost. If Mangus fails to fulfill the king’s wishes, Fabrizio is convinced that both he and his master will be killed. One night, he wanders through the castello halls and runs into the princess. She tells him about the ghost again, and the apparition appears in a niche in the wall outside the chapel. Fabrizio is moved and promises to convince Mangus to proclaim the ghost real to the king.

Not long later, however, Fabrizio runs into Count Scarazoni, Queen Jovanna, and a kitchen boy named Rinaldo in the halls, each of whom has a different impression of the ghost. Scarazoni thinks the princess is lying and insists that Fabrizio convince Mangus to denounce the ghost. The queen implies that her daughter has a mental illness and commands Fabrizio to befriend her and report Teresina’s secrets back to her. Meanwhile, Rinaldo reveals that Scarazoni is trying to seize the throne by marrying Teresina in two days.

Fabrizio reports back to Mangus all that he has learned. Mangus is still skeptical of the ghost but agrees to investigate the matter further. He suggests that even if the ghost is not real, he can still use reason to deduce what is really happening.

One night, Scarazoni agrees to let Mangus interview Teresina. Mangus learns that Teresina is indeed engaged to Scarazoni, and her brother Prince Lorenzo has been missing for some time. The interview convinces him that Teresina has invented the ghost to upset her superstitious father and sabotage her and Scarazoni’s marriage.

Fabrizio convinces Mangus to meet him and Teresina in the hall outside the chapel. The ghost appears, and Mangus sees and speaks with it. The ghost insists that it wants revenge for its murder, and it identifies Fabrizio as the only one who can bring about justice. While Fabrizio is unnerved, Mangus is more curious than ever. He still thinks the ghost is a trick and swears to get to the bottom of it.

One night, Fabrizio and Jovanna take a walk into the chapel, where they find Mangus lying on the floor. Mangus later tells Fabrizio that he was only pretending to sleep there—he was actually studying the space. He now knows how the ghost was made. They speak with Teresina, and Marcus suggests that she used holes in the chapel walls and candles to create the ghostly illusion. Teresina admits the truth, as does Jovanna. The women explain they only did so to avenge Lorenzo and expose Scarazoni. Because Claudio is controlled by the count, they doubted he would believe them.

Together, Mangus, Fabrizio, Jovanna, and Teresina decide to recreate the ghost once more to reveal the truth to Claudio. On the night of their planned scheme, Fabrizio runs into Rinaldo in the chapel. Rinaldo reveals that he is actually Lorenzo and has been in disguise since Scarazoni tried to murder him. Scarazoni wanted Lorenzo dead so that he could marry Teresina and assume the throne. Fabrizio is shocked but has no time to recover before Mangus, the king, princess, queen, and count arrive.

Fabrizio stages the ghostly appearance using candles and tricks of light. He pretends to be Lorenzo’s murdered ghost and demands that Scarazoni confess to his treachery. The terrified count confesses, and the king has him arrested and taken to the dungeons.

The king, queen, princess, and prince reward Mangus and Fabrizio for solving the mystery. They give them rewards and send them on their way. Back at home, Fabrizio curls up with his tarot deck, drawing cards to see what future he might face next.