Book Description

Customer Reviews (36)

A great romp in true Diana Wynne Jones style!
Really enjoyed this book - delightful characters and lots of crazy things going on. I can't understand why it's sometimes billed as "her only novel for adults", though. It has a more modern setting and tone than the others of hers that I've read, but I found nothing in the style or content that would make it unsuitable for anyone over about age 8-10. And you certainly don't have to be under 21 to enjoy her other books!

UPDATE: After posting this review, I found out that this is not the original text; it has been altered by the editors especially for tender young adults who apparently mustn't be exposed to an occasional bad word or so much as the concept of sex. If I had realized this was a censored edition, I would never have bought it. I won't change my rating, because it's still a great story, but the editors responsible should be ashamed of themselves.

Breezy, entertaining, not best for kids
A breezy fantasy with a flavor similiar to the Artemis Fowl books. As a book marketed to kids (I read the Starscape edition), I object to the brief, nonchalant references to sex outside of marriage, including many possible forms of sex. Some of the themes include the hope of maturing into better people and the idea that intuition and accident lead more often to fulfillment of destiny than reason and successful implementation of plans do. Another theme is that everything is connected, and the trivial can end up being of the utmost significance.I did find it witty in many places, but not as gripping as it seemed to strive to be.The Andrew character was the most intriguing to me.

So, You Feel Like Reading about Magical Governments?
This is a unique book.I didn't guess the ending.But, I didn't like the characters as much as I did in her other books.Also, a little swearing.I was looking for a book for my daughter.If your daughter doesn't mind mild cursing, then go right ahead.I feel this book is more adult than the Howl's Moving Castle books.

Greatread, but, Are all her endings bad or is it just me?
I just need to have it out of my chest: I've read The Chrestomanci books and Howl's, and when I read this I confirmed my impression: Diana Wynne Jones writes excellent page turners (intriguing, fun, full of mysteries, cleverness and character development), but her endings are invariably weak. Action always gets rushed up and kind of confusing (Main characters having to go from one place to another anddoing extraordinary efforts, evildoers popping out, characters discovering things about themselves, etc.)and then... They just take too many pages to end or end abruptly. In the case of "Deep secret" I think the last chapter is completely unnecessary. However, it was a great read, as are all other books I've read by this author.

Infintely Powerful
I am a fan of Dianna Jones, and the first book was I read was Howl's Moving Castle, and although I had hated the movie, I loved the book. The Merlin Conspiracy and others followed later and I never stop marveling how she manages to make each plot original.

The main charecters are in this delightfully complicated story is Rupert Venables, a computer game maker who is also a Magid, a group of people who tend to the flow of thinds in the multiverse. The other charecter is Maree Mallory, a girl with a dream to become a vet, with a selfish cousin named Nick. (The Merlin Conspiracy readers will recognise that name as he is one of the main charecters.) The story switches from time to time from Rupert and Maree and back. There are lots more charecters including a herd of centuars, and as I said in the Merlin Conspiracy, the family line is extremely confusing. You don't have to follow the family line though, as it is explained in the book.

The story is set in the Koryfic Empire and our own good old Earth. The multiverse is set infinetly, with new worlds popping out randomly. The half negatively magic side is called Naywards and the half positively magic side Ayewards. Earth is of course, Naywards, while the Koryfic Empire is Ayewards.

The story starts off with a royal problem in the Koryfic Empire. The Emperor has just been assasinated, along with almost all of the Empire's court. The Empire needs a new Emperor fast, but the paranoid Emperor has hidden his children too well. Rupert, as a Magid, has been ordered to go and help. He finds the place in disorder, and promises to help. Meanwhile, his sponser, Stan, has just died, and Rupert also need to find a new Magid for the position. A list is found and he checks out the candidates, with cover stories. Among them is Maree Mallory. The stroy continues with more and more problems piling up and and the danger escalating. Rupert must uncover a deep secret to work everything out.


Although this story ends rather happliy, it most certainly doesn't have a "and they lived happily ever after" atmoshere at the end. Blunders and stupid mistakes are in order, and there are lots of times the charecters could have done a lot better. Pure luck plays a part like in real life and I think that this is what make it so beleiveable; the fact that the charecters are not perfect.

All in all, a truely good read!
... Read more

Book Description
There's been an accident!
Something's wrong!

She doesn't know who she is, and doesn't know why she's invisibly floating through the buildings and grounds of a half-remembered boarding school. Then, to her horror, she encounters the ancient evil that four peculiar sisters have unwittingly woken -- and learns she is their only hope against a deadly danger.

Customer Reviews (24)

Not very enjoyable
I really did not enjoy this book very much. While I love Diana Wynne Jones' work, the book is not her best at all. Almost none of the characters were likable and the ending was strange. However, there is one reason to read this book. This book is something of an autobiography. I read an auto biography of DWJ on her website, and the descriptions of Cart, Imogen and Fernella (or whatever her name is) in this book matched those of young DWJ and her sisters in the autobiography.

Love DWJ, But this is far from her best
The four sisters, Imogen, Sally, Cart and Fenella, are all unpleasant and unlikeable.They are immature and uncared for in much of the novel, and perhaps that is the reason for their often bizarre behavior.Their parents, in their callous behaviour to their own offspring, are also very unlikeable.

Unfortunately, it takes at least half of the novel to make sense of what is happening in the plot.By that time, I was out of patience with it, although I did finish the book.

Diana Wynne Jones has written many better books.Try Archer's Goon, The Dark Lord of Derkholm, The Year of the Griffin, Howl's Moving Castle, Power of Three, the Merlin Conspiracy or Deep Secret.Give this one a miss.

Fun Story
I have so far enjoyed all of Diana Wynne Jones' books, and this one was no exception.It's a good story as well as an adventure.Besides just that, having a favorite author consistently providing good stories of varying subjects is refreshing.

A Deep, Difficult, and Absolutely Wonderful Read
This book is a difficult read. It is not easy sailing, though the writing is superb. This book is unconventional to the extreme. There are two confusing points in the book, one of which is the ghost's identity (which sister is it?), and the other is that fact that the ghost is NOT a ghost of a dead person. But you can figure out the ghost's identity fairly quickly if you pick up several obvious clues that many seem to miss, and this book is one of my favorites.
I won't go into the plot--other's, such as the publishers, have done it already--save to say that it is not gory or freakshly disturbing. If you are zealosuly religions, then you may not like this book, as it does have a "dark, old, female something" (a goddess-like presence) and severe neglect from the parents regarding the four sister-protagonists. One of the sisters goes missing, and the parents doen't even notice after several days, even though the mother comes in to say good-night and the father throws a rage at them later, even going through all four names without noticing before leaving.
This book is more like a window into a at-once familiar and fantastical world than a science-fiction/fantasy novel, a world where things that most people go through in childhood (such as a play-sceance using scrabble-letters or a belief that there is a ghost in the house) do not collapse into disbelief with time but are confirmed in a subtle, definite way. THAT is the whole of the 'horror and occult' in this book.
The characters are exactly drawn. Perhaps others do not know people as unusual or interesting as the four Melford sisters, but they are the sort of people who are at the edge of the population, who turn into famous artists, writers, musicians--the sort of people who go into history books (the sort of people who are very unusual). They are disinctly portrayed, and you can feel that you would recognize them on the street after reading the book. The personalities are very vibrant, and the entire book is a pleasurable read. You may want to reread this book later, because it is one of those books that can be reread many times; not open and direct, but secretive, mysterious, and very well-woven. Five stars on this one. Diana Wynne Jones has done an excellent job and has not been afraid to step out of the borders of conventional fiction writing to turn out a novel of striking originality.

Scary Read
Charlotte (Cart), Selina (Sally), Imogen and Fenella Melford had a tugging contest over a rag doll.The doll lost and was ripped into quarters.Cart felt guilty and sewed the doll back together.Then to make it up to Monigan she invented the Worship of Monigan and awakened an ancient goddess whose out for blood.

Sally's spirit travels back into the past after her boyfriend Julian Addiman, also a Monigan worshipper, throws her out of his speeding car.Sally, possibly due to the trauma of this incident, can't remember who she is.As things start to come back to her, she tries to influence her sisters to fight Monigan or the goddess will claim Sally's life on July 17th, as promised 7 years earlier.

This is a very dark story that deals with mature subjects like domestic violence, parental neglect, dark occult worship etc.I thought the plot was very original but a bit confusing when Sally didn't know who she was yet I kept reading because Jones peaked my curiosity.I wanted to know what was really going on.This book starts out rather slow but it just draws the reader into the story.
... Read more

Book Description
In this multiple parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds, only an enchanter with nine lives is powerful enough to control the rampant misuse of magic--and to hold the title Chrestomanci...

The Chants are a family strong in magic, but neither Christopher Chant nor Cat Chant can work even the simplest of spells. Who could have dreamed that both Christopher and Cat were born with nine lives--or that they could lose them so quickly? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

Inventive and Fun
I first was introduced to the Chrestomanci chronicles after reading Howl's Moving Castle. I must say though, I instantly liked this series from the beginning. Although the book goes pretty slow in the beginning, which I agree with many of the reviewers- it really picks up. The long introduction to what happens really sets up the world of Chrestomanci and is important to understand the general characters of Gwen and Cat. But, besides it being slow paced in the beginning, it really picked up and I was intrigued chapter by chapter just to see what Gwen would come up with next. Furthermore, The Lives of Chrestomanci is better than Charmed Life. I really enjoyed that one much better, and I believe if you read that one first, you can appreciate Charmed Life more since you understand the context of the world and perhaps have an attachment to Chrestomanci himself. Really good overall. I give it 5/5 for inventiveness and none of that same old fantasy that just seems to be reproduced in masses. Jones is a genius.

Boring, mean, and not very well written
It was such an awful, illogical read that I had to give up half way through this book.And the part where one of the characters makes a face by pulling her eyes "long and Chinese"?What's next, references to minstrel shows?Who edits this stuff?

two-and-a-half stars
Gonna have to go with Flying Book Reader here: I agree, it's mostly a snoozer. A friend told me it picks up in the middle. I'm about a third of the way through and calling it quits, and not sorry after reading the rest of the reviews. I just don't have the passion for entering 12 parallel worlds.

Regarding comparisons with HP, don't even go there. The similarity ends with wizardry. Period. I'm mad about HP; it does NOT follow you'll go for Chresto.

Quite an entertaining read
This will appeal quite a bit to fans of that multi-billion dollar wizard franchise, the hero of which has the initials "HP"
Light-hearted, clever and entertaining.

Not Your Ordinary Magic Book
We were introduced to Diana Wynne Jones through the movie, "Howl's Moving Castle."The movie is excellent, but (as often is the case) the book is so much better.I read all the time when I was younger, but my two teenagers don't.So, I bought this book, hoping that it would entice either my 14 year old daughter, or my 16 year old son to read.I read it first, along with Volume 2, and was enthralled.My son also read them.And liked them. ... Read more

Book Description
This collection of eighteen stories introduces young readers to the best in both classic and contemporary fantasy. Featuring extracts from enduring classics such as "Puck of Pook's Hill" by Rudyard Kipling, C.S.Lewis's "The Silver Chair", and "Five Children and It" by E.Nesbit, this anthology provides the perfect sample of a very popular genre. Carefully selected by Diana Wynne Jones, each story is sure to delight, enchant, and entice youngsters into the imaginative world of fantasy fiction. ... Read more

Book Description
They're in the revenge business!

Jess and Frank's father has stopped their allowances for four whole months! That means that Jess can't go anywhere or do anything with her friends. Worse yet, Frank owes money to Buster Knell, the bully. How can Jess and Frank earn some cash -- fast?

Customer Reviews (4)

Not quite the peak of her talent
"Witch's Business" (also called "Wilkens' Tooth") is one of Diana Wynne Jones's first published books, and it shows. While those with no knowledge of what comes later in this gifted author's realm of witches, wizards and magic will find this book a pleasant read, those who are already initiated and know what the word "Chrestomanci" means and how a Castle manages to move about a countryside might be a tad disappointed.

Short on pocket money, Frank and Jess decide to open a business known as Own Back, in which they seek revenge on past wrongs for their clients. Secretly they hope to find a way to punish the neighbourhood bully Buster Knell, and so it is a grim task when they find he is their first client. His demand? That they remove a tooth from Vernon Wilkins, the large boy that did the same to him. But this job goes horribly wrong when a simple tooth creates more unwelcome employment for them: two strange little girls who want their house back, Buster Knell's entire gang, and even the strange Biddy Iremonger, who is certainly a witch!

Components of Wynne Jones's style is still intact - her quirky way of speaking (newcomers might be confused at the quite literal 'colouful language' that Buster uses) and her intricate melding of several plots and people. But I feel that had she written it today, there would have been deeper reasoning behind Biddy's revenge tactics, more Own Back business for Frank and Jess, an explanation behind the "good eyes" that Jess is given, and a more sophisicated plot for finally getting rid of the evil witch. However, "Witch's Business" is humourous, interesting, and serious enough for Wynne Jones fans to enjoy and compare with her later books (I saw touches of "Time of the Ghost" and "Black Maria" in the plot) and just as good for new readers to find a new favourite author. They're the lucky ones, gifted with the knowledge that from here, Wynne Jones's work just gets better!

Early but sprightly
Diana Wynne-Jones' first book, "Witch's Business" (originally title "Wilkins's Tooth," admittedly a more appropriate but weird title) comes back into print in the US at last. It has flaws more pronounced than Jones' later books, but is still an entertaining fantasy with hints of her present greatness.

Frank and Jess's dad stops their pocket money when they accidently break a chair. Desperate for money (especially since Frank owes the vicious bully Buster Knell), they begin "Own Back Limited." Their first customer? Buster and his gang. Buster has had a tooth knocked out by Vernon Wilkins, and wants the Own Back kids to knock out one of Vernon's, as payment for Frank's debt. When they tell Vernon, he gets a baby tooth from his little brother (so it's still "Wilkins' tooth"), and all seems to be right with the world at first.

The problem is that soon a pair of peculiar little girls insist that the Own Back kids do something nasty to Biddy Iremonger, a weird old lady -- because they say she put a spell on the younger girl. At first Frank and Jess won't. But when Vernon's little brother becomes horribly ill, they discover that Biddy really IS a witch. And what's more, she's not too pleased about their little business...

This was Jones' first book, and it shows. There are some problems that were ironed out in her later novels, but there is also a sprightly unself-conscious quality to it. She builds up the menace of Biddy, making you wonder if she really is a witch at first, then revealing it in a matter-of-fact way that makes you feel almost as shocked as Jess and Frank.

Unfortunately, there are some distracting parts of the book -- the G-rated profanity of the bullies ("eyesballs in salsa"?) isn't particularly convincing. And the animosity of some of the characters is sort of brushed away and not really dealt with again again. And the supporting cast aren't as well-defined as her later characters are; they tend to blur together at times.

Frank and Jess are acceptable lead characters -- they seem a little too alike at times, although they become much more different by the last part of the book. Buster is a by-the-book bully, but one who thankfully is somewhat redeemed. Vernon is a likable guy, and Frankie, Jenny and Martin are somewhat more anemic.

Despite its flaws, "Witch's Business" is still a clever little fantasy mystery with plenty of weird magic, persistent British preteens, and a humorous finale.

An Early DWJ Title
From the previous review I think this was the book published in the UK as Wilkins Tooth. It's a fun story about two children who run a 'Revenge Service' to make some pocket money. As you would expect in a childrens bookthe scheme backfires.It reminds me of 'Ogre Downstairs' as it's set in anapparently normal town where extra ordinary events occur. I'm not sure whyit's been out of print for so long; many of the issues surrounding somebullies in the story could be helpful to schools today.

DWJ's first book; not her best but pretty good
Two children start a "revenge" business to make pocket money, unaware that a real-life witch is already running such a business and doesn't appreciate the competition.This is Diana Wynne Jones' first book,and most of the elements of her style are clearly evident.While itdoesn't compare to "Charmed Life" or "The Nine Lives ofChristopher Chant," it's a fairly good read. ... Read more

Book Description
Chemical Warfare?

Casper, Johnny, and Gwinny are sure they'll never be happy again when their mother marries Jack, who is as mean as an ogre. To make matters worse, two obnoxious stepbrothers, Malcolm and Douglas, move in as well. No one -- except the parents -- seems happy. But when Jack gives a chemistry set to each group of kids, bigger problems take over. These are, it turns out, not your average chemicals. In one hilarious experiment after another, the kids discover they can fly, switch bodies with one another, and even disappear. If only they could figure out how to undo all of this! Are one combustible stepfamily and two explosive chemistry sets a formula for disaster?

Customer Reviews (16)

Don't waste your time

I've enjoyed Diana Wynne Jones's work for years. When I got this book, I thought it would be nice to take a peek into her earlier work. Sometimes you can get hints of how an author evolves her style over time. Sometimes it gives you hints for appreciating her other work. Sometimes it gives you a backstory to characters that you already know.

Sometimes.

Not this time.

The book opens with two young boys, Caspar and Johnny. They're pretty much interchangeable except that one is older than the other. It doesn't really matter who. Their mother has recently married, horror of horrors, a man with (pause for dramatic effect) two similarly interchangeable sons. Oh, the mom also has a daughter who is effectively a plot device.

Basically, the step-father (step parents are inherently evil, as you'll remember from your fairy tales) knows that the two boys (not his) don't like him, so he tries to bribe them into liking them by buying them a chemistry set. Now, this book was published in 1974, and I assume that the chemistry sets that you could get back then had all sorts of fun stuff in it. Based on the stories that I'm hearing, kids today don't even get magnesium to light on fire, get scared by the bright light, drop it on the carpet, freak out over the smoke, attempt to smother it with a pillow, eventually remember the fire extinguisher, and then solve the "how do I not tell my parents?" problem by rearranging the furniture in their room and put the pillow in the trash. . . but I digress. This chemistry set is magic.

You can, of course, tell that it's magic because the strange chemicals have italicized Latin-esque names. That's a dead giveaway.

So, when the mom and step-father are downstairs, and the step-father is shouting for quiet so he can watch TV (a certain indicator of deep, soul destroying evil, of course), the mother's boys are playing with the chemistry set in their room, and the plot device wanders in and is stereotypically annoying. Then, she spills the chemicals on herself and gains the magical power of flight.

Such powers are less than effective indoors.

It dawns on me, at this point, that the novel might be intended to teach children the importance of conserving our natural resources, because the rest of the book is primarily focused on trying to not run out of the limited quantity of magical Latinates. Conveniently, there are sufficient amounts of the various magical chemicals for both sets of interchangeable youths to experiment with their mutual chemistry sets and more or less determine what they do... yet have small enough amounts yet to place them in jeopardy when they have their trivial adventures due to them not playing together.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the step-father's boys also have a chemistry set of their own, but that's OK, Jones forgets to make that clear too. Apparently, in England in the early 70s, one gets two sets of children to play together by putting them in separate rooms with separate toys.

*shrug*

Anyway, things move forward. The parents squabble because raising five children is difficult when they don't get to meet one another until after you get married. It's also difficult when you don't bother to introduce the new parents to the children until after the wedding. Apparently causes stress. Who knew? Oh, it's also a good idea to discuss how finances might change when you go from a three person household to having to support seven people. . . I'm just saying is all.

The children have a series of tedious adventures whereby:

* They fly and almost run out of the magic chemical that keeps them in the air.
* They shrink and almost get caught by the oh-so horrendous step father... who is yelling in italics by now.
* They switch bodies and almost have a learning experience by living one another's lives for a day.
* They bring their toys to life, including their step-father's pipe, which almost gets them in trouble. (This one was actually kinda cool, except that you have to know what toffee bars and construction sets are. Toys have changed a lot since this book was published. Oh, and you can't say "Lego", so you have to say "brightly coloured plastic building brick" instead... gotta stay legal ya know.)
* They turn invisible, which is apparently the same as turning into a wrathful murderous ghost. I tell you, you learn something new every day. Oh, they almost murder their step-father, but they don't
* They create a group of angry mushroom people that only speak Greek, and fight for their lives against them... almost bonding in the process.



The step-father also tries to bribe the mother's kids by giving them footballs (which, since this story is English, I chose to interpret as soccer balls), but, given that he is the antichrist, the footballs are pink and the boys lives are ruined forever.

The mother can't take the stress and goes to stay with her sister... and doesn't bother to tell her kids that she's going. The step-father also doesn't see a need to tell them where she want, preferring to tell the kids that "she's gone away". Of course, the kids assume that their step-father murdered their mother, thereby creating an excuse for the plot device to try to poison him and for the afore-mentioned murderous ghost incident.

However, in a shocking twist, it turns out that the step-father isn't evil, but just stressed, and when the kids find a way to turn base metals into gold, the money problems are magically resolved, the mother and step-father suddenly become attentive and caring parents, and all of the children magically get along. Oh, and the magic toy store, from whence the chemistry sets originated, mysteriously vanishes for no reason at all.

By the way, this book advocates splashing chemicals on your siblings as well as eating the strange-looking ones. I have absolutely no idea why it didn't catch on.

Oh, and the coolest thing in the book - the living toffee bars which eat sweaters and carpeting - die horribly. Just a little warning.

I will leave you with the one really good exchange in the book, because it's not worth reading the book to get this part, but it's damn good. This is right after Gwinny (the plot device) decides to kill the Ogre's (the kids' name for the step-father) with a poisoned cupcake, feels guilty about it and confesses:


"I put," she sobbed, "I put Noct. Vest. out of Malcolm's chemistry set."

"Well, that's supposed to be nontoxic," said the Ogre. "Maybe there's no harm done."

"But I put six of Mummy's sleeping pills squashed-up in it," continued Gwinny, "and detergent and the bottle from the cupboard that says Poison and some firelighter and ammonia, and then I rolled it on the floor to get germs and spat on it for more germs, and instead of sugar on the outside I put the burning kind of soda. And I think it ended up awfully poisonous."

Not Free SF Reader
Three kids are not particularly happy with the new man that their mother has decided to marry, as to them, he is not very pleasant.Hence the title, which applies to this bloke.

However, all is not as it seems, and the kids get some new ties, which turn out to be basically magical chemistry sets.

Hijinks ensure.

One of our family favorites.
I first came across this book on a low shelf of my junior high school library, and checked it out three or four times that year.Twenty years and three children of my own later, when I started building our home library, this was one of the first titles I sought out.The only copy I found was an old library copy, but I was glad to see it!It has become a read-aloud favorite with both my daughter, 11, and my older son, 7.What I like most about the book is that on the surface, the story concerns itself with the magical possibilities arising from the wondrous Magicraft chemistry sets... but the foundation, and I believe the real story, is the story of how this blended family becomes a real family.The depiction of the children's personalities feels very solid to me, and stepdad "The Ogre" becomes more of a personality as the book goes on -- rather like he does for protagonist Caspar, as he gets to know the stepfather he despises for the reason that "he's allergic to noise -- and boys."One reviewer calls mom Sally "two-dimensional," and I think I'd agree with that.She doesn't have much of an impact on the storytelling.On the other hand, other characters make decisions based on their relationship with her, so I wouldn't write her off completely.Be aware, young American readers:the story is set in early 70's England and feels somewhat dated in its description of discotheques (ask your parents, or maybe your grandparents... I was in kindergarten when the book was written!) and record players.The family story, however, is what grounds the book, and it is classic: "us" and "them" somehow becomes "just us."

Other Diana Wynne Jones novels often seem to have much darker magic in them than this one.If that's what you enjoy -- if you loved, say, "Fire and Hemlock" (which I enjoyed but which I would NOT read to my kids) you may rather move on to her other books.

Okay
Although I normally love DWJ, this was not one of my favorites.I found the characters all to be fairly one dimensional: flaky mom, mean step-dad, bullying step-siblings.The protagonists were also a little whiny and self-centered.

Despite my personal qualms, I can see how this would be a good suggestion for a child who is not happy about a parent's re-marriage.It has a very good moral: that even if we don't all get along perfectly, we still all have to work together in order to accomplish anything.

Better then expected.
I thought it was great. I loved it. It had turns I never expected and a suprising ending. This book is another of Diana's great works, if your a fan, by this book. Don't be fooled by the title or by the cover, this book isn't only for children. This bok is another "can't put it down even for lunch" book. And it is pretty short, and makes for a quick read. It's also full of suspence, I was dying at points of it, because there was so much. So what I'm saying is, buy this book, you'll enjoy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Devotees of The Chrestomanci Quartet and Mixed Magics will pounce on this sixth title in the series by Diana Wynne Jones, whose reputation as a fantasy writer is also enhanced by Archer's Goon and Howl's Moving Castle (soon to be an animated film). In this Chrestomanci tale, the nine-lived enchanter Christopher, who fans will remember from other books, appears as a dapper and self-possessed 15-year-old, and the narrator is young Conrad Tesdinic, who at the age of twelve has just finished school in the mountain village of Stallchester in the English Alps. He yearns to go on to Stall High, but his tight-fisted Uncle Alfred has other plans. With the help of magical spells and a story of bad karma, he intimidates Conrad into going off to serve on the staff at Stallery Mansion, burdened with a secret about an unknown person he must kill. Conrad makes the best of his new life, especially after he meets his elegant new roommate Christopher, who is, he explains, the heir in a different time level to the job of Chrestomanci, an enchanter appointed by the government to control the use of magic. Conrad joins him in his desperate search for his friend Millie, who has vanished from a parallel time track. Amusing scenes of life below stairs in the highly stratified servants' quarters alternate with the boys' strange adventures as they seek through other realities within the castle on their day off, glimpsing Millie but never able to reach her. With Wynne Jones' characteristic skill at plotting, the finale is a whirlwind of revealed alter-identities and just desserts for villains, ending with as many satisfying romantic pairings as a Shakespeare comedy.(Ages 10-13) --Patty CampbellBook Description

Someone at Stallery Mansion is changing the world. At first, only small details, but the changes get bigger and bigger. It's up to Conrad, a twelve-year-old with terrible karma who's just joined the mansion's staff, to find out who is behind it.

Customer Reviews (13)

A review for adults who still like kids' lit
Finally, a Chrestomanci story that deals with young Christopher, rather than dealing with Cat (when Christopher is the grown-up Chrestomanci).I have been quite intrigued with Christopher and Millie since reading "The Lives of Christopher Chant" about, oh, 10 years ago, and was delighted to read this book and find it was about their teenage years.Of course it is mostly about Conrad, a new character in one of the Related Worlds, but it's got plenty of Christopher to satisfy me.The story was brisk and enjoyable.

As usual, one tiny niggle...sometimes in Ms. Jones' books, when she is building up to the climax, a bunch of people come into the story (as with the King's Summoners, police, Gabriel de Witt, etc. near the end of this book) and a lot of things are explained very quickly.I don't consider myself "slow" but I have often felt that Ms. Jones rushes through these explanation scenes a bit too quickly.This book is no exception.The officials all show up, it is quickly announced that some of the people we've been learning about are not what they seem, and then things wind up pretty quickly (people getting taken away, etc.).I always have to go back and carefully reread the parts like that, because they are always a bit sketchy and they seem a bit hastily done.However, that's not going to detract from my 5-star rating, because it only takes a little while to go back and reread that.

"Year of the Griffin" used to be my favorite DWJ book because I laughed so much while reading it, but "Conrad's Fate" now has that honor.I laughed a lot with this one, too, plus...it has Christopher Chant...:-)

The Book I Never Read
This book is made for children from 9-12, and trust me i'm a eleven year old kid. This book is basically made from a fantasy and hilarious jokes. The strory goes like this that a boy named Conrad has to kill a certain person or he will die at the end of the year. So he travels with a smart kid who doesn't know a what a chili pepper is, to a castle to seek the person who he has to kill. Thats all i have read, but soon you will find on your own.

Quite enjoyable return to the Chrestomanci milieu
Diana Wynne Jones has of late returned to her popular Chrestomanci milieu. Her 2005 novel, Conrad's Fate, features Christopher Chant and his eventual wife Millie as teenagers. But the main character is Conrad Tesdinic, who lives in a village dominated by nearby Stallery Mansion. Conrad's father is dead, and his mother is rather ineffectually a fire-breathing feminist writer, so the family is maintained by his uncle, who runs a bookstore. The uncle is convinced the people in the mansion are manipulating reality to their advantage, so he takes Conrad out of school and sends him to the mansion to work as a servant. He tells Conrad that something bad he did in a previous life has saddled him with a terrible fate, and he can only escape that fate by making up for the previous life's mistake -- by killing someone.

At the castle Conrad meets another boy, Christopher Chant, who is clearly up to something. The two begin training, eventually to be valets. Christopher, however, is more interested in exploring, and Conrad soon learns that he is looking for a friend, Millie, who is trapped in an alternate version of the mansion. Soon Conrad and Christopher both are wandering through alternate mansions, and meanwhile learning some of the secrets of the mansion's probability alterations. Not to mention some dark secrets about the family that owns the mansion, and about Conrad's own family, including his sister, who seems to be in love with the new heir to Stallery.

It's quite an enjoyable novel, as are most of Diana Wynne Jones's books. The Chrestomanci books are among my favorites of hers, and this book fits very well within that varied sequence.

A Welcome Return To Chrestomanci
A hugely welcome return to Wynne-Jones's fabulous Christopher Chant - he and Millie are amongst my favourite of her creations. Some probably feel that the author is re-treading a lot of very familiar territory - parallel universes, layered happenings and dastardly plots - but that is why this is such a nice book: it's familiar and comforting like your favourite pudding. It loses a star only because the baddies aren't quite bad enough - but I do have an insatiable appetite for her books.

average book from an author who is coasting
i know people who disagree are going to bring me down on the votes, but this is my honest (and i think helpful) opinion. first off, i'm about as avid a DWJ fan as anyone and have read pretty much all her books. this book started off well, but after a while it feels just way too familiar. the main character is a pale imitation of sophie from howl's moving castle (cursed, put-upon, but decent and talented); the mother is distant and uncaring (like in fire and hemlock); i could go on. for long-time fans of DWJ there are several things that would make this worthwhile: if you are a big fan of upstairs/downstairs stories (i.e. nobility and their servants) there's a lot of that here (too much in my opinion). also, if you're a big fan of the chrestomanci books this is part of the series, although prob. my least fav. of the bunch (although christopher chant is one of my fav characters of the series, he's just not that interesting here). newbies should def. skip this and head for one of the classics first, like archer's goon and howl's moving castle. ... Read more

Book Description
If he finds the right world, Jamie can get Home again.

When Jamie stumbled upon the powerful Them playing Their mysterious games, They threw him out to the Boundaries of the worlds. Since then, he's been yanked from world to world, doomed to wonder in hope of one day finding his way back to his own city.

Bit by bit, though, Jamie realizes there are rules They have to play by. He forms an alliance with two other lost Homeward Bounders -- bitter, powerful Helen and demon-hunter Joris -- and takes a desperate chance, hoping that the three wanders can find a way back to their home worlds at last.

Customer Reviews (17)

Not Free SF Reader
Strange, supernatural game playing beings are at the heart of this book.They like to play games on a very large scale, as in planet to planet, and are not particularly nice.

A young boy gets involved, and is made into one of the participants.He meets others, and they decide to do something about it, as well as running into the Flying Dutchman, the Wandering Jew and Prometheus.

Great other-worldly story...
I discovered this book a few years ago after my mom took me to a book store, and told me to get some books. It follows a twelve year old boy as he travels through other worlds in hopes of someday making it back home. The characters are great, and the plot is even better. I love how Diana Wynne Jones describes the other worlds/dimensions. It is a thought provoking book. the only problemi have with it is that at some points it's hard to follow, and it starts out a bit slow. Other than that, this book is fantastic and has become one of my favorites.

A great read, lots of mythology
This is probably my favorite of Diana Wynne Jones' books, since her humor in the others can grate on me. The main character seems (to me)to be a fairly normal kid one or two centuries ago. (Of course, I'm an expert on neither normal kids nor that time period, so maybe I'm wrong.) That never gets too jarring; he adapts pretty well to almsot everything.

Concept

They (the villains of the book are refered to as Them, always in italics and capitals) are ancient and thouroghly weird demons playing continual games with entire worlds for their boards. People are their playing peices. However, if one of the "pieces" sees Them (not everyone can)They banish that person to another world. HTe person must switch worlds every time the Them playing that world make a move, so that they cannot make any changes to "play". If they get Home, to their own world, they can stop, but no one ever gets Home. Besides, time flows differently for Homward Bounders (world travlers)than for their worlds. A year passes for Jamie, but a century passes for his world. I was strongly reminded of Rip Van Winkle, and I wondered if Jones was thinking of that story, too.

The main characters (Jamie, Helen, and Joris, mostly Jamie) are all new Homeward Bounders. They haven't been away from Home long, and are still both fiercely angry at Them and hopeful to get home. Older Homeward Bounders have given up.
Jamie is fairly ordinary for his time period in England, but Helen and Joris are both really weird. Other Homeward Bounders are taken from mythology: Ahasuarus (the Wandering Jew) and the Flying Dutchman.

Other Characters:

Helen (proper name: Haras-uquara) is wacky. She comes from a world which is really nasty. Everyone there steals from everyone else, except the House of Uquar, where she grows up. (Uquar is their name for Prometheus, who taught them about Them before he was chained.) She has an odd ability to change one of her arms into anything she can think of- an elephant's trunk, or a Living Blade to fight Them with. (The living blade was the idea of Konstam, who will be mentioned with Joris. It is a weapon against demons.) Helen loves creepy things, like bones and rats and bugs. WHich is fun and wacky, espessially in a girl. She isn't the sort of nice and pretty girl in most stories- in fact she never shows her face unless to look at a rat or bug, prefering for some reason to keep it covered with her hair. She isn't a quantifiable character. I like her.

Joris is also significantly weird, but nto as fun. He is a slave and an apprentice demon hunter (until his eighteenth birthday, when his master will free him but he will stay a demon hunter). He is obsesssed with said master, Konstam Khan, one of a huge family of demon hunters led by a woman named Elsa Khan, who don't hold with slavery adn were somewhat ticked off at Konstam for having a slave. It can get to be a bit annoying (to Jamie and Helen more than to the reader) the way Joris keeps talking about Konstam, but it's not too big a thing. And both Joris and Konstam turn out to be useful in getting rid of THem.

Okay. The story is darker than most of Diana Jones' books; the characters are pretty ambivilent and flawed. The ending isn't really happily ever after for Jamie, because (in order to keep Them, once expelled from teh worlds, from coming back) Jamie must travel between worlds forever. He'll be able to visit his friends, but each time he'll be the same age, and they'll be older.He comes up with it himself, but it's not an easy ending. It's necessery, but I wish there was another way. Endings like that are good; they are realer somehow.

But it doesn't end badly. Prometheus is freed and can go home; the other Homeward Bounders can go home, if only to die. Which, for soem of them, would probably be a relief. Helen goes back to fix her world, which was so nasty in part because of Their games. It'll be hard work for her, but you get the impression she'll have fun. She claims she will, anyway.

I like this book a lot, and i appologize if my review was scattery.

Mythic collage and literary merit
A well-crafted book like this has literary merit long before most YA fiction was considered to be of much merit at all. The mythic background of this book is tremendously evocative to me. A former reviewer mentioned the Christ symbolism of one of the characters - this is simply false - the chained up nameless character is Prometheus, the bringer of fire to humanity.

Reflecting in the mood of the multiverse an odd and endearing British Empire view of the universe, the tropes of the "bounds", the conspiratorial THEM, the mythic depths, and the presence of a cosmic game, combined with the sombre mood of the plot - all of these give this book great merit as one of DWJ's strongest works.

You could say it's a collage of myths - that can be a good or a bad thing depending on whether like myself you have fallen in love with the mythic elements. I have read this book countless times since I was very small and still enjoy it, so this is my cheerful recommendation.

Creative - - - 4.5 stars
Jamie, an average boy living in 19th century London, stumbles upon his destiny at only 12 years old. He discovers a mysterious building known only as the Old Fort, and is punished for trespassing in a way he could not have even guessed. Jamie is captured by Them, robed spirits who 'play' the worlds like gameboards, and is whisked away to wander the thousands of worlds by traveling the Boundaries. He is gives only one hope, that if he finds his way home he may stay there and 'reenter play'. Jamie visits worlds of nomadic peoples, war, jungles, and even cannabilism. He eventually makes friends with Helen and Joris, other lost Homeward Boundaries with a bitter hatred of Them. This trio and other friends make a plan to overthrow Them once and for all to put the worlds back to normal... but will it be enough?
The Homeward Bounders was one of Dianna Wynne Jones' more serious novels, with discussions on hope, reality, friendship, and having a place to call home. I loved the creative multi-universe setting and the way the book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The ending was anything but happily ever after, but satisfying all the same. ... Read more

Book Description
Ayna could predict the future.
Cari could find what was lost.
Gair thought he was ordinary.

The three children of Gest, the chief of Garholt, know the perils of the Moor on which they live. The Dorig, their people's enemies, are cold-blooded, fierce underwater creatures who terrify anyone unlucky enough to happen upon them. The Giants are dangerous and violent.

Customer Reviews (11)

Not Free SF Reader
A pretty good kids book.The three children of a clan leader have psionic powers, or, at least, all come to discover that they do.

They also have to deal with the feuds between their clans and others, as well as with the different non-human races that inhabit the same area.

Power of Three is great; to the power of 5!
I have to admit, I'm one of those people who just can't sit and look at words hour after hour because it's just a bunch of...WORDS ON A PIECE OF PAPER, but Power of Three really kept me stimulated to read more.Don't let the 9-12 age group scare you, because I underestimated the book a bit.It is a great book.

It starts with Gair, an unsure boy who's the middle child of Gest, whose other children (Ayna, Ceri) both have gifts.Gair thinks he's a nothing among his two siblings, but one fateful day when the Dorig attack their village and his loved ones are captured, he encounters the giants with his siblings and they end up in the middle of a deal that could put their family in danger.The fate of Gair's village is in his hands, but he supposedly has no gift...

The writing is very descriptive, hands down.The emotions in the mind of Gair really symbolize the troubles a child goes through in adolescence.The story really comes together in the end, and a fourth of the time it is told through flashbacks.It starts out as an unfinshed puzzle that you put together as you read on and on.The main character's not corny, like in books like Harry Potter, "OH MY GOD!IT'S THE BOY WHO LIVED!!LET'S GO ON FOR ANOTHER SEVEN BOOKS ABOUT HIM AND WRITE IN THE MOST UNORIGINAL MANNER POSSIBLE!", Gair is just a brilliant, antisocial lone wolf whose world is literally falling apart.Nobody understands him, that's why he's such a good character and he doesn't whine (like a similar character from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji).The great thing is that Power of Three isn't as stereotypical for a fantasy as you'd expect, it's a bit darker and somewhat more complex.

You seriously need to read this if you think that reading sucks, no matter how old you are.Don't base this on the cover art, this is a brilliant piece of original work, not a fake Harry potter takeoff because this was before Harry-mania!It's an epic.

"May it Never Loose Until the Three are Placated..."
Combining the atmosphere of Celtic folklore with a plot reminiscent of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", as well as an intricate plot (including a huge twist halfway through that will completely turn your perception of the story on its head) and likeable characters, "Power of Three" is one of Diana Wynne Jones's best novels - and so inevitably it is one of her least known.

Set on moorlands inhabited by Giants, reptilian Dorig and tribes of warrior-like clans, the first two chapters introduces the rest of the story to come. First, Adara and her bullish brother Orban come across a young Dorig princeling, and Orban demands the beautiful collar around its neck. Refusing, the Dorig places a deep curse upon the collar that will bestow bad luck upon the holder and the surroundings.

Chapter two takes place several years later when Adara elopes with the chief of a neighbouring Mound. This reads like a Celtic legend as the hero Gest must perform three impossible tasks concerning riddles, collars, standing stones, Dorig and Giants, and exactly how he manages to accomplish these feats is a mystery that (like the influence of the curse) is explored more deeply in the rest of the book that skips onto the next generation.

Gest and Adara's three children are Ayna, Gair and Ceri. Ayna the eldest can answer any question posed toward her, whilst Ceri can not only find anything that is lost but manipulate matter with his mind. Gair however is devastatingly normal, and so considers himself a disappointment to his entire community. But with the evil of the curse winding its way into all aspects of life (including food supply, war with the Dorig, and an unwelcome invasion of relatives into their Mound), Gair finally reaches breaking point and heads for the countryside. Tailed by Ayna and Ceri, the three siblings find adventures with both Dorig and Giants waiting for them, and realisation that the Moor itself is in danger of destruction.

In terms of theme and plot, "Power of Three" may very well be the deepest and most complicated novel for young readers that DWJ has written. Exploring the definition of humanity, the worth of the individual and the necessity for peace at its core, the book also has plenty of humour, quirky characters and intricate subplots - far too many to properly explain in a simple review. But it is worth saying that this book in particular has a range of interesting and vivid characters - from saintly Adara, woebegone Gerald, bossy Brenda, spoilt Ceri, sage-like Ayna and the odious Ondo. But the spotlight mostly falls on Gair, and he is a protagonist that most will find very easy to relate to - melancholy and serious, but determined and intelligent, and altogether a likeable guy.

The author also makes some wonderful connections between characters - the siblings in particular are warm and affectionate (most of the time) and the friendships that Gair forges within the story are also realistic and enjoyable to read. But then again, DWJ is an expert at portraying human behaviour and it should come as no surprise to any familiar readers that such things are handled just as well here.

"Power of Three" definitely has my recommendation, though I should warn you about reading other reviews on the story, as some of them give away the big twist - something that shouldn't be revealed if you want to truly revel in DWJ's genius.

Get the "Power"
Diana Wynne-Jones's books are enjoying a much-deserved resurgence, thanks to the renewed interest in well-written juvenile fantasy. One of the latest reprinted novels is "Power of Three," a unique story about three very unusual siblings, and the Moor that is under attack.

The leader of the mound of Garholt has three children. Eldest Ayna has the Sight, and youngest Ceri has the Gift of Finding AND the Gift of Thought. The middle child, Gair, considers himself extremely ordinary, and tries to become wise and skilled to make up for his lack of extraordinary gifts. Gair isn't as ordinary as he had thought, but his secret talents lie hidden until a disaster falls.

Long ago, their uncle Orban killed a Dorig (a water-dwelling reptilian creature) for its golden collar, and the Dorig's brother laid a curse on everyone. Now the Dorig invade the mound when the chief is out on a hunt and the three kids manage to escape, taking refuge with the Giants (who are apparently ordinary human beings). They learn that they're running out of time -- the Moor will soon be turned into a lake, driving out the Giants and killing the Moung People and Dorig, unless they find a way to stop it.

"Power of Three" is in some ways a much darker book than many of Jones' others. There are more complex issues about morality and ethics. Not to mention the enviroment, and the question of what makes a person special. (Even before Gair's gift surfaces, he's considered special for his hunger for knowledge) There's murder, trickery, there are battles (not magical ones either), hostage situations and curses that affect entire populations.

Jones gives the Mound People a semi-Celtic flair; the story about how the kids' dad had to win their mom is reminiscent of old Irish legends. The shapeshifting, water-dwelling Dorig are suitably mysterious and alien. Jones fills her story with atmospheric wildlands, cozy British houses and plenty of vivid descriptions.

Gair is clearly the center of this book. He's a likable kid, quiet when his rotten cousin isn't taunting him, and more thoughtful than his siblings. Ayna and Ceri are also well-done. The biggest problem is probably Gerald and Brenda. While Jones does a passable job with these two, it takes awhile to warm up to them because we don't get a lot of insight into their thoughts.

"Power of Three" is a fast-paced, well-written fantasy adventure, full of strange and mysterious creatures (and a few who are all too familiar). Like just about allof Jones' works, a treat.

Really good
I picked up this book on a shelf in school one day because I forgot to bring one and I figured it was worth a try reading it, but once I did I couldn't put it down. Power of Three is one of the best books I've Ever read! It's very captivating and keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. It's like you're actually a part of the book! It's the kind of book where you can't help but wonder if there's a sequel. So if you like fantasy and action/adventure books I highly recomend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Cat Chant and Marianne Pinhoe have discovered something incredibly exciting, truly precious, and very strange—an egg.

Customer Reviews (21)

She's Back!
Though I loved the first four chrestomancis, I just didn't like Conrad's Fate. I think I hated the main character or something.But it left me really disappointed, so it took me a while to get around to trying the Pinhoe Egg.Have no fear, it was wonderful! Everything that's best about Diana is here.It's hilarious, of course.Chrestomanci is the same as ever.The kids are sweet.It's nice to see how Janet is fitting in with her new home.Cat is sweet as ever, and does some nice soul-searching and growing-up.The newcomer Marianne is fun as well, and Gammer is simply hilarious.The general theme of the book - mostly through Cat and Marianne - is kids taking charge and not letting grownups beat them down when they know the grownup are wrong.And the idea of dwimmer, and hidden-away fairies, and the sad story of the old clans, was really creative and interesting.I nearly finished it all in one evening.A wonderful addition.

The PinhoeEgg
Another great Diana Wynne Jones book. I loved it! But I love everything she writes.

Jones is a Master of Fantasy Fiction!
I'm thrilled with this purchase. The Pinhoe Egg is the sixth full-length novel in the Chrestomanci series, and although it isn't necissary to read them in order, this story falls right after Charmed Life, her first Chrestomanci novel. If you are a fan of fantesy, Dianna Wynne Jones is a must. Her other books that I enjoy which are not in this series include: Tale of Time City, Howl's Moving Castle, and Castle in the Air. Hope you decide to get started on this excellent series! I loved it.

Lacking in tension, a disappointment
I thoroughly enjoyed the previous book "Charmed Life", but this one befuddled me. First the good points: Jones' writing style is easily read and enjoyable to the mind's ear. Her characters are well-drawn and likable as is the world they inhabit.

Unfortunately the story here feels meandering and unfocused. The unusual behavior of important characters is never accurately explained so the reader is left wondering "so what was the mystery?" Thematic concepts are either introduced very late in the story, feeling merely convenient or as in the case of the title are barely explored at all. What seems to be the major conflict early on turns out to be the symptom of another conflict from ages ago that we don't really care about, as it just turns up at the end of the story to make the whole thing make sense.

And it all just goes along one thing after another, feeling more like a travelogue than an adventure. The conflicts that the characters encounter are generally overcome in the span of a page or two - a chapter at most - without any large arc to carry the reader from beginning to middle to end. I only finished it because I was hoping that I had been missing something that would connect the dots and show me the big picture. Unfortunately it was just a bumpy line.

A Great Addition
Diana Wynne Jones has always been one of my favorite authors.Charmed Life was the first book I read more than once as a youngster and then returned to again and again.I love the use of character development that Ms. Jones uses in her novels, rather than relying solely on magic and plot line.I find myself completely immersed in the universe created through the characters, rather than visa versa.I was a bit disappointed by Conrad's Fate (especially after loving the others so much), but this book pulled me right back in to the characters and the plight of their magical families.Before Harry Potter, there was Christopher Chant; he will always be my favorite!Thank you Diana Wynne Jones for this latest installment : ) ... Read more

Book Description

In the multiple parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds, only an enchanter with nine lives is powerful enough to control the rampant misuse of magic—and to hold the title Chrestomanci. . . .

Amazon.com
Master fantasist Diana Wynne Jones--author of the Chrestomanci books, Dark Lord of Derkholm, Year of the Griffin, and many others--scores another winner in this absorbing tale of magic and courtly intrigue told in two voices. In the world called Islands of the Blest, Roddy is a young page who has grown up traveling with her family in the King's Progress, a constant journey around the kingdom. Just after she and her younger friend Grundo spot a growing conspiracy to overthrow the King and change the balance of magic, they are whisked away to visit Roddy's grim and silent grandfather; when they return the Progress has moved on without them. Meanwhile in another world, Nick Mallory, 14, blunders into a dreamlike adventure that leads him to the powerful wizard Romanov and involves him in Roddy's mission to save the worlds from the upset planned by the conspiracy. The story moves through several precariously linked worlds in vividly imagined episodes told alternately by Roddy and Nick, as their journeys begin to mesh. Part of the fun for the reader is sorting out Roddy's many wizardly relatives from the double perspective and clicking them into place in the plot. Wynne Jones's many fans will pounce on this complex but fast-moving fantasy that features not only 34 characters, but a panther, a goat, a dragon, and an extremely charming elephant. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty CampbellBook Description

When the Merlin of Blest dies, everyone thinks it's a natural death. But Roddy and Grundo, two children traveling with the Royal Court, soon discover the truth. The Merlin's replacement and other courtiers are scheming to steal the magic of Blest for their own purposes.

Customer Reviews (27)

THE MERLIN CONSPIRACY by Diana Wynne Jones
I have heard from my sources that novels by Diana Wynne Jones are remarkably enjoyable, though very whimsical.When I read The Merlin Conspiracy, I was expecting a lot more than I got.The book, to me, was extremely boring and monotonous.It was very hard to finish, and I had to skip many pages at a time in order to complete it.In my opinion, this book was not an example of an exeptional science-fiction/fantasy book.The Merlin Conspiracy is not a book that I would reccomend to sci-fi/fantasy fans who are expecting a lot from reading this.I would, although, reccomend the Merlin books by T.A. Barron and the Deltora books by Emily Rodda.The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones gets a simple two stars from me.

Smashing!
This is one of my favourite Diana Jones books. I think the best part is the amount of charecters in the book. Helga, Mini, London, the white dragon, too-much-to-count terrified and sparking salamaders, a panther and a big cat (?leopard?) and more are only the ones that are not human, and I wouldn't suggest memorising the charecter's names and how they are linked to each other, especially Adrianrhod Hyde, or Roddy's, family.

The story is about a boy named Nicothodes or Nick in Earth who has already travelled through different worlds and wants to go to another one. There is also Adrianrhod (Roddy) who is a daughter of two court wizards and she lives in a place called Blest, which has similarities to England. Roddy and her friend Ambrose Temple/Grundo discover a plot to control all the magic in the multiverse which seems to include the Merlin, the keeper of magic in Blest. The two teenagers stories twine into each other, giving a clear view in every direction. As you go on, the Merlin conspiracy gets deeper and there's a surprise on every page.

Truly reccomended!

The Merlin's Scheme
The book is about people with magical talents and they could use them do their jobs. As a person named Roddy has to use his powers for making the weather just right for the King and his arrival to their town. In addition, on that day a person named Merlin had died so they summoned some on else to become the new Merlin. In addition, Roddy and his friend Grundo find out that the new Merlin and Grundo's mother are making a plot against the King. As Roddy thinks, he is dreaming as he goes to another world he really is going another world but does not know that it is real. As they found out, they knew they were the only ones to stop them. But over all I really did not like the book that much. The book to me was boring because nothing really happened. The pert that I liked the most is when Roddy's dad changed the weather because the king was coming to their town.
This book was confusing and just jumps around too much because it jumped back and forth on part and it lost me there. I really thought the book did not have enough action in it so I really got bored on the book. Also, there was not much of anything really happening in the book rather than two people finding out that there are people against the King and they spied on them. But I was not sure about what I should have put as a rating so I put what I thought it should get.
What I thought about the book is that it is confusing because the book jumped around a lot and I lost track to where I was. However, as I read on I was starting to get about what was going on in the book. I liked only about two parts. When they found the Dragon, I thought that was a good part because I like dragons.

The Merlin Conspiracy
Brilliant and highly entertaining, as usual. Diana Wynne Jones has once again proved her incredible creativity and seems to be very fond of the multi-universe theory. The characters are detailed and realistic: Roddy, a girl traveling with the King's Progress throughout the kingdom; Grundo (real name: Ambrose), a dyslexic boy and Roddy's friend; Nick Mallory, who lives in London in our world, but was the heir to an empire in another world; Romanov, an extremely powerful magic-user who doesn't live in any specific world; as well as Maxwell Hyde, a Magid and Roddy's grandfather; not to mention a host of other characters such as the Little People, Roddy's scheming cousins, an imposter Merlin, an elephant named Mini, and many more.

It seems confusing at first, but once you sort out how Blest is arranged, with the king traveling throughout the country to keep the kingdom healthy, the job of the Merlin, and the sometimes confusing geography of the paths between worlds, but it is nonetheless intriguing. A sublimely good read.

loved it
i couldn't put the book down. i kinda started to hate grundo after finding out what he did to roDdy.
this is the second diana wynne jones book i've ever read and it was so good. i love the cover of the book i have because it has flowers showing rody and then the elephant nicks sign and in betweenis the crown the king's sign. and also how when they chane from nick to roddy and vice versa HOW THEY HAVE SYMBOLS THAT TELL THE MAIN THINGS IN THAT PART OF THE STORY
... Read more

Product Description
Dianne Wynne Jones is the secret master of fantasy books about young people. This book is a rollicking ride filled with puzzles and prophecies and contains the book Howl's Moving Castle, and the book Castle In the Air. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wizard!
Diana Wynne-Jones has become one of the best known fantasy writers still around today. Wizards, witches, monsters and a good dose of comic relief characterize her books, including the solid duology "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Castle in the Air."

In "Howl's Moving Castle," timid Sophie was the eldest of three daughters, meaning that she had nil chance of destiny finding a great place for her. She vents her frustrations on an old woman who comes into her hat shop... only to find out that the old woman is the Witch of the Wastes, who ages her into a crone. Deeply annoying, Sophie tramps off to the castle of the magician Howl, who reportedly drains the souls of young maidens... and who turns out to be a lot more of a handful than Sophie predicted.

In "Castle in the Air," the not-so-prosperous Abdullah is a carpet merchant, but spends more time lost in his own thoughts. Things take an unexpected twist when a man sells him a magical carpet. It whisks him off to the garden of a lovely princess, who is fated to marry whatever man she sees first. That's fine with Abdullah. They try to elope, only to have the princess kidnapped by a hideous djinn. Now he's on the run with a mercenary, a malicious genie, and and a pair of cats.

You can tell a book is good if Hayao Miyazaki has made an animated movie about it (although if he does the sequel, he'll need to change the title). And while undoubtedly Miyazaki has brought his own brand of creative magic to the film, Jones's variety is intact and present in these two books.

Don't think that the wrong two books have been meshed together when "Castle in the Air" starts -- Howl and Co. are in the book, they just take awhile to show up. Jones takes the opportunity to poke a little fun at Arabian-Nights settings, as well as fairy-tale conventions (why do older sisters get all the tough luck, huh?).

Her writing is brisk and highly entertaining, especially when the unfortunate Sophie struggles to deal with the rather immature, erratic Howl, or when Abdullah has to carefully phrase his wishes to the malicious genie -- or risk getting his wishes twisted. And her characters are, in the end, likable people -- they have individual quirks and personalities that make them fun to read about. And colorful ones -- enslaved fire demons, embittered genies, dreamy carpet merchants, and a damsel turned into an old lady.

Before Hayao Miyazaki's film comes to the United States, brush up on Diana Wynn-Jones' original fantasy duology. Fun, weird and a little bit twisted. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Suffering from a bit of deja vu after reading your umpteenthfantasy trilogy?Seen too many magic swords, musical elves and warring wizards?Then you're ready for the funniest and most complete "tourist's" guide to Fantasyland's standard character types, plot elements, and settings ever devised.

Diana Wynne Jones describes (starting, of course, with a map) every sword-and-sorcery cliché in wickedly accurate detail, arranged alphabetically. Elves sing in beautiful, unearthly voices about how much better things used to be.Swords with Runes may kill dragons or demons, or have powers like storm-raising, but they are not much use when you'reattacked by bandits. You can only have an Axe if you're a Northern Barbarian, a Dwarf, or a Blacksmith.Jones also tackles hard-hitting questions: how does Fantasyland's ecology work when there are few or no bacteria and insects and vast tracts of magically irradiated wastelands? Why doesn't the economy collapse when pirates and bandits are so active and there is no perceptible industry?

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland(U.K. Edition) was a 1997 Hugo and World Fantasy Award nominee.It's a good companion to Jones's Dark Lord of Derkholm,a fantasy about what happens when your land is turned into a theme park for questing tourist parties. Fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books will enjoy both. --Nona VeroBook Description
Both a hilarious send-up of the clich s of the genre and an indispensable guide for writers, The Tough Guide to Fantasyland has been impossible to find for years.This is Diana Wynne Jones at her very best: incisive, funny, and wildly imaginative.

This is the definitive edition of The Tough Guide, featuring a new map, an entirely new design, and additional material written for it by Diana Wynne Jones. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Tough guide good for begginers
A good resource that reminds me of the list of over used scifi cliches. If you want to avoid being generic fantasy author #547 this book will come in handy.

A Guide to the Guide: Fantasyland
Most people would probably only enjoy this as a companion to the Dark Lord of Derkholm by the same author, but even at that, it fails to evoke the same sense of sarcastic whimsy that we get from many of Diana Wynne Jones' other works. While it has many cute observations on the cliches and trends in fantasy works, its not something you would really want to pick up and read straight through.
That said, from a writer's perspective, this book could be invaluable. We are all familiar with fantasy works that are so cliched and overdone that we feel we've read them a thousand times before, but that the authors may have thought were creatively unique. As a resource for aspiring fantasy writers, this book gives you a very good idea of what the archetypes are, and the ruts that writers fall into when constructing worlds. It takes into