Diana Wynne Jones

Chrestomanci — Ages 9-12. (1977-2006) Omnibus editions are available. Mixed Magics contains four short stories set in the Chrestomanci world. Publisher: 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?

Charmed Life

Diana Wynne Jones's novels, Charmed Life is possibly her most famous, and her most read. It is the first published of her Chrestomanci novels, and it stars many of her most famous characters with her requisite twisting plot and quirky sense of humour. Set in a parallel world ripe with magic, wizards and magical creatures, DWJ's Chrestomanci quartet were clearly inspirational to J.K. Rowling in her creation of Hogwarts and her wizarding world — a lot of comparisons can be made between the two. Ultimately Harry Potter is the deeper and more intricate series, but DWJ's novels are stand-alone, can be read out of order, and are rich in detail and cleverness.

Gwendolyn Chant is an extraordinarily gifted witch, despite the fact that her little brother Cat has no magical ability at all. After their parents' deaths, the two orphans are taken in by Mrs Sharp amongst a neighbourhood of magical folk — but Gwendolyn has bigger plans for herself that concern nothing less than the conquering of the world. When the two of them are taken to Chrestomanci Castle, Gwendolyn is delighted. Chrestomanci is a powerful enchanter that she feels sure will teach and guide her on her way to world domination.

But things are not quite as she expected. Chrestomanci has no desire whatsoever to make this young witch even more powerful before she gains a little self-control. With the added restrictions of their tutor Mr Saunders and Chrestomanci's family watching her every move, Gwendolyn has had quite enough — she begins to wage war on Chrestomanci.

From there things only begin to get uglier, as Chrestomanci gets more and more stubborn and Gwendolyn becomes more and more frustrated. Stuck in the middle is Cat, desperately loyal to his sister but just as eager to fit in with his new family. Gwendolyn's plans are even deeper than expected, with secret trips to dodgy black marketeers and a hidden source of magic that even Cat is unaware of...

Funny, heartfelt, realistic, imaginative and sometimes even a little grotesque, Charmed Life is a work of true children's literature. The characters are vivid, the storyline intriguing, and the morals sincere without being too heavy-handed. Some components are a little complicated: Diana Wynne Jones sprinkles hints and clues throughout the book and some of these are hard to remember — but all of that simply justifies a second reading to pick up the things you missed!

Chrestomanci himself is a gem. Think for a moment of all the famous wizards in literature. You're almost certainly thinking: Merlin, Gandalf, Dumbledore (and if you're rather well-read, Dallben, Merriman Lyon and Cadellin) What do all these wizards have in common? They're old, wizened, sage-like and immensely wise. Chrestomanci turns this tired stereotype around on its head — he's handsome, well-dressed, reasonably young and quite infuriating at times! Plus, if you've already read The Lives of Christopher Chant, the name of Chrestomanci's wife may make you smile...

In typical DWJ fashion, the story does not end on a perfectly upbeat note; in fact it's rather sad, with only a trembling sort of hopefulness in our main character that will induce readers to seek out other Chrestomanci books: Witch Week, The Magicians of Caprona, The Lives of Christopher Chant and Mixed Magics, an anthology of short stories. —Rebecca Fisher

The Lives of Christopher Chant

The Lives of Christopher Chant is set twenty-five years before the events told in Charmed Life, but was published after it in 1988. Although many would avidly insist that you must read such books in publishing rather than chronological order (just look at the debate that rages over how you're supposed to read the Chronicles of Narnia) I would suggest reading this before Charmed Life. It will not ruin any of the surprises in that book, and instead drops little hints throughout (such as Chrestomanci's aversion to silver, and the name of his future wife) that will become that much more enjoyable when you read of them in Charmed Life.

Set in a parallel world where magic is an everyday occurrence, young Christopher Chant lives a rather dull life, caught between his neglectful and feuding parents. Thank goodness for his dreams, which allow him to wander about in secret worlds — and are so vivid he often brings back objects with him into waking life! But after he meets his Uncle Ralph, things begin to get more interesting. Organising his young nephew to meet a man named Tacroy in his dreams, Ralph instructs Christopher on removing other, larger things from his dreams into the real world. Seeing it as a fun game, as well as liking both his uncle and Tacroy very much, Christopher plays along.

Between these exertions and visits to the young girl known as the Living Goddess, Christopher finds that life is not entirely what he wants it to be. With a longing only to become a professional cricketer, Christopher is horrified to find that he is destined to be the next Chrestomanci — the nine-lived enchanter in charge of governing magic in the worlds. Taken to Chrestomanci Castle, he is sulky and uncooperative until the magic smuggler known as the Wraith grows in power, and the Goddess herself escapes into his world. Now Christopher is forced to take action...

A fascinating, intricate, quirky book that takes place over several years and draws on several genres (only Diana Wynne Jones can go from English boarding school to Arabian Nights to elfish and Biblical lore), The Lives of Christopher Chant could possibly be my favourite in the Chrestomanci quartet. Once again, the author proves she is an expert at human behaviour, a fan of cats and someone who's not afraid to tackle large and important issues in children's books.

She's also wonderful at portraying the lack of self-awareness in people: one of the most memorable scenes is when Christopher makes an off-handed comment and is suddenly reprimanded by his teacher for years of selfishness and snobbery. Christopher is stunned, having no idea that he was so disliked, but on closer reflection he realises it's true. The Lives of Christopher Chant deeply explores these ideas — that we can't always follow the dreams that we want, that we must sometimes put others before ourselves, and we have a responsibility to use our natural gifts.

The characters are wonderful as usual, from Christopher himself whom you watch grow as the novel progresses, to the spunky Goddess, to the terrifying cat Throgmorton and the amiable, elusive Uncle Ralph. Things are never quite what they appear in these novels, and it is as fun to explore the "Anywheres" along with Christopher. The Lives of Christopher Chant is a great read, and a wonderful place to begin the journeys into the rest of the Chrestomanci books. —Rebecca Fisher

Witch Week

So says the note that Mr Crossley finds hidden between the exercise books in class 2Y. In any other world, this would be seen as a harmless joke, but at Larwood House for witch orphans, in a world run by Inquisitors and where witch-burnings still take place, such things are taken deadly seriously. Who is the witch? Chubby Nan Pilgrim, named after the most famous Arch-Witch? Sullen Charles Morgan, who holds a sympathetic view toward witches? Or weird Brian Wentworth, who behaviour gets stranger by the day?

Then the anonymous witch starts having some fun — a flock of exotic birds in music class, a removal of all the shoes in the school. The hunt is on among students and teachers to find the culprit, with the threat of the merciless Inquisitors visiting the school at the back of all their minds. But as the mystery deepens, several of the students seem to find that they themselves have magical powers, and that any one of them could be arrested for witchcraft and burnt at the stake. They'll need some expert help...

Witch Week is part of the Chrestomanci quartet, though unlike Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant, Chrestomanci is not a main character, and in fact does not appear until over halfway through the book. In this way, it is more like The Magicians of Caprona, where Chrestomanci appears as a powerful, helpful figure to sort out the problem at hand (with a little help from the children, of course).

Diana Wynne Jones is almost too good at creating the atmosphere and feeling of boarding school for these young people, where even the misfits are at odds with each other rather than banding together to oppose the Theresas and Simons of the school. Each student is a little gem of character study, whether it be the perfect Theresa and her 'new crazes' (in this case, it's knitting), Charles and the complicated code he makes in order to demonstrate how much he hates the school, or Brian's complete and utter selfishness.

Likewise, are Wynne Jones's humorous moments of vivid human life — such as Theresa's friends escorting her to detention, but abruptly abandoning her when the teacher invites them to join her, or Nan wishing she was dead, then realising that with the Inquisitors coming she may very well end up dead...and immediately realising that she doesn't want to be dead. Make no mistake, these students are thoroughly miserable, and Larwood House is a long way from Hogwarts.

And I mention Hogwarts, since Diana Wynne Jones's novels are undoubtedly the most influential books in the creation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, especially Witch Week in its use of a boarding school with magical pupils. If you consider yourself a loyal follower of Harry Potter, then this book should be read — Rowling's books have more intricate mysteries, but Wynne Jones is right up there with Rowling in terms of clever twists — an example here, is how a foolish spell ends up being vital in the saving of the world. Furthermore, Rowling tends to be more sentimental, and Wynne Jones has not an ounce of this in her books — they are (despite the magical workings) realistic to the core, and written in Wynne Jones's droll, almost sarcastic narrative.

So not every fan of Harry Potter might necessarily enjoy these books, but for those trying to extend their reading, look into the literary history of Potter, are fans of Diana Wynne Jones, or just want a funny, sinister, and clever read, look no further than Witch Week. However, I do suggest reading either Charmed Life or The Lives of Christopher Chant beforehand — it'll give you a clearer idea of who Chrestomanci is and what he does. —Rebecca Fisher

A selection of DWJ's many stand-alone novels:

Power of Three — (1976) Young adult. Publisher: This is the story of Ayna and Ceri, who both had Gifts, and of Gair, who thought he was ordinary. Gair spent his time gazing out onto the Moor and brooding. Ayna could answer questions about the future, Ceri could find things which were lost. Gair seems to have no Gift and knew he was a disappointment to his jovial, heroic father — who is Chief. Perhaps his feelings of not fitting in was what made him so curious about these other different sorts of beings who lived on the Moor — the Giants and the Dorig. Certainly it was because he believed he was ordinary that he did his best to become wise, and to learn as much as he could abou the three great Powers of Sun, Moon and Earth. And when the crisis came, Gair found the knowledge he had gained was to help save not only his own life but those of all his people.

Power of Three

Combining the atmosphere of Celtic folklore with a plot reminiscent of Shakespeare's Hamlet, an intricate plot (including a huge twist halfway through that will completely turn your perception of the story on its head), and likable characters, Power of Three is one of Diana Wynne Jones' 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 introduce 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 neighboring 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 his 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 realization 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 Diana Wynne Jones 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 humor, 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 likable 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, Diana Wynne Jones is an expert at portraying human behavior and it should come as no surprise to her 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 Diana Wynne Jones’ genius. —Rebecca Fisher

Fire and Hemlock — (1984) Young adult. Publisher: The fire and hemlock photograph above Polly's bed sparks memories in her that don't seem to exist any more. Halloween; nine years ago; she gatecrashed a funeral party at the big house and met Thomas Lynn for the first time. Despite the fact that he's an adult, they struck up an immediate friendship, and began making up stories together — stories in which Tom is a great hero, and Polly is his assistant. The trouble is, these scary adventures have a nasty habit of coming true... But what has happened in the years between? Why has Tom been erased from Polly's mind, and from the rest of the world as well? Gradually Polly uncovers the awful truth and, at Halloween nine years on, realises that Tom's soul is forfeit to demonic powers unless she can save him.

Fire and Hemlock

With a sudden flash, college-aged Polly remembers her old friend Thomas Lynn, and realizes it's been years since she thought of him. It's almost like he's been erased from her memory, she thinks. Strange, since as she delves deeper into her memories, he turns out to have been her best friend, and the one bright spot in a very difficult adolescence.

Trying to solve the mystery of why he has vanished from her life, she asks around, only to find that none of her friends or family remember him either — they think Thomas was an imaginary friend she made up. Was he? Or has something else happened? And if he is real, where has he gone?

Diana Wynne Jones draws us into her spell with this novel, never letting us put it down. The story gets more and more intricate as is progresses, making less and less sense, and we are captivated, unable to turn away until we know what's going on. An excellent book, complex and moving. Heaps of stars. —Kelly Lasiter

Fire and Hemlock

Fire and Hemlock is possibly Diana Wynne Jones' most complex and subtle novel, and it's certainly not for the younger readers who've enjoyed her most famous work, the Chrestomanci novels. It is most basically described as a retelling of the Tam Lin/Thomas the Rhymer ballads, set in 1980's England over a nine-year period. Needless to say, it is dense and complicated, filled with hidden meaning, metaphor and symbolism where two threads of life are wound together to make an intricate whole.

Told predominantly in flashback sequences, we begin when nineteen-year-old Polly Whittacker is packing to go to college when her memory begins to stir. Her recollections of a book and a picture on the wall are not as she remembers them, and only when she concentrates and really begins to think does she realize that she seems to have two sets of memories — one of a mundane school life, and one that is filled with the mysterious and supernatural: all centered around a man named Tom Lynn.

She begins to re-follow this thread of her life, beginning with her meeting with Tom Lynn when she accidentally joins a funeral at the grand Hunsdon House held by the strange Leroy family. Pursuing the strange friendship, Polly and Tom make up stories where they exist as superheroes named Tom Piper and Hero and meet many times to discuss this sense of reality they dub “Nowhere.” But something strange begins to happen — these stories of theirs have a way of becoming true, and it all seems to have something to do with Tom's sinister ex-wife Laurel and her designs for Tom and Polly.

Throughout this, however, Polly also must deal with the somewhat crazy exploits of her school-friend Nina and the selfish actions of her divorcee parents: the negligence of her father and the utter self-delusion of her mother who blames everybody but herself for her problems. She also has the attention of two young boys — the sulky Sebastian and the roughish Leslie, both of whom have links to the Leroy family and their grim family heritage.

To get the most out of Fire and Hemlock, you must be a patient and careful reader – I'd even go so far as to say it's necessary to read the book twice to fully understand it. There are so many details and plot threads that it's difficult to keep track of them all, especially when you consider all the action is melded with a different set of memories that Polly must sort out in her mind as the book goes on (not counting the range of stories that she and Tom make up!).

As usual, the characters are wonderfully and vividly created and interact realistically with each other. Polly's grandmother in particular is a woman worth knowing, but the flamboyant Nina, the sullen Sebastian and the sad, haunted Tom are also beautifully presented. However, the one character I couldn't really warm up to was Polly herself — for reasons more instinctive than reasonable, I just couldn't really like her that much, and I'm afraid I'm not really sure why.

Fire and Hemlock is also the author's most descriptive book — usually she doesn't bother too much with details, but in this case she takes the time to carefully lay the setting, resulting in an evocative and interesting atmosphere whether it be the spookiness of Hunsdon House or the sterile cleanness of Polly's father's apartment.

The main problem with this book is that it is incredibly complicated: even after three reads I'm still a little baffled as to how and why certain things happened — the last chapter in particular is very ambiguous and unsatisfactory in its wrap up concerning Polly and her relationships with the other characters. Although she does explain certain mysteries, they are usual explained in just a few sentences that are easy to miss or not understand properly. This is rather frustrating since it's a beautiful novel that deserves to be savored and understood — yet it's extremely difficult to do just this thanks to the lack of cohesiveness.

As a side note, this novel along with Howl's Moving Castle are Diana Wynne Jones' favorite works — with that in mind it pays to read it carefully. All in all, it is one of DWJ's most challenging books, but ultimately one of the most intelligent, intriguing and rewarding. —Rebecca Fisher

A Sudden Wild Magic — (1992) For adults. Publisher: The pirate mages of Arth are threatening Earth with total extinction and it is up to the Ring, a secret society of witches and warlocks dedicated to the continuance and well-being of mankind, to fight them off.

Aunt Maria — (2003) Young adult. Publisher: In Cranbury-on-Sea Aunt Maria rules with a rod of sweetness far tougher than iron and deadlier than poison. Strange and awful things keep happening in Cranbury. Why are all the men apparently gray-suited zombies? Why do all the children — if you ever see them — behave like clones? And what has happened to Mig's brother, Chris? Could gentle, civilized Aunt Maria, with her talk and daily tea parties, possibly have anything to do with it? Diana Wynne Jones onceagain has created a fantastic, magical world. Her brilliant storytelling and wonderful sense of humor totally involve the reader in the lives of a lovable young heroine and a villainess readers will love to hate.

Aunt Maria

Diana Wynne Jones once again combines eccentric characters, moral ambiguity, magic, time-traveling, shapeshifting and an uncanny ability to portray human behaviour in one of her best books: Aunt Maria. With all the twists and turns that we expect from Wynne Jones, Aunt Maria is one of the most re-readable and enjoyable books in her vast collection.

After the accidental death of their father, Naomi "Mig" and Chris Laker are reluctantly taken to Cranbury-on-Sea by their mother to visit Aunt Maria. Maria appears to be a cuddly old lady (though is constantly ringing up and meddling in their lives), but once they get to their house the siblings find that she is much worse. Behind her compliments and manners is an old lady determined to get her own way — for instance, when she says "I won't bother with breakfast, now Lavinia's not here to bring it to me in bed," she means: "I demand breakfast in bed."

Cranbury itself is just as bad: the women flock around Maria in daily tea-parties like she's their Queen-bee, whilst the men work like zombies and the clone-like children spend their days in an orphanage. Enigmas pile up on all sides: who is the ghost haunting Chris's room? What happened to the previous maid Lavinia? Why does Maria despise the elderly Phelp neighbours? What is contained within the beautiful green box Mig finds? And could it be possible that the children's father actually reached Cranbury on the day he supposedly died?

All the answers to these mysteries are brought together beautifully as the book progresses — but not before Mig must deal with the battle of the sexes in the town, the fact that her brother has been turned into a wolf, the mind-manipulation being dealt upon her mother, and Maria's own sinister designs for her! For such a slim volume it is jam-packed full of interesting ideas, plot revelations and clever ideas.

Diana Wynne Jones usually prefers males as her protagonists, but after reading Mig I hope that in the future she creates more female ones, as she's one of the funniest, sympathetic, self-aware and utterly helpless heroines I've ever read — and despite her complete lack of doing hardly anything proactive or helpful throughout the book, she's an utter delight. Also on hand is her brother Chris who is far more outspoken than she, and doesn't hesitate to insult anyone he pleases. Throughout the story the bond between the siblings is strong, realistic and immensely touching — as when the transformed Chris seeks out comfort from his sister.

Mrs Laker is also nicely created, as is the sinister Elaine, but of course the centrepiece of the story is Maria herself. Self-righteous, self-pitying, hypocritical, intensely annoying, and yet a pleasure to read about, this is one character that's impossible to describe: you'll have to read in order to really appreciate what Wynne Jones has created. The family's way of handling Maria is the author at her hilarious best, and the closest another author has come to capturing the sheer loathsomeness of Maria is J.K. Rowling (who by the way, has almost certainly read this book) and her own villainess Dolores Umbridge.

As well as this is the intricate and well-paced plot, which includes a huge number of characters, events, magical implements and ideas. The time-travel sequence in particular is marvelously created, and I'm certain it was the inspiration for Harry Potter's similar experience in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Most wonderful of all is her ability to take human relationships and explore them in depth — in this case it is the way some use guilt and the rules of manners in order to get their way.

I would say that Aunt Maria is my favourite Diana Wynne Jones book, but she has so many great titles that I wouldn't want to limit myself to just one. In any case, Aunt Maria is an immensely enjoyable book — and if there are any film-makers out there, it would also make a brilliant movie: hint, hint. —Rebecca Fisher

The Merlin Conspiracy — (2003) Ages 9-12. Publisher: The story is narrated by two very different teenagers, who each inhabit two extraordinarily different worlds. Arianrhod Hyde's world (or Roddy, as she prefers to be called) is very much the world of magic, pageantry and ritual. Not unlike Britain in King Arthur's Day, Roddy is daughter of two Court Wizards and therefore part of the King's Progress, travelling round the Islands of Blest and ready to take part in whatever ritual or ceremony is required, as it occurs. Presiding over all, the most important person is the Merlin, who is entrusted with the magical health of the Isles of Blest. Nick Mallory's world is much more familiar — at least, it starts off being our own. But it soon transpires that Nick's not quite the ordinary 15 year old he seems, as he slips sideways into something he thinks is a dream — but in fact is another world entirely. Now, Nick's been on other worlds before (although never alone) but he's a confident type. Maybe a bit too confident... In Roddy's world, the current Merlin expires and a new one takes his place. Yet something is wrong — the rituals have been upset and nothing is going the way it should. Roddy needs help, and certain powers indicate that Nick is to be the one to help her. And Nick is cool about helping her — in theory... but it's a bit worrying that she seems to mistake him for a magic-user. Their stories unfold, side-by-side, each part leading into the next, and the Merlin Conspiracy thickens as the tales swirl around each other — twining, meeting and affecting each other, yet never completely combining until the very end chapters when all is finally revealed. Compelling, howlingly funny in places, mind-boggling — this is going to WOW DWJ fans all around the world (and probably in other universes too).

The Game — (2007) Young adult. Publisher: Hayley's parents disappeared when she was a baby. Since then, she has been raised and homeschooled by her grandparents. Grandad is overworked and travels a lot; Grandma is much too strict and never lets her meet any children her own age. When Hayley does something wrong — she is not quite sure what — they pack her off to her aunts in Ireland. To Hayley's shock, her family is much bigger than she thought; to her delight, the children all play what they call "the game," where they visit a place called "the mythosphere." And while she plays the game, Hayley learns more about her own place in the world than she had ever expected. This original novella by Diana Wynne Jones is sharply funny, fast-paced, and surprising until its very end — like all of this acclaimed author's work.

Enchanted Glass — (2010) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Aidan Cain has had the worst week of his life. His gran died, he was sent to a foster home, and now malicious beings are stalking him. There is one person Gran told Aidan to go to if he ever got into trouble — a powerful sorcerer who lives at Melstone House. But when Aidan arrives on the doorstep, he finds that the sorcerer's grandson, Andrew, has inherited the house. The good news is that Aidan can tell immediately that Andrew's brimming with magic, too — and so is everyone else at Melstone. The bad news is that Andrew doesn't remember anything his grandfather taught him. Chaos is swiftly rising, and he has no idea how to control it. A sinister neighbor is stealing power from the land, magic is leaking between realms... and it's only a matter of time before the Stalkers find Aidan. If Aidan and Andrew can harness their own magics, they may be able to help each other. But can they do it before the entire countryside comes apart at the seams?