By Diana Wynne Jones
The most recent and most disappointing book by Diana Wynne Jones. Wynne Jones has been around for many years and is another of my favourite children’s authors - Harry Potter pales in comparison to her best. However, published in 2003, I get the feeling that this book was rushed out to cash in on the Harry Potter phenomenon and therefore skimped on some essential editing.
Set in a parallel universe to ours (this is a common theme in Wynne Jones’ books) called Blest, the book tells the story of Arianrhod (Roddy), Nicothedes (Nick) and Ambrose (Grundo), who between them must foil a plot hatched by some evil witches and wizards to drain all the magic of Blest and take over the world. It is told through the eyes of Roddy and Nick, in roughly alternating order. Nick’s adventures, in particular, have a dreamlike quality about them for at least the first half of the book (probably because Nick does think he’s dreaming for a while), but “dreamlike” in that it meanders and wanders and doesn’t seem to make much sense. And we all know how other people’s dreams are incredibly boring and not at all as deep and mysterious as our own.
It did pick up a bit towards the end, but if you are interested in giving Dianna Wynne Jones a go (which I hope you are!) skip this one and try some of her best, like Charmed Life, Howl’s Moving Castle and Dogsbody. In my opinion, they leave Harry Potter for dead.
Rating: 1 out of 10
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