Titles in this set
Charmed
Life
When Cat and Gwendolen Chant were orphaned
after a tragic steamboat accident, everyone knew how they had survived drowning
when their parents had not: Gwendolen was a witch, and witches can’t drown. The
children, supported by generous donations from the town, were sent to live with
Mrs. Sharp, who was a certified witch herself and wanted nothing more than to
facilitate Gwendolen’s burgeoning magical talents. Gwendolen, whose pretty face
and charming manner are thoroughly betrayed by her nasty personality, spends
most of her time attending magic lessons with a shady local wizard and
practicing her spells on her unfortunate brother. Cat has no magic—or so he
believes—until a visit with a fortune teller brings the dashing and mysterious
enchanter Chrestomanci into their lives. The Chant siblings are transferred
into Chrestomanci’s care, and all sorts of adventures begin…
The
Lives of Christopher Chant
this book explores the childhood of the
enigmatic and elegant Chrestomanci, a powerful, nine-lived enchanter introduced
in Charmed Life. Here, he is simply Christopher, a child neglected by his
self-consumed parents who has the ability to walk into a new world in his
dreams. Actually, several worlds. Soon is becomes apparent that there is more
to Christopher's abilities than that, after he dies. Several times. He is
whisked into a world of conspiracy and adventure, populated by colorful and
memorable characters. While Jones plays with fantasy tropes as deftly as a Rowling,
her heart is more playful, even as her knowledge is displayed more deeply.
Poetry, myth, history, literature... everything that Jones can get her hands on
is thrown into the mushpot, and woven into the fabric of the Chrestomanci
mythos.
Conrad's
Fate
Conrad's Fate is the story of Conrad Tesdinic,
who is told by his uncle that he has bad karma, because he's neglected to kill
someone he should've killed in a previous life. He is sent up to work at
Stallery Mansion, where this person he has to kill supposedly lives. All he has
is the promise that he will know who to kill when he meets this person, and a
way to call a Walker who will provide him with what he needs to do the killing.
But it's not as easy as it sounds, the world is very magical and some especially
big magic seems to be happening at Stallery Mansion, most obviously the
probability shifts that keep taking place, in which new probabilities suddenly
come into place and everything changes..
Witch
Week
The premise of the story is that Nan and her
classmates exist in a world where witchcraft is punishable by death but where
magic undeniably exists. When it is suggested that someone in class 2Y is a
witch, the ball starts rolling that inevitably leads to a literal witch-hunt,
in which not only Nan but several other students are put under suspicion. Add
to that the tedium of lessons, the institutionalised bullying and the sense of
control slipping away, and we have the inevitable conflicts that drive the
story forward towards its denouement and final resolution. Along the way we
have Jones’ confident handling of themes, personalities and atmosphere that
makes her writing such a joy to read, not to mention the puns and other
examples of humour that contrast with the fear that grips the heart when witch-burnings
are mentioned.
The
Magicians of Caprona
The Magicians of Caprona takes place in an
alternate dimension in which magic is openly practiced and where the various
city-states of Italy never united. Caprona is a fairly powerful city that
appears to be on the decline, for obscure and possibly sinister and magical
reasons. perhaps the city's archnemesis "The White Devil" is to
blame; perhaps the long, long rivalry between the two major magical houses of
Casa Montana and Casa Petrocchi is only making matters worse. we see this
absorbing little world through the eyes of two of the youngest of the Montanas,
Tonino and Paolo. the two boys manage to be entirely charming without being
even slighly cloying. there is not of whiff of preciousness to be found in the
novel.
The
Pinhoe Egg
Cat has gained more self confidence since
Charmed Life, but in trying to figure out what sort of Chrestomanci he could
be, he still has a lot to figure out, especially when he’d rather ride a horse
all day than take responsibility. And Marianne, well. She just doesn’t know how
special she is.
Their story is set against a whimsical tale stuffed with gryphons and unicorns, but offset by rather dark themes of unquestioning loyalty and family secrets. In spite of the fun, Jones proves once again she is not above exploring the darker side of the world through the lighter side of magic, and the story is filled with momentous set pieces of scenes that stick in the mind like molasses.
Their story is set against a whimsical tale stuffed with gryphons and unicorns, but offset by rather dark themes of unquestioning loyalty and family secrets. In spite of the fun, Jones proves once again she is not above exploring the darker side of the world through the lighter side of magic, and the story is filled with momentous set pieces of scenes that stick in the mind like molasses.
Chrestomanci
6 Books Collection by Diana Wynne Jones is about sci-fi fantasy
world of magic and adventure. Like every
book by Diana Wynne Jones, it bubbles with invention, and as the story unfolds
the people in it grow and change with all the surprisingness of real life. The chrestomanci series is chock-full of timeless, fantasy
element that appeals to both young and old alike. Diana wynne jones is fast
becoming one of favorite fantasy authors ever because of her style of prose and
unique storylines.
