The Pinhoe Egg

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 : )

Diana Wynne Jones has written so many books and what is remarkable is that I've never been disappointed. She writes about such intricately remarkable worlds in such a delicately simple way, that she is always a pleasure to read. What's more there is always something new to find in each novel -- she never repeats herself even in the Chrestomanci series where there is much that is familiar and many of the characters from the old novels and stories are here but they never lose the ability to surprise. The Pinhoe Egg may be my favorite in the Chrestomanci series -- and that is saying a lot. There is new and darker magic, and a novel and intricate story about the dark secrets that can bind a family together, and the novel explores the ways that religious superstition and fanaticism and fear of the unknown can lead peoples to collude in evil -- and yet the story remains enchanting and not overly burdened by the darkness it examines given its focus on the power of friendship and curiosity to overcome superstition and secrecy. Jones continues to be one of our very best fantasy novelists, both for young adults and children of all ages.

Diana Wynne-Jones has been writing for decades, but her most enduring creation is still Chrestomanci, the nine-lifed enchanter who regulates magic all over the worlds. And she's still in fine form in "The Pinhoe Egg," the sixth entry in the series, which has her strange magic, wacky humor, and an England radically different from the one we know. And Cat -- the timid hero of her first Chrestomanci book -- finally gets to take center stage. Marianne Pinhoe is there when her grandmother, the manipulative Gammer, goes completely insane. When Gammer's house is put on the market, young Cat Chant accompanies a friend to look at it -- and he and Marianne find a strange egglike thing in the attic. She lets Cat takes it home, and a shadowy creature visits him, asking him to take care of her child. But strange things are happening around Chrestomanci Castle -- the "Big Man" is kidnapped briefly, and there are plagues of frogs, illness, and general bad luck among the Pinhoes. A silent feud is going on between two secret witch clans -- and Cat finds himself in the middle of a magical conspiracy that goes back centuries. Diana Wynne Jones has always been great at creating magic conspiracies that never quite go the way you expect. "The Pinhoe Egg" dangles mysteries and hints in front of the reader, about why the witches stay secretive, and what their "sacred trust" is, and you won't guess until the final pages. Jones spins up this elaborate fantasy with her usual attention to detail, solid dialogue, and insights into what make kids tick -- from adolescent crushes to frustration that nobody will listen. Shealso brings a new kind of magic -- dwimmer -- into the storyline, along with flying machinery and a baby griffin called Klartch, who provides a lot of the humor ("Weep! Weep! Weep!"). Technically Cat was the hero of Jones' first Chrestomanci book, but he really didn't do much. In "The Pinhoe Egg," he gets in on the magical action -- gunfights, spells, horseback riding, rescues and feeding milk to Klartch. Marianne is a solid counterpart, and Chrestomanci is dapper, funny, and far more intelligent than the Pinhoes give him credit for. "The Pinhoe Egg" is as enchanting as the main characters. Another highly enjoyable novel in a series that came long, long before Harry Potter... and still hasn't got a weak link.

However, a deal of that is probably due to my liking for the characters of Chrestomanci (Christopher) and Cat. The story is entertaining, if a bit gruesome at the end, and the new characters are pretty well fleshed-out (except I kept getting all those Aunts and Great-Aunts jumbled in my mind!). The one thing that puzzled me is that in earlier Chrestomanci stories (The Lives of Christopher Chant and Charmed Life), people are always coming and going from towns near Chrestomanci Castle, with no problems, but in this book [where the background of the story has been going on for many hundreds of years] people have trouble getting to some of the towns without an escort from the Pinhoe family. I'm not familiar with the geopolitical setup of English towns; perhaps there really are this many different small towns within eyeshot of the Castle. Otherwise, a great read, worth staying up late to finish.

Nearly a year after the events of "Charmed Life," Cat Chant has settled into Chrestomanci Castle and learned some mastery over his own powerful magic. During the summer holidays, the young enchanter faces new challenges that range from learning how to ride his capricious horse, Syracuse, to caring for a mysterious egg that has been given to him by his new friend, Marianne Pinhoe. And then there's that magical barrier in the woods . . . a barrier that seems designed less to keep strangers out than to keep even stranger things in. Meanwhile, Marianne struggles with problems of her own. Gammer Pinhoe, Marianne's grandmother and the recognized head of the magic-using Pinhoe clan (who have practiced their craft in secret for generations), has apparently gone mad. Marianne's brother Joe has been forced into spying on the inhabitants of Chrestomanci Castle. And a series of malicious, mischief-making spells have caused hostilities to erupt between the Pinhoes and their neighbors, the Farleighs. Marianne suspects she knows the source of those spells; unfortunately, nobody seems to believe her. Events seem to be escalating towards an ugly witch-war, which only Marianne and Cat may be able to stop -- but only if they can first solve the riddles wrapped up in the Pinhoe Egg. Written with trademark humor and invention, Diana Wynne Jones's latest novel also manages to convey an important message about the dangers of fear, ignorance, and the inability to accept change. Longtime readers will relish a return to the setting and characters from "Charmed Life," the first in Jones's popular Chrestomanci series. Amazingly, after a lapse of almost 30 years, Jones has resumed Cat's story without missing a beat. Here's hoping eager readers won't have to wait 30 more years for another tale of Cat, Chrestomanci, and the rest of the engaging Chant family.