Castle in the Air

By Diana Wynne Jones

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Average Rating: (See all 3 reviews) Format: Paperback, 248 pages Published In: United States, August 2001 Quantity Available: 1 24 hour shipping In which a humble youg carpet merchant wins, then loses, the princess of his dreams Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, there lived in the city of Zanzib a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer named Abdullah who loved to spend his time daydreaming. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet. That very night, the carpet flew him to an enchanted garden. There, he met and fell in love with the beauteous princess Flower-in-the-Night, only to have her snatched away, right under his very nose, by a wicked djinn. With only his magic carpet and his wits to help him, Abdullah sets off to rescue his princess. . . . From The Publisher: Abdullah was a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer. His father, who had been disappointed in him, had left him only enough money to open a modest booth in the Bazaar. When he was not selling carpets, Abdullah spent his time daydreaming. In his dreams he was not the son of his father, but the long-lost son of a prince. There was also a princess who had been betrothed to him at birth. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet. In this stunning sequel to "Howl's Moving Castle," Diana Wynne Jones has again created a large-scale, fast-paced fantasy in which people and things are never quite what they seem. There are good and bad djinns, a genie in a bottle, wizards, witches, cats and dogs (but are they cats and dogs?), and a mysterious floating castle filled with kidnapped princesses, as well as two puzzling prophecies. The story speeds along with tantalizing twists and turns until the prophecies are fulfilled, true identities are revealed, and all is resolved in a totally satisfying, breathtaking, surprise-filled ending. Publisher: HarperTrophy ISBN: 0064473457 EAN: 9780064473453 Dimensions: 17.22 x 10.97 x 2.13 centimeters (0.15 kg)

Castle in the Air is the first sequel to Howl's Moving Castle (the second I believe is said to have been released in June of this year). I really loved the first book so I put this book down on my list of books to read pronto. I must say that unless you are a die-hard fan of Diana Wynne Jones you will probably not be as enthralled by this as you may have been by the first novel. It is nicely written but if you are expecting to read about your old friends from Howl's Moving Castle I'd say you're going to be disappointed. The only character that really took my fancy in this book was the genie and nothing really added up that was of interest until the very end. Take my advice and get it out from the library if you're curious but don't jump in and buy it without a prior guarantee.

Castle in the Air is again set in the world of Howl and Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. While Castle in the Air is not quite as good as Howl's Moving Castle, it is still funny, clever and riveting. Abdullah, a humble carpet salesman, falls madly in love with the princess Flower-in-the-Night. She is then kidnapped by a Djinn, forcing him to team up with a magical cat, a bitter genie and an untrustworthy soldier in order to rescue her.

: A sequel, of sorts, to the wonderful Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones sets firmly in her sights the conventions of the Arabian Nights as she sets this book to the southern kingdom of Rashpuht, where Abdullah, a young and unsuccessful carpet-seller finds his only relief from his dreary life are the elaborate day-dreams that he constructs. One day, a mysterious fellow sells him a rather threadbare carpet, and when he sleeps on it, he finds himself transported to a place startlingly like his dreams, complete with a lovely princess, Flower in the Night. However, Abdullah finds that this is all real after all, and also discovers that magical adventures aren't what they're cranked up to be...

Again, this book is full of the clever wit that's so characteristic of Diana Wynne Jones' writing, and the characters, though largely new, are still wonderful. There are many twists and turns that will delight readers, especially at the end. A magical adventure that all kids should experience, as well as all adults that haven't yet. This one is very highly recommended.