House of Many Ways
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4.8 • 122 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this sequel to the international bestseller Howl’s Moving Castle, bookish Charmain finds herself smack in the middle of magical court intrigues . . . and dealing with the dashing Wizard Howl.
When Charmain Baker agreed to look after her great-uncle's house, she thought she was getting blissful, parent-free time to read. She didn't realize that the house bent space and time, and she did not expect to become responsible for an extremely magical stray dog and a muddled young apprentice wizard.
Now, somehow, she's been targeted by a terrifying creature called a lubbock, too, and become central to the king's urgent search for the fabled Elfgift that will save the country. The king is so desperate to find the Elfgift, he's called in an intimidating sorceress named Sophie to help. And where Sophie is, the great Wizard Howl and fire demon Calcifer won't be far behind.
How did respectable Charmain end up in such a mess, and how will she get herself out of it?
All fans of classic fantasy books deserve the pleasure of reading those by Diana Wynne Jones, whose acclaim included the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. As Neil Gaiman stated, she was "quite simply the best writer for children of her generation."
The three books in the World of Howl are:
Howl's Moving CastleCastle in the AirHouse of Many Ways
Other beloved series from Dianna Wynne Jones include the Chronicles of Chrestomanci and the Dalemark Quartet.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Longtime fans and new readers alike will revel in Jones's self-assured return to the realm she charted in Howl's Moving Castle, a riff on English and German fairytales, and its Arabian Nights themed sequel, Castle in the Air. When bookish, utterly selfish Charmain leaves home to care for her ailing great-uncle's magical house, she surprises herself by discovering her own hidden talents and ends up helping save the kingdom of High Norland from the fearsome Lubbock. Brought up by her doting parents to be utterly "respectable" (which in her case translates to being astonishingly useless), Charmain is an unlikely heroine. Yet she easily holds center stage, even when the flamboyant Wizard Howl (of Moving Castle fame) appears midway through the novel. Beguiling enough on their own, Charmain's big and small adventures (bickering with the boy who comes to stay; attempting housework with hilarious results; mediating the disputes of the disgruntled tiny blue men who work behind the scenes) gain an added urgency thanks to the lurking menace of the Lubbock, who is easily among the scariest villains Jones has ever created. A tale to luxuriate in. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
House of many ways
This was a fantastic read I truly love it. It was so hard to put down I read the book in two days yet even that seemed to be to slow for this lovely book. But as a hit for any who want to read this I would suggest that you read howls moving castle first. For howls moving castle is based shortly before this book is to take place. =)
Unexpected and Magical
You can never know what to expect in this series, and that is part of the fun. Every time you read through you will find something new and fun. Every sentence seems to have a deeper and comedic meaning that will reveal itself has the story goes on. The book itself is a spell that will grab you from the first page and hold on until the last.
The talented Diana writes another great read
I'm always surprised by how engaging jones makes her fantasy worlds. This book will entertain children and adults alike. The third book in the Howl series, this book can stand by itself regardless of prior knowledge of the characters. If you read it and love it, check out her other books, in particular the Chrestomanci series. Diana Wynne Jones is a great author!