I’m tired of Bella. Katniss just depresses me. J. K. Rowling isn’t going to write an eighth Harry Potter book. In the rising tide of angst and series endings in juvenile and young adult fiction, it’s a breath of relief to pick up a Diana Wynne Jones novel again. Her contribution to the fantasy genre is vast, including Howl’s Moving Castle and most recently, Enchanted Glass. This novel in the Chrestomanci series takes up the life of a young enchanter, Christopher Chant. Actually, his nine lives and this lands him in a pinch. Nine-lived enchanters are quite rare and powerful, as well as useful to nefarious men like his uncle Ralph. And the trouble with Christopher is that he keeps losing those lives in various foolish ways while traveling to other worlds. The novel is reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew and is chalk-full of Jones’s witty sense of humor, worlds between worlds, a cheeky goddess and her cats, and an epic showdown between magical law enforcement and a band of seedy ne’er-do-well witches and warlocks.
The Lives of Christopher Chant is fluffy, magical fun, the sort Harry used to enjoy before things got Very Bad. So say goodbye to Edward. Forget romantic triangles or characters that chew on other characters (or wildlife…whatever). I’ll take Christopher Chant.
Check the library catalog or go to Amazon.com to read more about the title.
Recommended by Christen, Children's Services
