At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then it became clear that the orange grease was slowly clearing from the plates. The lengths of spaghetti stuck to the bottom of the largest saucepan started unwinding and wriggling like worms. . .
Diana Wynne Jones, author of the well-known Howl’s Moving Castle, which was recently adapted into an anime, is a much-loved children’s author, and having zipped through The Magicians of Caprona, I completely understand why. Wynne Jones has a wonderfully plummy writing style that reminds me of the books I used to read when I was younger, and her characters are rich and varied, making this a delightful read.
The Magicians of Caprona is the first in the Chrestomanci series, and is set in an alternate reality where Italy, rather than joining into a single country, has remained as a series of separate city states. The Magicians of Caprona, then, is set in the Dukedom of Caprona, home of two magical families who are caught up in an extended feud. The Montanas and Petrocchis have for years controlled all of the magical goings-on in Caprona, and are called upon to assist in all manner of areas. However, things in Caprona begin to go awry, and, naturally, each house blames the other for these events. However, things begin to get worse when a child from each house disappears without a trace, and the families must work together to defeat what they fear might be the mythical White Devil, who seeks to bring down Caprona.
The Magicians of Caprona is a fabulous romp full of all manner of silly events, people, and situations. There are definite parallels with the Harry Potter series here—I suspect that JK Rowling might well have been a fan of Wynne Jones.
Purchase The Magicians of Caprona.
Other books by this author you might like: Howl’s Moving Castle; Cart and Cwidder
Acknowledgements: Italy image by thephotoholic, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
