Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Family Book Swap: Castle in the Air

Title: Castle in the Air
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
via Wikipedia
With summer approaching, we have resumed our Family Book Swap.  Castle in the Air was my daughter's book for me.  Diana Wynne Jones is her favorite author, her devotion reaching the point where her teacher had to encourage her to try other books for the sake of variety.  I read Howl's Moving Castle a couple of years ago and was curious about this companion story so I was delighted she chose it for me.

Abdullah is a carpet merchant.  One day, a man sells him a magic carpet, one that not only flies but has an uncanny knack for making Abdullah's daydreams come true.  He is whisked away to a beautiful garden where he meets Flower-in-the-Night, the Sultan's daughter (though he doesn't learn that bit until later).  The two fall in love.  The trouble begins when she is kidnapped by a djinn and Abdullah is compelled to run after her.

As it turns out, the djinn and his brother have nabbed a whole slew of princesses, though clearly without fully considering the implications of trying to control 30 willful women together in one room.  The Howl characters do turn up over time but it takes a while.  The energy of the story certainly picks up once they do, perhaps even drowning out the Abdullah adventure.  Even so, I did enjoy the book and am curious about the third volume of the Howl series, House of Many Ways.
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12 comments:

  1. CherdoMay 26, 2015 at 5:02 PM

    This is a great help to those of use who purchase books for the short people. I think I'd like this one, too.

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    1. The Armchair SquidMay 26, 2015 at 5:07 PM

      I hope you'll check it out. Start with Howl's Moving Castle, though.

      Delete
  2. Janie JunebugMay 26, 2015 at 6:26 PM

    Your book swaps are great. I've never heard of that author.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. The Armchair SquidMay 26, 2015 at 8:47 PM

      I'm working on my wife's book now. It's quite a bit more edgy.

      Delete
  3. angryparsnipMay 26, 2015 at 7:23 PM

    I really enjoyed Howl's Moving Castle. I will have to check out the last two.
    I was hoping you would start the Summer Book Swap again.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. The Armchair SquidMay 26, 2015 at 8:51 PM

      I think you'd enjoy this one. It takes a while to realize the connection to the first book but once it comes, the payoff is great.

      Delete
  4. Andrew LeonMay 26, 2015 at 8:35 PM

    I've thought about trying these, but I haven't gotten to them, yet.

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  5. DMSMay 26, 2015 at 10:17 PM

    I don't remember ever hearing of these- but they sound good. Wonderful to hear that your daughter loves them so much. I think this cover is really cool. Thanks for sharing- glad the first swap was a good one. :)
    ~Jess

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    1. The Armchair SquidMay 27, 2015 at 4:15 PM

      The cover of my edition is different but I liked this one, too.

      Delete
  6. Toi ThomasMay 31, 2015 at 5:27 PM

    This sounds like an intersting series. I may need to check it out. I've seen the first book, but didn't realise there was more.

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