| Diana Wynne Jones |
| Diana Wynne Jones, like many popular authors, is English. Her books, mostly fantasy-based, have a certain type of style to them which is quite unique. The way Jones treats the magical content in some of her books, like in Year of the Griffin, is very much similar to how Rowling does in the Harry Potter series. However, the way that magic is mentioned/used in her books are so casual and told so smoothly that the reader has no trouble at all with awkward explanations. Conjuring is easily and often used, as is translocation, mage fire conjuring and levitation. The humor in Jones' novels is also as casually told as the magical aspects, although that fact takes away none of its power. Humor, laughter and silly antics appear often, especially when associated with spells/magic. She also has the distinctly British way of making events happen suddenly and without warning in her books without hurting their credibility. Modern things are also intertwined in many of her books, making them great for any fiction readers who like laughs and magic-based adventures. |
| Howl from Howl's Moving Castle was the first of Jones' characters that I met, and is still by far my favorite. Howl is a melodramatic, intelligent, sometimes lazy and spoiled wizard, but is also very endearing, amazingly human, and even surpringly modern at times. Calcifer is another one of my favorite characters from this book. |
| Just some of Jones' many Books: |
| Castle in the Air The Dalemark Quartet Hexwood Fire and Hemlock Howl's Moving Castle |
| The Chronicles of Chrestomanci Volume I: Charmed Life The Lives of Christopher Chant Volume II: The Magicians of Caprona Witch Week |
| The Chronicles are actually four different stories, mostly separate, about different characters, but all taking place in the same world, and often involving previous characters. Christopher, from The Lives of Christopher Chant, greatly rivals Howl as my favorite character. Christopher's worlds take on a scientific parallel to those in separate world theories, in which a world branches off when one of several options takes place, such as in Michael Crichton's Timeline and many other novels. These are excellent fantasy novels for anyone who is in need of worthy fiction. |
| Dark Lord of Derkholm Year of the Griffin (sequel) |
| These two books are quite ingenious. The first's plot is very unique and intruiging, with Wizard Derk as a hero of the story. The "Pilgrim Parties" and the griffins are two of the sources of action and humor. The skillful portraying of the griffins' personalities is especially imaginative. |
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| Dogsbody |
| Dogsbody is the story of the dog-star banned to Earth in the body of a dog as punishment for a heavenly sin. It's a story with a straightforward plot and interesting characters; not one of Jones' most intruiging novels, but still fun to read. |
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