Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Publisher: Greenwillow, 2003
ISBN: 0060523182
Another good young adult novel by Dianna Wynne Jones, this one set in the same universe(s) as Deep Secret (the Magid's Universes). The Magid books don't share many of the same characters, altho the Mallory's appear in both (remember Nick? He's one of the main characters in this story). It is told alternating back and forth between two narrators (Nick and Roddy), both in the first person.
The Plot (Mild Spoilers)
Nick is suddenly pushed out of his world (which is also Earth, our world), and into the multiverse. Before the day is out, he's met a hit man who's been hired to kill him, and is a fugitive on two worlds. He starts off to find the hit man in his home world (they've become friendly), but on the way he is summoned by Roddy, who needs help saving her kingdom.
Roddy is a daughter of two court magicians traveling in the kings entourage. A new Merlin (royal magician) is inducted, and one of his first acts is to bind the court to his will by poisoning a holy well. While visiting her grandfather's house, she acquires magic strong enough to call for help from other-worldly sources -- but she ends up calling Nick.
They join forces to try to save Roddy's world (Blest), but no one will believe them that the Merlin could be involved in an evil plot, and those who might believe them keep disappearing. There is lots of trekking through worlds, magical creatures, and cool characters -- pretty standard for Diana W. Jones, and well worth reading.
Comments
This is a long, slow book -- compared to her other books, anyway. It is good, but not as good as Deep Secret. On the other hand, it is much better than A Sudden Wild Magic. It's a good book for Diana Wynne Jones fans, but if you haven't read any of her stuff yet, it's better to start with Deep Secret or one (all!) of the Chrestomanci books.