a must-read for Chrestomanci and fantasy fans - Rated 
'The Pinhoe Egg' is the latest must-read book in the Chrestomanci series that blends the well-known and loved characters from 'Charmed Life' with a new colourful gallery of witches, enchanters and magical creatures.
Diana Wynne Jones gives all her usual best to make the book a good read - there is of course magic, humour, lots of cats, some cheerful, and some wicked characters topped up with the inimitable big man - Chrestomanci himself. As usual, too, the story focuses rather on the children, with maturing Cat Chant and a new character Marianne Pinhoe among others, growing up to their gifts and building self-confidence to use their skills.
But there is also some new quality to it that was either not present or no so clear in the previous books. Here the magic is more connected at the grass roots, and more in the balance with the rest of the world, taking in the good with the bad, learning to tolerate and respect the other, invisible universe. This shift in the worldview reminds me strongly of Ursula Le Guin's 'The Other Wind', and as such may appeal also to an older audience.
Without spoiling the story, Wynne Jones is also quite critical of blind, unquestioning faith and might spark a controversy or a lively debate among some readers, making the series even more interesting.
Highly recommended.
Good, but not her best - Rated 
A new Diana Wynne Jones novel is always a treat, especially when it continues the stories of some of her existing characters. This is no exception.
Set in the summer after 'Charmed Life', it combines the ongoing stories of Cat Chant, Chrestomanci, and the others at the Castle, with some new characters; Marianne and Joe Pinhoe. All of the characters are three dimensional, believeable and likeable, and those who have read Charmed Life will be glad to find out what happened next to Cat.
As usual, the writing is accessible and engaging, with the reader quickly drawn in and then gripped for the rest of the novel. There's a decent little plot, not terribly complex, but not overly predictable and with plenty to keep even adult readers interested. It's not one of her strongest, to be fair, but it's not bad either.
Although the story stands alone quite well, readers might enjoy it more if they have first read 'Charmed Life', which introduces some of the characters and concepts, and is generally a very good book. There are also some spoilers for 'Charmed Life' in 'The Pinhoe Egg'.
While this isn't Wynne Jones' best work, it is still an enjoyable piece of escapist writing - and is worth it for the very cute baby griffin alone. Cat and Marianne are both worthy principal characters, and are supported by a strong cast of secondary roles. The book would be suitable for children as young as 8, right through to adults.
Almost a return to form - Rated
A return to form after some wobbles from DWJ, this almost hits the mark. DWJ's trademark complex plot is missing and an author of her experience should really have handled all the explanation at the end a lot better than she did.
For all that it is an interesting addition to the Chrestmanci series. And compared with the rambling saga of another trainee wizard, this is high literature.
Sweet and funny continuation of the Chrestomanci Series - Rated
This book continues on from the storyline in "Charmed Life" so it's probably best to have at least read that book before picking up this one (reading "Mixed Magics" would probably help too but it's not essential).
I can't really go into much detail about the plot here as it may spoil your enjoyment of the book, but the story basically follows Cat Chant from "Charmed Life" and a new character, Marianne Pinhoe, as various strange incidents occur in the villages surrounding Chrestomanci Castle. Of course, Chrestomanci and his family also feature in the story. Also, fans of Diana's "Wizard Derk" books will be pleased at the appearance of a certain magical creature in the story.
Like all of the other books in this series, this book is full of wit, original and unpredictable storylines and brilliantly imagined characters. I think that it has a slightly sweeter, cuter feel than the other books (don't worry though, it's not sickly or anything like that!).
There aren't really any negatives I can think of about this book, I loved it, maybe not quite as much as "Conrad's Fate" but definitely more than the rest of the series.
Basically, if you enjoyed the other Chrestomanci books I cannot think of any reason why you should not enjoy this one.
Really sweet and funny continuation of the Chrestomanci series - Rated
This book continues on from the storyline in "Charmed Life" so it's probably best to have at least read that book before picking up this one (reading "Mixed Magics" would probably help too but it's not essential).
I can't really go into much detail about the plot here as it may spoil your enjoyment of the book, but the story basically follows Cat Chant from "Charmed Life" and a new character, Marianne Pinhoe, as various strange incidents occur in the villages surrounding Chrestomanci Castle. Of course, Chrestomanci and his family also feature in the story.
Like all of the other books in this series, this book is full of wit, original and unpredictable storylines and brilliantly imagined characters. I think that it has a slightly sweeter, cuter feel than the other books (don't worry though, it's not sickly or anything like that!).
There aren't really any negatives I can think of about this book, I loved it, maybe not quite as much as "Conrad's Fate" but definitely more than the rest of the series.
Basically, if you enjoyed the other Chrestomanci books I cannot think of any reason why you should not enjoy this one.
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