Wizardly doings - Rated 
When people think of wizards, they think of gray-bearded old men with pointy hats and staffs. But nothing could be further from Diana Wynne-Jones' Chrestomanci, a dapper English mage with nine lives and the responsibility of overseeing magic in ALL the worlds. "The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 2" compiles two of the books about this unique mage, "Witch Week" and "Magicians of Caprona".
"Witch Week" takes place in England, at a school called Larwood House that is reminiscent of English boarding schools in such books as Harry Potter -- but suspicion seethes in this one. In this world, witches are burned at the stake. And someone is a witch -- but who is it? Unpopular Nan? Silent Indian boy Nirupam? The identity of the witch (or witches) may change the world...
"The Magicians of Caprona" takes place in Italy, in the city of Caprona. Casa Montana and Casa Petrocchi are two Italian families of spellmakers, who have been feuding for a long time over an insult that neither family can really remember. But unknown to them, war and an evil enchanter are endangering Caprona. It falls to magically inept Tonini Montana and Angelina Petrocchi to save the day...
Long before there was Harry Potter, Diana Wynne-Jones was penning the funny, imaginative tales about Chrestomanci. "Magicians of Caprona" and "Witch Week" pretty much break the mold for fantasy wizards, choosing to be humorous and inventive instead of melodramatic and cheesy.
Don't expect fluffy fantasy. Jones's prose is amusing, dramatic, evocative and fast-paced. The intricate magical systems, where a single event can send an entire universe awry, are wonderfully portrayed and dramatically brought to our attention. And despite the Italian setting of "Caprona," the two books have a crisp, British flavor.
Her characters are likable ones. In "Caprona," there's a bit of goofiness in the generations-long feud. But the characters themselves are much like real people. And "Witch Week" captures, without a sense of cozy romance, the trials of being at a school where you're the unpopular kid -- there's a clique of popular students, and a larger number of unhappy, lonely ones.
Forget the antics of Harry Potter, and step into the magical stories of of Chrestomanci and his magical worlds. "The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 2" is a must-read for fantasy fans.
A double portion of Chrestomanci - Rated
Although this volume doesn't look quite as smart as the individual books in the Chrestomanci series, it's mighty good value for money. For those of you who haven't met Chrestomanci, he's a sartorially suberb and very powerful wizard with the job of generally keeping magic in order in a number of related worlds (which is of course no easy matter). The book contains two stories - the Magicians of Caprona and Witch Week. The Magicians of Caprona is a slightly Romeo and Juliet style story with two warring families in an Italian town who are forced to face up to a magical power that threatens them both. Witch Week is set in a school in a world where magic is outlawed and witches are burnt at the stake. Both are terrific stories, although if it's your first try, I would start with volume I as it gives more backstory. Harry Potter comparisons are inevitable - I would say that these are at least as much fun and generally more lighthearted. Definitely good books for the pining Harry Potter fan in your household!
GREAT! - Rated
Diana Wynne Jones is one of the best writers around. This story, 'The Magicians of Caprona', is about two families: the Petrucchis and the Montanas. They are at war, and it seems that nothing can bring the tow main wizarding families of Caprona back together again. However, when Angelica and Tony, each from one of the families, are thrown together in a twist of fate, they need to work it out.. or does it mean death for all the habitants of Caprona? This book retains all the vigour and excitement of the Chrestomanci series. I feel that, behind 'Charmed Life', it is definitely the best in that series. This is because I enjoyed the plotline, with more than one story happening at once, and I liked Diana Wynne Jones' distinctive style of writing. If you liked this book then read all of D.W.Jones' books! cya l8a!
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