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scripsiSpoilers for The Magicians of Caprona and Hexwood under the cut.
The Magicians of Caprona This is my favourite Chrestomanci book. As the series takes place in an alternate universe to ours, this world’s Italy still consists of several states, the fictitious Caprona one of them. Wynne Jones steals the plot of Romeo and Juliet, but here the two quarreling families are magical, and the love story ends happily and is also not the main plot. We have the common Wynne Jones character of a person who is more talented at magic than it seems. Here in the shape of Tonino who seems to have a kind of magical dyslexia; it’s almost impossible for him to learn spells, and Angelica whose spells always work, but decidedly NOT in the way they are intended. I find the book charming, and I love the idea of magic being tied with music.
Hexwood This is one of Wynne Jones’ darkest books, and possibly also one of the most confusing. There are several timelines, and they are not happening in the right chronological order, and it took me several re-reads to get it all straight in my mind. The book also contains one of the most nightmarish villains I have ever encountered. The jovial sadism of Reigner One sticks in your mind and the short passages about Kessalta’s death chill me to the bones, even though we are basically not given any details but the faint screams of Kessalta and Reigner One washing his bloodied hands. And Mordion is a very flawed hero and there is no end with him becoming, miraculously healed and happy. I really like this book, but it’s not a particularly easy read.
Books read during 2018. A * indicates a re-read. I’ve read 59 books, 13 short stories or novellas, and only 4 non-fiction books. 36 of these were new to me, and 40 re-reads.
Novels
Ben Aaronovitch: Broken Homes
Foxglove Summer
The Hanging Tree
Lies Sleeping
Moon Over Soho
Rivers of London
Whispers Underground
Lois McMaster Bujold: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance *
A. S. Byatt: Possession *
Gail Carriger: Competence
Agatha Christie: Bertrams’ Hotel *
4.50 From Paddington *
Genevieve Cogman: The Burning Page *
The Invisible Library *
The Masked City *
The Mortal Word
The Lost Plot *
Emma Donoghue: The Wonder
Elly Griffiths: The Dark Angel
Nathan Dylan Goodwin: The America Ground
Hiding the Past
The Lost Ancestor
The Orange Lilies
Vicky Hunnings: The Bride Wore Blood
Dot Hutchison: The Summer Children
Diana Wynne Jones: Charmed Life *
Hexwood *
Howl’s Moving Castle *
The Magicians of Caprona *
Jonathan Kellerman Night Moves
Catherine F. King: The Ninety-Ninth Bride
Stephen King: Bazaar of Bad Dreams
The Outsider
Robin McKinley: Deerskin *
Mark Mills The Savage Garden *
L. M. Montgomery: Anne of Ingleside *
Anne of the Island *
Anne of Windy Poplars *
Anne's House of Dreams *
The Blue Castle *
Chronicles of Avonlea *
Further Chronicles of Avonlea *
Rainbow Valley *
Rilla of Ingleside *
Sarah Perry: The Essex Serpent
Tim Powers: Hide Me Among the Graves *
The Stress of Her Regard *
Phil Rickman: All of A Winter’s Night
Dan Waddell: Blood Atonement
The Blood Detective
Blood Reckoning
Minette Walters: The Chameleon's Shadow *
Dark Rooms *
The Devil’s Feather *
Disordered Minds *
The Echo *
Fox Evil *
The Scold’s Bridle *
The Shape of Snakes *
Short stories & novellas
Ben Aaronovitch: The Furthest Station”
Lois McMaster Bujold: The Flowers of Vashnoi
“Mira’s Last Dance” *
“Penric's Demon” *
“Penric’s Fox” *
“Penric’s Mission” *
“Penric and the Shaman” *
“The Prisoner of Limnos” *
Gail Carriger: “How to Marry Werewolf “
“Romancing the Werewolf “
Diana Wynne Jones: “The Stealer of Souls” *
“Carol Oneir’s Hundredth Dream” *
Dan Waddell “Blood Underground”
Non-fiction
Marcus K Harmes: Roger Delgado: I Am Usually Referred To As The Master
Maude Julien: The Only Girl in the World, A Memoir
Harold Schechter: Hell’s Princess, The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men
Dita von Teese and Rose Apodaca: Your Beauty Mark
The Magicians of Caprona This is my favourite Chrestomanci book. As the series takes place in an alternate universe to ours, this world’s Italy still consists of several states, the fictitious Caprona one of them. Wynne Jones steals the plot of Romeo and Juliet, but here the two quarreling families are magical, and the love story ends happily and is also not the main plot. We have the common Wynne Jones character of a person who is more talented at magic than it seems. Here in the shape of Tonino who seems to have a kind of magical dyslexia; it’s almost impossible for him to learn spells, and Angelica whose spells always work, but decidedly NOT in the way they are intended. I find the book charming, and I love the idea of magic being tied with music.
Hexwood This is one of Wynne Jones’ darkest books, and possibly also one of the most confusing. There are several timelines, and they are not happening in the right chronological order, and it took me several re-reads to get it all straight in my mind. The book also contains one of the most nightmarish villains I have ever encountered. The jovial sadism of Reigner One sticks in your mind and the short passages about Kessalta’s death chill me to the bones, even though we are basically not given any details but the faint screams of Kessalta and Reigner One washing his bloodied hands. And Mordion is a very flawed hero and there is no end with him becoming, miraculously healed and happy. I really like this book, but it’s not a particularly easy read.
Books read during 2018. A * indicates a re-read. I’ve read 59 books, 13 short stories or novellas, and only 4 non-fiction books. 36 of these were new to me, and 40 re-reads.
Novels
Ben Aaronovitch: Broken Homes
Foxglove Summer
The Hanging Tree
Lies Sleeping
Moon Over Soho
Rivers of London
Whispers Underground
Lois McMaster Bujold: Captain Vorpatril's Alliance *
A. S. Byatt: Possession *
Gail Carriger: Competence
Agatha Christie: Bertrams’ Hotel *
4.50 From Paddington *
Genevieve Cogman: The Burning Page *
The Invisible Library *
The Masked City *
The Mortal Word
The Lost Plot *
Emma Donoghue: The Wonder
Elly Griffiths: The Dark Angel
Nathan Dylan Goodwin: The America Ground
Hiding the Past
The Lost Ancestor
The Orange Lilies
Vicky Hunnings: The Bride Wore Blood
Dot Hutchison: The Summer Children
Diana Wynne Jones: Charmed Life *
Hexwood *
Howl’s Moving Castle *
The Magicians of Caprona *
Jonathan Kellerman Night Moves
Catherine F. King: The Ninety-Ninth Bride
Stephen King: Bazaar of Bad Dreams
The Outsider
Robin McKinley: Deerskin *
Mark Mills The Savage Garden *
L. M. Montgomery: Anne of Ingleside *
Anne of the Island *
Anne of Windy Poplars *
Anne's House of Dreams *
The Blue Castle *
Chronicles of Avonlea *
Further Chronicles of Avonlea *
Rainbow Valley *
Rilla of Ingleside *
Sarah Perry: The Essex Serpent
Tim Powers: Hide Me Among the Graves *
The Stress of Her Regard *
Phil Rickman: All of A Winter’s Night
Dan Waddell: Blood Atonement
The Blood Detective
Blood Reckoning
Minette Walters: The Chameleon's Shadow *
Dark Rooms *
The Devil’s Feather *
Disordered Minds *
The Echo *
Fox Evil *
The Scold’s Bridle *
The Shape of Snakes *
Short stories & novellas
Ben Aaronovitch: The Furthest Station”
Lois McMaster Bujold: The Flowers of Vashnoi
“Mira’s Last Dance” *
“Penric's Demon” *
“Penric’s Fox” *
“Penric’s Mission” *
“Penric and the Shaman” *
“The Prisoner of Limnos” *
Gail Carriger: “How to Marry Werewolf “
“Romancing the Werewolf “
Diana Wynne Jones: “The Stealer of Souls” *
“Carol Oneir’s Hundredth Dream” *
Dan Waddell “Blood Underground”
Non-fiction
Marcus K Harmes: Roger Delgado: I Am Usually Referred To As The Master
Maude Julien: The Only Girl in the World, A Memoir
Harold Schechter: Hell’s Princess, The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men
Dita von Teese and Rose Apodaca: Your Beauty Mark
