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House of Many Ways

Pages
336
Published
2008
Language
English

Synopsis

Charmain Baker thought a quiet stint housesitting for her great-uncle William would be simple. Instead, the house turns out to be a shifting magical maze with doors that open onto different rooms depending on the day, and she is suddenly responsible for a stray magical dog and an unruly wizard's apprentice.

As Charmain fumbles through chores she has never had to do for herself, she gets pulled into a larger problem: the kingdom's finances are missing, and the king is searching for a legendary magical object that might explain why. Familiar faces from the earlier books — Wizard Howl and his wife Sophie — turn up to help untangle the mess.

A quieter, more domestic entry in the series, focused on growing up and taking responsibility as much as on magic.

About the author

D
Diana Wynne Jones

Diana Wynne Jones (16 August 1934 – 26 March 2011) was an English writer of fantasy novels, principally for children and young adults, though she also wrote for adults and a small amount of non-fiction. She is best known for the Chrestomanci series and for Howl's Moving Castle, which was adapted into an animated film by Studio Ghibli. She won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1978 and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2007.

Characters

Charmain BakerProtagonist

An inexperienced young woman left in charge of her great-uncle's magical house.

Howl JenkinsSupporting
PeterSupporting

A wizard's apprentice who ends up housesitting alongside Charmain.

HowlCameo

Returning wizard from the earlier books.

SophieCameo

Returning character from the earlier books, now married to Howl.

All characters in House of Many Ways
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