Charmed Life
Ratings29
Average rating4.2
15
Ratings29
Average rating4.2
An elegant stranger appears on seedy Coven Street and collects the two Chant orphans -- Gwendolen, a powerful young witch, and Cat, her brother. The stranger, known as "Chrestomanci," delivers the children to the grandeur of Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack.
These can be read in the order published, or the author has suggested a different reading order, found here: https://www.howtoread.me/chrestomanci-order/
Series
6 primary books10 released booksChrestomanci is a 10-book series with 6 primary works first released in 1977 with contributions by Diana Wynne Jones and Eliana Sabino.
Reviews with the most likes.
My son was reading this and it made me want to re-read it too. A pleasure as always. My favorite part is when Cat takes back his magic – a recurring motif in DWJ books, in which characters are frequently being magically exploited or used. When the seemingly weaker, but actually stronger young person reclaims their power and agency, it's an immensely satisfying moment.
After the parents of Gwendolen and Cat are killed in an accident, the siblings go to live with the world's most powerful enchanter, Chrestomanci, in the hopes that Gwendolen, the only one of the two with magical abilities (or so it is thought) can be tutored by the enchanter. Gwendolen becomes angry after Chrestomanci fails to make much of her magical abilities and disappears, only to be replaced by a decidedly nonmagical duplicate, Janet.
The story is great fun, with a big alternative world where magic is commonplace as the setting, and the characters are wildly original, including the calm and cool enchanter and the easily angered Gwendolyn. I delighted in the twists and turns of the plot as well.
