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rixx's review against another edition
3.0
Neat YA book. Read this as comfort read and because you can't go wrong with Diana Wynne Jones, really. A group of
teenagers thrust into political conflict, with a side of magic, by way of mythical music, handled by them as a wandering
troupe. I didn't find the story particularly compelling (authoritarian countries bad, liberal countries good blah), but
as always, Diana Wynne Jones absolutely delivers on characters and group dynamics.
It's rare that authors can make you feel the palpable, plausible group dynamics and feelings of families or other
groups, and she just always makes it work. In this case, it was a family that was extremely close due to their work
together, and at the same time also emotionally distant due to the resulting pressure in some ways. The parents are
especially fascinating, both complex, neither completely admirable, but both relatable.
teenagers thrust into political conflict, with a side of magic, by way of mythical music, handled by them as a wandering
troupe. I didn't find the story particularly compelling (authoritarian countries bad, liberal countries good blah), but
as always, Diana Wynne Jones absolutely delivers on characters and group dynamics.
It's rare that authors can make you feel the palpable, plausible group dynamics and feelings of families or other
groups, and she just always makes it work. In this case, it was a family that was extremely close due to their work
together, and at the same time also emotionally distant due to the resulting pressure in some ways. The parents are
especially fascinating, both complex, neither completely admirable, but both relatable.
katmarhan's review against another edition
3.0
I don't read much YA so I'm can't comment on whether this is a great book for that audience. I thought it read like a long short story and I enjoyed it. Will be continuing with the other books in the Dalemark Quartet. I did think the main character gained his insight into the magic of the cwidder rather quickly.
onceandfuturelaura's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes, you just have to drop a mountain on your enemies.
emyzig's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rungemaille's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-book-27.html
sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition
4.0
Moril and his musician family travel between the North and the South of Dalemark, selling their songs and bringing news from one part of the kingdom to another. However, their lives are suddenly put in danger when they're asked to take on a new passenger. Although Diana Wynne Jones' books are often classified as middle grade, their quality appeals to readers of all ages and makes her fantasies true classics. Her worlds are carefully thought out and thoroughly detailed while avoiding info dumps of any kind, her characters instantly memorable, and her plots satisfying even when they aren't action-packed. In a refreshing change from much YA (and even some middle-grade) fantasy, Cart and Cwidder is free from the romance that can dominate fantasy and detract from its plot. A refreshing change of pace that made me want to reread everything Wynne Jones has written.
orielwen's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of Diana Wynne Jones’s early books and is a more traditional fantasy tale than the sort of fusion worlds she writes later. I don’t know if she’s deliberately writing in a more serious style or if she just hasn’t found her humorous voice yet, but there’s no great laugh-out-loud moments. It is, however, a very gripping read, with a well-thought-through magic system. I like the way music is incorporated into the world and the plot. I also like the way we learn about the characters through the eyes of someone who doesn’t know all the details, and learn with him that some of his assumptions and beliefs are false.
I kept thinking that the book was structured oddly, because things kept happening too soon (the world-changing realisation about yourself that Diana Wynne Jones’s characters often have, a grand set-piece climax), but it all made sense when I turned the page to find that the final quarter of the book is an extensive glossary. I’m not going to read the glossary (yet) because I suspect it will reference things that occur in the following books, and it doesn’t seem to have been necessary to understanding the story.
I kept thinking that the book was structured oddly, because things kept happening too soon (the world-changing realisation about yourself that Diana Wynne Jones’s characters often have, a grand set-piece climax), but it all made sense when I turned the page to find that the final quarter of the book is an extensive glossary. I’m not going to read the glossary (yet) because I suspect it will reference things that occur in the following books, and it doesn’t seem to have been necessary to understanding the story.