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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
This was fun and quirky. I love a multiverse concept and the magic and the worlds in this were interesting (if not fully fleshed out). I skimmed a little to finish it in time for a book club, and the end went really quick for me?
Best part was obviously the grumpy cat Throgmorten, the spiritual precursor to Crookshanks!
Best part was obviously the grumpy cat Throgmorten, the spiritual precursor to Crookshanks!
I wish I discovered these books when we were still homeschooling. Fun stories by a master.
For world-building and pacing, full five stars!! Between this one and its prequel, “A Charmed Life,” this is an incredibly rendered fantasy world with an interesting multiverse and magic system — in my opinion, more creative than another young wizard series out there, with just as high of stakes and a bit of a “chosen one” vibe (and that was my opinion as a tween, too). This and its prequel were rereads for me, though it’s been a good twenty years. Truly can’t wait to read (for the first time!) the rest of the books in the Chrestomanci series. I’ve never forgotten how much I love them and some of the characters felt like returning to my best friends.
But there were a few dated things in here that come across a bit racist now (though I highly doubt it was intentional in any way, just tropes of the genre in the 1970s/80s, but it’s hard to overlook here in the 21st century…), so that makes me think maybe, 4.5 stars. It’s not so blatant that I wouldn’t give the book to children, but I’d definitely want to have a talk about some of it. This would be an excellent book for a uni class to pair with “The Dark Fantastic” by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. And would be such a treat to read for class!
But there were a few dated things in here that come across a bit racist now (though I highly doubt it was intentional in any way, just tropes of the genre in the 1970s/80s, but it’s hard to overlook here in the 21st century…), so that makes me think maybe, 4.5 stars. It’s not so blatant that I wouldn’t give the book to children, but I’d definitely want to have a talk about some of it. This would be an excellent book for a uni class to pair with “The Dark Fantastic” by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. And would be such a treat to read for class!
After just a couple weeks from my completion of the first two Chrestomanci volumes back to back, I found that they began to blur and fade into each other quite forgettably. Initially, I gave the second volume, The Lives of Christopher Chant, a 4-star review, but I found it ultimately less memorable. And the ending particularly rankles, even among Jones' many unremarkable conclusions wherein everyone does a sassy high-five and has their own quirky talent to contribute in the gutsy stand against the bad guy. It's all too pat and let's-go-team and everyone kind of loses their personality in the quick, neat conclusion to what had seemed a careful and considered set-up.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
adventurous
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
The second book in the chrestomanci series and even though I enjoyed it a lot, I have to say it did not grasp me like the first book did. Having read both of the before as a kid I never realised how similar in story and plot development they are. With all the similarities Charmed Life comes out on top for my now even though I remember liking the lives of christopher grant better as a child.