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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
The sequel to Dark Lord of Derkholm: Elda the Griffin goes to magic school. In that way it's every so slightly like Harry Potter meets Diana Wynne Jones, but it's much more DWJ-y, with a whole lot of really diverse characters all maneuvering toward one big climax. Also very romance-focused for a DWJ book; there's more pairing off than in most of her other books put together.
Honestly, I'm still a little weirded out by the part-animals and humans being genetically related. (The griffins are "children" of a wizard and his wife, and have human siblings.) And there's a lot of stuff about the mating rituals of griffins -- especially how the female ones react -- that further complicates the way she writes women. But it's still awesomely imaginative like all her books.
Honestly, I'm still a little weirded out by the part-animals and humans being genetically related. (The griffins are "children" of a wizard and his wife, and have human siblings.) And there's a lot of stuff about the mating rituals of griffins -- especially how the female ones react -- that further complicates the way she writes women. But it's still awesomely imaginative like all her books.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know how to feel about this book, or Diana Wynn Jones for that matter, after I just re-read it. I was having a lovely time all the way through because it's a kids book, but in Jones' usual style it's sharply observant of people's behavior; it's witty and kind. The main characters are all friends, and they're *good friends* to each other and their differences even when they blunder; the villains are satisfyingly the worst, there's a communist revolution subplot, etc.
But. The ending. **spoilers ahead, possible TW? idk.**
So the book is about Elda (a griffin), and classmates attending magical university, learning to grow up and be themselves. They're ambiguously aged but old enough to leave home; they all drink beer. Still. In the *final two pages* there's a convo between Elda's human older brother and a griffin who's become a teacher at the school. Blade (the brother) is in love with Elda's classmate Claudia; Fleury is in love with Elda. They both decide the women "have a lot of growing up to do," so they agree to wait and *visit often / teach at the school*.
This rubbed me the wrong way.
Fleury is of indeterminate age - both he and Blade are old enough to be world-renown wizards. Jones describes Elda and Claudia with all the power - Fleury and Blade are supposed to be helplessly in love, just hoping to be noticed. And though they have human intellect, griffin mating is different. There are many caveats of 'this might actually be OK.' I still can't decide, but I don't feel good about it. The book was published in 2000.
Beside Fire and Hemlock, Jones' other book involving an adult falling in love with a person they met as a child and watched grow up, its especially weird. Like...I think intergenerational friendships are super great, but *romantic* ones IN KID'S BOOKS? Yikes.
But. The ending. **spoilers ahead, possible TW? idk.**
So the book is about Elda (a griffin), and classmates attending magical university, learning to grow up and be themselves. They're ambiguously aged but old enough to leave home; they all drink beer. Still. In the *final two pages* there's a convo between Elda's human older brother and a griffin who's become a teacher at the school. Blade (the brother) is in love with Elda's classmate Claudia; Fleury is in love with Elda. They both decide the women "have a lot of growing up to do," so they agree to wait and *visit often / teach at the school*.
This rubbed me the wrong way.
Fleury is of indeterminate age - both he and Blade are old enough to be world-renown wizards. Jones describes Elda and Claudia with all the power - Fleury and Blade are supposed to be helplessly in love, just hoping to be noticed. And though they have human intellect, griffin mating is different. There are many caveats of 'this might actually be OK.' I still can't decide, but I don't feel good about it. The book was published in 2000.
Beside Fire and Hemlock, Jones' other book involving an adult falling in love with a person they met as a child and watched grow up, its especially weird. Like...I think intergenerational friendships are super great, but *romantic* ones IN KID'S BOOKS? Yikes.
Being a big fan of Diana Wynne Jones, I was disappointed in this book. It reads more like a rush job and sadly didn't hold up to its predecessor, Dark Lord of Derkholm.
There doesn't seem to ever be a direct plot and I never feel close to any of the characters. I could also do without all of the pairing up. By the middle of the book I was pushing forward simply so I could finish it, hoping it would get better. It's definitely not one of Jones' best works.
There doesn't seem to ever be a direct plot and I never feel close to any of the characters. I could also do without all of the pairing up. By the middle of the book I was pushing forward simply so I could finish it, hoping it would get better. It's definitely not one of Jones' best works.