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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was super fun. I spent the first half trying to figure out the connection to Howl and then when it happened I was so excited. It was such a fun ride.
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
only finished it because sophie and howl became a part of it but oh my what a disappointment! the first book in the series is an absolute delight! and the third is really quite good as well! what the heck happened here? racism and fatphobia for a start, but also just bad writing compared to the others? it’s so all over the place it was hard for me to pay attention to the storyline :( there are very nice moments but overall, will not be re-reading or recommending. skip this one and go from the first to the third, you’re not missing anything except that sophie gave birth as a cat?? lmao
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Racism, Xenophobia
Minor: Pregnancy
Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review - Like Howl’s Moving Castle, the characters are all delightfully flawed and seem to come to life on the page. The reader can also expect lots of familiar faces as well as new characters. Each book in Howl’s world builds on the others, and while you can read one on its own, they really work better together.
Castle in the Air did with the Arabian legends what Howl’s Moving Castle did with European fairy tales. Neither book takes off of a specific tale, but instead incorporates traditional elements, like birth order and genies. In Howl’s, Sophie falls into the trap of figuring she’s the oldest and therefore destined for boredom, whereas in this book Abdullah actually is destined for greatness and to rise above all others. Of course, rising above could mean dying on the forty foot spike the Sultan threatens to impale him with. I like the way fate/prophecy plays out in this book, both with good and bad meanings.
If you’d asked me a month ago, I’d have given you half a dozen reasons why I didn’t enjoy this book. Like Howl’s though, rereading opened my eyes to its true charm and intricate plot. In fact, I think this book is possibly even better in that the ending doesn’t make me go, "Wait, huh?…. but…." like Howl’s did. Reading Castle for the second time was also enjoyable because then I knew who was who. Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer play large roles, but they have been transformed into different shapes for most of the book, something the reader doesn’t find out until the end. This angered me the first time I read it, but the second time through, I knew who they were to begin with, so those characters were more interesting and their actions made more sense. Now that I’ve thoroughly confused you, feel free to e-mail me if you want to know who they really are, because I do think it’s more enjoyable to know ahead of time.
Read more - http://yafantasy.com/castle-in-the-air/
Castle in the Air did with the Arabian legends what Howl’s Moving Castle did with European fairy tales. Neither book takes off of a specific tale, but instead incorporates traditional elements, like birth order and genies. In Howl’s, Sophie falls into the trap of figuring she’s the oldest and therefore destined for boredom, whereas in this book Abdullah actually is destined for greatness and to rise above all others. Of course, rising above could mean dying on the forty foot spike the Sultan threatens to impale him with. I like the way fate/prophecy plays out in this book, both with good and bad meanings.
If you’d asked me a month ago, I’d have given you half a dozen reasons why I didn’t enjoy this book. Like Howl’s though, rereading opened my eyes to its true charm and intricate plot. In fact, I think this book is possibly even better in that the ending doesn’t make me go, "Wait, huh?…. but…." like Howl’s did. Reading Castle for the second time was also enjoyable because then I knew who was who. Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer play large roles, but they have been transformed into different shapes for most of the book, something the reader doesn’t find out until the end. This angered me the first time I read it, but the second time through, I knew who they were to begin with, so those characters were more interesting and their actions made more sense. Now that I’ve thoroughly confused you, feel free to e-mail me if you want to know who they really are, because I do think it’s more enjoyable to know ahead of time.
Read more - http://yafantasy.com/castle-in-the-air/
Como me gustan estos libros y la forma tan cuqui que tiene Diana Wynne Jones de escribir. ¡Quiero más Howl y Sophie!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
Although it had nothing on first book, I still enjoyed this book. I liked that it's more of a companion novel and less a sequel. There are a bunch of cool surprises towards the end