A review by rlaferney
Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones

4.0

First published in 1975, Cart and Cwidder is the first in the best-selling Dalemark Quartet books and tells the story of Moril and his brother (Dagner) and sister (Brid) who are travelling musicians journeying through Dalemark, until one day they pick up a mysterious passenger (kialian). Somehow Moril’s family and the stranger are becoming bound together in terror, flight, and the liberation of music.

Diana Wynne Jones is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. i love that her writing is so varied (she write fantasy, romance, time-travel, and satire, sometimes all in the same book). I think that I enjoy her because she is very great at surprising her readers. Case in point: Cart and Cwidder starts off very slowly........ but quickly turns into an enthralling high stakes adventure.

Because the father gets violently murdered.

Before he dies he tells Moril his cwidder is enchanted.

Then hours later, Lenina decides she had enough of the life of a traveling entertainer and marries a lord who might or might not have killed her husband. Forget about the children. They are optional.

So, Dagner, Brid, Moril and Kialan take off to have adventures on their own. All of a sudden: freedom fighting. Magic. And growing up.

To say anymore would be to ruin the plot of this wonderful novel. Go and read this book if you haven't yet, you'll be glad you did. I already can't wait to reread it.