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A review by jayseejewel
Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones
3.0
An interesting story by the author of Howl's Moving Castle but nothing about it really grabbed me or made me want to read the next one. It's short, to the point, and great for children or teenagers.
What I liked:
- The characters were funny and interesting. I never had trouble telling them apart and loved that they acted like kids but weren't stupid or annoying
- The politics and conflicts are simple and easy to understand but fleshed out enough to make sense. The world is also basic but immersive
- Like HMC, this one had a simple yet unique magic system that wasn't too lore-dumpy
- I love when books are short and have quick pacing, so this did not disappoint
What I didn't like:
- The story is great for children, and felt very similar to the writing style or Narnia or The Hobbit, but it didn't grab me or make me want to read more
- It took halfway through the book for the plot to actually pick up and go somewhere. Once it got started, though, it rarely slowed down
- It did feel like there was filler at some points
What I liked:
- The characters were funny and interesting. I never had trouble telling them apart and loved that they acted like kids but weren't stupid or annoying
- The politics and conflicts are simple and easy to understand but fleshed out enough to make sense. The world is also basic but immersive
- Like HMC, this one had a simple yet unique magic system that wasn't too lore-dumpy
- I love when books are short and have quick pacing, so this did not disappoint
What I didn't like:
- The story is great for children, and felt very similar to the writing style or Narnia or The Hobbit, but it didn't grab me or make me want to read more
- It took halfway through the book for the plot to actually pick up and go somewhere. Once it got started, though, it rarely slowed down
- It did feel like there was filler at some points