A review by merin_aran
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

  • Enchanting, whimsical and fun (mostly). Has much of the same wit and humour that I really enjoyed in the first book, however...
  • The new main characters were a bit disappointing. I found Abdullah and the soldier a bit lacklustre and annoying at times and I didn't warm to them much.
  • I really wanted more of the OG characters that I fell in love with previously - they are in it, but remain in disguise through most of the book, which was a shame because they were such a big part of why I loved the first book.
  • There were also definitely some problems with exoticism and racial stereotyping that changed the vibe of the book - I don’t think it was malicious but rather outdated ignorance and you can tell that Jones is not writing about her own culture.
  • There was also a fair bit of fat-shaming and misogyny from the main character too, which is probably why I really didn’t like him tbh
  • Overall an ok book, but the characterisation and problematic writing let it down.



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