The Magicians of Caprona (Chrestomanci Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

Diana Wynne Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2000

In the worlds of Chrestomanci, anything can happen. This adventure takes place in the Italian Dukedom of Caprona, where spells are as slippery and as tricksy as spaghetti! Casa Montana and Casa Petrocchi look after the magical business in the Dukedom of Caprona, watched over by its magnificent guardian statue, the Angel. The families have been feuding for years, so when all the spells start going wrong, each naturally blames the other. Then young Tonino Montana and Angelica Petrocchi disappear. Could the terrible rumours of a White Devil who threatens Caprona be true after all?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"!Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. Yet, at the same time, a great seriousness is present in all of her novels, a sense of urgency that links Jones's most outrageous plots to her readers' hopes and fears!" Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Diana Wynne Jones spent her childhood in Essex and has been writing fantasy novels for children since 1973. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she has been enthralling children and adults with her work ever since. She won the Guardian Award in 1977 with Charmed Life, was runner-up for the Children's Book Award in 1981, and was twice runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. She is married with three sons, and lives in Bristol with her husband.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins Childs (May 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 000675516X
• ISBN-13: 978-0006755166
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,078,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Wynne Jones spent her childhood in Essex and has been writing fantasy novels for children since 1973. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she has been enthralling children and adults with her work ever since. She won the Guardian Award in 1977 with Charmed Life, was runner-up for the Children's Book Award in 1981, and was twice runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. She is married with three sons, and lives in Bristol with her husband.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awsome!, August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magicians of Caprona (A Chrestomanci Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

I've read all the Chrestomanci books, their the best. Perfect for someone who loves Harry Potter. I'm just a 13 year old who can't get enough of either. Diana Wynne Jones is a wonderful writer. As soon as i finish one of her books, I just have to pick up another. The Magicians of Caprona is an enchanted romance. In which Tonino Montana and Angelica Petrocchis are able to put their family diffrences aside to save Caprona.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reading that feeds the imagination, August 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magicians of Caprona (A Chrestomanci Book) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read this book over fifteen years ago and still remember the story very well. It is a Romeo & Juliet style story of friendship despite family feuds and the magic add more than a touch of excitement. It is a wonderful book which really fires the imagination of children and adults alike. I would not hesitate to recommend it to the children of my friends.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely fantastic book, January 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Magicians of Caprona (Chrestomanci Books) (Paperback)

This is another book in the Chrstomanci Universe, but the story is this time set in Italy. In this universe just a little off from our own, magic is commonplace and spellcasters highly respected, and all of the practitioners of magic in the world are overseen by the legendary Chrestomanci, a nine-lived sorcerer and the only one in the world powerful enough to ensure that magic is never misused to the detriment of any normals. In the Italian city-state of Caprona, there are two major spellcasting families in the middle of a generations-long feud. In fact, they've been feuding so long that no one remembers why they are feuding (no, it's not a cheap Romeo-and-Juliet hack), and the favored occupation of the school-aged children is to invent terrible stories of the beginning of the feud to frighten their younger siblings. The story follows a young boy in one of the families, thought to be much slower at spellcasting than anyone in the family and privately a bit of a disappointment, who is chosen as the special pet of the head of the family's cats, Bevenuto, who is possibly the second-most-respected creature in the household. Definately reminiscent of The Lives of Christopher Chant.