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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another delight from Diana Wynne Jones, April 22, 2003
Diana Wynne Jones is probably the best British fantasy author out there, and she is finally starting to get her recognition. This is a semi-sequel to "Deep Secret", since it carries on the story of Nick Mallory, one of the principal characters. Still casting about for a way to develop his magical talents, he becomes swept up in the efforts of our other point of view character, Roddy, a teenage girl on the world of Blest (an alternate England where the King progresses around the kingdom most of the year) to defeat a magical conspiracy led by some nasty characters. Filled with delightful moments...and captivating characters, from Nick himself to the enigmatic, powerful character of Romanov, a very strong mage whom Nick encounters while floundering from world to world, to an escaped elephant named Mini. As is usual in Jones's work, it is not all sweetness and light. Not all of the "good" characters are entirely good, and learning that will be part of the growing-up process for our teenage heroes. There are dark moments, deaths, family conflicts, mistakes by our characters, all of which is part of life and which Jones never spares us. The ending did seem sort of hurried, not as though Jones had run out of ideas (I can't imagine that) but as though she were forced to keep the book within reasonable bounds. And, to a certain extent, the ending is telegraphed within the book. Usually, Jones is a bit more clever about that. As usual, Jones borrows liberally from legend and story, and makes it all her own. While not quite as good as "Deep Secret", still a fine, fine addition to her works--and leaving enough unresolved (I could have heard more about Nick's panther and what it indicates about him) to hope for more episodes in Nick's story, and that of Roddy and her world as well. Highly recommended.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read Deep Secret first, then this immediately., April 26, 2003
Diana Wynne Jones is a marvel. This is a children's book, a sequel to her adult scifi/fantasy "Deep Secret," but everyone should read both, one right after the other. This book is *very* sophisticated for a kid's book, mostly because in part the narrative has the weird, disjointed atmosphere of dreams. Still, it's a terrific story, and some parts of it are laugh-out-loud hilarious (particularly if you're a fan of Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, etc.). Once again Wynne Jones has created two utterly great protagonists (Nick Mallory from Deep Secret, and a new character named Roddy who is another of Wynne Jones' standard feisty, mercurial, unsentimental heroines), plus a bunch of completely great supporting characters, including a girlishly nervous elephant and twin witches who are more maddening than a roomful of Eloises. The story careens around in time and space, every action is not without a reaction in the future, and in the process Wynne Jones actually makes a convincing case for *not* having to like horrible relatives just because they're your blood. Amazing! I hope to God she never stops writing, as her imagination and vision are mind-boggling, as well as being wildly entertaining.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging characters, interesting magic, October 16, 2003
Diana Wynne Jones has been publishing wonderful fantasy novels for over 30 years. Most of her work has been aimed nominally at "young adults", but it most definitely appeals to adults of any age. Her new novel, The Merlin Conspiracy, is set in the same Multiverse as her 1997 novel Deep Secret, and it features Nick Mallory, a character from the earlier book, but it is an independent story. The Merlin Conspiracy follows two characters. Arianhrod ("Roddy") Hyde is the daughter of a weather magician at the Court of the King of Blest, the England-analog in her universe. She and her young friend Grundo discover a plot involving Grundo's unpleasant mother and her new boyfriend as well as the new Merlin of Blest. The rest of her family becomes enchanted in various ways and unable to move against this plot. Roddy and Grundo become separated from the Progress of the Court (the King cannot stay in any one place for long) and they gad across Blest, looking for help from Roddy's two powerful Grandfathers, and her eccentric Grandmother. Along the way she inherits the magical knowledge of a long-dead Welshwoman, and she summons a wizard to help her. This wizard turns out to be Nick Mallory, who is the adopted son of an Earth writer, but who really comes from another part of the Multiverse, and who aspires to wizardry but hasn't actually learned much. Somewhat by accident, he has ended up lost in another universe, from which he wanders to some additional ones, after a threat from a powerful wizard named Romanov. Nick follows Romanov to his strange island, in several universes at once, and there he meets an elephant named Mini. He is also contacted by Roddy, and it becomes clear that he is supposed to help her, and also that he is very attracted to her. Eventually all the principals end up in Blest, where things are getting worse and worse. The plot seems on the verge of succeeding, and the two young people, with help from a few others they've gathered along the way, must risk the balance of Magic in the entire Multiverse by Raising the Land, in hopes of foiling the conspirators. This is a fine novel, but not quite Jones at her very best. Jones's magical imagination is delightful as ever, but at times things do seem a bit arbitrary. And the plot, though in the end worked out pretty nicely, also seems arbitrary for long stretches. Still, even if not her best work, it's very good -- Nick and Roddy are interesting characters, and well-portrayed, with real and believable problems and shortcomings. Many of the minor characters are delights as well -- particularly the elephant Mini. Recommended.
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