Customer Reviews

Power of Three

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Diana Wynne-Jones's books are enjoying a much-deserved resurgence, thanks to the renewed interest in well-written juvenile fantasy. One of the latest reprinted novels is "Power of Three," a unique story about three very unusual siblings, and the Moor that is under attack.

The leader of the mound of Garholt has three children. Eldest Ayna has the Sight, and youngest Ceri has the Gift of Finding AND the Gift of Thought. The middle child, Gair, considers himself extremely ordinary, and tries to become wise and skilled to make up for his lack of extraordinary gifts. Gair isn't as ordinary as he had thought, but his secret talents lie hidden until a disaster falls.

Long ago, their uncle Orban killed a Dorig (a water-dwelling reptilian creature) for its golden collar, and the Dorig's brother laid a curse on everyone. Now the Dorig invade the mound when the chief is out on a hunt and the three kids manage to escape, taking refuge with the Giants (who are apparently ordinary human beings). They learn that they're running out of time -- the Moor will soon be turned into a lake, driving out the Giants and killing the Moung People and Dorig, unless they find a way to stop it.

"Power of Three" is in some ways a much darker book than many of Jones' others. There are more complex issues about morality and ethics. Not to mention the enviroment, and the question of what makes a person special. (Even before Gair's gift surfaces, he's considered special for his hunger for knowledge) There's murder, trickery, there are battles (not magical ones either), hostage situations and curses that affect entire populations.

Jones gives the Mound People a semi-Celtic flair; the story about how the kids' dad had to win their mom is reminiscent of old Irish legends. The shapeshifting, water-dwelling Dorig are suitably mysterious and alien. Jones fills her story with atmospheric wildlands, cozy British houses and plenty of vivid descriptions.

Gair is clearly the center of this book. He's a likable kid, quiet when his rotten cousin isn't taunting him, and more thoughtful than his siblings. Ayna and Ceri are also well-done. The biggest problem is probably Gerald and Brenda. While Jones does a passable job with these two, it takes awhile to warm up to them because we don't get a lot of insight into their thoughts.

"Power of Three" is a fast-paced, well-written fantasy adventure, full of strange and mysterious creatures (and a few who are all too familiar). Like just about all of Jones' works, a treat.

I'd be willing to bet that most Diana Wynne Jones fans may have missed this book because on first glance it doesn't seem as exciting as some others of hers. What a mistake, since Diana really shows her craft as a writer in this book. She shows she can do a different kind of book and pull it off as well as any of her more fun, or humorously fanciful books.

In many of Diana's books, she works by creating a difficult situation and then piling unexpected situations, images and twists on top. Usually, you wonder "what more could possibly go wrong" and then something else does--to humorous effect. By the end, you find you've come out the other side and chaos has somehow turned into order--much like a Shakespearean comedy such as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" or "Comedy of Errors."

If most of Diana's books are comedies, Power of Three is more like a tragedy. From the moment at the first of the book when an innocent Dorig (sort of a water sprite) is killed, a curse is laid, and revenge is sworn, you know that "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Diana uses intricate plotting to move the story towards the expected climax. Even with happy events, the reader knows that something else lurks behind. The plot works in a unified way to forward the story towards its climax. Each event is exactly right for propelling the story towards its end.

The book deals nicely with issues of trust between people, understanding between parent and child, and the effect a small minority can have for good or evil.

This is a darker book than many by this author (though it works out nicely in the end), so you may want to try something else if you're looking mostly for free-spirited fun. It's moodier, more "realistic," has less whimsey, and more suspense than you'd expect.

Overall, a very well-crafted book that is something different for the author. I recommend it highly, but you may want to adjust your expectations of Diana Wynne Jones before reading it.

Combining the atmosphere of Celtic folklore with a plot reminiscent of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", as well as an intricate plot (including a huge twist halfway through that will completely turn your perception of the story on its head) and likeable characters, "Power of Three" is one of Diana Wynne Jones's best novels - and so inevitably it is one of her least known.

Set on moorlands inhabited by Giants, reptilian Dorig and tribes of warrior-like clans, the first two chapters introduces the rest of the story to come. First, Adara and her bullish brother Orban come across a young Dorig princeling, and Orban demands the beautiful collar around its neck. Refusing, the Dorig places a deep curse upon the collar that will bestow bad luck upon the holder and the surroundings.

Chapter two takes place several years later when Adara elopes with the chief of a neighbouring Mound. This reads like a Celtic legend as the hero Gest must perform three impossible tasks concerning riddles, collars, standing stones, Dorig and Giants, and exactly how he manages to accomplish these feats is a mystery that (like the influence of the curse) is explored more deeply in the rest of the book that skips onto the next generation.

Gest and Adara's three children are Ayna, Gair and Ceri. Ayna the eldest can answer any question posed toward her, whilst Ceri can not only find anything that is lost but manipulate matter with his mind. Gair however is devastatingly normal, and so considers himself a disappointment to his entire community. But with the evil of the curse winding its way into all aspects of life (including food supply, war with the Dorig, and an unwelcome invasion of relatives into their Mound), Gair finally reaches breaking point and heads for the countryside. Tailed by Ayna and Ceri, the three siblings find adventures with both Dorig and Giants waiting for them, and realisation that the Moor itself is in danger of destruction.

In terms of theme and plot, "Power of Three" may very well be the deepest and most complicated novel for young readers that DWJ has written. Exploring the definition of humanity, the worth of the individual and the necessity for peace at its core, the book also has plenty of humour, quirky characters and intricate subplots - far too many to properly explain in a simple review. But it is worth saying that this book in particular has a range of interesting and vivid characters - from saintly Adara, woebegone Gerald, bossy Brenda, spoilt Ceri, sage-like Ayna and the odious Ondo. But the spotlight mostly falls on Gair, and he is a protagonist that most will find very easy to relate to - melancholy and serious, but determined and intelligent, and altogether a likeable guy.

The author also makes some wonderful connections between characters - the siblings in particular are warm and affectionate (most of the time) and the friendships that Gair forges within the story are also realistic and enjoyable to read. But then again, DWJ is an expert at portraying human behaviour and it should come as no surprise to any familiar readers that such things are handled just as well here.

"Power of Three" definitely has my recommendation, though I should warn you about reading other reviews on the story, as some of them give away the big twist - something that shouldn't be revealed if you want to truly revel in DWJ's genius.

I have never met a book by Diana Wynne Jones I didn't like. Power of Three offers the story of a young boy finding out there is magic in the world. Sounds generic, but when it turns out that the "giants" (a.k.a., humans) are not as giant as he thought, and even the evil Dorig really just want a home, Gair descovers who his real friends are.

Power of Three is the first Diana Wynne Jones book I ever read, and did it ever hook me! It's a powerful high fantasy, and Jones creates a fully believable world where magic and politics and evil and wisdom vie for the upper hand. It's also funny and relevant. What more could one ask?

I'd read this book ages ago and fell madly inlove with the images it provoked. I'm totally spellbound and had been chasing the feelings this book (as well as others by Mrs Jones) gave me as an impressionable child in the late 80s.

Mrs. Jones displayed her super mad skillz again with this book. It, and Homeward Bounder, is one of my all time fav.
Without any reservation, i would suggest to any and all to check out this book. ^-^

Best wishes to Mrs. Jones & Miyazaki-sensei/Ghibli Studio!

Peter ^-^
1life,1arrow

I have to admit, I'm one of those people who just can't sit and look at words hour after hour because it's just a bunch of...WORDS ON A PIECE OF PAPER, but Power of Three really kept me stimulated to read more. Don't let the 9-12 age group scare you, because I underestimated the book a bit. It is a great book.

It starts with Gair, an unsure boy who's the middle child of Gest, whose other children (Ayna, Ceri) both have gifts. Gair thinks he's a nothing among his two siblings, but one fateful day when the Dorig attack their village and his loved ones are captured, he encounters the giants with his siblings and they end up in the middle of a deal that could put their family in danger. The fate of Gair's village is in his hands, but he supposedly has no gift...

The writing is very descriptive, hands down. The emotions in the mind of Gair really symbolize the troubles a child goes through in adolescence. The story really comes together in the end, and a fourth of the time it is told through flashbacks. It starts out as an unfinshed puzzle that you put together as you read on and on. The main character's not corny, like in books like Harry Potter, "OH MY GOD! IT'S THE BOY WHO LIVED!! LET'S GO ON FOR ANOTHER SEVEN BOOKS ABOUT HIM AND WRITE IN THE MOST UNORIGINAL MANNER POSSIBLE!", Gair is just a brilliant, antisocial lone wolf whose world is literally falling apart. Nobody understands him, that's why he's such a good character and he doesn't whine (like a similar character from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji). The great thing is that Power of Three isn't as stereotypical for a fantasy as you'd expect, it's a bit darker and somewhat more complex.

You seriously need to read this if you think that reading sucks, no matter how old you are. Don't base this on the cover art, this is a brilliant piece of original work, not a fake Harry potter takeoff because this was before Harry-mania! It's an epic.

One of the best writers ever, hands down, is Diana Wynn Jones. She must have the most amazing imagination, she comes up with so many new and fresh ideas and her characters are real people. The Power of Three is one of her best books, the premise is marvelous and there is a twist where you suddenly see yourself as seen by the characers and you are rocked. It is also great fun to read, you will finish it and start at the beginning again.

A really well-crafted book - one of my favorites by Diana Wynne Jones. This is an adventure story starring three siblings, with suspense and surprises, and it also deals with kids bullying, feeling like no one understands you, and parent-child relationships with a light touch that doesn't get in the way of the story. A really great read.

This is by far one of my favorite books by Jones. It was far less confusing than most of her books, and the characters were her typically memorable cast. I don't want to write any spoilers, so I'll just stick with: adamantly recommended for all ages!!