House of Many Ways

Starred review from May 19, 2008
Longtime fans and new readers alike will revel in Jones's self-assured return to the realm she charted in Howl's Moving Castle,
a riff on English and German fairytales, and its Arabian Nights–themed sequel, Castle in the Air
. When bookish, utterly selfish Charmain leaves home to care for her ailing great-uncle's magical house, she surprises herself by discovering her own hidden talents—and ends up helping save the kingdom of High Norland from the fearsome Lubbock. Brought up by her doting parents to be utterly “respectable” (which in her case translates to being astonishingly useless), Charmain is an unlikely heroine. Yet she easily holds center stage, even when the flamboyant Wizard Howl (of Moving Castle
fame) appears midway through the novel. Beguiling enough on their own, Charmain's big and small adventures (bickering with the boy who comes to stay; attempting housework with hilarious results; mediating the disputes of the disgruntled tiny blue men who work behind the scenes) gain an added urgency thanks to the lurking menace of the Lubbock, who is easily among the scariest villains Jones has ever created. A tale to luxuriate in. Ages 12–up.

When bookworm Charmaine is sent to care for a magic house during Great Uncle William's recuperation, she discovers that, even with magic, housework is a lot of work. Then there are the evil lubbock and the cranky kobalts to deal with! The menace and mayhem of these creatures are wonderfully voiced by Jenny Sterlin, who nicely contrasts them with the sensible-sounding Charmaine. When Charmaine's dream of working in the royal library comes true, she's introduced to characters from the author's classic works, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and CASTLE IN THE AIR. Sterlin uses regal, whiny, and stern accents for elegant Sophie, wizard Howl, baby Twinkle, and fiery Calcifer. Sterlin relishes the story's humor and suspense, and listeners will, too. D.P.D. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine