Recreating lost entries 1 - New Diana Wynne Jones
DD and I used some of our quality time session of a Wednesday (she doesn't go to playschool after speech therapy - 'k' and 'g' sounds getting a thorough going over with semi-co-operative daughter - as she is really wiped out after an hour long session) in spendign some Waterstones tokens I found during one of our recent clean ups. We bought books for DD mostly but i did indulge myself with the new Diana Wynne Jones hardback The Pinhoe Egg after a) picking up good feedback in LJ-land and b) realising it was a new Chrestomanci novel and c) realising it had Cat Chant in it too.
The rest of the day was sodden without and cold ridden within so DD and I spent much time reading our new books. This meant that by nightfall I had finished the thing - profligate soul! After the last one of hers that I had read Conrad's Fate I had been distinctly unimpressed and after gorging the book all in one sitting had felt rather sick and cheated. The Pinhoe Egg though is a different kettle of fish. Once again it has scheming magical families acting against the best interests of their children and attempting to make pawns of them. Once again we have a brother and sister set up in apposition to members of our familiar cast. However this time it WORKS! And no, I don't think it was just that there are some great horsey moments in there. The denouement felt a bit rushed and the build up a bit slow but that is something of a stylistic thing with the author and I am used to that by now. Will have to go back over it again with more care for detail this time - ie. I didn't spot any residual left hand bias in young Cat and I am sure it should be there - but meantime for any fans of the series out there I can heartily recommend it. Go buy!
The rest of the day was sodden without and cold ridden within so DD and I spent much time reading our new books. This meant that by nightfall I had finished the thing - profligate soul! After the last one of hers that I had read Conrad's Fate I had been distinctly unimpressed and after gorging the book all in one sitting had felt rather sick and cheated. The Pinhoe Egg though is a different kettle of fish. Once again it has scheming magical families acting against the best interests of their children and attempting to make pawns of them. Once again we have a brother and sister set up in apposition to members of our familiar cast. However this time it WORKS! And no, I don't think it was just that there are some great horsey moments in there. The denouement felt a bit rushed and the build up a bit slow but that is something of a stylistic thing with the author and I am used to that by now. Will have to go back over it again with more care for detail this time - ie. I didn't spot any residual left hand bias in young Cat and I am sure it should be there - but meantime for any fans of the series out there I can heartily recommend it. Go buy!