#41: Diana Wynne Jones, Conrad's Fate (Chrestomanci #5)

[kareila]

This story takes place shortly after The Lives of Christopher Chant, when Christopher and his future wife Millie are still teenagers. Millie has gone missing in a parallel universe, and Christopher is sneaking around searching for her. Meanwhile a plucky 12 year old boy named Conrad is being forced by his uncle (what IS it with DWJ and manipulative family members?) to take a job in the mansion of the local aristocracy instead of continuing his education. His uncle has given him instructions that make no sense, and a head full of wrong ideas about his bad karma. Luckily, Conrad and Christopher are chosen to work together in the mansion, and are able to help solve each other's problems. I think this book was my favorite of the series so far because of their friendship.

#42: Diana Wynne Jones, The Magicians of Caprona (Chrestomanci #4) [JRI]

[kareila]

This is another story in which an adult Christopher only makes a guest appearance to help straighten things out. Mostly it concerns two feuding magical families in the Italian city-state of Caprona, a setup like something out of Shakespeare. As war breaks out on all sides and treachery is exposed within the Duke's palace, it is up to two children from the opposed families, Tonino Montana and Angelica Petrocchi, to save the day with their unreliable spells and the help of a clever cat.

#43: Diana Wynne Jones, Mixed Magics: Four Tales of Chrestomanci

[kareila]

Goodreads doesn’t give this short story collection a sequence order, so I’m shoehorning it in between 4 and 5. It contains characters we first met in books 1, 2, and 4.

Warlock at the Wheel: The rather absurd story of what happened to the Willing Warlock after the events of Charmed Life.

Stealer of Souls: Cat Chant escorts Tonino Montana on a trip to visit the retired previous Chrestomanci, Gabriel de Witt. It doesn’t go well.

Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream: Carol is the young daughter of one of Christopher's old school chums, and has a profitable business marketing her dreams - until they mysteriously stop.

The Sage of Theare: A boy named Thasper has a strange destiny that may destroy a world, unless Christopher can figure out how to help him.