Product Description

Dapper, debonair, and wise, the great enchanter Chrestomanci has nine lives and a strong personality as well as strong magic. That personality reverberates in each of these four dazzling stories.

A warlock tries to escape Chrestomanci's justice by fleeing to another world-with hilarious results. Cat Chant and Tonino Montana reluctantly join forces when Chrestomanci sends them on a visit that turns suddenly dangerous. The youngest best-selling dreamer needs Chrestomanci's help when she finds she can't dream anymore. And as the gods of an ever-so-orderly world try to destroy the young Sage of Dissolution, Chrestomanci lends a hand.

Like Chrestomanci himself, acclaimed author Diana Wynne Jones has a graceful flair, which sparkles in the remarkable wit, imagination, and intelligence of these fast-paced tales.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1656442 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: School & Library Binding
• 193 pages

From Amazon.com
In Mixed Magics, celebrated British fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones has gathered together three previously published short stories and one brand new tale about the inventive enchanter with nine lives, Chrestomanci. Fans of Wynne Jones know that Chrestomanci is the powerful sorcerer responsible for making sure that the magical users of the many worlds that run parallel to ours don't mismanage their spells. In "Stealer of Souls," he is pitted against Master Spiderman, an evil monkey-magician who intends to make himself the most potent enchanter of all worlds by stealing the essence of other sorcerers. In "Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream," Chrestomanci must discover the reason why Carol, a bestselling dreamer (she bottles her exciting dreams for others to sleep through and enjoy) is having dreamer's block. In "Warlock at the Wheel," Chrestomanci is so influential that he doesn't even have to show up--he sends his agent Kathusa to rescue a bewildered warlock from a little girl and her large dog, who, strangely enough, have taken him prisoner. And, in the most thought-provoking story, "The Sage of Theare," Chrestomanci must help a confused teen realize that questioning the will of the gods is not only healthy but necessary! Each story is, in turn, frightening, thoughtful, funny, and wise. Readers of Charmed Life and The Magicians of Caprona will be delighted to discover that Wynne Jones has brought back some well-loved characters from other Chrestomanci novels to engage in exciting new adventures. A mystical, humorous collection with wide appeal for young fantasy buffs. (Ages 10 to 13) --Jennifer Hubert

From Publishers Weekly
Not even the glamorous presence of the nine-lived enchanter Chrestomanci (star of the Chrestomanci Books, noted below) is enough to dispel the scraped-together air that pervades this grouping of four short stories, three of which were originally published in the 1980s. Things start off slowly with "Warlock at the Wheel," a shaggy-dog story detailing the misadventures of a would-be car thief whose magic has been removed--prior to the tale's beginning--by Chrestomanci. "Stealer of Souls," the only story original to the collection, is also its most ambitious and successful, offering Jones aficionados the pleasure of watching characters from different books (Charmed Life's Cat Chant and The Magicians of Caprona's Tonino Montana) meet for the first time. Overall, however, the collection feels cramped: Jones, hemmed in by the constraints of the short story form, fails to develop the exuberant momentum characteristic of her complex, enchantment-filled novels. Only die-hard fans are likely to derive satisfaction from these further glimpses of Chrestomanci and his multiple worlds. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Four previously published stories of varying length. The first and shortest is about a magicless warlock who suddenly finds himself in a new world, with his magic restored. He lands in the hands of a spoiled little girl and her dog. Given the choice of jail or caring for the youngster, he chooses the former. The longest of the stories involves Cat Chant and new boy Tonino Montana. They are sent on a disastrous visit that ends with them releasing the souls of eight enchanters from the power of an evil enchanter. Story three, which is perhaps the most fun, is about Carol Oneir, "the world's youngest best-selling dreamer." Her hovering mother and her own desires for the trappings of fame are too much pressure for her though, and her dreams dry up. With the direct help of Chrestomanci, Carol discovers that her main characters are unhappy; as they escape from her dreams, she is released to live a relatively normal life as well. The last story features Thasper, son of a god, who is destined to bring down the order of Heaven. His father's attempts to avert the disaster will leave readers scratching their heads and pondering the effects of even the simplest act on everything else in space and time. The plots are fully realized and engaging, but characterizations are uneven-Thasper and the Willing Warlock are rather flat, while Carol and her dream folk leap right off the page. "Chrestomanci" fans will best appreciate this book. For a truly delightful short-story collection, try Michael Stearns's A Wizard's Dozen (Harcourt, 1993).
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.