The next book in my middle-grade adventures is a book that was left unfinished at the time of the author’s death. I was absolutely thrilled to find a new book by Diana Wynne Jones on the shelves of my local library.
It’s sad we won’t have any more adventures from Ms. Jones, a wonderful storyteller, but this last book, finished by her sister, Ursula Jones, is a great read, with all the surprises and inventiveness you’d expect. The afterword, describing how the book was finished was marvelous, too. This reader saw no indication that anyone besides the original author had written any part of it, a great tribute to the care and inspiration of Ursula Jones.
The Islands of Chaldea tells the tale of Aileen, a twelve-year-old girl who thinks she hasn’t inherited any magical powers, causing inevitable disappointment to her magical family. Her aunt Beck, the Wise Woman of Skarr, has been raising her and its about time for those powers to manifest. Aileen’s island and her life have been disrupted by a magical barrier that keeps anyone from approaching one of the islands of the title. Unfortunately, her father and her country’s prince in waiting were both taken hostage and hidden behind the barrier. Aileen and her aunt set out on a quest to free the hostages and lower the barrier, traveling from island to island and meeting interesting characters and magical figures along the way. With magic a common occurrence, nothing is ever as it seems, and as usual in one of Diana Wynne Jones’ books, you can’t anticipate what will happen, although you know in the end Aileen will make a difference, and the hostages will be freed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely tale about a girl reclaiming her family and claiming her power by seeing through the intrigue and lies of the adults around her. Highly recommended.