Enchanted, Ms Wynne Jones

Diana Wynne Jones is my favourite author. That deal was closed a long long time ago - in the late 1970s, when I first read Wilkins' Tooth - and I have never seen any reason to re-evaluate my position on this.

Inevitably, a new book from DWJ is An Event in my mad little world. Will it be another Hexwood, or Deep Secret? Or, you know, not?

Enchanted Glass is not another Hexwood. And it's not another Deep Secret. But it is a wonderful, charming, inventive and engaging book in its own right, with a beautifully drawn cast of characters and location and an intriguing mythos backing it up. Is it set either in Chrestomanci's world or one of the related worlds? Quite possibly. But equally, it could easily not be. Which is refreshing. I like Chrestomanci, and certainly The Lives of Christopher Chant is in the top 50% of DWJ's output, for me - but all my other favourites are non Crestomanci books. I prefer DWJ when she stretches her wings and tries something new. And if she really wants to go back and revisit old triumphs - well, I wish she'd either consider sequels to Hexwood or Fire and Hemlock, or revist the Magids' multiverse once more.

But I digress. Enchanted Glass appears to be not only written a fresh slate for DWJ it also seems to be nicely set up for one or more sequels, ending as it does on a semi- cliffhanger with some plot threads still trailing. Which is Good News, I'd say.

It's not the most complex book she's ever written. It's not the most challenging. It is however beautifully constructed and played out, and the overall effect is as enchanting as the glass windows which give the book its name. When I finished Enchanted Glass I loved DWJ even more than ever. I hope there are sequels - I want to find out what happens next. I want to find out more about the folk who will not use iron, about the Puck, about Groil and Rolf. I want to know what happens to the counterparts - are they safe? There's plenty of scope for sequels. But *as well* as those longed for sequels to my favourite books though, not instead of .........here's hoping, anyway.


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