- Paperback: 482 pages
- Publisher: Harpercollins; First THUS edition (Feb 19 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0007151403
- ISBN-13: 978-0007151400
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.9 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 376 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #459,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Master fantasist Diana Wynne Jones, author of the Chrestomanci books, scores another winner in The Merlin Conspiracy. This absorbing tale of magic and courtly intrigue is told in two voices. In the world called Islands of the Blest, Roddy is a young page who has grown up travelling with her family in the King's Progress, a constant journey around the kingdom. Just after she and her younger friend Grundo spot a growing conspiracy to overthrow the King and change the balance of magic, they are whisked away to visit Roddy's grim and silent grandfather; when they return the Progress has moved on without them. Meanwhile in another world, Nick Mallory, 14, blunders into a dreamlike adventure that leads him to the powerful wizard Romanov and involves him in Roddy's mission to save the worlds from the upset planned by the conspiracy.
The story moves through several precariously linked worlds in vividly imagined episodes told alternately by Roddy and Nick, as their journeys begin to mesh. Part of the fun for the reader is sorting out Roddy's many wizardly relatives from the double perspective and clicking them into place in the plot. Wynne Jones's many fans will pounce on this complex but fast-moving fantasy that features not only 34 characters, but a panther, a goat, a dragon, and an extremely charming elephant. (Ages 10-14) --Patty Campbell, Amazon.com
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-This title from one of the masters of fantasy shows the author's signature style and imagination. The story begins in an alternate England called Blest, where Arianrhod Hyde travels with the King's Progress, as both of her parents are modern-day court mages. Roddy and her friend Grundo become aware of a conspiracy to upset the balance of magic in Blest and the rest of the "multiverse," a plot that involves both the new Merlin, the court official in charge of magic, and Grundo's mother. At the same time, Nick Mallory, who lives in what appears to be our Earth, is sent on a dangerous journey between worlds, which ultimately brings him to Blest. Roddy, Grundo, and Nick are called on to use knowledge and clues found in a variety of worlds to expand their budding magical powers and save Roddy's parents, the king of Blest, and the magic of the multiverse. In alternating chapters, Roddy and Nick narrate the action, which successfully allows the author to present background, draw in readers, and integrate her many subplots and dramatic elements. As always, Jones's characters are complex and her villains despicably bad, adding depth to this expansive and entertaining tale. A fine, challenging read for seasoned fantasy readers.
Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Merlin Conspiracy,
By "medieval_kitten" (Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Merlin Conspiracy (Hardcover)
I've read the majority of Diana Wynne Jones' books, and this would have to be one of my favourites. In my opinion it is in the middle range of what I see as her two writing styles, she has a lighter style (eg. Howl's moving castle, Castle in the Air, The Chrestomanci series)and a darker style (eg. The Crown of Dalemark Series, The Time of the Ghost) also in the middle I would put her similarly themed book Deep Secrets.I thought the book was well thought out and although it was detailed the descriptive part didn't get in the way of the storyline. The characters were fairly interesting and you could enter into their feelings most of the time. The worlds were very well developed and interesting, I think if you lose interest in any part of the story it detracts from the experience. The plot revolves around the threat to the position of Merlin in one world and the help that can be offered from another world in the form of a normal teenage boy. I'm not very good at revealing plots so I'll leave that up to the better reviewers. :)
4.0 out of 5 stars
A cross world adventure in magic,
By K. Maxwell "katmax1" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Merlin Conspiracy (Hardcover)
Roddy and Grundo live in Blest and are the children of court wizards who are in perpetual progress around the country with their king. They are also the only people to escape being caught in plot by some evil court wizards to gather all the magic in Blest to themselves. Nick lives on earth with his step-dad, though his real home is in another universe entirely. Nick desperately wants to travel between the worlds but has been unable to summon the magic to do it himself till one day he finds himself suddenly somehow shoved into the dark paths between worlds where he must help 3 people to escape. One of those people who asks for his help is Roddy. This is an enjoyable novel for both younger and older readers, that follows the adventures of Nick, Roddy and Grundo as they try and get the adults of their worlds to believe in the conspiracy that only they seem to know about. It's told from the point of view of both Nick and Roddy and the narrative is split between them and it holds you easily until the end of the book and leaves you wishing there was sequel where you could get to know more about these characters.
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Merlin Conspiracy....sounds like a cool book, right?,
By jwgreenknight (Deadwood, SD USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Merlin Conspiracy (Hardcover)
To start out with, it's not nearly as good of a book as it sounds like. I got the book thinking that it would be awesome, but, once again, I was wrong. The book is very hard to follow, switching through two different, yet very much alike, stories with little explanation of why until very late in the book. The story starts out kind of boring, then builds up, and just when it seems like it's going to get really cool, it drops back to boring. To put it bluntly, this book is nothing great.
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