Publishers Weekly Review
Whimsy, invention and the chilling sense of a world (multiple worlds, actually) gone topsy-turvy characterize this grandly outsize fantasy from Jones (Year of the Griffin). In an alternate England, where the king maintains the magic of the realm by constantly traveling the land, teenage Roddy and her best friend-cum-protg, the younger boy Grundo, have spent their lives as part of the peripatetic Court. When Roddy and Grundo stumble on a fiendish plot to take control of all their world's magic, they realize that they must put a stop to it-even though one of the would-be usurpers is Grundo's own mother. Meanwhile, here on our own version of Earth, Nick (aka Nichothodes Koryfoides, whom Jones's fans may already know from her adult fantasy A Sudden Wild Magic) is tipped into yet another alternate world and begins a journey that eventually lands him right in the middle of Roddy and Grundo's struggle. Cities personified (imagine Old Sarum as a walking, talking and somewhat grumpy old man), hordes of smuggled salamanders and a pair of astonishingly bratty twin sisters (in response to their rude behavior, their mother gushes, "Aren't they a caution?") are just a few of the delights to be found here. Ensorcelled by this exuberant tale and Jones's unmistakable wit, readers may find themselves echoing Nick's off-the-cuff literary critique: "By the time I'd read two pages, I was so longing to get to this other world that it was like sheets of flame flaring through me." Ages 10-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
Gr 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 (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6^-10. Jones' convoluted, alternate-world fantasy is put together like a four-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, including time, a dimension in which the puzzle pieces don't quite fit together. The tale unfolds in alternating first-person narratives by two teens: Arianshod Hyde, known as Roddy, and Nick Mallory, both of whom are just learning to use their powers. Roddy lives in the Islands of Blest, an alternate England, which is under attack by a group of powerful wizards. She is the daughter of the king's weather wizard, and has more or less adopted Grundo, whose mother, Sybil, an Earth wizard, has scorned him. Nick, who lives in England, blunders his way through several alternate worlds before arriving in Blest, where he joins Roddy and Grundo in trying to prevent the island's destruction. The lively plot involves not only wizards but also Great Powers, a lost circus elephant, a cantankerous goat, a horde of salamanders, a coven, a dragon, and much more--perhaps too much more. Nevertheless, the story, infused with humor as well as exciting adventure, makes compelling reading. Sally Estes
Horn Book Review
(Middle School, High School) Longtime children's fantasy writer Diana Wynne Jones writes on an epic scale in this richly complicated tale of worlds where magic is ""wide, various and big""--but where its users can become corrupt. The story is narrated in alternating chapters by Roddy (a girl) and Nick. When Roddy and her friend Grundo discover that the Merlin (who is in charge of magic) has been murdered, they are unable to convince anyone else of the murder conspiracy. Roddy summons an unknown helper, Nick, who is startled to be drawn from his own equally magic world but loves Roddy on sight. As in her previous books, Wynne Jones deftly creates a fully realized fantasy universe with a series of worlds that resemble one another and our own but have differences that make them distinct. One world Nick visits is a futuristic nightmare with strict rules and a toxic sun, while another place crafted by a powerful Magid is three different worlds cobbled together. Along the way Roddy, Nick, and Grundo encounter a contrary goat, a devoted elephant, terrified salamanders, a pair of entertainingly obnoxious twins, and numerous adults who often turn out to be related in some way. Although the multiple characters and plots are all tied up by the end, the conclusion lacks closure on an emotional level, though this may point to a future book developing the relationship between Nick and Roddy. British readers will have an advantage in appreciating some of the details, as Wynne Jones weaves in many references to British places and history, but that won't stop other fantasy lovers from delighting in this vastly absorbing story of good battling evil. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
In a stand-alone companion to Deep Secret (1999), Jones takes the kitchen-sink approach to plotting a gloriously twisty adventure. Arianrhod (Roddy) has spent all of her 14 years traipsing about an alternative Britain as part of the King's Progress, until she stumbles upon a conspiracy by the court wizards to pervert the magic of several worlds. Meanwhile, on our Earth, Nichothodes (Nick) yearns for the ability to walk between worlds, a feat he is unable to accomplish until pushed into yet another England, where he gets tangled up in a number of assassination plots, including one aimed at himself. Roddy's and Nick's parallel accounts continue in alternating chapters, spanning many fascinating worlds and involving a cast including (but not limited to) a dyslexic magician, a famous mystery writer, a multiversal Über-assassin, a hypocritical Prayermaster, a charming lady elephant, a pair of obnoxious twin witches, the Welsh Lord of the Dead, the living personifications of three cities, a voracious goat, a sleeping dragon, and a sentient silver service. Many readers will long for a flowchart detailing how all these characters relate to each other (or, sometimes, turn out to be each other), but those accustomed to Jones's labyrinthine narrative pyrotechnics will settle back to enjoy everything crashing together in a universe-tilting climax. Nick--as charmingly lazy and self-centered as a cat--and Roddy--snobbish, bossy, and ferociously protective--are delightful companions for the ride, and it's hard not to hope that their stories aren't finished. Overstuffed and over the top, but a delicious romp. (Fantasy. YA) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.