Mixed Magics

This post originally published May 15, 2010.

Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Published: 2000
Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s Books
Series: Chrestomanci (companion book)
171 pages (paperback)
 
Summary: Mixed Magics is a collection of four short stories that happen in the worlds of Chrestomanci. Warlock At The Wheel is about a warlock who commits crime as his way of life, but ends up with more than he bargained for when he steals a car that has a little girl and a dog in the backseat. Stealer of Souls involves an evil enchanter trying to become the Chrestomanci himself by going through time and taking the lives of previous nine-life enchanters. Carol Oneir’s Hundredth Dream is about a little girl who bottles her dreams and sells them for a living (as if they are movies) but recently cannot dream anymore; and The Sage of Theare is about a world of gods that try to alter a prophecy, and it is up to Chrestomanci to set things right in their world.

My Thoughts: I was browsing through the bookstore and saw this book in the bargain section; of course I had to buy it because it’s a Chrestomanci book! The four short stories have little to do with one another as they all take place in different worlds, but they all involve the Chrestomanci (as in Christopher Chant, although Cat does make a few appearances, and so does Tonino from Magicians of Caprona).

None of the stories particularly stood out for me, but they were all enjoyable to read. If I was to pick a favourite out of them all, I think it would be Stealer of Souls because Cat, Tonino and Chrestomanci (and his family) have the largest roles in that one; in the other stories, Chrestomanci is often an extremely minor character. It’s nice to read about familiar characters and that story, in a way, is like telling me what they are up to lately, so that is why that one is my favourite. The rest of the stories are full of Jones’ signature humour, and enjoyable, but personally, I don’t feel there’s anything special about any of the stories. I wouldn’t say they lack heart, but they seem to lack that Chrestomanci story charm. The last one in particular, The Sage of Theare, was my least favourite. It took place in a world that was never introduced before, and Chrestomanci and Cat pretty much only had one sentence devoted to them, so I didn’t feel like I was reading a Chrestomanci story really.

I’m sure every reader will have different opinions on the different stories, as some of the stories are better than others, but which ones depend on your own taste. This is a fun little book that you can finish in two or three hours (or more, depending on your speed of reading, but hey, it’s barely 200 pages and it’s big font). It’s really something you’d only read if you’re a fan of the Chrestomanci series; I can’t imagine a person who doesn’t know anything about the series picking this up randomly, because the only reason this book interested ME was because I knew it was part of the series. Anyway, it was an enjoyable book, not the best thing ever, but it was certainly alright.

My Rating: 2.5/5