Enchanted Glass By Diana Wynne Jones (4/5)

“When Andrew Hope's magician grandfather dies, he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson who spent much of his childhood there. Andrew has forgotten much of this, but he remembers the very strong- minded staff and the fact that his grandfather used to put the inedibly large vegetables on the roof of the shed, where they'd have vanished in the morning. He also remembers the very colourful stained-glass window in the kitchen door, which he knows it is important to protect.

Into this mix comes young Aidan Cain, who turns up from the orphanage asking for safety. Exactly who he is and why he's there is unclear, but a strong connection between the two very soon becomes apparent.

There is a mystery to be solved, and nothing is as it appears to be. But nobody can solve the mystery, until they find out exactly what it is!”

My initial response after putting down this book was that I may have just finished my favourite Diana Wynne Jones book yet and that I really wanted to read it again. I've always enjoyed her writing style and been amused by her work, but there has somehow been a barrier between me and the story, meaning that I couldn't connect with it as much as I would have liked to. This book was the closest I have come yet.

I really enjoyed the two main characters of Andrew and Aidan. I liked reading about Andrew because of the serious and practical ways he went about his business, and how this was directly contrasted by the rather old fashioned population in the town his Grandfather had lived in. Mr Stock and Mrs Stock were extremely entertaining characters, and the idea that they were loyal employees of the house, even though they never did what they were told and more often than not, directly made Andrew's life more inconvenient, was great to read. Aidan's curiosity and independent spirit made him a fun character to read the perspective of. I particularly enjoyed his exploration of the mysterious powers he had discovered and the subsequent dangers that he is exposed to. His repeated clashes with the various creatures in the community and the way he responds to each situation are great to read, one of my favourites being Rolf the Weredog. I particularly enjoyed the fact that most of the characters in the book were counterparts of Mr Brown's Folk, and that they responded to this rather comfortably and pro actively.

The only part of the book that felt slightly rushed and contrived to me was the love story between Andrew and Stashe. The two characters separately were great and their interactions were entertaining, but the change from impressed to besotted was too sudden for me. This may change upon re reading, but this was the only flaw in what I felt was a great book, with fabulous world building and realistic characters.

I also find the book itself absolutely beautiful, it's now one of my favourites. The colours and the text are just perfect. I was also lucky enough to find a signed copy of this wonderful book to add to my collection. *beams*

Currently Reading: The Princess Diaries 1 (Again!) : )