Rating: 
Summary: An exciting book in the Chrestomanci Series
Review: In Italy, a place far far away from the Chrestomanci's home there lives two houses "both alike in dignity" (hehe though I'd through in a little SHakespere) who are very talented in making spells. The would work together magically if it wasn't for an old family feud that pits them against eachother every day. In the Montana house lives a boy named Tonino who has terrible luck working even the simpelest spells, but he has an amazing ability to talk to cats. When the Montana home and the Petrocci home enter a time of war, Tonino is thrown into the middle of a terrible plot. And the only way he can save Caprona is by finding the true words to the Angel song, which is the stongest spell known in the world. Which is hard enough now add onto the fact that he has to wrok with her sworn enemy, a Petrocci girl. Can the two stop fighting long enough to find the spell? Or will the evil enchanter have their way.Though this wook wasn't as good as Charmed Life of Witch week it was still very entertaining. The plot line of two feuding houses it a bit chiched ever since Montagues and the Capulet's in Romeo and Juiet dropped into the scene. But the whole magic factor makes it a bit more orginal. All in all it was a very entertaining book. I'll probably read it again in again. I just wish Chrestomanci would show up a bit more. In the past few books he's only swooped in in time to do some magic, expalin things, than leave. I reccomend this to anyone whose a fan of the series. The last book in the series, The Lives of Christopher Chant, is on my shelf and ready to be read.
Rating:
Summary: An exciting book in the Chrestomanci Series
Review: In Italy, a place far far away from the Chrestomanci's home there lives two houses "both alike in dignity" (hehe though I'd through in a little SHakespere) who are very talented in making spells. The would work together magically if it wasn't for an old family feud that pits them against eachother every day. In the Montana house lives a boy named Tonino who has terrible luck working even the simpelest spells, but he has an amazing ability to talk to cats. When the Montana home and the Petrocci home enter a time of war, Tonino is thrown into the middle of a terrible plot. And the only way he can save Caprona is by finding the true words to the Angel song, which is the stongest spell known in the world. Which is hard enough now add onto the fact that he has to wrok with her sworn enemy, a Petrocci girl. Can the two stop fighting long enough to find the spell? Or will the evil enchanter have their way. Though this wook wasn't as good as Charmed Life of Witch week it was still very entertaining. The plot line of two feuding houses it a bit chiched ever since Montagues and the Capulet's in Romeo and Juiet dropped into the scene. But the whole magic factor makes it a bit more orginal. All in all it was a very entertaining book. I'll probably read it again in again. I just wish Chrestomanci would show up a bit more. In the past few books he's only swooped in in time to do some magic, expalin things, than leave. I reccomend this to anyone whose a fan of the series. The last book in the series, The Lives of Christopher Chant, is on my shelf and ready to be read.
Rating: 
Summary: The third wonderful Chrestomanci novel of the quartet.
Review: THE MAGICIANS OF CAPRONA , though having little to do with the enchanter Chrestomanci, is a thoroughly intriguing novel with the most suspenseful story yet. Tonino and a band of magicians -- the Magicians Of Caprona -- are the only ones who can save Caprona. The magic is wonderful, the characters -- particularly Tonino -- are aptly described and vivid. In this third very enchanting and deep novel of the Chrestomanci Quartet by Dianna Wynne Jones, readers will very much consider this a personal favorite, as I did -- for the story is even more suspenseful then THE LIVES OF CHRISTOPHER CHANT which I thoroughly enjoyed. Though it has littler to do with Chrestomanci, it is in no way an 'add on' to the quartet. This is a must read for all of Jones's fans, as well as fans of Harry Potter, Which Witch, and Half Magic.
Rating:
Summary: Chrestomanci's Back Again!
Review: The third book in the Chrestomanci series, this one takes place in Caprona, Italy, far away from Chrestomanci Castle in England. It is rather different from the other three books in the series, but I enjoyed it a lot. I found it impossible to put down, even after I had finished reading it. I read it through a second time and then settled down to think about the plot. The feuding houses of Casa Montana and Casa Petrochi are the two strongest spell houses in Italy. Yet, their virtue is fading. An enemy enchanter is helping other states nibble on and finally war against Caprona. The only thing that can save Caprona is for the words to the powerful spell, "The Angel" to be found. And no one knows where they could be! Matters get horribly worse when young Tonino from Casa Montana and Angelica from Casa Petrochi are kidnapped by ? (you have to read the book to find out)! Both casas are sure that the other one has kidnapped their child. But Tonino and Angelica have made their peace inside their prison and have even figured out where the words of the Angel are. But they can't get away from their powerful and horrifying captor. And to make matters worse, the rest of their families seem to have been enchanted by the enemy enchanter as well. How can two young children who are the least talented in their families, ever save themselves, let alone Caprona? Read the book and find out!
Rating:
Summary: Family Fued
Review: This enchanting story takes place in a world parallel to ours where Italy is still divided into city states that are ruled by dukes. In Caprona the two best spell-writing families in the world live: the Montanas and the Petrocchis. And, of course, the two are bitter rivals ever since some long ago argument that no one really remembers.
But Caprona is in trouble from all sides, with other city-states chipping bits off of her all the time. Caprona is run by a rather silly yet lovable Duke and his downright evil Duchess.
When one misfit child from each of the fueding families turns up missing, of course the families blame each other, and end up having a havoc-wreaking fight in the down-town.
Then Caprona heads into war. It looks inevitable that she will fall, when the only possible solution would be to find the words to the Angel of Caprona, whom no one has sung properly for centuries. Then the two misfits miraculously save their state and re-uninte their fighting families. This story was, like all of Jones' work, very well written. She has a marvelous and twisting plot that keeps your mind racing and your eyes glued to the page. She describes perfectly what it feels like to be left out of something that comes so natural to others.
Rating:
Summary: Family Fued
Review: This enchanting story takes place in a world parallel to ours where Italy is still divided into city states that are ruled by dukes. In Caprona the two best spell-writing families in the world live: the Montanas and the Petrocchis. And, of course, the two are bitter rivals ever since some long ago argument that no one really remembers.
But Caprona is in trouble from all sides, with other city-states chipping bits off of her all the time. Caprona is run by a rather silly yet lovable Duke and his downright evil Duchess.
When one misfit child from each of the fueding families turns up missing, of course the families blame each other, and end up having a havoc-wreaking fight in the down-town.
Then Caprona heads into war. It looks inevitable that she will fall, when the only possible solution would be to find the words to the Angel of Caprona, whom no one has sung properly for centuries. Then the two misfits miraculously save their state and re-uninte their fighting families. This story was, like all of Jones' work, very well written. She has a marvelous and twisting plot that keeps your mind racing and your eyes glued to the page. She describes perfectly what it feels like to be left out of something that comes so natural to others.
Rating:
Summary: not one of her best
Review: This is a good story, but in my mind doesn't even come close to the other Chrestomanci books. It's really funny, and the characters seem real, but its kind of hard to get into and is not one of her best. I would still buy it and read it, but if it's your first Jones book don't judge her writing by this book, but read something like 'Cart and Cwidder' or the other Chrestomanci books.
Rating:
Summary: This is a good book if you like magic and excitment.
Review: This is a really good book to read out loud with a family. My 13 and 7 year old sisters and I all loved it.
Rating:
Summary: An absolutely fantastic book
Review: This is another book in the Chrstomanci Universe, but the story is this time set in Italy. In this universe just a little off from our own, magic is commonplace and spellcasters highly respected, and all of the practitioners of magic in the world are overseen by the legendary Chrestomanci, a nine-lived sorcerer and the only one in the world powerful enough to ensure that magic is never misused to the detriment of any normals. In the Italian city-state of Caprona, there are two major spellcasting families in the middle of a generations-long feud. In fact, they've been feuding so long that no one remembers why they are feuding (no, it's not a cheap Romeo-and-Juliet hack), and the favored occupation of the school-aged children is to invent terrible stories of the beginning of the feud to frighten their younger siblings. The story follows a young boy in one of the families, thought to be much slower at spellcasting than anyone in the family and privately a bit of a disappointment, who is chosen as the special pet of the head of the family's cats, Bevenuto, who is possibly the second-most-respected creature in the household. Definately reminiscent of The Lives of Christopher Chant.
Rating: 
Summary: A lesser book by a great author.
Review: This second Chrestomanci book reads a bit like a cross between the author's far superior Charmed Life and Romeo and Juliet. All the typical Jones elements are here, but they never quite gel, and these characters are a bit too stupid and annoying to entirely please. It's of course a must-read if you're a Jones fan, but for anyone else, I'd say start with Charmed Life, Drowned Ammet, Howl's Moving Castle, or The Ogre Downstairs.
|
