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Howl's Moving Castle #2
El castell de l'aire
Abdullah dreams of a castle with gardens and a princess, until a threadbare carpet flies him to the Sultan's clever lovely daughter, Flower-in-the-Night and his dreams come true. When a djinn kidnaps her, he sets out to find her, helped by a cranky genie, a clever ex-corporal, and magic black cat Midnight.
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First published January 1, 1990
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About the author
Diana Wynne Jones
157 books12k followersDiana Wynne Jones was a celebrated British writer best known for her inventive and influential works of fantasy for children and young adults. Her stories often combined magical worlds with science fiction elements, parallel universes, and a sharp sense of humor. Among her most beloved books are Howl's Moving Castle, the Chrestomanci series, The Dalemark Quartet, Dark Lord of Derkholm, and the satirical The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Her work gained renewed attention and readership with the popularity of the Harry Potter series, to which her books have frequently been compared.
Admired by authors such as Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and J.K. Rowling, Jones was a major influence on the landscape of modern fantasy. She received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, two Mythopoeic Awards, the Karl Edward Wagner Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. In 2004, Howl's Moving Castle was adapted into an acclaimed animated film by Hayao Miyazaki, further expanding her global audience.
Jones studied at Oxford, where she attended lectures by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. She began writing professionally in the 1960s and remained active until her death in 2011. Her final novel, The Islands of Chaldea, was completed posthumously by her sister Ursula Jones.
Admired by authors such as Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and J.K. Rowling, Jones was a major influence on the landscape of modern fantasy. She received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, two Mythopoeic Awards, the Karl Edward Wagner Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. In 2004, Howl's Moving Castle was adapted into an acclaimed animated film by Hayao Miyazaki, further expanding her global audience.
Jones studied at Oxford, where she attended lectures by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. She began writing professionally in the 1960s and remained active until her death in 2011. Her final novel, The Islands of Chaldea, was completed posthumously by her sister Ursula Jones.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,579 reviews
April 16, 2025
Another very readable book from DWJ, and one I've just finished reading to my daughter, Celyn. Refreshingly independent princesses being semi-saved by our devoted hero, a carpet salesman from the desert city of Zanzib. He's not hero material, and never resorts to violence, but he's a good fellow and carries the story well.
We get all the standard Aladdin-esque trappings, a magic carpet, a genie in a bottle, evil djinns, bandits, sultans, camels... and for a while you think you know roughly where it's all heading. Then things veer northwards and we find ourselves treading old ground. Greener ground. Zeroing in on territory thoroughly trodden in book 1. You'll find yourself anticipating the reappearance of the Wizard Howl and Sophie.
The ending was where things fell apart a little for me, and perhaps for Celyn judging by the somewhat bemused silence she greeted it with (she's non-verbal but normally makes her views known). In a frantic rush everything seems to turn into everything else - like the Scooby Doo mask-pulling finale ... on speed.
Anyhow, it was good at the end to finally catch up with Sophie and Howl. We're moving onto the third book of the trilogy next - looking forward to it.
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...
We get all the standard Aladdin-esque trappings, a magic carpet, a genie in a bottle, evil djinns, bandits, sultans, camels... and for a while you think you know roughly where it's all heading. Then things veer northwards and we find ourselves treading old ground. Greener ground. Zeroing in on territory thoroughly trodden in book 1. You'll find yourself anticipating the reappearance of the Wizard Howl and Sophie.
The ending was where things fell apart a little for me, and perhaps for Celyn judging by the somewhat bemused silence she greeted it with (she's non-verbal but normally makes her views known). In a frantic rush everything seems to turn into everything else - like the Scooby Doo mask-pulling finale ... on speed.
Anyhow, it was good at the end to finally catch up with Sophie and Howl. We're moving onto the third book of the trilogy next - looking forward to it.
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July 14, 2015
Going back to reread one of favourite childhood authors has opened my eyes to some of the problematic aspects of Jones' writing.
First of all, I tried to understand the story through Abdullah's narration. There is a possibility that he was not a reliable narrator, so Flower-in-the-Night's beauty could have been greatly exaggerated. Still, every chance he gets, he describes her astounding beauty--oh, and she's also clever to boot, so that's a bonus, but definitely not needed. It irritated me that they could fall in love so quickly--they knew each other for less than three days before they were married in a double wedding--under false pretenses. Abdullah only loved Flower for her beauty; Flower only loved Abdullah because he was the first man besides her father with whom she had made contact. Both of them were incredibly naive, having had no chance to get to know each other before they were married. When Flower was acting coldly towards Abdullah, I thought, "Great, the other princesses have educated her about her plans for a hasty elopement. Now she knows that Abdullah only valued her for her beauty and, while it was nice of him to come to her rescue, she certainly didn't need him." But, what happens instead? She acts all haughty because he didn't kiss her. Of all the things to get mad at him for--this scene was truly a giant face-palm.
Speaking of hasty marriages, what was that scene between the soldier/Prince Justin and Princess Beatrice? He only chose her because she was one of the least attractive people in the room and she "looked like she could mend his clothes"? Who agrees to this kind of marriage proposal? Oh, Princess Beatrice of course. Again, two characters who do not know each other at all somehow end up together because the woman is naive enough to comply.
I guess what I'm working towards is that the females in this world are so weakly written that they become part of the landscape rather than characters themselves. The women do nothing but clean (Sophie in the first book), cook (Martha), sew (Princess Beatrice), and have babies (almost all of the Hatters immediately after the events of Howl's Moving Castle). While there's nothing wrong to choose these lives for themselves, I felt it a great injustice to have their heroism taken away by men with magic. Sophie, a great magician herself, must rely on the Wizard Sulliman, Howl, Abdullah, the soldier, etc. to save her. Clever and logical Flower had to wait around for Abdullah to rescue her. Even Lettie, Sophie's strong-willed sister, was made to kept her powers secret because "Ben doesn't like people to know that I can do magic". The only thing worse than their constantly getting overshadowed is the fact that the men view nothing wrong with this. Abdullah doesn't like Sophie for being strong-willed. He views this trait--as well as other traits like being fat--to be undesirable in women. And, of course, he is right, for the two "fat, ugly girls" that he was nearly "forced" into marrying are vain and stupid--just as he predicted--and have no problem spending the rest of eternity in exile with an immature and spoiled djinn. Great. What an strong message for young girls who read this story.
While I certainly haven't lost my awe for Jones' vivid imagery and her descriptive writing of these far-off magical kingdoms, it seems that I have lost respect for her characters.
First of all, I tried to understand the story through Abdullah's narration. There is a possibility that he was not a reliable narrator, so Flower-in-the-Night's beauty could have been greatly exaggerated. Still, every chance he gets, he describes her astounding beauty--oh, and she's also clever to boot, so that's a bonus, but definitely not needed. It irritated me that they could fall in love so quickly--they knew each other for less than three days before they were married in a double wedding--under false pretenses. Abdullah only loved Flower for her beauty; Flower only loved Abdullah because he was the first man besides her father with whom she had made contact. Both of them were incredibly naive, having had no chance to get to know each other before they were married. When Flower was acting coldly towards Abdullah, I thought, "Great, the other princesses have educated her about her plans for a hasty elopement. Now she knows that Abdullah only valued her for her beauty and, while it was nice of him to come to her rescue, she certainly didn't need him." But, what happens instead? She acts all haughty because he didn't kiss her. Of all the things to get mad at him for--this scene was truly a giant face-palm.
Speaking of hasty marriages, what was that scene between the soldier/Prince Justin and Princess Beatrice? He only chose her because she was one of the least attractive people in the room and she "looked like she could mend his clothes"? Who agrees to this kind of marriage proposal? Oh, Princess Beatrice of course. Again, two characters who do not know each other at all somehow end up together because the woman is naive enough to comply.
I guess what I'm working towards is that the females in this world are so weakly written that they become part of the landscape rather than characters themselves. The women do nothing but clean (Sophie in the first book), cook (Martha), sew (Princess Beatrice), and have babies (almost all of the Hatters immediately after the events of Howl's Moving Castle). While there's nothing wrong to choose these lives for themselves, I felt it a great injustice to have their heroism taken away by men with magic. Sophie, a great magician herself, must rely on the Wizard Sulliman, Howl, Abdullah, the soldier, etc. to save her. Clever and logical Flower had to wait around for Abdullah to rescue her. Even Lettie, Sophie's strong-willed sister, was made to kept her powers secret because "Ben doesn't like people to know that I can do magic". The only thing worse than their constantly getting overshadowed is the fact that the men view nothing wrong with this. Abdullah doesn't like Sophie for being strong-willed. He views this trait--as well as other traits like being fat--to be undesirable in women. And, of course, he is right, for the two "fat, ugly girls" that he was nearly "forced" into marrying are vain and stupid--just as he predicted--and have no problem spending the rest of eternity in exile with an immature and spoiled djinn. Great. What an strong message for young girls who read this story.
While I certainly haven't lost my awe for Jones' vivid imagery and her descriptive writing of these far-off magical kingdoms, it seems that I have lost respect for her characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2018
"Castle in the Air" is Diana Wynne Jones' sequel to her amazingly awesome novel "Howl's Moving Castle." It was originally published in 1990 (four years after "Howl's Moving Castle"). At first glance, this novel doesn't sound like a sequel--it sounds more like a companion book at best--but I promise it does explain more about Howl and Sophie, just not right away and not, perhaps, in the most obvious way.
That said, this story is set in the Sultanates of Rashpuht a land far to the south of Ingary (where Howl and Sophie make their home). Instead of a land akin to King Arthur and Merlin, Rashpuht is much more likely to harbor Aladdin and other desert-dwellers. This change in setting, along with a new protagonist, make for the most dramatic differences between "Castle in the Air" and its predecessor.
Abdullah works as a carpet merchant in the city of Zanzib. Abdullah's stall may not be as prosperous as his father's first wife's relatives would like, but Abdullah can't stand most of them so he doesn't worry too much. What really bothers Abdullah is the fact that he's selling carpets at all. Abdullah is convinced there is more to life and spends a good deal of his time daydreaming about what his life could be like if, say, he were a prince who had escaped bandits and disguised himself as a carpet merchant before he found his true love.
All in all, the young man doesn't give his daydreams much thought until he is sold a mysterious carpet. With the carpet, Abdullah finds that all of his dreams seem to be coming true with alarming accuracy. Whisked to a magical garden, Abdullah meets and falls in love with the beautiful and intelligent Flower-in-the-Night only to have her abducted by an evil djinn. So begins Abdullah's adventure as he and his carpet set off to rescue his true love.
This being a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, the plot is filled with charming twists and enjoyable characters throughout. The other great thing about this novel is how much Jones fleshes out the world she introduced in "Howl's Moving Castle." As the novel progresses, readers learn more about the relations between Ingary, Rashpuht, and Strangia (a land that becomes important later, trust me). At the same time, Jones also creates a completely new set of customs and even a new diction for her Rashpuhtian characters which gives the novel an impressive depth.
I don't know if this was the intended effect but, even though both novels are written in English, this change in diction also creates the effect that the characters here speak a different language and that, on some level, their customs would be very foreign to those found in Ingary. One of Jones' best inventions is that buyers and sellers in Zanzib always speak to each other "in the most formal and flowery way." This habit creates a lot of conversations that function on a variety of levels much in the same way body language can add to an exchange. For example:
"It is possible that my low and squalid establishment might provide that which you seek, O pearl of wanderers," he said, and cast his eye critically over the stranger's dirty desert robe, the corroded stud in the side of the man's nose, and his tattered headcloth as he said it.
"It is worse than squalid, mighty seller of floor coverings," the stranger agreed.
Exchanges like this appear throughout the novel and make it really enjoyable to read. At the same time this type of double talk suggests that Abdullah is a shrewder narrator than Sophie might have been at the start of the novel. Abdullah doesn't always know exactly what's going on during the novel, but he always tries to make sure he comes out on top (or at least not on a forty foot pole).
On its own, "Castle in the Air" is a lot of fun as far as fantasies go. Read in combination with "Howl's Moving Castle" and "House of Many Ways" (Jones' latest novel featuring Howl and Sophie due out in June 2008) this book is excellent.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
That said, this story is set in the Sultanates of Rashpuht a land far to the south of Ingary (where Howl and Sophie make their home). Instead of a land akin to King Arthur and Merlin, Rashpuht is much more likely to harbor Aladdin and other desert-dwellers. This change in setting, along with a new protagonist, make for the most dramatic differences between "Castle in the Air" and its predecessor.
Abdullah works as a carpet merchant in the city of Zanzib. Abdullah's stall may not be as prosperous as his father's first wife's relatives would like, but Abdullah can't stand most of them so he doesn't worry too much. What really bothers Abdullah is the fact that he's selling carpets at all. Abdullah is convinced there is more to life and spends a good deal of his time daydreaming about what his life could be like if, say, he were a prince who had escaped bandits and disguised himself as a carpet merchant before he found his true love.
All in all, the young man doesn't give his daydreams much thought until he is sold a mysterious carpet. With the carpet, Abdullah finds that all of his dreams seem to be coming true with alarming accuracy. Whisked to a magical garden, Abdullah meets and falls in love with the beautiful and intelligent Flower-in-the-Night only to have her abducted by an evil djinn. So begins Abdullah's adventure as he and his carpet set off to rescue his true love.
This being a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, the plot is filled with charming twists and enjoyable characters throughout. The other great thing about this novel is how much Jones fleshes out the world she introduced in "Howl's Moving Castle." As the novel progresses, readers learn more about the relations between Ingary, Rashpuht, and Strangia (a land that becomes important later, trust me). At the same time, Jones also creates a completely new set of customs and even a new diction for her Rashpuhtian characters which gives the novel an impressive depth.
I don't know if this was the intended effect but, even though both novels are written in English, this change in diction also creates the effect that the characters here speak a different language and that, on some level, their customs would be very foreign to those found in Ingary. One of Jones' best inventions is that buyers and sellers in Zanzib always speak to each other "in the most formal and flowery way." This habit creates a lot of conversations that function on a variety of levels much in the same way body language can add to an exchange. For example:
"It is possible that my low and squalid establishment might provide that which you seek, O pearl of wanderers," he said, and cast his eye critically over the stranger's dirty desert robe, the corroded stud in the side of the man's nose, and his tattered headcloth as he said it.
"It is worse than squalid, mighty seller of floor coverings," the stranger agreed.
Exchanges like this appear throughout the novel and make it really enjoyable to read. At the same time this type of double talk suggests that Abdullah is a shrewder narrator than Sophie might have been at the start of the novel. Abdullah doesn't always know exactly what's going on during the novel, but he always tries to make sure he comes out on top (or at least not on a forty foot pole).
On its own, "Castle in the Air" is a lot of fun as far as fantasies go. Read in combination with "Howl's Moving Castle" and "House of Many Ways" (Jones' latest novel featuring Howl and Sophie due out in June 2008) this book is excellent.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
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December 19, 2014This is one of DWJ's more problematic stories. Although very readable and amusing, it dips into uncomfortable territory with its portrayal of a middle east culture, and there are multiple instances of using fat as a characterisation of bad, lazy or shallow.
I think most problematic for me, however, is the plain princess who is so complimented to be chosen over more beautiful princesses that she's _grateful_ to be blackmailed into marriage.
I think most problematic for me, however, is the plain princess who is so complimented to be chosen over more beautiful princesses that she's _grateful_ to be blackmailed into marriage.
October 30, 2019
I feel rather conned here. This story was not the experience I was expecting, especially when Howl's moving castle is one of my favourite stories. The only worthy part of this particular book, is the cover. It's attractive and inviting but the plot, not so much.
I love Howl's moving castle, as it was beautiful, exciting, and the characters were different. In this installment, the main character was irritating as hell. He just wasn't likeable, and in my opinion, this was entirely due to the writing style of the author.
It came to my attention, that Abdullah (our main character) was thinking about a woman (Flower-in-the-night) and described her as being educated, but also as beautiful and thin. So, in order for a woman to be beautiful, she just HAS to be referred to as thin, too? This has been happening as long as time, and it's damaging, as well as tiring.
The main cast from the previous book are in this, but definitely not enough, and Abdullah alone is not enough to make a story entertaining and whimsical. So disappointed with this, and I'm unsure whether I will go on to finish this series.
I love Howl's moving castle, as it was beautiful, exciting, and the characters were different. In this installment, the main character was irritating as hell. He just wasn't likeable, and in my opinion, this was entirely due to the writing style of the author.
It came to my attention, that Abdullah (our main character) was thinking about a woman (Flower-in-the-night) and described her as being educated, but also as beautiful and thin. So, in order for a woman to be beautiful, she just HAS to be referred to as thin, too? This has been happening as long as time, and it's damaging, as well as tiring.
The main cast from the previous book are in this, but definitely not enough, and Abdullah alone is not enough to make a story entertaining and whimsical. So disappointed with this, and I'm unsure whether I will go on to finish this series.
July 1, 2019
2.5 ⭐️
O.K I was super disappointed by this one. Howl's Moving Castle is one of my all time favorite books. I wasn't expecting this to be my next favorite, but I was hoping for the same whimsy and charm. Instead I got this story that mad me mad, because I hated the main character. I hated him because of the writing, which seems to be a product of it's time. But I will list some of my most hated passages that describe our MC's thoughts.
Seriously? How harmful is that?
I think I was mostly just shocked by this. It's not like I think books should only praise cats, but I wasn't expecting drowning kittens when I was going into this.
Nobody talks about Sophie like that. AND you shouldn't compare women, or even consider "strong-mindedness" a bad thing! Again how harmful is that?
So yeah, Abdullah could be freaking sexist jerk sometimes. The only redeeming quality of this novel was the last 20 pages because Calcifer makes me laugh my ass off and I love him. I plan on reading House of Many Ways and I am hoping that it doesn't disappoint me. I liked the story for the most part thus the 2.5 rating. It had a familiar whimsy but what made the first book so good was the characters and the characters in here aren’t great. The main cast may be in this but it’s complicated.
O.K I was super disappointed by this one. Howl's Moving Castle is one of my all time favorite books. I wasn't expecting this to be my next favorite, but I was hoping for the same whimsy and charm. Instead I got this story that mad me mad, because I hated the main character. I hated him because of the writing, which seems to be a product of it's time. But I will list some of my most hated passages that describe our MC's thoughts.
"She (the Flower in the Night/ Love interest) was intelligent, educated, and kind as well as being beautiful (and thin). pg 70"
Seriously? How harmful is that?
"In Zanzib everyone hated cats. People thought of them as very little better than the rats and mice they ate. If a cat came near you, you kicked it, and you drowned any kittens you could lay hands on. pg 172"
I think I was mostly just shocked by this. It's not like I think books should only praise cats, but I wasn't expecting drowning kittens when I was going into this.
"If he compared Flower-in-the-Night with Sophie, who had displeased him for being so strong-minded, he knew Flower-in-the-Night had twice Sophie's strength of mind. And as far as Abdullah was concerned, this only made Flower-in-the-Night more excellent. pg 318"
Nobody talks about Sophie like that. AND you shouldn't compare women, or even consider "strong-mindedness" a bad thing! Again how harmful is that?
So yeah, Abdullah could be freaking sexist jerk sometimes. The only redeeming quality of this novel was the last 20 pages because Calcifer makes me laugh my ass off and I love him. I plan on reading House of Many Ways and I am hoping that it doesn't disappoint me. I liked the story for the most part thus the 2.5 rating. It had a familiar whimsy but what made the first book so good was the characters and the characters in here aren’t great. The main cast may be in this but it’s complicated.
April 2, 2014
I got triggered by the fat shaming and decided to stop reading this book. Which is for the best anyway since the story wasn't grabbing me. I don't have to finish every book!
September 15, 2017
In this sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, the wizard Howl gets mixed up with djinni, genies (in this story they're two different species) and some Arabian Nights-type characters (from the sanitized version I read as a child). Abdullah, a humble young carpet merchant with big (day)dreams, is sold a magic carpet by a suspicious-looking stranger, which leads him to a beautiful princess named Flower-in-the-Night, a genie in a bottle, and other adventures. Abdullah is forced to leave behind his daydreams and take action when a djinn kidnaps Flower and takes her to his castle in the air to be one of his many wives.
Eventually Abdullah's and Flower's story twines together with some of the main characters from Howl's Moving Castle.
Abdullah's ability to use flowery language to good effect is told with affectionate humor:
Eventually Abdullah's and Flower's story twines together with some of the main characters from Howl's Moving Castle.
Abdullah's ability to use flowery language to good effect is told with affectionate humor:
"O elegant tapestry of enchantment," Abdullah said, "O carpet composed of most complex cantrips, I pray you to move at a sedate speed toward Kingsbury, but to exercise the great wisdom woven in your fabric to make sure that we are not seen by anyone on the way."This was a fun, delightful Aladdin type of story, great for middle grade/YA ages and anyone who enjoys children's lit. The plot is a little smoother and easier to follow than Howl's Moving Castle, but perhaps also a little less engaging and complex. If you've read that book, the ending of this one will be more enjoyable and make more sense, but I think it could still be enjoyed without having read Howl first.
Obediently the carpet climbed through the mist. . . A hoarse and trembling voice said from the bottle, "Do you have to flatter it so disgustingly?"
"This carpet," said Abdullah, "unlike you, is of an ensorcellment so pure and excellent that it will listen only to the finest of language. It is at heart a poet among carpets."
A certain smugness spread through the pile of the carpet. It held its tattered edges proudly straight and sailed sweetly forward into the golden sunlight above the mist.
December 20, 2023
Terminar uma leitura sorrindo não tem preço. Não tinha dúvidas de que esse livro seria fantástico, assim como O Castelo Animado.
A escrita da Diana é fora do comum. Ela sabe fazer com que a história brilhe e transborde magia. A forma como é escrito, parecendo quase uma fábula antiga, te imerge em um universo magnífico e deslumbrante, com personagens maravilhosos e completamente diferentes. Eu me apaixonei tudo de novo. Fiquei surpreso em me deparar com algumas coisas de O Castelo Animado — não achei que teriam elementos ou se passaria no mesmo universo, então foi uma descoberta bacana. Ao mesmo tempo, toda essa temática de deserto, gênios, princesas e tapetes voadores me deixou encantado.
O ritmo é perfeito e a narrativa mega fluída, e isso me envolveu de uma forma muito forte. Li super rápido e tive a mesma sensação do outro livro: gostaria que tivesse mais 500 páginas. A história é muito bem elaborada, interessante, cheia de reviravoltas e com um toque de magia (sem exagero) que unifica tudo isso. Acho que já gastei todos os meus adjetivos positivos nessa minha breve opinião, então vou concluir apenas dizendo: leiam.
A escrita da Diana é fora do comum. Ela sabe fazer com que a história brilhe e transborde magia. A forma como é escrito, parecendo quase uma fábula antiga, te imerge em um universo magnífico e deslumbrante, com personagens maravilhosos e completamente diferentes. Eu me apaixonei tudo de novo. Fiquei surpreso em me deparar com algumas coisas de O Castelo Animado — não achei que teriam elementos ou se passaria no mesmo universo, então foi uma descoberta bacana. Ao mesmo tempo, toda essa temática de deserto, gênios, princesas e tapetes voadores me deixou encantado.
O ritmo é perfeito e a narrativa mega fluída, e isso me envolveu de uma forma muito forte. Li super rápido e tive a mesma sensação do outro livro: gostaria que tivesse mais 500 páginas. A história é muito bem elaborada, interessante, cheia de reviravoltas e com um toque de magia (sem exagero) que unifica tudo isso. Acho que já gastei todos os meus adjetivos positivos nessa minha breve opinião, então vou concluir apenas dizendo: leiam.
June 20, 2024
Let's start with the important part. I did like this book. A lot. Now, if you don't like authors who play with our preconceive ideas of how stories and characters should work, you won't like this book as much as I did because that's how Wynne Jones builds her stories, by playing with the well-understood to make it feel new.
Now, to the matter at hand, my review: Castle in the Air is a companion book to Howl’s Moving Castle. It's the story of Abdullah, a young merchant from Zanziba, to whom a mysterious man sells a magic carpet.
This carpet, one of those inanimate objects that nonetheless seems to have a mind of its own, leads him into the realms of Princess Flower-in-the-Night. He fall in love with her, only for her to be snatched away by a djinn.
Abdullah, as every good protagonist should do, sets off to rescue his love with the help of his magic carpet and a little of common sense (I mean a little because, after all, he did buy a magic carpet from a mysterious stranger).
Just as she did in Howl's Moving castle, in this second book, Winne Jones impresses me by weaving together a story from what it seems are a series of random details, which significance only becomes evident as the plot advances. In this novel nothing is wasted, for every word, every scene, every character has its place and reason to be.
Wynne Jones plays with our expectations, giving us insta-love that while seemingly cliche is, in fact, her way to show us that falling in love is rather an excuse and not a reason to change our lives and go for an adventure.
A truly enjoyable read.
Now, to the matter at hand, my review: Castle in the Air is a companion book to Howl’s Moving Castle. It's the story of Abdullah, a young merchant from Zanziba, to whom a mysterious man sells a magic carpet.
This carpet, one of those inanimate objects that nonetheless seems to have a mind of its own, leads him into the realms of Princess Flower-in-the-Night. He fall in love with her, only for her to be snatched away by a djinn.
Abdullah, as every good protagonist should do, sets off to rescue his love with the help of his magic carpet and a little of common sense (I mean a little because, after all, he did buy a magic carpet from a mysterious stranger).
Just as she did in Howl's Moving castle, in this second book, Winne Jones impresses me by weaving together a story from what it seems are a series of random details, which significance only becomes evident as the plot advances. In this novel nothing is wasted, for every word, every scene, every character has its place and reason to be.
Wynne Jones plays with our expectations, giving us insta-love that while seemingly cliche is, in fact, her way to show us that falling in love is rather an excuse and not a reason to change our lives and go for an adventure.
A truly enjoyable read.
July 11, 2019
"You cannot rob robbers with a kitten in your hat!"
In this story full of magic, wishes and One Thousand and One Nights reminiscence (it is very similar to Aladdin's tale), we follow characters who look absolutely different from the first book... It almost seems that this story is not about Howl and Sophie at all... Or is it? 😏
I enjoyed this book quite a lot and, I must admit, maybe even more than Howl's Moving Castle. I found it more cohesive, and the story, although very different from the first book, was equally, if not more, enchanting. I love the author's writing style, and since I think it is very suitable for fairy tales, this second book - which is more of a fairy tale - felt absolutely perfect for her way of writing. Very enjoyable read! Now I am even more curious of what I'm going to find in book three! 🤣
In this story full of magic, wishes and One Thousand and One Nights reminiscence (it is very similar to Aladdin's tale), we follow characters who look absolutely different from the first book... It almost seems that this story is not about Howl and Sophie at all... Or is it? 😏
I enjoyed this book quite a lot and, I must admit, maybe even more than Howl's Moving Castle. I found it more cohesive, and the story, although very different from the first book, was equally, if not more, enchanting. I love the author's writing style, and since I think it is very suitable for fairy tales, this second book - which is more of a fairy tale - felt absolutely perfect for her way of writing. Very enjoyable read! Now I am even more curious of what I'm going to find in book three! 🤣
September 4, 2018
This book was NOTHING like Howl's Moving Castle. So much that I'm even doubting they have the same author.
Howl's Moving Castle had well built, three-dimensional characters. Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer managed to have many flaws, and yet still be utterly likable.
The characters in Castle in the Air were the complete opposite. Flower- in-the-night was just a pretty face, with no personality whatsoever.
I mean at the end she proved to be resourceful for about 2 minutes, but then she still waits to be rescued by Abdullah.
And Abullah was SO MUCH WORSE. He wassuch a hatable character. He hates animals, sees women like objects, and is so utterly shallow.
I don't even understand how you can write a character like that, after creating Howl.
And he is disgusted by his cousins just because they're not beautiful. What the fuck?
And it's not just that he didn't want to marry them. I mean, that's fine if you're not attracted to them.
But the fact that he didn't even consider they were PEOPLE with FEELINGS. Like damn, women don't have to pretty for you to see them as people.
It wasn't just shallowness, it was pure sexism.
Because Jamal, for example, wan't attractive, and yet Abdullah still saw him as a person and friend, and was kind to him.
But he can't see women as people? As friends?
It's like all they are to him is sexual objects.
But if we're talking about sexism, the whole SETTING was sexist.
An why would you write a book like that after HMC? Which was filled with strong, independent, badass women.
And an awesome fictional country.
WHY after that amazing setting, would you create a place (when you could create ANY place, ANY FUCKING PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD) that is so disgustingly mysogynystic.
Like, we still live in a sexist world. But that world is 100x more sexist. And after Ingary was filled with so many admirable characters and women that children could look up to.
I'm don't even want to know how many little girls read this and thought that they had to pretty, so that they would be worth something. And that they would never be worth as much as a man. They could never be regarded as friends, or even people. All they were useful for was sexual pleasure and breeding. Oh, but don't forget cooking and cleaning and basically being a maid.
And obviousle, they couldn't be smart, or take leadership. That should be left to the men. And they couldn't be strong, or badass. That's impossible. They should wait for their husband, to complete them. And whatever problem they encountered, they should wait fro the more qualified man, to fix it and save them.
That is seriously the fucking message that little girls will get.
I don't even comprehend how someone can be so sexist, i mean i don't think i've ever read or seen anything as sexist as that. And a WOMAN wrote that? HOW?
I stand to reason that Dianna wasn't the author of this book. Instead, a man that wished to create a world in which women were worthless objects. Not freinds. Not smart. Less than people. THey had to be presentable for a man. Their whole goal in life is to marry. The man must be paid a dowry? To marry? And then being cooking cleaning maids, plus incubators, plus sex machines.
And of course, men can have as many as they want.
And they feel ENTITLED to women.
I mean honestly, they even ruined Justin.
I even liked him at the start. He loved animals, how could i not love him?
But then he wouldn't HELP fucking KIDNAPPED WOMEN, who would be married and presumably be forced to consumate the marriage and provide him sexual pleasure, at least, and bear children for him at most. So they would be raped not once, but endless times, for THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. They would be imprisoned there, away from their family and home.
Their whole lives taken away from them.
AND EVEN A FUCKING FOUR YEAR OLD. Imagine that, kidnapping and raping a four year old.
AND THIS IS A FUCKING CHILDREN'S BOOK.
So that fucking prince Justin says NO to saving sex trafficked women and a GIRL.
Unless he gets a princess, so he fucking will save the 3o girls from being married off to a stranger, but only if he gets ONE princess married of to a stranger, for himself.
What and ENTITLED ASS. So basically he wants one of the women to sell themselves in order to save the others. Basically having to leave her family, friends and home to leave with him and be his maid and sexual slave plus incubator.
But even if the setting and male characters weren't sexist. Even if the female characters weren't so useless and utterly submissive.
The romance, was non-existing. They knew each other for 2 nights and were already IN LOVE.
And Abdullah only liked her for her beauty, and Flower-in-the-night only like him because he was the FIRST MAN SHE HAD EVER SEEN.
What the fuck.
Not romantic AT ALL.
I mean i sort of liked the Middle Eastern setting, i it hadn't been so sexist. ANd i liked Justin, until he was sexist.
It's just honestly, the whole thing was so BLATANTLY sexist it fucking ruined the entire book.
I can overlook some minor sexism, but this was seriously THE MOST SEXIST BOOK I'VE EVER READ.
And that's saying something, because I've read so many books.
But honestly not even book, pure ANYTHING.
So yeah, it COULD have been a good book.
I don't know if it's because she was trying to write as what a Middle Eastern man thought like, and what a Middle Eastern country was like. But still, NO.
Howl's Moving Castle had well built, three-dimensional characters. Sophie, Howl, and Calcifer managed to have many flaws, and yet still be utterly likable.
The characters in Castle in the Air were the complete opposite. Flower- in-the-night was just a pretty face, with no personality whatsoever.
I mean at the end she proved to be resourceful for about 2 minutes, but then she still waits to be rescued by Abdullah.
And Abullah was SO MUCH WORSE. He wassuch a hatable character. He hates animals, sees women like objects, and is so utterly shallow.
I don't even understand how you can write a character like that, after creating Howl.
And he is disgusted by his cousins just because they're not beautiful. What the fuck?
And it's not just that he didn't want to marry them. I mean, that's fine if you're not attracted to them.
But the fact that he didn't even consider they were PEOPLE with FEELINGS. Like damn, women don't have to pretty for you to see them as people.
It wasn't just shallowness, it was pure sexism.
Because Jamal, for example, wan't attractive, and yet Abdullah still saw him as a person and friend, and was kind to him.
But he can't see women as people? As friends?
It's like all they are to him is sexual objects.
But if we're talking about sexism, the whole SETTING was sexist.
An why would you write a book like that after HMC? Which was filled with strong, independent, badass women.
And an awesome fictional country.
WHY after that amazing setting, would you create a place (when you could create ANY place, ANY FUCKING PLACE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD) that is so disgustingly mysogynystic.
Like, we still live in a sexist world. But that world is 100x more sexist. And after Ingary was filled with so many admirable characters and women that children could look up to.
I'm don't even want to know how many little girls read this and thought that they had to pretty, so that they would be worth something. And that they would never be worth as much as a man. They could never be regarded as friends, or even people. All they were useful for was sexual pleasure and breeding. Oh, but don't forget cooking and cleaning and basically being a maid.
And obviousle, they couldn't be smart, or take leadership. That should be left to the men. And they couldn't be strong, or badass. That's impossible. They should wait for their husband, to complete them. And whatever problem they encountered, they should wait fro the more qualified man, to fix it and save them.
That is seriously the fucking message that little girls will get.
I don't even comprehend how someone can be so sexist, i mean i don't think i've ever read or seen anything as sexist as that. And a WOMAN wrote that? HOW?
I stand to reason that Dianna wasn't the author of this book. Instead, a man that wished to create a world in which women were worthless objects. Not freinds. Not smart. Less than people. THey had to be presentable for a man. Their whole goal in life is to marry. The man must be paid a dowry? To marry? And then being cooking cleaning maids, plus incubators, plus sex machines.
And of course, men can have as many as they want.
And they feel ENTITLED to women.
I mean honestly, they even ruined Justin.
I even liked him at the start. He loved animals, how could i not love him?
But then he wouldn't HELP fucking KIDNAPPED WOMEN, who would be married and presumably be forced to consumate the marriage and provide him sexual pleasure, at least, and bear children for him at most. So they would be raped not once, but endless times, for THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. They would be imprisoned there, away from their family and home.
Their whole lives taken away from them.
AND EVEN A FUCKING FOUR YEAR OLD. Imagine that, kidnapping and raping a four year old.
AND THIS IS A FUCKING CHILDREN'S BOOK.
So that fucking prince Justin says NO to saving sex trafficked women and a GIRL.
Unless he gets a princess, so he fucking will save the 3o girls from being married off to a stranger, but only if he gets ONE princess married of to a stranger, for himself.
What and ENTITLED ASS. So basically he wants one of the women to sell themselves in order to save the others. Basically having to leave her family, friends and home to leave with him and be his maid and sexual slave plus incubator.
But even if the setting and male characters weren't sexist. Even if the female characters weren't so useless and utterly submissive.
The romance, was non-existing. They knew each other for 2 nights and were already IN LOVE.
And Abdullah only liked her for her beauty, and Flower-in-the-night only like him because he was the FIRST MAN SHE HAD EVER SEEN.
What the fuck.
Not romantic AT ALL.
I mean i sort of liked the Middle Eastern setting, i it hadn't been so sexist. ANd i liked Justin, until he was sexist.
It's just honestly, the whole thing was so BLATANTLY sexist it fucking ruined the entire book.
I can overlook some minor sexism, but this was seriously THE MOST SEXIST BOOK I'VE EVER READ.
And that's saying something, because I've read so many books.
But honestly not even book, pure ANYTHING.
So yeah, it COULD have been a good book.
I don't know if it's because she was trying to write as what a Middle Eastern man thought like, and what a Middle Eastern country was like. But still, NO.
March 13, 2022
Abdullah is a carpet merchant who is content to spend most of his life daydreaming. It doesn’t prepare him for actual adventure coming into his life when he purchases a flying carpet that whisks him off to a beautiful garden in the middle of the night. There, he meets the princess Flower-in-the-Night and falls immediately in love. When she’s kidnapped by a wicked djinn, Abdullah sets out on a cross-country journey with the help of his flying carpet, a temperamental genie, and a mysterious soldier to rescue her. Trigger warnings: abduction, captivity, racism/orientalism, fat-shaming, sexism.
I really struggled with this, and it was only my love for Howl’s Moving Castle that got me through it. I’m sure Jones means well, but her depiction of Arab culture and characterization comes off rather racist, to say nothing of the excessive fat-shaming throughout the book. I wanted to enjoy having characters of color take center stage, but it’s hard to get past the stereotypes and poking fun to really enjoy them as characters. Abdullah is a somewhat bland hero, and I found myself wishing the book was told from Flower-in-the-Night’s perspective. If nothing else, this book has a lot of powerhouse female characters; they just don’t get enough page-time.
For as little help as he manages to be at times, the plot relies too heavily on the genie. Knowing they have one wish a day keeps the characters from doing any real planning of their own, and most of Abdullah’s journey comes over feeling random, haphazard, and repetitive. Naturally, my interest picked up once the characters from Howl’s Moving Castle started to show up, and I’m sorry to say they were my favorite part of the book–aside from all the princesses, of course. It doesn’t really make up for the rest of the novel though, and while I felt compelled to reread HMC again immediately, I can’t see myself coming back to this one.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I really struggled with this, and it was only my love for Howl’s Moving Castle that got me through it. I’m sure Jones means well, but her depiction of Arab culture and characterization comes off rather racist, to say nothing of the excessive fat-shaming throughout the book. I wanted to enjoy having characters of color take center stage, but it’s hard to get past the stereotypes and poking fun to really enjoy them as characters. Abdullah is a somewhat bland hero, and I found myself wishing the book was told from Flower-in-the-Night’s perspective. If nothing else, this book has a lot of powerhouse female characters; they just don’t get enough page-time.
For as little help as he manages to be at times, the plot relies too heavily on the genie. Knowing they have one wish a day keeps the characters from doing any real planning of their own, and most of Abdullah’s journey comes over feeling random, haphazard, and repetitive. Naturally, my interest picked up once the characters from Howl’s Moving Castle started to show up, and I’m sorry to say they were my favorite part of the book–aside from all the princesses, of course. It doesn’t really make up for the rest of the novel though, and while I felt compelled to reread HMC again immediately, I can’t see myself coming back to this one.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
July 10, 2015
Zamak u oblacima donosi u istoj meri ono što nam je doneo i njegov prethodnik - pregršt šarenila i avantura. Zbog tematike na momente sam morao da se podsećam da ovo nije Salman Ruždi, već neko drugi...
Stil pripovedanja, ali i pisanja, je otprilike isti kao u prvom delu, i može se naslutiti kako će se roman završiti, kao i "prošlost" određenih magijskih predmeta ili likova. Jednostavno čitalac može da "nanjuši" sumnjivog lika ili sumnjiv predmet i da pretpostavi šta se u njemu krije.
Interesantne su paralele koje je spisateljica povukla sa pričama iz 1001 noći - duh, čarobni tepih,... ali na momente nekako deluje da je u romanu nagomilala mnogo toga...
I da... korice za srpsko izdanje su očajne... prosto ne znam ko bi (a da ne zna šta se krije iza tih korica) uzeo knjigu u ruke. Šteta što se stalo na drugom delu (postoji i treći). Verujem da bi knjiga imala bolju prođu da su korice drugačije i da se knjiga malo više popularizovala.
Stil pripovedanja, ali i pisanja, je otprilike isti kao u prvom delu, i može se naslutiti kako će se roman završiti, kao i "prošlost" određenih magijskih predmeta ili likova. Jednostavno čitalac može da "nanjuši" sumnjivog lika ili sumnjiv predmet i da pretpostavi šta se u njemu krije.
Interesantne su paralele koje je spisateljica povukla sa pričama iz 1001 noći - duh, čarobni tepih,... ali na momente nekako deluje da je u romanu nagomilala mnogo toga...
I da... korice za srpsko izdanje su očajne... prosto ne znam ko bi (a da ne zna šta se krije iza tih korica) uzeo knjigu u ruke. Šteta što se stalo na drugom delu (postoji i treći). Verujem da bi knjiga imala bolju prođu da su korice drugačije i da se knjiga malo više popularizovala.
September 8, 2017
Le había puesto tres estrellas de primero, pero me lo he pensado y he cambiado a dos porque el machismo que impregna esta historia no me dejaba disfrutar de ella. El castillo ambulante es uno de mis libros favoritos, y toparme ahora con ESTO, de verdad que no lo entiendo.
Aunque no continúa la historia como tal después de El castillo ambulante, sí aparecen sus personajes allá por el último tercio del libro. Pero, vamos, para lo que hacen, mejor que no los hubiese metido en la historia, porque están irreconocibles.
Yo no sé si es porque la autora situa la acción en otra cultura que no es la suya y eso le da la excusa perfecta para desatar su racismo y machismo. El amor a primera vista, el tratar a las mujeres como objetos de los que los hombres pueden apropiarse en cualquier momento, tratarlas de inútiles (a no ser que se dediquen a cuidar críos), el presentar a la religión musulmana como inferior y machista cuando en Ingary están igual... En serio, yo flipaba con cada página que pasaba. Pensaba que con la aparición de Sophie se arreglaría, pero NOPE, fue a peor.
En serio, le he dado dos estrellas porque me gusta mucho la autora (y porque hay un personaje que se llama Beatrice, así de tonta soy) y ha habido momentos que he podido disfrutar del libro y he conseguido engancharme, pero es que es tan jodidamente machista que casi lo quemo.
Aunque no continúa la historia como tal después de El castillo ambulante, sí aparecen sus personajes allá por el último tercio del libro. Pero, vamos, para lo que hacen, mejor que no los hubiese metido en la historia, porque están irreconocibles.
Yo no sé si es porque la autora situa la acción en otra cultura que no es la suya y eso le da la excusa perfecta para desatar su racismo y machismo. El amor a primera vista, el tratar a las mujeres como objetos de los que los hombres pueden apropiarse en cualquier momento, tratarlas de inútiles (a no ser que se dediquen a cuidar críos), el presentar a la religión musulmana como inferior y machista cuando en Ingary están igual... En serio, yo flipaba con cada página que pasaba. Pensaba que con la aparición de Sophie se arreglaría, pero NOPE, fue a peor.
En serio, le he dado dos estrellas porque me gusta mucho la autora (y porque hay un personaje que se llama Beatrice, así de tonta soy) y ha habido momentos que he podido disfrutar del libro y he conseguido engancharme, pero es que es tan jodidamente machista que casi lo quemo.
March 14, 2023
ساحرة ومثالية لقارئ صغير ولمحبي أدب اليافعين.
August 28, 2009
Castle in the Air is the sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle. That being said I picked this up with trepidation because I was rather disappointed the book wasn’t going to be from the main characters in the first, nor would it have a direct focus on it. But they do occur later on.
That being said, I loved this book! I loved how she managed to turn this into another one of her witty, light-hearted, but not lacking in depth, fantasy tales. It was unique, original, and if I hadn’t read spoilers beforehand I would have been quite shocked at the twist at the end. It was quite ingenious how she managed to trick us throughout the whole book. Her descriptions and writing were fabulous as always, and she never manages to fall into the cliché.
Definitely a wonderful book. Even if the summary doesn’t sound as engaging as the first novel, give it a chance because it’s an excellent read that will more than satisfy you at the end.
That being said, I loved this book! I loved how she managed to turn this into another one of her witty, light-hearted, but not lacking in depth, fantasy tales. It was unique, original, and if I hadn’t read spoilers beforehand I would have been quite shocked at the twist at the end. It was quite ingenious how she managed to trick us throughout the whole book. Her descriptions and writing were fabulous as always, and she never manages to fall into the cliché.
Definitely a wonderful book. Even if the summary doesn’t sound as engaging as the first novel, give it a chance because it’s an excellent read that will more than satisfy you at the end.
July 15, 2025
This one was set in the same world as the first book, but with mostly different characters. I did have more trouble keeping interest in the story, but I persisted through. I would say this was probably closer to 2.5 stars but I rounded up.
June 4, 2019
Not only was the "sequel" to Howl's Moving Castle disappointing but it REALLY did not age well. If you go into this book expecting it to be about Sophie and Howl as I did, then you will be let down, as they do not appear until the last third of the book. The story instead follows a rags-to-riches journey of a young boy named Abdullah and how he is "destined" for greatness to end up with the beautiful Flower-in-the-Night, a princess he has just met in his dreams who has a father who doesn't want her to look at men ever. Yeah. Again, did not age well. This, along with fatphobia, middle eastern stereotypes, and sexism really give this a bad look. I really wanted to put this book down multiple times, but I read on so I could see if Howl and Sophie showed up, which they do, and once the story gets to Ingary it does pick up a bit, which is why I give it two stars instead of one. I suppose kids might like it, but I'd have a conversation with them about stereotypes. Skip this one if you're looking for an actual sequel to Howl's Moving Castle.
March 23, 2024
This was similar to Aladdin, but infused with this authors particular brand of zaniness. I have seen other reviewers taking this book very seriously which seems like a silly thing to do. He loves her because she’s beautiful, she loves him because he was the first man she saw which fulfilled a prophecy. It’s insta love, true. They don’t know each other at all, but who cares! It’s not a romance novel, it’s a kids book, and it’s fantasy in its purest form. I have no doubt that this series will one day be considered a classic, and with good reason. This authors writing style is just so fun.
Side note: I love the new cover art! The previous ones were all awful but I’d love to add this to my shelf. Fingers crossed that Fairyloot will make special editions of the entire series. 🤞🏻
Side note: I love the new cover art! The previous ones were all awful but I’d love to add this to my shelf. Fingers crossed that Fairyloot will make special editions of the entire series. 🤞🏻
April 1, 2023
Not as good as Howl's Moving Castle, but a very entertaining story.
November 16, 2021
Bastante al sur de Ingary, lugar donde tenía lugar la historia de "El castillo ambulante", nos encontramos con un país llamado Zanzib. Allí vive Abdullah, un joven mercader de alfombras. Huérfano desde hace muchos años, Abdullah pasa su vida soñando con mundos de fantasía y aventuras para escapar de las presiones de la familía de la segunda mujer de su padre. Un día un extraño hombre aparecerá por su tienda para venderle la que es, según él, una alfombra mágica. Será este el inicio de esas aventuras que tanto anhelaba.
Lo primero que me ha quedado claro al acabar "El castillo en el aire" es que Diana Wynne-Jones puede ser una de las mejores autoras fantásticas de la historia. Y no solo porque sus historias me parecen tiernas, mágicas y divertidas a la vez, si no porque son pecualiares, especiales. Tanto "El castillo ambulante", como su segunda parte "El castillo en el aire" son increíbles por su imaginario, pero lo son sobre todo por ese algo distintitvo. Ese toque personal que diferenciarían a la autora de cualquier otro autor o autora de fantasía. Aun teniendo una trama muy diferente, los dos libros tienen ese algo común, esa alma que los hace inconfundibles y que denota que pertenecen a la misma mente.
Pese a que la sombra de "El castillo ambulante" era alargada, he disfrutado muchísimo también la historia de Abdullah y Flor de Noche. Príncesas, batallas, sultanes, transformaciones, genios malhumorados, alfombras mágicas presumidas, y otras muchos elementos se cruzan en esta historia y consiguen que la lectura de "El castillo en el aire" sea una gozada. Esa mezcla entre dulzura y risa me resulta exquisita, todo en su justa medida. La parte de aventura es genial también, y todo el tiempo va andando a buen ritmo junto a sus personajes, los cuales son maravillosos, sin darle al lector ni un respiro.
Normalmente veo por ahí recomendaciones tipo "no pasa nada si lees los libros en otro orden" o "el segundo y el tercero no son buenos", os diré que estoy totalmente en contra de ambas afirmaciones. En cuanto al tercero, no puedo afirmarlo aún, pero el segundo es muy bueno. ¿Llega a la perfección de cinco estrellas que fue "El castillo ambulante? No, pero sus cuatros estrellazas no desmerecen en absoluto. ¿Se puede leer por separado? Bueno, en mi opinión, no. Salvo que seas de esos lectores que prefieres rebajar la calidad de la experiencia completa por arrebatos e impaciencia, es infinitamente mejor leerlos en orden y completar la experiencia como se debe. No quiero soltar spoilers, pero hacedme caso, en orden siempre.
En definitiva, ¡vaya dulzura de libro! Esta trilogía es para niños de 9, pero también para niños de 99. A este paso Diana Wynne-Jones puede convertirse en una de mis autoras más queridas. No sé hasta que punto está el resto de su obra publicada en español, pero va siendo hora de investigar porque la tercera entrega, "La casa de los mis pasillos" no va a tardar mucho en ser leída. ¡Mil ganas!
Lo primero que me ha quedado claro al acabar "El castillo en el aire" es que Diana Wynne-Jones puede ser una de las mejores autoras fantásticas de la historia. Y no solo porque sus historias me parecen tiernas, mágicas y divertidas a la vez, si no porque son pecualiares, especiales. Tanto "El castillo ambulante", como su segunda parte "El castillo en el aire" son increíbles por su imaginario, pero lo son sobre todo por ese algo distintitvo. Ese toque personal que diferenciarían a la autora de cualquier otro autor o autora de fantasía. Aun teniendo una trama muy diferente, los dos libros tienen ese algo común, esa alma que los hace inconfundibles y que denota que pertenecen a la misma mente.
Pese a que la sombra de "El castillo ambulante" era alargada, he disfrutado muchísimo también la historia de Abdullah y Flor de Noche. Príncesas, batallas, sultanes, transformaciones, genios malhumorados, alfombras mágicas presumidas, y otras muchos elementos se cruzan en esta historia y consiguen que la lectura de "El castillo en el aire" sea una gozada. Esa mezcla entre dulzura y risa me resulta exquisita, todo en su justa medida. La parte de aventura es genial también, y todo el tiempo va andando a buen ritmo junto a sus personajes, los cuales son maravillosos, sin darle al lector ni un respiro.
Normalmente veo por ahí recomendaciones tipo "no pasa nada si lees los libros en otro orden" o "el segundo y el tercero no son buenos", os diré que estoy totalmente en contra de ambas afirmaciones. En cuanto al tercero, no puedo afirmarlo aún, pero el segundo es muy bueno. ¿Llega a la perfección de cinco estrellas que fue "El castillo ambulante? No, pero sus cuatros estrellazas no desmerecen en absoluto. ¿Se puede leer por separado? Bueno, en mi opinión, no. Salvo que seas de esos lectores que prefieres rebajar la calidad de la experiencia completa por arrebatos e impaciencia, es infinitamente mejor leerlos en orden y completar la experiencia como se debe. No quiero soltar spoilers, pero hacedme caso, en orden siempre.
En definitiva, ¡vaya dulzura de libro! Esta trilogía es para niños de 9, pero también para niños de 99. A este paso Diana Wynne-Jones puede convertirse en una de mis autoras más queridas. No sé hasta que punto está el resto de su obra publicada en español, pero va siendo hora de investigar porque la tercera entrega, "La casa de los mis pasillos" no va a tardar mucho en ser leída. ¡Mil ganas!
July 15, 2025
Castle in the Air is the second book in the Howl’s Moving Castle series, but it felt nothing like the first one.
We follow Abdullah, a carpet merchant, who meets a princess named Flower-in-the-Night. When a djinn captures her, he sets off on a mission to rescue her.
This was a tough read for me. I really didn’t enjoy the main character. His overly flowery speech might have been meant to be charming, but it didn't quite work for me. I also couldn’t connect with Flower-in-the-Night, whose main trait seemed to be that she was thin 🫠
What saved this book for me was the way it eventually ties back to the characters from Howl’s Moving Castle, along with DWJ’ whimsical writing style, which remains lovely even when the plot doesn’t quite land.
I’m really hoping the next one is better.
We follow Abdullah, a carpet merchant, who meets a princess named Flower-in-the-Night. When a djinn captures her, he sets off on a mission to rescue her.
This was a tough read for me. I really didn’t enjoy the main character. His overly flowery speech might have been meant to be charming, but it didn't quite work for me. I also couldn’t connect with Flower-in-the-Night, whose main trait seemed to be that she was thin 🫠
What saved this book for me was the way it eventually ties back to the characters from Howl’s Moving Castle, along with DWJ’ whimsical writing style, which remains lovely even when the plot doesn’t quite land.
I’m really hoping the next one is better.
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November 15, 2019
Loved it. Even better than the preceding volume (which I did enjoy), because everything I disliked about Howl's Moving Castle was fixed herein.
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June 15, 2025DNF Seite 67
Erst war es ganz nett. Dann kam übelste (und überhaupt nicht ansatzweise romantische) insta love, da war ich schon leicht genervt, aber dann -dann!- gab es auch noch bodyshaming in so lupenreiner Form, dass ich kaum fassen konnte was ich da lesen musste! Ich hab wohl noch nie gelesen, das eine Person als "schwabbelig" bezeichnet und die komplette Schönheit dieses Menschen vom Gewicht abhängig gemacht wurde. Und natürlich war diese unästhetische Person eine Frau, denn über den weiblichen Körper darf man sich schließlich jedes noch so schäbige Urteil erlauben. Ich hab Bilder von der Autorin gesehen, die war selber auch kein Reh, also keine Ahnung, welchen Selbsthass, Traumata oder internalisierte Misogynie die hier verarbeiten musste, aber war komplett fehl am Platz und hat mir das Buch leider nachhaltig versaut. Außerdem hat diese Aussage suggeriert, dass die wunderschöne Prinzessin Blume-in-der-Nacht (was ein Kackname, Diana!) nur optisch ansprechend sein musste und innere Werte oder (Gott bewahre!) Intelligenz für Liebe absolut nebensächlich sind.
Echt schade, denn ich liebte das Hörbuch zu Band 1. Lese ich die Reihe irgendwann weiter? Und falls ja, was hätte ich davon? Ich weiß es nicht.
Erst war es ganz nett. Dann kam übelste (und überhaupt nicht ansatzweise romantische) insta love, da war ich schon leicht genervt, aber dann -dann!- gab es auch noch bodyshaming in so lupenreiner Form, dass ich kaum fassen konnte was ich da lesen musste! Ich hab wohl noch nie gelesen, das eine Person als "schwabbelig" bezeichnet und die komplette Schönheit dieses Menschen vom Gewicht abhängig gemacht wurde. Und natürlich war diese unästhetische Person eine Frau, denn über den weiblichen Körper darf man sich schließlich jedes noch so schäbige Urteil erlauben. Ich hab Bilder von der Autorin gesehen, die war selber auch kein Reh, also keine Ahnung, welchen Selbsthass, Traumata oder internalisierte Misogynie die hier verarbeiten musste, aber war komplett fehl am Platz und hat mir das Buch leider nachhaltig versaut. Außerdem hat diese Aussage suggeriert, dass die wunderschöne Prinzessin Blume-in-der-Nacht (was ein Kackname, Diana!) nur optisch ansprechend sein musste und innere Werte oder (Gott bewahre!) Intelligenz für Liebe absolut nebensächlich sind.
Echt schade, denn ich liebte das Hörbuch zu Band 1. Lese ich die Reihe irgendwann weiter? Und falls ja, was hätte ich davon? Ich weiß es nicht.
June 1, 2017
I won't ever get tired of Howl and Sophie, even if there's not very much of them here. Still, a fun and enjoyable book!
July 21, 2020
This was cute, though I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as Howl’s Moving Castle.
November 2, 2016
8.5 out of 10
Ревью в моем блоге/This review on my blog
Living A Thousand Lives (please use Chrome/Yandex browser or Android/IOS to see the page; otherwise, spoiler-tags I use to make my post compact may not work)
Short-Soundtrack:
John Me – Love Is My Drug, Is My Medicine
Genre: fairytale, fantasy
Stuff: jinn, flying carpet and castle, magic
Fail: funny, but not charismatic MC
WOW: old characters, the plot, humor
POV: 3rd person, male
Love-Geometry: none
Quote-Core:
“Fate doesn't care most of the time.”
Okay, I have to admit, I pick this book up thinking only about Howl and ended up being indifferent in new characters' fates, but the story itself and the writing (especially Russian translation) were super funny and smart, plus old heroes had played their roles, so overall I'm happy and ready for more.
This installment's adventures start in Zanzib where we meet Abdullah who sells carpets and loves to dream. One day a stranger offers him an old magical item which soon changes the boy's life: he falls in love, but his sweetheart gets abducted and Abdullah has to save not only her, but his own life too. Danger is everywhere, but with a flying carpet, a nasty jinn, a skillful solder and a few crazy cats the boy will go to Ingary and become a hero.
In this part we'll see Howl and Sophie, Lettie and her husband (until this book I wasn't sure whom she will marry: prince or mage), little Valeria, Calcifer and others. It's been only a year since the ending of the book #1, but there are serious news about everyone. Howl and Sophie now one of my favorite pairings. They aren't your typical HEA-couple, their quarrel, they fight, they know each other's flaws and don't mind them at all, 'cause you can't love a person partially, only whole. I'd love to see these two in a more mature setting, it might be firework-ish!
Again, I wanna praise the plot. So many different lines interlace and turn into a well-thought-out and logical netting. Silly and naive moments open up from another side, as well as characters' natures and motivations. And after you've done with the book you wanna re-read it again, 'cause so many things will be different now when you know every secret and twist. That's magic!
Diana Wynne Jones knows how to surprise and entertain her readers during their read. I wasn't bored even once. I also need to highlight Jones's wits and humor (and many thanks to the Russian translator who did GREAT). I might not be in love with the new narrator, but I did enjoy his way of thoughts and speech.
I can't say more, 'cause this book is too intricate not to give a spoiler away by touching its threads. So I just let a content sigh out and run for the book #3.
Howl's Moving Castle (Ходячий замок):
— Howl's Moving Castle (Ходячий замок) #1/3
— Castle in the Air (Воздушный замок) #2/3
— House of Many Ways (Дом с характером) #3/3
December 30, 2023
"أنا مؤمن بالإرادة الحرة. إذا اختار كلبي أن يكره الجنس البشري كله باستثناءي أنا، فيجب أن يكون حرًا في القيام بذلك."
.
.
كان ياما كان, في قديم العصر والزمان.
يحكى أن هنالك بائعًا بسيطاً للبسط, يحلم في حياة مختلفة عن حياته الحالية.
حيث يكون هو أميراً غنيًا, ويتزوج بأميرة فائقة الجمال. ويعيش حياته معها في قصر مليء بالزهور الجميلة.
ولكن هل القدر بهذا اللطف؟ ليحقق لهذا الإنسان المتواضع جميع أحلامه؟
أو يضيف إلى أحلامه الوردية الحالية, مغامرات جديدة بالغة الخطورة والجنون؟
.
.
هذه الرواية هي مزيج غريب بالفعل. هي تماماً كإحدى قصص ألف ليلة وليلة, وتحديدًا قصة علاء الدين والبساط السحري.
ولكن هل هذا كل شيء؟ لا, الكاتبة تقرر أن تضيف إلى طابع ألف ليلة وليلة, لمستها الخاصة. حيث يلتقي ساحر البلاط, مع العفريت القوي, الذي يقوم بخطف الأميرات، ويضعهم في قلعة هاول المتحركة, التي قام مسبقاً بسرقتها, وتحويلها إلى شيء يناسب ذوق العفاريت زرق اللون.
الرواية بسيطة, ولكنها ممتعة للغاية. ومشوقة بطريقتها الخاصة.
لا أنكر أن الفصول الأولى كانت مملة أو بطيئة السرد. ولكن كل شيء تغير فجأة وأصبحت القصة ممتعة للغاية.
لقد أحببتها, وأحببت تطور القصة الذي كان على غير المتوقع.
وبصراحة هذا الجزء جعلني متشوقة للغاية لقراءة الجزء الثالث والأخير. ولمعرفة الأحداث التي سوف تكون فيها. وكيف يمكن ان تكتب لنا الكاتبة قصة جديدة، تجمع بها كل ما وُضِع بالجزء الأول والثاني.
.
.
"قل لي، هل تجد نفسك أحيانًا حزينًا بشكل غير مبرر في بعض الأيام؟"
.
.
كان ياما كان, في قديم العصر والزمان.
يحكى أن هنالك بائعًا بسيطاً للبسط, يحلم في حياة مختلفة عن حياته الحالية.
حيث يكون هو أميراً غنيًا, ويتزوج بأميرة فائقة الجمال. ويعيش حياته معها في قصر مليء بالزهور الجميلة.
ولكن هل القدر بهذا اللطف؟ ليحقق لهذا الإنسان المتواضع جميع أحلامه؟
أو يضيف إلى أحلامه الوردية الحالية, مغامرات جديدة بالغة الخطورة والجنون؟
.
.
هذه الرواية هي مزيج غريب بالفعل. هي تماماً كإحدى قصص ألف ليلة وليلة, وتحديدًا قصة علاء الدين والبساط السحري.
ولكن هل هذا كل شيء؟ لا, الكاتبة تقرر أن تضيف إلى طابع ألف ليلة وليلة, لمستها الخاصة. حيث يلتقي ساحر البلاط, مع العفريت القوي, الذي يقوم بخطف الأميرات، ويضعهم في قلعة هاول المتحركة, التي قام مسبقاً بسرقتها, وتحويلها إلى شيء يناسب ذوق العفاريت زرق اللون.
الرواية بسيطة, ولكنها ممتعة للغاية. ومشوقة بطريقتها الخاصة.
لا أنكر أن الفصول الأولى كانت مملة أو بطيئة السرد. ولكن كل شيء تغير فجأة وأصبحت القصة ممتعة للغاية.
لقد أحببتها, وأحببت تطور القصة الذي كان على غير المتوقع.
وبصراحة هذا الجزء جعلني متشوقة للغاية لقراءة الجزء الثالث والأخير. ولمعرفة الأحداث التي سوف تكون فيها. وكيف يمكن ان تكتب لنا الكاتبة قصة جديدة، تجمع بها كل ما وُضِع بالجزء الأول والثاني.
.
.
"قل لي، هل تجد نفسك أحيانًا حزينًا بشكل غير مبرر في بعض الأيام؟"
April 15, 2022
Well, yet another delightfully whimsical story from Diana Wynne Jones. I like Jones' sense of humour as her books never failed to make me chuckle. Castle in the Air was set in a Arabian-like setting, with flying magic carpets, an Aladdin-type heroic character and a beautiful princess (whose name Flower-in-the-Night could allude to a certain Jasmine species that blooms at night). The honorific and incredible polite manner of speech was hilarious and more so especially when insults were hidden underneath all the flowery eloquence.
The book was highly enjoyable with characters which were just on the edge of being caricatures but it somehow seemed appropriate and made for a most amusing read. For a good part of the book, I couldn't figure out how it could be connected to Howl's Moving Castle at all. But connected it definitely was and when the reveals came during the last several chapters, I was absolutely delighted. No regrets picking up this series for sure, and looking forward to read the next and final book.
The book was highly enjoyable with characters which were just on the edge of being caricatures but it somehow seemed appropriate and made for a most amusing read. For a good part of the book, I couldn't figure out how it could be connected to Howl's Moving Castle at all. But connected it definitely was and when the reveals came during the last several chapters, I was absolutely delighted. No regrets picking up this series for sure, and looking forward to read the next and final book.
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