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A stand-alone novel of magic and adventure by the renowned fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones, who also wrote Howl's Moving Castle and the Chrestomanci books. Almost finished upon her death in 2011, the manuscript was completed by Diana's sister Ursula Jones, an acclaimed novelist and actress. Publishers Weekly called The Islands of Chaldea "a story to cherish" in their starred review.
Aileen comes from a long line of magic makers, and her aunt Beck is the most powerful magician on Skarr. But Aileen's magic has yet to reveal itself, even though she is old enough and it should have by now. When Aileen is sent over the sea on a mission for the King, she worries that she'll be useless and in the way. A powerful talking cat changes all of that—and with every obstacle Aileen faces, she becomes stronger and more confident, until her magic blooms.
Aileen comes from a long line of magic makers, and her aunt Beck is the most powerful magician on Skarr. But Aileen's magic has yet to reveal itself, even though she is old enough and it should have by now. When Aileen is sent over the sea on a mission for the King, she worries that she'll be useless and in the way. A powerful talking cat changes all of that—and with every obstacle Aileen faces, she becomes stronger and more confident, until her magic blooms.
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First published January 1, 2014
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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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March 20, 2023
The late Diana Wynne Jones would have been 80 this year if she had been still with us. As always with posthumous novels the worry is, will this work be up to her usual standard, or will disappointment cloud the reputation that she painstakingly established for herself?
We find ourselves in on an alternate Earth, one of the author’s Related Worlds which are similar to but not the same as our own, chiefly because magic is always prevalent. The Islands of Chaldea (the real Mesopotamian polity of Chaldea was famed for its magicians) are Skarr, Bernica, Gallis and Logra, loosely based on Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. The four countries, as well as being separated from each other by water, are further divided by a magical barrier that has for some years closed Logra off from the other three islands. On Skarr lives Aileen, a potential young Wise Woman who despairs of inheriting the talents that she is supposed to develop. Unexpectedly she is sent, with her Aunt Beck, idle princeling Ivar and servant Ogo, on a journey to Logra via Bernica and Gallis, to help resolve the situation and to fulfil a prophecy. We sense the classic premise of the lowliest achieving greatness through discovering and using innate gifts and skills.
Aileen, with green eyes and hair "the colour of toffee", is also the narrator, diminutive in stature but growing in maturity. She describes how she is sent with some odd companions and a disreputable crew to achieve an ill-defined quest, in which barriers galore -- and not just the magical one -- are placed in the way of success. First they arrive on the tiny island called Lone, where they encounter a rather peculiar creature. Next, they cross over to Bernica where they acquire another companion and another creature, as green as our own Emerald Isle is supposed to be. (There's an episode here involving humans turned into donkeys that recalls Apuleius, Shakespeare, Kingsley and Collodi, who also riff on the theme.) They somehow get to Gallis where more companions join them, and yet another creature puts in an appearance. Then they have to find a way to surmount that final obstacle to reach Logra where, if the pattern holds, we must expect another beast to present another crucial piece of the puzzle. Will solutions be forthcoming?
Such a bald outline in no way does justice to the author's narrative skill, especially in her ability to recapture a young person's tone in relating a story. In addition, for those in the know, there is the delight of discovering how much she has drawn in the myth, legend and folklore of the British Isles to almost, dare one say it, make a political statement about individual cultures coexisting within shared traditions. And, in answer to the common question she got asked -- "Where do you get your ideas from?" -- her usual inventiveness is displayed in the way, magpie-like, she has picked up various shiny objects to line the nest of her story.
Let's start with the animals. The red winged lizard that appears in this story is associated with Gallis, not surprising as the emblem of Wales is a dragon. Less obvious is the talking green parrot that Aileen and her companions discover in Bernica (this name derived, of course, from an old name for Ireland). A green bird would be appropriate for Ireland, but why has the author hit on a non-native bird? Perhaps the legendary island called Hy Brasil to the west of Ireland suggested to her the modern country of Brazil, through which flows the Amazon; and in its jungles are the medium-sized green birds, good at imitating speech, called Amazon parrots.
The third of the four animals is a large cat, no ordinary beast this but one which can disappear at will, rather like the Cheshire Cat. With its 'long legs [and] small head' I wonder if a European lynx is meant rather than the Scottish wildcat, even though Aileen hails from the Chaldean equivalent of Scotland. The lynx apparently survived in Britain into the Dark Ages, and may have furnished a basis for the lions encountered in Arthurian legends as the Welsh Cath Palug ("clawing cat") and the chapulu of French Alpine lore. I think what confirms this for me is Aileen's nickname for the cat, Plug-Ugly. The Land of Lone where Plug-Ugly is found could represent the Isle of Man, but Jones has also woven in strands from folktales about the sunken land of Cantre'r Gwaelod, the Welsh Lowland Hundred that disappeared in Cardigan Bay as the result of human error.
And the fourth animal? Surely Diana drew on the traditional symbols of the four evangelists for inspiration here, coming up with the bull, symbol of St Luke, to represent Logra. (The parrot derives from St John's eagle and the cat from St Mark's winged lion; only the dragon deviates from St Matthew's man, though both of course have wings. Ultimately the four creatures derive from the cherubim who according to Ezekiel supported God's throne, appearing as man, lion, ox and eagle.)
Helpful Companions are the staple of traditional fairytales, where they aid the hero or heroine in accomplishing impossible tasks. Often they collectively form a group of seven, as here, and without them Aileen wouldn't be able to achieve her quest. For example, Aileen's Aunt Beck has the gift of visions; a wonderful character who must surely have been drawn from life, she unfortunately suffers from what appears to be a stroke -- though of course, this being a literary fairytale, this affliction is the traditional 'fairy stroke', the result of a malevolent spell, rather than the more lasting physical ailment that we know by the name. Meanwhile the Bernican monk called Finn is the owner of the wonderful parrot which gives more appropriate advice than is usual for these talking birds. Riannan from Gallis has the ability to sing spells, rather like her counterpart in Welsh tales who converses with birds, while her brother Rees infuses mechanical inventions with magic. And Ivar and Ogo have their own significant roles to play too.
Fairytales have their villains, and here the baddie is someone whose name aptly includes a Germanic element which means 'rule' or 'power'. We must be very grateful to Ursula Jones for finding a way to successfully resolve the very complex plot from a clue presented early on in Diana's incomplete manuscript. Ursula doesn't say what this clue is but I suspect it's the handing over of a purse, supposedly "for expenses" but of course nothing of the kind. I haven't yet spotted where the transition to a different author is, though I sense a change in style and pace around Chapter Fourteen. What is definitely Diana's contribution, however, is the introduction of a hot-air balloon into the plot. Bristol, where she lived, is host of a spectacular International Balloon Fiesta every summer, and she would have been very familiar with the sight of Montgolfier balloons floating across the river Avon and over Clifton.
The Islands of Chaldea is a love-letter to Britain, a hymn to hope and a celebration of true magic, which is the life of the imagination. While fans may regret her passing, whether as friend or author, this final novel is a fitting addition to the canon and one to be grateful for now that it has been completed in style.
Finally, I’d like here to report on a coincidence, if coincidence it is. Diana Wynne Jones and I shared a regular correspondent, the late Bill Russell. Bill, a professor emeritus of sociology, was president of the Pendragon Society, an Arthurian group for which I edited the journal. In spring 2005 I published an article I’d put together called ‘A Concise Arthurian Bestiary’ listing a number of creatures associated with Arthurian legends and folklore, including cat, dragon and parrot. Now Bill was in the habit of sending some of his complimentary copies of Pendragon to other correspondents, and as I’d included his review of Diana’s Hexwood in the same issue I suspect there’s every chance that he’d sent a copy of this to her. It’s distantly possible that her choice of featured animals in The Islands of Chaldea was influenced or at least confirmed by the mention of cat, dragon and parrot in the bestiary article – though admittedly more likely that Diana was already familiar with their associations.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-chaldea
We find ourselves in on an alternate Earth, one of the author’s Related Worlds which are similar to but not the same as our own, chiefly because magic is always prevalent. The Islands of Chaldea (the real Mesopotamian polity of Chaldea was famed for its magicians) are Skarr, Bernica, Gallis and Logra, loosely based on Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. The four countries, as well as being separated from each other by water, are further divided by a magical barrier that has for some years closed Logra off from the other three islands. On Skarr lives Aileen, a potential young Wise Woman who despairs of inheriting the talents that she is supposed to develop. Unexpectedly she is sent, with her Aunt Beck, idle princeling Ivar and servant Ogo, on a journey to Logra via Bernica and Gallis, to help resolve the situation and to fulfil a prophecy. We sense the classic premise of the lowliest achieving greatness through discovering and using innate gifts and skills.
Aileen, with green eyes and hair "the colour of toffee", is also the narrator, diminutive in stature but growing in maturity. She describes how she is sent with some odd companions and a disreputable crew to achieve an ill-defined quest, in which barriers galore -- and not just the magical one -- are placed in the way of success. First they arrive on the tiny island called Lone, where they encounter a rather peculiar creature. Next, they cross over to Bernica where they acquire another companion and another creature, as green as our own Emerald Isle is supposed to be. (There's an episode here involving humans turned into donkeys that recalls Apuleius, Shakespeare, Kingsley and Collodi, who also riff on the theme.) They somehow get to Gallis where more companions join them, and yet another creature puts in an appearance. Then they have to find a way to surmount that final obstacle to reach Logra where, if the pattern holds, we must expect another beast to present another crucial piece of the puzzle. Will solutions be forthcoming?
Such a bald outline in no way does justice to the author's narrative skill, especially in her ability to recapture a young person's tone in relating a story. In addition, for those in the know, there is the delight of discovering how much she has drawn in the myth, legend and folklore of the British Isles to almost, dare one say it, make a political statement about individual cultures coexisting within shared traditions. And, in answer to the common question she got asked -- "Where do you get your ideas from?" -- her usual inventiveness is displayed in the way, magpie-like, she has picked up various shiny objects to line the nest of her story.
Let's start with the animals. The red winged lizard that appears in this story is associated with Gallis, not surprising as the emblem of Wales is a dragon. Less obvious is the talking green parrot that Aileen and her companions discover in Bernica (this name derived, of course, from an old name for Ireland). A green bird would be appropriate for Ireland, but why has the author hit on a non-native bird? Perhaps the legendary island called Hy Brasil to the west of Ireland suggested to her the modern country of Brazil, through which flows the Amazon; and in its jungles are the medium-sized green birds, good at imitating speech, called Amazon parrots.
The third of the four animals is a large cat, no ordinary beast this but one which can disappear at will, rather like the Cheshire Cat. With its 'long legs [and] small head' I wonder if a European lynx is meant rather than the Scottish wildcat, even though Aileen hails from the Chaldean equivalent of Scotland. The lynx apparently survived in Britain into the Dark Ages, and may have furnished a basis for the lions encountered in Arthurian legends as the Welsh Cath Palug ("clawing cat") and the chapulu of French Alpine lore. I think what confirms this for me is Aileen's nickname for the cat, Plug-Ugly. The Land of Lone where Plug-Ugly is found could represent the Isle of Man, but Jones has also woven in strands from folktales about the sunken land of Cantre'r Gwaelod, the Welsh Lowland Hundred that disappeared in Cardigan Bay as the result of human error.
And the fourth animal? Surely Diana drew on the traditional symbols of the four evangelists for inspiration here, coming up with the bull, symbol of St Luke, to represent Logra. (The parrot derives from St John's eagle and the cat from St Mark's winged lion; only the dragon deviates from St Matthew's man, though both of course have wings. Ultimately the four creatures derive from the cherubim who according to Ezekiel supported God's throne, appearing as man, lion, ox and eagle.)
Helpful Companions are the staple of traditional fairytales, where they aid the hero or heroine in accomplishing impossible tasks. Often they collectively form a group of seven, as here, and without them Aileen wouldn't be able to achieve her quest. For example, Aileen's Aunt Beck has the gift of visions; a wonderful character who must surely have been drawn from life, she unfortunately suffers from what appears to be a stroke -- though of course, this being a literary fairytale, this affliction is the traditional 'fairy stroke', the result of a malevolent spell, rather than the more lasting physical ailment that we know by the name. Meanwhile the Bernican monk called Finn is the owner of the wonderful parrot which gives more appropriate advice than is usual for these talking birds. Riannan from Gallis has the ability to sing spells, rather like her counterpart in Welsh tales who converses with birds, while her brother Rees infuses mechanical inventions with magic. And Ivar and Ogo have their own significant roles to play too.
Fairytales have their villains, and here the baddie is someone whose name aptly includes a Germanic element which means 'rule' or 'power'. We must be very grateful to Ursula Jones for finding a way to successfully resolve the very complex plot from a clue presented early on in Diana's incomplete manuscript. Ursula doesn't say what this clue is but I suspect it's the handing over of a purse, supposedly "for expenses" but of course nothing of the kind. I haven't yet spotted where the transition to a different author is, though I sense a change in style and pace around Chapter Fourteen. What is definitely Diana's contribution, however, is the introduction of a hot-air balloon into the plot. Bristol, where she lived, is host of a spectacular International Balloon Fiesta every summer, and she would have been very familiar with the sight of Montgolfier balloons floating across the river Avon and over Clifton.
The Islands of Chaldea is a love-letter to Britain, a hymn to hope and a celebration of true magic, which is the life of the imagination. While fans may regret her passing, whether as friend or author, this final novel is a fitting addition to the canon and one to be grateful for now that it has been completed in style.
Finally, I’d like here to report on a coincidence, if coincidence it is. Diana Wynne Jones and I shared a regular correspondent, the late Bill Russell. Bill, a professor emeritus of sociology, was president of the Pendragon Society, an Arthurian group for which I edited the journal. In spring 2005 I published an article I’d put together called ‘A Concise Arthurian Bestiary’ listing a number of creatures associated with Arthurian legends and folklore, including cat, dragon and parrot. Now Bill was in the habit of sending some of his complimentary copies of Pendragon to other correspondents, and as I’d included his review of Diana’s Hexwood in the same issue I suspect there’s every chance that he’d sent a copy of this to her. It’s distantly possible that her choice of featured animals in The Islands of Chaldea was influenced or at least confirmed by the mention of cat, dragon and parrot in the bestiary article – though admittedly more likely that Diana was already familiar with their associations.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-chaldea
July 16, 2018
When Diana Wynne Jones passed away, I immediately preordered her "final book," which arrived on my doorstep a few weeks later. It was called Earwig and the Witch, and is very cute. Somehow, despite my great love for her and her books, and the fact that I know people in publishing who are also big fans, I missed the fact that Earwig and the Witch was NOT her final book! Apparently her sister Ursula Jones was asked by the family to finish the book she had been working on when she died: this book, The Islands of Chaldea, which I discovered on the shelves of Foyles bookshop in London.
And what a treat! What a treat, indeed!
I mean, along with the thrill of finding an unknown book by a favorite author. Along with the fun of shopping in a bookshop in London with my sister. Along with the gorgeousness of this cover or the realization that BOOKS IN ENGLAND ARE CHEAPER IN PRICE BUT HAVE BETTER COVERS THAN IN AMERICA DON'T @ ME. Along with all that, this book is DELIGTHFUL.
This is classic DWJ! This is Dalemark Quartet, Lives of Christopher Chant, style of DWJ! Such a pleasure to read this high fantasy quest book, full of lovely magic, quirky characters, whimsical animal familiars, and all the trappings of just . . . well, an excellent Diana Wynne Jones adventure!
In the afterward, Ursula explains that Diana always wrote straight through, from Chapter 1 to the end, and left no notes. So she just had to pick it up where Diana had left off and try to make the type of ending she thought her sister would have wanted. There's nothing to mark where Ursula's portion begins, and Ursula did a phenomenal job of writing in Diana's style. It has an excellent ending, and had you not told me I would not have known that Diana didn't complete the book herself!
During this recent trip around the UK with a group of writers, librarians, and other literary types, someone asked me what DWJ book I recommended for a newbie, and I was rather flummoxed. But now I have to say: this is not a bad place to start. Like I said, it's very much Classic DWJ, but since it's not part of a series, it would be a great initiation into the glory that is the Diana Wynne Jones canon!
And what a treat! What a treat, indeed!
I mean, along with the thrill of finding an unknown book by a favorite author. Along with the fun of shopping in a bookshop in London with my sister. Along with the gorgeousness of this cover or the realization that BOOKS IN ENGLAND ARE CHEAPER IN PRICE BUT HAVE BETTER COVERS THAN IN AMERICA DON'T @ ME. Along with all that, this book is DELIGTHFUL.
This is classic DWJ! This is Dalemark Quartet, Lives of Christopher Chant, style of DWJ! Such a pleasure to read this high fantasy quest book, full of lovely magic, quirky characters, whimsical animal familiars, and all the trappings of just . . . well, an excellent Diana Wynne Jones adventure!
In the afterward, Ursula explains that Diana always wrote straight through, from Chapter 1 to the end, and left no notes. So she just had to pick it up where Diana had left off and try to make the type of ending she thought her sister would have wanted. There's nothing to mark where Ursula's portion begins, and Ursula did a phenomenal job of writing in Diana's style. It has an excellent ending, and had you not told me I would not have known that Diana didn't complete the book herself!
During this recent trip around the UK with a group of writers, librarians, and other literary types, someone asked me what DWJ book I recommended for a newbie, and I was rather flummoxed. But now I have to say: this is not a bad place to start. Like I said, it's very much Classic DWJ, but since it's not part of a series, it would be a great initiation into the glory that is the Diana Wynne Jones canon!
March 25, 2014
I'm going to have to read this again before I'm certain I know what I think about it. It feels a lot more like her early books, which for me is a plus--I haven't really connected with the more recent ones. I really liked the way their questing party came together and then had to deal with their responsible adult suddenly become not-responsible. On the other hand, Ogo seemed to get competent and mature awfully fast for someone who'd been gawky and immature in a lot of ways at the beginning of the book, which I attributed to the change in authors. There was just a point--not, I think, the actual seam between Diana and Ursula's writing--where I became aware that it wasn't DWJ's writing anymore, and it made me sad and happy at the same time, because I think her sister did an excellent job bringing it all together. Such a wonderful surprise, getting this book after thinking there were no more to be had.
November 17, 2023
3.5 Stars (rounding up coz it's MG fiction)
A twelve-year-old Aileen belongs to a powerful line of the Wise Women of the Skarr. She lives with her Aunt Beck in a little cottage, having a happy time while also wondering why her magic has yet to show itself. Their cousin, King Kenig, sends Aileen, Aunt Beck, Ogo, and cousin Ivar on a mission to break a spell and breach the barrier between the three islands of Chaldea and the fourth. Soon, Aileen realizes that this mission is not only dangerous but also the one to lead to her some greater.
The story comes in Aileen’s first-person POV, written as an adult.
My Thoughts:
I hadn’t read the author’s works, so I had no idea what to expect. This helped a lot as I could read with no expectations, comparisons, or guesswork about where the author’s story ended and where her sister continued the rest.
The narration is on the slower side, which makes sense due to the fantasy setting and world-building. The characters are easy to guess (as in who would become what/ who, etc.). There are still a couple of teeny twists. These do the job if we don’t focus too much on the details or logic.
The concept of guardian animals and the constant irritation between the Abrahamic and pagan cultures are shown well. The setting is apparently an ode to the British Isles. The whole thing talks of sharing wisdom and co-existing with one another (though we know what happened in real life).
Aileen starts out a little tentative, though we can see she’s got strong opinions and quite a temper.
Aunt Beck is fun to read, though I did miss her tone caused of a plot development. Prince Ivar and Ogo are stereotypical, which means they are what they are but different at the same time.
The last section feels a lot rushed as if the story had to be wrapped up in a fixed number of pages. Also, there is no epilogue, though we get a mini summation in a couple of paragraphs.
A few other aspects are jerky, though I guess they have been left for the reader to assume. Some of it could have worked better with a smoother and more detailed transition.
Nevertheless, The Islands of Chaldea is an intriguing and entertaining story of magic, a journey, discovering one’s potential, and the classic good vs. evil. Both covers are wonderful, though I like this a lot better.
A twelve-year-old Aileen belongs to a powerful line of the Wise Women of the Skarr. She lives with her Aunt Beck in a little cottage, having a happy time while also wondering why her magic has yet to show itself. Their cousin, King Kenig, sends Aileen, Aunt Beck, Ogo, and cousin Ivar on a mission to break a spell and breach the barrier between the three islands of Chaldea and the fourth. Soon, Aileen realizes that this mission is not only dangerous but also the one to lead to her some greater.
The story comes in Aileen’s first-person POV, written as an adult.
My Thoughts:
I hadn’t read the author’s works, so I had no idea what to expect. This helped a lot as I could read with no expectations, comparisons, or guesswork about where the author’s story ended and where her sister continued the rest.
The narration is on the slower side, which makes sense due to the fantasy setting and world-building. The characters are easy to guess (as in who would become what/ who, etc.). There are still a couple of teeny twists. These do the job if we don’t focus too much on the details or logic.
The concept of guardian animals and the constant irritation between the Abrahamic and pagan cultures are shown well. The setting is apparently an ode to the British Isles. The whole thing talks of sharing wisdom and co-existing with one another (though we know what happened in real life).
Aileen starts out a little tentative, though we can see she’s got strong opinions and quite a temper.
Aunt Beck is fun to read, though I did miss her tone caused of a plot development. Prince Ivar and Ogo are stereotypical, which means they are what they are but different at the same time.
The last section feels a lot rushed as if the story had to be wrapped up in a fixed number of pages. Also, there is no epilogue, though we get a mini summation in a couple of paragraphs.
A few other aspects are jerky, though I guess they have been left for the reader to assume. Some of it could have worked better with a smoother and more detailed transition.
Nevertheless, The Islands of Chaldea is an intriguing and entertaining story of magic, a journey, discovering one’s potential, and the classic good vs. evil. Both covers are wonderful, though I like this a lot better.
November 30, 2019
The best thing about reading a Diana Wynne Jones book is the certainty that, halfway through, the plot will undergo such a twist that it flips the story you thought you were reading inside out. (See Hexwood, but also Fire and Hemlock and almost all of her other books, including middle grade ones.) The setup is so sly that the clues that should alert you to Upcoming Major Plot Twist slide right under the radar and are obvious only in retrospect.
Sadly, Diana Wynne Jones died before finishing The Islands of Chaldea; she left no notes about how it was going to end, and discussed the plot with no one. And despite a loving and earnest effort by her younger sister Ursula Jones to finish this book for her, the payoff just isn't there. Instead of twisting, the plot lumbers on until the end.
I think it's actually worse to read the first half, which makes me both happy (yay! quirky characters and needle wit) and sad (no more new DWJ books, ever), and watch the whole thing fizzle out than to not read any of it. The setup of DWJ books can be slow, and The Islands of Chaldea is no exception. It starts with porridge and a young protagonist who has just failed a major test to be a wise woman like her aunt. There's an unexpected journey and lots of traveling without major plot developments, but I enjoyed the cast of characters (including a very ugly cat) and the quest that seems doomed from the start.
I didn't care for most of the second half, which I suspect to be mostly written by Ursula Jones. It falls victim to a number of cliches: our heroine Aileen, who earlier describes herself as bucktoothed and short, has somehow failed to realize she is beautiful until a guy tells her so. Bonus points for a completely unnecessary romance there! Also, the villain monologues interminably and the ending is a whole series of deus-ex-machinae. It's true I can't tell exactly where Diana Wynne Jones left off, but there's a noticeable shift in quality, characterization, and, well, magical-ness that makes it hard to keep reading.
Better to have left well enough alone, perhaps. I miss Diana Wynne Jones. She deserved a better final book than this.
Sadly, Diana Wynne Jones died before finishing The Islands of Chaldea; she left no notes about how it was going to end, and discussed the plot with no one. And despite a loving and earnest effort by her younger sister Ursula Jones to finish this book for her, the payoff just isn't there. Instead of twisting, the plot lumbers on until the end.
I think it's actually worse to read the first half, which makes me both happy (yay! quirky characters and needle wit) and sad (no more new DWJ books, ever), and watch the whole thing fizzle out than to not read any of it. The setup of DWJ books can be slow, and The Islands of Chaldea is no exception. It starts with porridge and a young protagonist who has just failed a major test to be a wise woman like her aunt. There's an unexpected journey and lots of traveling without major plot developments, but I enjoyed the cast of characters (including a very ugly cat) and the quest that seems doomed from the start.
I didn't care for most of the second half, which I suspect to be mostly written by Ursula Jones. It falls victim to a number of cliches: our heroine Aileen, who earlier describes herself as bucktoothed and short, has somehow failed to realize she is beautiful until a guy tells her so. Bonus points for a completely unnecessary romance there! Also, the villain monologues interminably and the ending is a whole series of deus-ex-machinae. It's true I can't tell exactly where Diana Wynne Jones left off, but there's a noticeable shift in quality, characterization, and, well, magical-ness that makes it hard to keep reading.
Better to have left well enough alone, perhaps. I miss Diana Wynne Jones. She deserved a better final book than this.
Read
March 18, 2015This is Diana Wynne Jones's last book, finished by her sister. There are sprightly moments, nice animal companions, and the climax is sufficiently satisfying when heroine Aileen discovers her power at last.
But DWJ was very ill when writing it, and while it appears her sister scrupulously tried to match tone and storyline, the prose is flat for those who notice such things, and the characters sometimes silly. Moreover the story takes a very long time to stop meandering and get going. Not the place to begin with her work.
But DWJ was very ill when writing it, and while it appears her sister scrupulously tried to match tone and storyline, the prose is flat for those who notice such things, and the characters sometimes silly. Moreover the story takes a very long time to stop meandering and get going. Not the place to begin with her work.
Read
June 22, 2022Naterala sam se, uz malo strepnje i jednako malo nade, da pročitam poslednju knjigu Dajane Vin Džouns, koju je dovršila njena sestra. Počinje super, s devojčicom koja prolazi inicijaciju za čarobnicu i onda je ne prođe, da bi se taj događaj (za nju, prirodno, kraj sveta) sasvim povukao u drugi plan pred činjenicom da nju (i njenu tetku i kraljevog mlađeg sina i lokalno siroče) kralj šalje u suludu misiju spasavanja sveta. I onda knjiga tera i tera i recimo da se ne oseti konkretni trenutak kad se pređe s jednog teksta na drugi, ali do kraja postane jasno da ma koliko se sestra (Ursula) trudila da imitira Dajanu, ne može da ubode baš sve. Ne pomaže što DWJ nikad nije pravila nacrte za knjige, ni scenosled ni ništa, nego poseje hintove i onda sve ostavi za poslednjih petnaest strana i spektakularnu eksploziju raspleta. Ursula je dala sve od sebe i hvala joj na tome, pružila je solidan pastiš sestrinog stila, ali roman kao celina ipak je malo onaj mim s crtežom konja koji je s leve strane Leonardo a do desnog ćoška se pretvori u dečji crtež.
August 16, 2025
This was such a pleasure. If not up to the standard of the top rank of DWJs work (Fire and Hemlock, Howl's Moving Castle, The Homeward Bounders, it is solidly in the middle, and a much more satisfying "final" work than her most recently published books. This was apparently an almost-complete manuscript, edited and completed by her sister Ursula; I'd love to know which bits were Ursula, because you really couldn't tell, at least on first reading. It's a fairly routine coming-of-age story, reminiscent of her "Dalemark" series more than anything else, but with good characters, a likeable heroine (unusual in recent work), and a truly delightful and formidable cat. Recommended not just for DWJ completists but for anyone who enjoys a good fantasy adventure.
Edit for re-read #3 in 2025. I think it's really 3 stars but not going to change the rating because, you know, DWJ. It had a lot to like in it, but it did feel very slight, and I noticed things that needed editing out. I've heard on the grapevine that in fact very little of it is Ursula, but I wonder if the rather neatly wrapped up ending was her rather than Diana (we all know about DWJs ambiguous endings).
Edit for re-read #3 in 2025. I think it's really 3 stars but not going to change the rating because, you know, DWJ. It had a lot to like in it, but it did feel very slight, and I noticed things that needed editing out. I've heard on the grapevine that in fact very little of it is Ursula, but I wonder if the rather neatly wrapped up ending was her rather than Diana (we all know about DWJs ambiguous endings).
March 3, 2014
I was so glad this turned out to be great. Even in her final illness, Jones was still capable of intricate plotting, delightful characters, and beautiful prose. Sometimes an MS left unfinished at an author's death and taken up by another hand ends up reading like a horrible pastiche of the author's voice, with the tacked-on bits like clumsy patches, but this is seamless. Ursula Jones deserves much praise for finishing her sister's last work and keeping it so true to what DWJ might have written. It's a lovely tribute, as well as being a wonderful book.
October 30, 2014
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
New Diana Wynne Jones Novel is a Family Affair
---
And I've finished my last new Diana Wynne Jones novel. (I suppose I still have Changeover, but that hardly counts.)
The Islands of Chaldea falls more on the side of DWJ's middle-grade fiction, but it's witty and charming and has much to recommend it. I loved the Islands of Chaldea and Aileen, the future Wise Woman of Skarr. As this novel was finished after DWJ's death by her sister, I did consciously look for a shift in the writing, but I couldn't find one - the tone is perfect. I only had one complaint about the book, which involved its ending:
Oh! And I LOVED the bards.
So many of the elements in this story strongly remind me of DWJ's previous works. The Guardians bring to mind the guardians of the Caskets in A Tale of Time City. The land and the traveling band strongly reminded me of The Dalemark Quartet and The Homeward Bounders, with a bit of a Chesney tour from The Dark Lord of Derkholm thrown in. And, of course, Plug-Ugly is Throgmorton. It's sometimes surprising to see familiar elements show up in DWJ - because her works are so inventive and different from each other - but in this last book it felt fitting.
The combination of the pitch-perfect writing, the seamless transition from Diana to Ursula, and a plot that will resonate with so many DWJ fans makes this book a wonderful read. I wouldn't start here, but it's a lovely place to end.
New Diana Wynne Jones Novel is a Family Affair
---
And I've finished my last new Diana Wynne Jones novel. (I suppose I still have Changeover, but that hardly counts.)
The Islands of Chaldea falls more on the side of DWJ's middle-grade fiction, but it's witty and charming and has much to recommend it. I loved the Islands of Chaldea and Aileen, the future Wise Woman of Skarr. As this novel was finished after DWJ's death by her sister, I did consciously look for a shift in the writing, but I couldn't find one - the tone is perfect. I only had one complaint about the book, which involved its ending:
Oh! And I LOVED the bards.
So many of the elements in this story strongly remind me of DWJ's previous works. The Guardians bring to mind the guardians of the Caskets in A Tale of Time City. The land and the traveling band strongly reminded me of The Dalemark Quartet and The Homeward Bounders, with a bit of a Chesney tour from The Dark Lord of Derkholm thrown in. And, of course, Plug-Ugly is Throgmorton. It's sometimes surprising to see familiar elements show up in DWJ - because her works are so inventive and different from each other - but in this last book it felt fitting.
The combination of the pitch-perfect writing, the seamless transition from Diana to Ursula, and a plot that will resonate with so many DWJ fans makes this book a wonderful read. I wouldn't start here, but it's a lovely place to end.
August 12, 2014
This is Diana Wynne Jones' very last book; left unfinished at her death, it was completed by her sister, to the delight of DWJ fans everywhere.
A prophecy says that if a Wise Woman journeys from Skarr, through Bernica and Gallis, and enters Logra with a man from each island, the curse can be lifted and the Crown Prince rescued. So off they go. The narrator (apprentice Wise Woman and dismally convinced she's no good at it), her aunt (the actual wise Woman), the Crown Prince's little brother (self-centred and arrogant), and the brother's servant (a clod-hopping foreigner). And this being DWJ, none of this is quite what it seems, and the story does not go in obvious way.
I really, really liked this. It has something of he feel of "Power of Three", and something of the feel of "The Time of the Ghost", and quite often a feel of Irish fairy-tales (which naturally I find pleasing!). There is a most excellent cat, and plots and intrigues, and a hot air balloon. And I am looking forward to reading it again and trying to find the clue that Ursula Jones says (in the Afterword) that she built the ending off.
A prophecy says that if a Wise Woman journeys from Skarr, through Bernica and Gallis, and enters Logra with a man from each island, the curse can be lifted and the Crown Prince rescued. So off they go. The narrator (apprentice Wise Woman and dismally convinced she's no good at it), her aunt (the actual wise Woman), the Crown Prince's little brother (self-centred and arrogant), and the brother's servant (a clod-hopping foreigner). And this being DWJ, none of this is quite what it seems, and the story does not go in obvious way.
I really, really liked this. It has something of he feel of "Power of Three", and something of the feel of "The Time of the Ghost", and quite often a feel of Irish fairy-tales (which naturally I find pleasing!). There is a most excellent cat, and plots and intrigues, and a hot air balloon. And I am looking forward to reading it again and trying to find the clue that Ursula Jones says (in the Afterword) that she built the ending off.
Read
March 1, 2014The last Diana Wynne Jones.
The feel of this book is a combination of The Spellcoats and The Merlin Conspiracy, and though I was a little shaky on the characters at the start, I was pleasantly surprised where some of them went. There are high stakes, and bad things potentially happening (particularly those donkeys), but rarely any sense of real danger. Not exactly a romp though.
I wouldn't put it in my top ten DWJ's, but I read it straight through in very short order and was smiling by the end.
The feel of this book is a combination of The Spellcoats and The Merlin Conspiracy, and though I was a little shaky on the characters at the start, I was pleasantly surprised where some of them went. There are high stakes, and bad things potentially happening (particularly those donkeys), but rarely any sense of real danger. Not exactly a romp though.
I wouldn't put it in my top ten DWJ's, but I read it straight through in very short order and was smiling by the end.
February 28, 2019
This book was still unfinished at the point of the author's untimely death and was, as explained in an afterword, finished by one of her sisters after the rest of the family could not think of how to progress it - DWJ did not do plotlines or leave notes. Possibly this is why I found it a bit disatisfying although I liked certain elements of it, for example, the parrot and the little dragon, plus the idea of the young heroine who believes she is a failure as an apprentice Wise Woman when actually she is nothing of the sort.
Briefly, the protagonist Aileen and her Aunt Beck, Wise Woman of the island of Skarr, are summoned by the king and high king and told they must form an expedition to try to break the spell of the barrier which has been in place for some years between the three islands of Skarr, Bernice and Gallis on the one hand and the larger island of Logra on the other. Logra had been waging war against them but was losing when its wizards constructed a sort of energy barrier. Since then they also staged a raid using magic to kidnap the high king's son and his hunting party which included Aileen's own father.
A prophecy says that a group consisting of men from each of the three islands plus a Wise Woman will succeed in overturning the barrier spell. And so Eileen and Aunt Beck set off, accompanied at first by the younger son of the king and queen, Ivar, and his servant Ogo, a boy from Logra who was left behind at the time of the barrier's raising. This being a DWJ novel things are not what they seem and complications soon arise including the suspicion that their mission has been sabotagued at the offset seemingly by Ivar's parents.
The nature of the book is that it has the structure of a travelogue from one place to another meeting various people on the way and acquiring other men as representatives of other islands, plus some animals with mysterious powers such as a cat, a parrot and a red miniature dragon. I think the main problem for me is that it begins to unravel a bit when they reach Logra . The final denoument also seems rather rushed with an unconvincing battle and the decision by Aileen to change her set and childish notion of marrying Prince Ivar to actually marrying someone else - which seemed a bit odd if she was still only twelve. So, nice to have a final extra book by DWJ but for me it doesn't rank among her best and hence I can only rate it 3 stars.
Briefly, the protagonist Aileen and her Aunt Beck, Wise Woman of the island of Skarr, are summoned by the king and high king and told they must form an expedition to try to break the spell of the barrier which has been in place for some years between the three islands of Skarr, Bernice and Gallis on the one hand and the larger island of Logra on the other. Logra had been waging war against them but was losing when its wizards constructed a sort of energy barrier. Since then they also staged a raid using magic to kidnap the high king's son and his hunting party which included Aileen's own father.
A prophecy says that a group consisting of men from each of the three islands plus a Wise Woman will succeed in overturning the barrier spell. And so Eileen and Aunt Beck set off, accompanied at first by the younger son of the king and queen, Ivar, and his servant Ogo, a boy from Logra who was left behind at the time of the barrier's raising. This being a DWJ novel things are not what they seem and complications soon arise including the suspicion that their mission has been sabotagued at the offset seemingly by Ivar's parents.
The nature of the book is that it has the structure of a travelogue from one place to another meeting various people on the way and acquiring other men as representatives of other islands, plus some animals with mysterious powers such as a cat, a parrot and a red miniature dragon. I think the main problem for me is that it begins to unravel a bit when they reach Logra . The final denoument also seems rather rushed with an unconvincing battle and the decision by Aileen to change her set and childish notion of marrying Prince Ivar to actually marrying someone else - which seemed a bit odd if she was still only twelve. So, nice to have a final extra book by DWJ but for me it doesn't rank among her best and hence I can only rate it 3 stars.
January 20, 2018
I've had this book sitting on my Teetering Pile for far too long... but I'm very glad I finally got around to it! I must confess that I was not able to figure out quite where DWJ's writing ended and where her sister's began, but I don't know that it's important to be able to tell the difference. The book as a whole reminded me so much of the sort of tales DWJ would write in earlier years... almost more of a fairy tale than a straight out fantasy novel (at least that's the only way I can think to pinpoint the difference). It was a wonderful read and I suspect will hold up well to rereading in the future.
April 11, 2014
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
The Islands of Chaldea is the last novel from Diana Wynne Jones. Almost finished when she died and completed by her sister, it is sad to think that it the last time we will get a peek into her vast and varied imagination. However, I am MUCH HAPPIER with this as her final book than I was with Earwig and the Witch being her final. While not as wonderful as my favorite DWJ books, it is still very good. And a not as a good as the best DWJ is still far superior to almost everything else.
This is a review of an ARC received from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Aileen is the next in a long line of Wise Women. She is supposed to have magic and power, but she messes up her Initiation and is left wondering if she is bound to be a disappointment. This is hard for her living in the shadow of her Aunt Beck, who is highly powerful and a strong, decisive, no-nonsense personality. Aileen is smart and resourceful. She pays attention. And even though she feels inferior at times, she uses these situations as an opportunity to learn. When Beck is taken out of commission and unable to lead their expedition, Aileen rises to the occasion and truly comes into her own. She must think quickly and have much courage, and is a truly great heroine. The cast of supporting characters is as diverse and quirky as one would expect from a Jones novel. On the quest with Aileen and her aunt are a prince, a boy exiled from his land, a priest, a parrot, and a strangely magical ugly cat. I loved every single one of them, their interactions, and the dynamic of the group. Aileen and Ogo (exiled boy) are my favorites, while the others provided a good deal of comedy relief. Relief sometimes needed as the group encounters more than one Queen who wishes them ill will, a ship captain who doesn't seem to care whether they survive the voyage or not, cultural differences that almost see them arrested more than once, and finally the confrontation with a villain willing to destroy the world to gain power over it. Good good stuff.
The Islands of Chaldea are varied and the inhabitants of each have different cultures and norms, but they are all connected. You can see the influences of Scotland, Ireland, and England in them but they are their own places as well. The world-building is excellent as always and comes with no explanation. They are an experience and the reader does experience them thoroughly as the intrepid group of heroes makes their way through them in an attempt to reach the one blocked island that has been separated from the rest by a barrier. It is a fascinating tale and one that moves quickly. I did thing some things at the end were a bit rushed and could have used more explanation. (How things resolved in Prince Ivar's situation for one. That was a bit abrupt.) For the most part though I was delighted with the story from beginning to end. It is Aileen's story above all and I love how everything worked out for her.
Fans of DWJ are not going to be able to resist this one, nor should they try. I was nervous going in, but that was soon replaced with joy and delight as I sank into the engaging and fun story.
I read an e-galley made available via the publisher, Greenwillow Books, on Edelweiss. The Islands of Chaldea is available for purchase on April 22.
The Islands of Chaldea is the last novel from Diana Wynne Jones. Almost finished when she died and completed by her sister, it is sad to think that it the last time we will get a peek into her vast and varied imagination. However, I am MUCH HAPPIER with this as her final book than I was with Earwig and the Witch being her final. While not as wonderful as my favorite DWJ books, it is still very good. And a not as a good as the best DWJ is still far superior to almost everything else.
This is a review of an ARC received from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Aileen is the next in a long line of Wise Women. She is supposed to have magic and power, but she messes up her Initiation and is left wondering if she is bound to be a disappointment. This is hard for her living in the shadow of her Aunt Beck, who is highly powerful and a strong, decisive, no-nonsense personality. Aileen is smart and resourceful. She pays attention. And even though she feels inferior at times, she uses these situations as an opportunity to learn. When Beck is taken out of commission and unable to lead their expedition, Aileen rises to the occasion and truly comes into her own. She must think quickly and have much courage, and is a truly great heroine. The cast of supporting characters is as diverse and quirky as one would expect from a Jones novel. On the quest with Aileen and her aunt are a prince, a boy exiled from his land, a priest, a parrot, and a strangely magical ugly cat. I loved every single one of them, their interactions, and the dynamic of the group. Aileen and Ogo (exiled boy) are my favorites, while the others provided a good deal of comedy relief. Relief sometimes needed as the group encounters more than one Queen who wishes them ill will, a ship captain who doesn't seem to care whether they survive the voyage or not, cultural differences that almost see them arrested more than once, and finally the confrontation with a villain willing to destroy the world to gain power over it. Good good stuff.
The Islands of Chaldea are varied and the inhabitants of each have different cultures and norms, but they are all connected. You can see the influences of Scotland, Ireland, and England in them but they are their own places as well. The world-building is excellent as always and comes with no explanation. They are an experience and the reader does experience them thoroughly as the intrepid group of heroes makes their way through them in an attempt to reach the one blocked island that has been separated from the rest by a barrier. It is a fascinating tale and one that moves quickly. I did thing some things at the end were a bit rushed and could have used more explanation. (How things resolved in Prince Ivar's situation for one. That was a bit abrupt.) For the most part though I was delighted with the story from beginning to end. It is Aileen's story above all and I love how everything worked out for her.
Fans of DWJ are not going to be able to resist this one, nor should they try. I was nervous going in, but that was soon replaced with joy and delight as I sank into the engaging and fun story.
I read an e-galley made available via the publisher, Greenwillow Books, on Edelweiss. The Islands of Chaldea is available for purchase on April 22.
March 28, 2014
I was curious about this, for sure. The manuscript was left half-finished when DWJ died (*sniffle*), and was completed by her sister. Shameless bragging: DWJ's publisher held a competition in which fans could write about what the author meant to them to try and win a copy of the book, and I was one of the winners. I was over the moon, because it meant that I didn't have to wait for the USA printing or order it all expensively from the UK, which I was on the verge of doing before I heard I could win it.
I'm impressed. To my eye, it reads like DWJ through and through. The whimsy, the language, the sly touches, and the fact that this mostly-gentle story has some real betrayals and turnarounds in it. The end seems a bit rushed to me, but that actually happens with a number of all-DWJ books, too.
I like that Aileen and Ogo casually figure out before the climax that the animals with which they're traveling - Plug-Ugly the cat, Green Greet the parrot, and Blodred the dragon-lizard - are actually the guardians of the North, West, and South respectively. I had figured it out already, and was a little afraid that it was meant to be a big surprise at some point. I was glad and relieved when Aileen and Ogo drifted to that conclusion well before the animals show their true power.
Another twist took me by surprise when they landed on the island of Logra. They'd flown there in a hot air balloon in order to bypass the barrier Logra had erected around itself years ago. Upon their landing, though, they are stormed by a mob of peasants who believe that our heroes are the ones who put up the barrier.
(It had also not occurred to me that putting an invisible barrier wall around an island could cause its rivers to back up and the water level inside the barrier to rise! I guess I didn't think that the barrier extended all the way to the sea floor, but apparently it does.)
So, lots of good stuff. I like the glimpses we get of the different islands' cultures - the plaids worn on Skarr, the unconventional monks and nuns of Bernica, and the bards of Gallis.
I do think that, if I were Aileen, I'd be more mad at my dad. He's been trapped on the sealed-off island of Logra for years, and Aileen didn't know whether he was alive or dead. Meanwhile, he and the other "prisoners" were actually pretty much living it up, running Logra from behind the scenes, not making any effort to escape. Oh, and Aileen's dad is in love with a woman he met there. Aileen's mother has died, but he doesn't know that. I get the impression that Aileen's parents' union was one more of practicality than passion, but I think I'd still be pretty ticked off if I were Aileen.
Overall, a great book. Fun, whimsical (I keep using that word when I refer to DWJ's work, but it's the best descriptor for the job!), clever, and adventurous. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'm impressed. To my eye, it reads like DWJ through and through. The whimsy, the language, the sly touches, and the fact that this mostly-gentle story has some real betrayals and turnarounds in it. The end seems a bit rushed to me, but that actually happens with a number of all-DWJ books, too.
I like that Aileen and Ogo casually figure out before the climax that the animals with which they're traveling - Plug-Ugly the cat, Green Greet the parrot, and Blodred the dragon-lizard - are actually the guardians of the North, West, and South respectively. I had figured it out already, and was a little afraid that it was meant to be a big surprise at some point. I was glad and relieved when Aileen and Ogo drifted to that conclusion well before the animals show their true power.
Another twist took me by surprise when they landed on the island of Logra. They'd flown there in a hot air balloon in order to bypass the barrier Logra had erected around itself years ago. Upon their landing, though, they are stormed by a mob of peasants who believe that our heroes are the ones who put up the barrier.
(It had also not occurred to me that putting an invisible barrier wall around an island could cause its rivers to back up and the water level inside the barrier to rise! I guess I didn't think that the barrier extended all the way to the sea floor, but apparently it does.)
So, lots of good stuff. I like the glimpses we get of the different islands' cultures - the plaids worn on Skarr, the unconventional monks and nuns of Bernica, and the bards of Gallis.
I do think that, if I were Aileen, I'd be more mad at my dad. He's been trapped on the sealed-off island of Logra for years, and Aileen didn't know whether he was alive or dead. Meanwhile, he and the other "prisoners" were actually pretty much living it up, running Logra from behind the scenes, not making any effort to escape. Oh, and Aileen's dad is in love with a woman he met there. Aileen's mother has died, but he doesn't know that. I get the impression that Aileen's parents' union was one more of practicality than passion, but I think I'd still be pretty ticked off if I were Aileen.
Overall, a great book. Fun, whimsical (I keep using that word when I refer to DWJ's work, but it's the best descriptor for the job!), clever, and adventurous. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2022
“Verily the cunning of the cat is in me.”
2018 was the year in which I wanted to read all of Diana Wynne Jones' works that I had collected over the years. As The Islands of Chaldea was her final work, I also decided to save it for last. With that, I felt sad and almost rather nervous getting into this one; I really wanted to like her final work and I wasn't sure what the chances were seeing as her sister Ursula completed it. Although I could tell that the last chapters weren't Diana anymore, I still absolutely loved this book.
Aileen is a great main character - she narrates with a fair and witty voice. Although she doubts herself and her abilities, she never really complains too much about it for it to be annoying. She learns to appreciate herself and through that also finds the strength she always thought she'd been lacking. Of course, it's a major bonus that she befriends a magical cat and names it Plug-Ugly!
I loved the Chaldean setting which was based on the UK. It was great to follow Aileen and her companions from one island to the next - especially as every island and every character had their own particular quirks. Ogo and Aunt Beck were among some of my favourite characters. While reading, it really felt as though I had been taken on the adventure as well - it was a hard book to put down!
Unfortunately, the last chapters were not as strong as the rest of the book. I can't tell where exactly Ursula's writing started, but after a while, I felt the writing became a bit choppy and the characters' way of expressing themselves was different. However, I tried not to let it affect me too much as I am truly grateful to Ursula for having completed this novel. Her ideas and where she took the plot were wonderfully done and brought a nice closure to the story. I can see how she would have struggled to piece together all the hints that Diana had left behind - but she managed to do it seamlessly and especially the ending of the characters felt very satisfying. Whether or not it is what Diana had in mind is hard to say, even more so because she's often come up with very surprising twists. With Ursula's ending, it was more satisfying than surprising, but I am happy enough with that.
This could have been a massive favourite of mine had Diana been able to complete it. But I will still treasure it as a great Diana Wynne Jones book. Ursula had a lot to live up to when finishing this and, while I can see the change in quality, I believe she did a marvellous job - many thanks!
October 17, 2024
A re-read.
I realised I couldn't remember a thing about it so took it down off the shelves.
It's a sad, thin thing. Ok, if it was from another author I'd probably enjoy it, but the entire adventure is very 'and suddenly'.
Jones wrote more than one draft of her books (she talked about this in interviews) and it's in the redrafting that the sly twistiness of her books, and the orginality of her characters developed. The islands of Chaldea is instead peopled with the kind of stock characters she mocked in Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream, and the reveals are stunningly obvious.
I realised I couldn't remember a thing about it so took it down off the shelves.
It's a sad, thin thing. Ok, if it was from another author I'd probably enjoy it, but the entire adventure is very 'and suddenly'.
Jones wrote more than one draft of her books (she talked about this in interviews) and it's in the redrafting that the sly twistiness of her books, and the orginality of her characters developed. The islands of Chaldea is instead peopled with the kind of stock characters she mocked in Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream, and the reveals are stunningly obvious.
November 13, 2019
Simply amazing!
You'll love the heroin and her sense of humor!
You'll love the heroin and her sense of humor!
November 3, 2014
I found this quite disappointing. When Diana Wynne Jones died with this incomplete, her sister was asked to complete the book. She said there was a family council held to try to figure out how to complete this and it didn't get anywhere and it was turned over to her. She looked through the book for clues as to what Jones meant to do and found some and tried to finish the book the way her sister would have. Whether because Jones was dying or because her sister was inadequate to the job, I don't feel this story was a success. The beginning was wonderful. However, the story went astray and just didn't have the magic in it that Jones' books usually had. By this, I don't mean magic: there was plenty of magic with the four guardians of the world who were mostly marvelous creations. By magic, I mean the ability to sweep a reader along and invite the reader into the world that has been created. The beginning had that magic. The book began to flounder around once Beck got injured by another sorceress. I can believe Beck was supposed to be incapacitated but that was when the story began to lose some of its magic. The heroine, Aileen, was supposed to come into her powers once Beck got incapacitated. That part went far too smoothly. One minute her Aunt Beck was the expedition's leader, the next second a 12 year old girl is the leader, and no one seriously opposes this switch, including Aileen. On a side note, it sure would have been nice to have her father acknowledge Aileen as his daughter. All he did was ask about her mother. I can see that but still, couldn't he have said something about being thrilled to meet his daughter again after a lifetime spent apart from each other? While I can buy that Jones meant the servant to become someone important, the bad guys just didn't seem to get their comeuppance really. Also, the story seemed rather rushed towards the end. I rather suspect that the last two islands were created by Ursula. The story just felt so different at that point. Although I loved the idea that the magicians of Gallis created their magic by singing!
I'm glad I read this last book by the great Jones. It is a way of saying goodbye to someone who certainly will live on in her numerous characters and stories. I hope more people read her books and keep them in print!!
I'm glad I read this last book by the great Jones. It is a way of saying goodbye to someone who certainly will live on in her numerous characters and stories. I hope more people read her books and keep them in print!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2014
I'm going to be honest here, I feel like I cheated by buying an ARC off of eBay even though I've already preordered the UK edition (guys, it even came with a letter from Diana's sister Ursula about her experience finishing up the book!). I was already going to get it three months ahead of everyone else in the states, and now I have it and have read it two extra months ahead. That being said, I don't feel guilty for cheating, I really don't, not after how much I enjoyed this book. It has DWJ's characteristic wit liberally sprinkled throughout and I often found myself laughing out loud. I will say that it is very fast-paced, it almost felt like I was on one of Mr. Chesney's tours (Dark Lord of Derkholm) and I was being shuttled from place to place with the characters just to make sure that I didn't miss anything. There were parts of this that did feel like Dark Lord of Derkholm and Howl's Moving Castle, and I get the feeling that Diana's childhood in Wales played a part in the formation of this world, certainly the geography seems to remind me of the UK if it had been broken into separate islands.
I was impressed with the ending too, as it took elements that had been building the whole book long and even a couple that had just been introduced a few pages before and brought them all into a perfect storm of resolution. It may have felt a little rushed, but Diana's stories always seem to end with a quick flourish instead of a long, drawn out encore.
I'd love to say more, but, Spoilers.
I was impressed with the ending too, as it took elements that had been building the whole book long and even a couple that had just been introduced a few pages before and brought them all into a perfect storm of resolution. It may have felt a little rushed, but Diana's stories always seem to end with a quick flourish instead of a long, drawn out encore.
I'd love to say more, but, Spoilers.
January 16, 2015
I have not read any of Ms Jones' past works and thus, unfamiliar with her style of writing. I felt that this book was intended to be longer with all the detailed details in earlier chapters, only to have it abprubtly end. I tried to make sense of the adventure and join Aileen and cast however I couldn't grasp the "magic". I was mostly lagging behind. But the conclusion was worth the wait (finally, some action).
October 7, 2014
Thanks for letting us spend more time with you.
We miss you.
We miss you.
March 8, 2019
Unfortunately, this book completed posthumously by Diana Wynne Jones' sister just doesn't have the same magic for me somehow. I had a hard time being interested in the meandering plot. A younger reader (for whom this is intended) may have more patience, but I found myself just skimming the second half of the book. It's a bummer that DWJ couldn't finish this herself.
September 20, 2020
Novels like this one are such great consolations for me in these dark times. These stories of magic and adventure comfort me as I stay in my house in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. I am very grateful that I had the chance to read this because I expected to have very little time for leisurely reading when I arrived in my last school year for high school. Diana Wynne Jones had become sort of a go-to author of light and fun novels for me. This is the thirteenth novel by her that I read.
This book tells a fun story about a young girl called Aileen who goes on a journey of island-hopping with her aunt and a few other companions. This book was published posthumously. It was Diana Wynne Jones's younger sister, Ursula Jones, who finished writing the book. I thought that this novel was much simpler than the other novels by Diana Wynne Jones that I read. It has fantastical elements like the other novels written by her but I did not think that the plot was as intricate as the plots of the other novels that I read. It is still a good story nonetheless though and I am glad that I got to read it. I think novels like this one are exactly what I need in these dark times.
This book tells a fun story about a young girl called Aileen who goes on a journey of island-hopping with her aunt and a few other companions. This book was published posthumously. It was Diana Wynne Jones's younger sister, Ursula Jones, who finished writing the book. I thought that this novel was much simpler than the other novels by Diana Wynne Jones that I read. It has fantastical elements like the other novels written by her but I did not think that the plot was as intricate as the plots of the other novels that I read. It is still a good story nonetheless though and I am glad that I got to read it. I think novels like this one are exactly what I need in these dark times.
September 5, 2016
A very fitting last book from Diana Wynne Jones that feels like it has a lot of elements from her earlier written books! The tone, the little quirky sayings, and just all around fun characters had me captivated and I wanted to read it from start to finish in one go.
I really laughed out loud a couple times, especially at the Aileen's internal commentary about Ivar and Ogo and just the ridiculousness of some of the things that happened on the journey.
We begin the story with Aileen who really thinks she's a complete failure of a magic women since she saw nothing in The Place and is generally feeling like she doesn't amount to much.
I shall always be that little Aileen with the freckles and the buckteeth and no real gift at all, I thought sadly. Damn it, even Ogo looked more imposing than me.
Despite this, Aileen is dragged on a journey with her Aunt Beck, Wise Woman of Skaar, to find a person from each of the islands to journey to bring down the barrier of Logra, one of the islands, and save a prince. If her disappointment with not seeing a vision isn't enough, she has to travel on a seemingly hopeless journey with who knows what sort of people! And to top it off, Prince Ivar whines the whole trip and Ogo doesn't seem to know how to help. What's a girl gotta do?
Make friends with an ugly large cat of course!
It was satisfying and very, very enjoyable. Thanks to Ursula for finishing up this last novel for the fans and for her sister.
I really laughed out loud a couple times, especially at the Aileen's internal commentary about Ivar and Ogo and just the ridiculousness of some of the things that happened on the journey.
We begin the story with Aileen who really thinks she's a complete failure of a magic women since she saw nothing in The Place and is generally feeling like she doesn't amount to much.
I shall always be that little Aileen with the freckles and the buckteeth and no real gift at all, I thought sadly. Damn it, even Ogo looked more imposing than me.
Despite this, Aileen is dragged on a journey with her Aunt Beck, Wise Woman of Skaar, to find a person from each of the islands to journey to bring down the barrier of Logra, one of the islands, and save a prince. If her disappointment with not seeing a vision isn't enough, she has to travel on a seemingly hopeless journey with who knows what sort of people! And to top it off, Prince Ivar whines the whole trip and Ogo doesn't seem to know how to help. What's a girl gotta do?
Make friends with an ugly large cat of course!
It was satisfying and very, very enjoyable. Thanks to Ursula for finishing up this last novel for the fans and for her sister.
October 26, 2017
There are some books I read knowing that they will tear my feels to shreds in the most glorious way. There are others that I go into expecting to be so overwrought over the fate of a fictional world that I'll scarcely be able to breathe as I turn the pages. And there are some books that are just . . . comforting. Like a mug of hot cocoa on a cold day, spreading warmth throughout your body as you sip. Rich, delicious, and soothing. A lot of Diana Wynne Jones' books have the latter effect on me. THE ISLANDS OF CHALDEA was no exception.
This is not to say the book is overly straightforward or lacking in tension. Indeed, it features a well-developed world peopled with a wide variety of likeable (and occasionally delightfully detestable) characters, and an excellent plot with the kind of clever twists you come to expect from a Diana Wynne Jones book after you've read a few of them. It just falls on the more charming side of the adventure spectrum rather than the dire side, and it's chock-full of people you'd want to be friends with.
A particularly fine example of this is Aileen, the main character. The young apprentice Wise Woman might come from a long line of Wise Women gifted with magical powers, but she sometimes struggles to feel accomplished in such an accomplished family. She also occasionally feels a bit dwarfed by the more graceful and powerful people in her social circle. Yet, she is no brooding wallower. She's actually quite the go-getter--plucky, clever, and kind without being spineless. She sticks up for her friends and takes charge when she needs to. She might not always feel qualified to do so, and like the three-dimensional character that she is, she makes mistakes and misjudges people. Still, she is loyal to her family, friends, and homeland, and she tries her hardest to do the right thing.
Aunt Beck also fascinated me. The reigning Wise Woman of Skarr, she is tall, elegant, intimidating, and infinitely competent. She has the kind of self-assurance that I've always longed for, the kind of woman who can cow people with a look and whose very dignity (and yes, probably magic) repels the mud away from the shiny red heels of her neat shoes. But she is not, as it turns out, infallible. At times, Aunt Beck is too sure of herself, and not as intuitive as her mild-mannered niece, Aileen. But these things only make her a more interesting character.
The supporting cast is every bit as fabulous. Ogo quickly got added to my mental harem of fictional boyfriends. Like Rap in Dave Duncan's MAN OF HIS WORD series, he falls in the category of heroes who aren't hotties, or at least not in the traditional sense. Initially described as being tall, gangly, and a bit spotty in the face, he grows both literally and figuratively throughout the story enough to make a gal swoon by the end. He is the kind of guy who expects nothing and deserves everything. Likewise, Prince Ivarr fills his role to perfection. The handsome, spoiled, occasionally cowardly prince makes one appreciate all over again that sometimes guys who are good on paper are often less impressive in person. Yet, with all that, the book is careful not to just dismiss Ivarr as no good. He has a backstory, a reason for the way he is, and he is not without redeeming qualities.
The story follows Aileen, Beck, Ogo, and Ivarr as they set off (somewhat reluctantly) to carry out a prophecy. You see, there are four islands in Chaldea. Only, one of them--Logra--has been cut off from the other three by a magic barrier for years now. This has caused the other islands to suffer hardships wrought by the loss of trade with Logra and the effects of the barrier on the environment. Legend has it that the barrier was put up by Logra because it was at war with the other islands, and the barrier was the only way to bring about peace. Prophecy says that if a Wise Woman of Skarr crossed the barrier with a man from each island, the barrier will break. So off Aileen and Beck go with Ogo and Ivarr as their escorts. Along the way, they have various adventures, acquire new companions, and encounter the cultures on each island.
The world-building in this story is topnotch. I particularly liked Gallis, an island with an environment that suffers due to mining and quarrying, so it has magical bards that sing the land back to beauty again. I also liked the Queen in Bernica who seemed suspiciously like a fairy queen. The creatures in the story caught me by surprise with their hidden magnificence. My personal favorite is the mysterious magical cat of Lone, fondly referred to as Plug-Ugly, who has a tendency to go where he wishes to go and do as he wishes to do, other people's feelings on the matter be damned. All in all, the world of this story was one I enjoyed getting lost in.
I also enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. There was danger, tension, and unexpected complications, but the story didn't plunge ahead or drag its feet. It took time to let us get to know our heroes and experience the lands they traveled through, but it didn't meander unnecessarily.. And as I mentioned, there were a few twists that made me stop and go, "OOOOOOOOHHHHH!" with a little cartoon light bulb illuminating over my head.
Mind, the ending was not written by Diana Wynne Jones. She passed away before the book was finished, and her sister was good enough to finish it so that we'd all have one more DWJ book to enjoy. And perhaps, as other reviewers have noted, the ending did not have that same bright flourish that makes your jaw hit the floor, as you might have experienced in other DWJ books. But it was executed well enough to leave me feeling perfectly satisfied and I am notoriously hard on endings. If I don't feel rewarded for journeying with a character across the pages, that, alone, is worth docking someone a star. And yet, if I'd had a half-star at my disposal, I'd have given this story 4.5 stars, almost a perfect score.
I should also note I've had the attention span of a goldfish lately when it comes to books, getting bored five pages into everything I read. Yet, I ripped through this book in a hair over two days. (I read the last five pages after midnight.)
In the end, this is a book I'd highly recommend. If you're looking for grimdark or murderousness, you're better off looking elsewhere. But if you're looking for a light, airy, magical, charming adventure to make you grin, sigh, and gasp in all the right places, this is the book for you!
This is not to say the book is overly straightforward or lacking in tension. Indeed, it features a well-developed world peopled with a wide variety of likeable (and occasionally delightfully detestable) characters, and an excellent plot with the kind of clever twists you come to expect from a Diana Wynne Jones book after you've read a few of them. It just falls on the more charming side of the adventure spectrum rather than the dire side, and it's chock-full of people you'd want to be friends with.
A particularly fine example of this is Aileen, the main character. The young apprentice Wise Woman might come from a long line of Wise Women gifted with magical powers, but she sometimes struggles to feel accomplished in such an accomplished family. She also occasionally feels a bit dwarfed by the more graceful and powerful people in her social circle. Yet, she is no brooding wallower. She's actually quite the go-getter--plucky, clever, and kind without being spineless. She sticks up for her friends and takes charge when she needs to. She might not always feel qualified to do so, and like the three-dimensional character that she is, she makes mistakes and misjudges people. Still, she is loyal to her family, friends, and homeland, and she tries her hardest to do the right thing.
Aunt Beck also fascinated me. The reigning Wise Woman of Skarr, she is tall, elegant, intimidating, and infinitely competent. She has the kind of self-assurance that I've always longed for, the kind of woman who can cow people with a look and whose very dignity (and yes, probably magic) repels the mud away from the shiny red heels of her neat shoes. But she is not, as it turns out, infallible. At times, Aunt Beck is too sure of herself, and not as intuitive as her mild-mannered niece, Aileen. But these things only make her a more interesting character.
The supporting cast is every bit as fabulous. Ogo quickly got added to my mental harem of fictional boyfriends. Like Rap in Dave Duncan's MAN OF HIS WORD series, he falls in the category of heroes who aren't hotties, or at least not in the traditional sense. Initially described as being tall, gangly, and a bit spotty in the face, he grows both literally and figuratively throughout the story enough to make a gal swoon by the end. He is the kind of guy who expects nothing and deserves everything. Likewise, Prince Ivarr fills his role to perfection. The handsome, spoiled, occasionally cowardly prince makes one appreciate all over again that sometimes guys who are good on paper are often less impressive in person. Yet, with all that, the book is careful not to just dismiss Ivarr as no good. He has a backstory, a reason for the way he is, and he is not without redeeming qualities.
The story follows Aileen, Beck, Ogo, and Ivarr as they set off (somewhat reluctantly) to carry out a prophecy. You see, there are four islands in Chaldea. Only, one of them--Logra--has been cut off from the other three by a magic barrier for years now. This has caused the other islands to suffer hardships wrought by the loss of trade with Logra and the effects of the barrier on the environment. Legend has it that the barrier was put up by Logra because it was at war with the other islands, and the barrier was the only way to bring about peace. Prophecy says that if a Wise Woman of Skarr crossed the barrier with a man from each island, the barrier will break. So off Aileen and Beck go with Ogo and Ivarr as their escorts. Along the way, they have various adventures, acquire new companions, and encounter the cultures on each island.
The world-building in this story is topnotch. I particularly liked Gallis, an island with an environment that suffers due to mining and quarrying, so it has magical bards that sing the land back to beauty again. I also liked the Queen in Bernica who seemed suspiciously like a fairy queen. The creatures in the story caught me by surprise with their hidden magnificence. My personal favorite is the mysterious magical cat of Lone, fondly referred to as Plug-Ugly, who has a tendency to go where he wishes to go and do as he wishes to do, other people's feelings on the matter be damned. All in all, the world of this story was one I enjoyed getting lost in.
I also enjoyed the way the plot unfolded. There was danger, tension, and unexpected complications, but the story didn't plunge ahead or drag its feet. It took time to let us get to know our heroes and experience the lands they traveled through, but it didn't meander unnecessarily.. And as I mentioned, there were a few twists that made me stop and go, "OOOOOOOOHHHHH!" with a little cartoon light bulb illuminating over my head.
Mind, the ending was not written by Diana Wynne Jones. She passed away before the book was finished, and her sister was good enough to finish it so that we'd all have one more DWJ book to enjoy. And perhaps, as other reviewers have noted, the ending did not have that same bright flourish that makes your jaw hit the floor, as you might have experienced in other DWJ books. But it was executed well enough to leave me feeling perfectly satisfied and I am notoriously hard on endings. If I don't feel rewarded for journeying with a character across the pages, that, alone, is worth docking someone a star. And yet, if I'd had a half-star at my disposal, I'd have given this story 4.5 stars, almost a perfect score.
I should also note I've had the attention span of a goldfish lately when it comes to books, getting bored five pages into everything I read. Yet, I ripped through this book in a hair over two days. (I read the last five pages after midnight.)
In the end, this is a book I'd highly recommend. If you're looking for grimdark or murderousness, you're better off looking elsewhere. But if you're looking for a light, airy, magical, charming adventure to make you grin, sigh, and gasp in all the right places, this is the book for you!
July 20, 2014
Really simplistic and predictable for a Diana Wynne Jones book.
April 1, 2017
I read this book when it first came out. Then couldn't remember enough about it to write a review a few months later. That's the odd thing about books by Diana Wynne Jones: they're real page-turners but it's so often difficult to remember what happened. I've got almost all the way through Power of Three three times without realising I'd read it before. Only when I suddenly realised I knew what was about to happen next did I recall having read it previously.
So, what does it say that a book is a great read - but hardly memorable? I DID remember the plot and characters of The Islands of Chaldea, though. I even remembered that, last time I'd read it, there was a certain point at which I'd thought: this is where Diana Wynne Jones left off and her sister Ursula started. Now I'm probably wrong but it was interesting that it was the same sentence both times: I sometimes wonder if my story would have been different if the beds in the inn had been comfortable.
Aileen has chosen Prince Ivar as her husband when she grows up to be a Wise Woman. She hasn't told him. But then there's quite a few things neither of them have been told. One of which is that there's a prophecy that when a Wise Woman of Skarr and a representative of all the other islands in the archipelago of Chaldea join together and cross the sea, then the terrible Barrier that divides the islands from Logra will fall.
So they're sent off on a mission in the charge of Aileen's formidable aunt to bring down the Barrier and rescue Prince Alisdair who was taken prisoner when the impenetrable wall went up. Believing failure to be inevitable, none of the chosen band really want to go on this assignment to save their world - but the king has insisted. And devised an elaborate plan so no one will know they've gone.
Ogo - 'the Ogre from Logra' - a clumsy boy left behind on Skarr when the Barrier went up has been roped in to join their band. He's assigned to be Ivar's servant. As the band travels to the other islands in Chaldea, they're joined by Plug-Ugly, a supernatural cat from the Land of Lone, Finn and his parrot, Green Greet, and assorted guardians and relatives.
And discover that there's more than one conspiracy going on.
So, what does it say that a book is a great read - but hardly memorable? I DID remember the plot and characters of The Islands of Chaldea, though. I even remembered that, last time I'd read it, there was a certain point at which I'd thought: this is where Diana Wynne Jones left off and her sister Ursula started. Now I'm probably wrong but it was interesting that it was the same sentence both times: I sometimes wonder if my story would have been different if the beds in the inn had been comfortable.
Aileen has chosen Prince Ivar as her husband when she grows up to be a Wise Woman. She hasn't told him. But then there's quite a few things neither of them have been told. One of which is that there's a prophecy that when a Wise Woman of Skarr and a representative of all the other islands in the archipelago of Chaldea join together and cross the sea, then the terrible Barrier that divides the islands from Logra will fall.
So they're sent off on a mission in the charge of Aileen's formidable aunt to bring down the Barrier and rescue Prince Alisdair who was taken prisoner when the impenetrable wall went up. Believing failure to be inevitable, none of the chosen band really want to go on this assignment to save their world - but the king has insisted. And devised an elaborate plan so no one will know they've gone.
Ogo - 'the Ogre from Logra' - a clumsy boy left behind on Skarr when the Barrier went up has been roped in to join their band. He's assigned to be Ivar's servant. As the band travels to the other islands in Chaldea, they're joined by Plug-Ugly, a supernatural cat from the Land of Lone, Finn and his parrot, Green Greet, and assorted guardians and relatives.
And discover that there's more than one conspiracy going on.
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