I have previously enjoyed Witch Week and Archer's Goon but otherwise haven't been heavily into the Chrestomanci books by Dianna.
Was disappointed by Warlock at the Wheel.
Enjoyed Stealer of Souls and The Sage of Theare.

But generally, none lived up to my expectations from my previous Wynne Jones reading. ( )

A collection of four short stories by the late great DWJ, all related to her Chrestomanci wizardry novels. The first, Warlock at the Wheel, is pretty standalone although it concerns a character who appeared in Charmed Life, and is the one I least enjoyed. An unsuccessful wizard who lost his powers in that novel turns to crime and learns that the old adage about not working with children and animals is true. I found it a bit 'cutesy' and predictable.

Stealer of Souls is firmly set in the Chrestomanci world and stars Cat, the boy who is understudy to be the next Chrestomanci (it is a role taken on by the most powerful wizard, who happens to have nine lives and who polices the other magical workers). Cat finds it difficult to cope with the arrival of an Italian boy, Tonino, whose magic takes the form of augmenting that of others, and who is patently homesick. (Tonino was introduced in another Jones' novel, The Magicians of Caprona.) Tonino has taken Cat's place in the hierarchy at Chrestomanci Castle and the experience brings out the worst in Cat who wonders if he is going to grow up to be an evil enchanter, but then he meets the real thing when the two boys are kidnapped, and he learns some life lessons in the process. This is an interesting story from beginning to end, with a lot of inventiveness, especially the sequence when the two boys are forced to clean up a filthy basement (having been bespelled into forgetting their own magical abilities which would help them escape). Very vivid and a satisfying conclusion. The best story in the collection in my opinion.

In Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream the eponymous Carol is sent to Chrestomanci as her last hope because she is unable to produce the hundredth in a series of lucid dreams which have been recorded and sold to great profit, giving her family a lifestyle her mother is desperate to cling onto. Carol initially comes over as a bit of a spoilt brat, having always been the centre of attention, but she learns there are others to consider and that sometimes it's necessary to develop along your own path even if this means disappointing the mercenary dreams of a parent. On another level, the story deals with the theme of creativity and whether a dreamer's (writer's) characters have an independent life of their own.

Finally, The Sage of Theare is a story I've read before (Hecate's Cauldron, an anthology of women writers), and it 'came back' as I read it. It is quite an odd story and begins in Theare, a world where everything is very controlled and rule-bound under the rulership of a pantheon of gods reminiscent of the Greek ones. The sun god, who also deals with prophecy, warns that a child has been born who will set everything upside down by questioning everything; this will trigger Dissolution, destroying the gods and granting humanity freewill. The gods set about trying to circumvent the prophecy, but in doing so set in train a series of events in which Chrestomanci eventually becomes embroiled. Anyone who enjoys time paradoxes will like this one; it's an OK read for me, but I wondered if DWJ ever meant to return to this world given a throw-away line - an invisible dragon tells the main character Thasper, "I'll see you again".

Anyway, an easy, short, page-turning read. Nothing too challenging, but Stealer of Souls is the best of the bunch and has the added bonus for anyone familiar with some of the other Chrestomanci books of giving us another tale of Cat and Tonino. That story was a 4-star for me, but with the other stories being not quite so enjoyable, I've awarded 3 stars overall. ( )

Four fun stories in the Chrestomanci series. I had read "The Sage of Theare" before most of the other Chrestomanci books. It's still an odd duck. Warlock at the Wheel is one of her slapstick stories. OK but I've never gotten even a chuckle out of that sort of thing. Stealer of Souls is classic Chrestomanci, with menace and magic, starring Cat and Tonino. Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream is different, a bit slight, but interesting.

Recommended for DWJ fans but not as a first Chrestomanci book. ( )

Imaginative, entertaining, and the first story was laugh out loud funny. I loved it! ( )

Much fun. ( )