“It came on to pour with rain”

This is my favorite line from Diana Wynne Jones’ House of Many Ways. The phrase is poetic, lyrical, and—although I may be wrong—strikes me as just so whimsically British. In a typical novel, you might write “It began to pour rain,” or “it started pouring rain,” but not in this young-adult fantasy novel. This is quintessential Jones. 

House of Many Ways is the third and final book that features Wizard Howl of Howl’s Moving Castle fame (think of the Miyazaki film). But my big question is: why have I never heard of Diana Wynne Jones? 

She wrote more than 40 novels before her death in 2011, plus several non-fiction works, including The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Her fantasy series include the Chrestomanci series, the Derkholm series, and of course the Howl series. Many of her books were out of print, but because of the popularity of the Harry Potter books, they are now being reprinted. I want them all, every single one of them!

Based on the admittedly limited number of her books that I have read (three), I love her style: flowing, unpredictable, creative, so imaginative that I am utterly jealous. A recurrent theme is transformation, metamorphosis; no one is who or what they seem, and magic rules. These books are hard to put down (even on an e-reader, which is how I read them). I am looking forward to many hours of spellbound enjoyment as I devour the rest of her works. You should be, too.

But back to my question: why have I not heard of Diana Wynne Jones? Books, like other information and knowledge, can slip through the cracks of time and events; people forget, history moves on. Enter the age of the internet and information websites like Wikipedia, and much of that history and knowledge is saved. And an author mentioned on a blog can be looked up, and hey presto—all their works are listed, who influenced them and who they’ve influenced, how big their cult following is, and you’re off and running.

Now I wonder what other marvelous authors have been lurking out there for 30 or 40 years that I have yet to discover. Much more research is needed. I better keep reading.

The Marrhob War has Begun

It’s available! The Marrhob War, the next ebook in my Animal Guild Series, is out—and it’s even on sale through this Sunday at Smashwords.com! Check it out:

Continuing the adventures that started in Monsters in the Territory, the 233rd guild faces a deadly enemy—the Marrhob. Will these blood-thirsty “monsters” declare war on the animals and climb above ground to annihilate them? If Corto and Renard can’t convince Rhob Bhorg that tolerance and friendship are possible between species, their world and everyone they love will be destroyed.