The first volume of the bewitching ‘Chrestomanci’ series by Diana Wynne Jones. Charmed Life arrives in an explosion of magic in this edition illustrated by Alison Bryant and introduced by Katherine Rundell.
The Magicians of Caprona
Book 2 of the Chrestomanci Series
Illustrated by Alison Bryant
From the author of Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones, comes The Magicians of Caprona, the second book in the fantastical ‘Chrestomanci’ series, presented by Folio in its first ever fully illustrated edition with artwork by Alison Bryant.
£55.00
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‘The best children's writer of the last forty years.’
- Neil Gaiman
Enter a world of feuding wizard families, where spells are sung, and cats are wise indeed! Folio is back with the second installation of Diana Wynne Jones’s ‘Chrestomanci’ series, the riotously theatrical The Magicians of Caprona. Developed closely with the author’s estate, this sorcerous edition comes bursting with six vibrant illustrations by series artist Alison Bryant. Explore the fantastical Italian dukedom of Caprona, dominated by two families of rival spell-makers: Casa Montana and Casa Petrocchi. Two adventurous children – Tonino Montana and Angelica Petrocchi – must set their differences aside and uncover the identity of a rogue enchanter before their families’ ancient grudge breaks to new and magical mutiny.
It's a story that remains as fresh and inventive as when it was first published in 1980. Bound in printed, textured paper featuring Alison Bryant’s charming cover art, this edition includes Jones’s original foreword and author’s note, detailing both the inspiration and writing of this classic children’s fantasy. Boasting some of the most memorable scenes in the entire ‘Chrestomanci’ sequence – the shapeshifting duel in which spells are sung like opera; Tonino transformed into a sinister wooden puppet – The Magicians of Caprona combines the whimsical with the nightmarish in the tradition of Lewis Carroll and Roald Dahl, a truly magical tale conjured by one of the most influential children’s and fantasy authors of all time.
Bound in printed and blocked textured paper
Set in Legacy Serif with Wonder Night as display
296 pages
7 full-page colour illustrations
Black & white illustrated title page and chapter heads
Endpapers and slipcase printed in silver
9˝ x 6 ¼˝
Printed in Slovakia
‘Stands out from the crowd, for her humour, her originality and her touching, clever, rollickingly good stories.’
- Guardian
Inspiring a generation of fantasy authors, including Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones is a multiple-award-winning master of the genre. For all its playfulness and dazzling theatrics, the ‘Chrestomanci ‘series is anchored by its humane characters, vivid prose, and a melding of the mundane and the magical that makes Wynne Jones’s tales so fondly remembered and influential. Alison Bryant invokes that perfect sense of nostalgia in her original artwork for this edition, from a spellbinding cover, full-page illustrations, and chapter headings to quirky endpaper designs. Bound in gorgeously textured paper with a slipcase in midnight blue and moonlit silver, this edition is truly worthy of a place in the Scriptorium of Casa Montana. The Magicians of Caprona is Diana Wynne Jones at her cleverest and most exuberant, both a perfect showcase of her storytelling brilliance and a classic example of British children’s fantasy. Whether rekindling memories of a childhood read or introducing to younger readers more familiar with Harry Potter, this is a story that will surprise and enthral, casting a spell that’s hard to break.
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