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Castle in the Air cover art

Castle in the Air

By: Diana Wynne Jones
Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
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Summary

A magical Arabian Nights tale from the captivating creator of fantasy, Diana Wynne Jones. The dazzling sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle. 

Far to the south in the Land of Ingary lives a young carpet merchant called Abdullah. In his dreams, he is the long-lost son of a great prince. This dream is a complete castle in the air...or is it?

Abdullah’s day-dreams suddenly start to come true when he meets the exquisite Flower-in-the-Night, daughter of the ferocious Sultan of Zanzib. Fate has destined them for each other, but a bad-tempered genie, a hideous djinn and various villainous bandits have their own ideas. When Flower-in-the-Night is carried off, Abdullah is determined to rescue her—if he can find her.

©1990 Diana Wynne Jones (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

What listeners say about Castle in the Air

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  • KT
  • 15-01-22

Embarrassingly prejudice novel

I loved the first book, 'Howl's Moving Castle' and had a high opinion on D. W. Jones before embarking on the second novel. It became immediately apparent she hadn't researched Arab culture beyond Aladdin and at times was uncomfortably racist. The poorly veiled misogynistic themes didn't come as a surprise as it was written in the 80s when most novels romanticised such views, so I took it with a pinch of salt. However it was the cruel and consistent fat shaming throughout the novel that made me feel so disheartened. I finished nonetheless and was so disappointed as it just seemed to get worse as the story progressed. I don't recommend this book at all, but perhaps someone with less sensitivity may find it an easier read than I. Despite this, the audio presenter did a lovely job at bringing characters to life.

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13 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Well...

If I had mixed feelings about the first book, this one makes it even harder to review my experience. If it wasn't for Kristin Atherton's excellent performance, I think I would've stopped somewhere in the middle. The biggest problem for me are the characters. I just found hardly any of them likable at all, especially not the main character, so it was difficult to root for him and his shallow love story (love at first sight bc the princess is oh so beautiful). Maybe I need to treat it all more like a fairy tail but I just crave some proper character arcs/development which we get none of. There's also a lot of superficiality in the writing (always pointing out who's "slender and gorgeous" and who's not - usually the "fat ones") which I found decidedly off-putting. And still, there is a lot of great potential and creative ideas in this book once again! So maybe I'll buy the 3rd one too. Atherton's narration will make it worth my while at the very least.

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3 people found this helpful

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Wonderful story, enjoyed it very much.

Loved it, intricate and unusual story, like a Persian carpet worked into a western fairytale. if only all locked up princess could have a magic carpet, and a ginnie wouldn't do any harm too.

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2 people found this helpful

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Brilliant expansion of the world

I love all the extra bits we learn about the world in this story, a great mix of characters and cultures. Loads of fun

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Heartwarming

Spoilers (maybe) A lovely sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. I was unsure of how this started whether it would tie in with the first book, but rest assured it really does, and in a way I found surprising and heartwarming to listen to.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

fantastic sequel

fantastic sequel in a amazing trilogy, massively underrated. only wish there was more wizard howl content in the world.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing

I loved Howls moving castle. So when I saw there were sequels I was over the moon. However, I was so disappointed. It hardly touched on Howl or Sophie and if you are expecting a sequel that includes a look into their new life you will be disappointed. The story in and of itself is an ok story, but I found it really hard to get into. I just needed to get through the book. I managed to finish it. But I have now returned it. When you read this book read it as a spin off with Howl and Sophie appearing in it. That may help the reader see it as a story in and of itself.

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  • Overall
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4.5/5

A whimsical and magical tale set in the Howl's Moving Castle universe. Abdullah has spent most of his life in a day dream. One day, a mysterious individual sells him a magic carpet which transports him to a beautiful princess. Then hi princess is kidnapped by a djinn and Abdullah has to travel far and brave many dangers to try and get her back.

- The whimsy and wandering nature of Howl's Moving Castle carries on in this book. I love the fairy tale and Arabian Nights vibes and how the book felt like a bedtime story.

- Abdullah is the type of protagonist who finds himself as the story progresses. He starts off meek, beaten down and bored with life. His adventure is the making of him and his journey was as much one of self discovery as it was a quest to find his princess.

- I really loved the cameos within the story. Yes, Howl, Sophie and Calcifer are there, and no you won't guess who they are before time.

A truly enjoyable and magical story. Perfect for a cosy, lighter fantasy read or for sharing with children at bedtime.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

my favourite book trilogy

absolutely delighted to find this trilogy on audible. very good narrator and my all time favourite book trilogy couldn't be happier.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Perfect bedtime story for children and adult

A wonderful story, which I loved reading as a book when I was younger. It has been completely brought to life by Christine Atherton is wonderful narration.

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