By: Diana Wynne Jones Publisher: Eos Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Eos Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 304 Publication Date: August 01, 2001 Reading Level: Young Adult Release Date: August 07, 2001
Abdullah was a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer. His father, who had been disappointed in him, had left him only enough money to open a modest booth in the Bazaar. When he was not selling carpets, Abdullah spent his time daydreaming. In his dreams he was not the son of his father, but the long-lost son of a prince. There was also a princess who had been betrothed to him at birth. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet.
In this stunning sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones has again created a large-scale, fast-paced fantasy in which people and things are never quite what they seem. There are good and bad djinns, a genie in a bottle, wizards, witches, cats and dogs (but are they cats and dogs?), and a mysterious floating castle filled with kidnapped princesses, as well as two puzzling prophecies. The story speeds along with tantalizing twists and turns until the prophecies are fulfilled, true identities are revealed, and all is resolved in a totally satisfying, breathtaking, surprise-filled ending.
AWESOME One of the most enjoyable stories I have ever read ! And I read a LOT. Good for any age.
castle in the air just when you think everything has calmed down howl manages to tick someone off and this time its a djinn this book will have you scratching you head in wonderment
Castle in the air brings Aladdin to life! Reviewed by Avni Gupta (age 15) for Reader Views (7/08)
When I got "Castle in the Air" in the mail, I was really excited about reading it. I had already read the other stories about Howl and Sophie so I wanted to see what Diana Wynne Jones had come up with this time. She didn't disappoint! Her book, "Castle in the Air," was a twist on the normal Aladdin story, with different characters and different places, but all in all the same motive.
This book is all about the son of a late carpet merchant whose name is Abdullah. Abdullah is in love with a princess named Flower-in-the-Night. Before Flower-in-the-Night and Abdullah can get married and run away, she is taken by a djinn who is stealing all of the princesses from around the area. Abdullah then sets off to find his princess and then get married to her. He finds himself in a place far to the north of where he normally lives while he is on the quest to find his princess. There, he meets a soldier who is also a thief who becomes his travelling partner. Along the way, they meet up with a black cat and her kitten. Abdullah knows that there is something fishy about this cat but can't quite put his finger on it.
The way that this book was written shows you that Diana Wynne Jones was an avid fan of the movie Aladdin. Many of the elements in this book are similar to the Disney movie. For example, in the movie Aladdin, Aladdin finds a magic carpet and a genie lamp. In this book, Abdullah buys a magic carpet and gets hold of a genie lamp. Another similarity between the movie and the book is the fact that they are both set in Middle Eastern places, with deserts and sand all around.
I think that "Castle in the Air" was an amazing read. It was interesting and made it so that putting down the book was hard to do. I think that I would recommend this book to anybody that has read any of Diana Wynne Jones's other books and liked them.
An Entertaining Read Though, unfortunately, not as good as Howl's Moving Castle, it is nevertheless an entertaining read. It has unique and developed characters, a characteristic quality of Diana Wynne Jones's books. I loved this book, and it is a fine example of a book by this particular author. I think that it fully deserves five stars, and has a brilliant plot, a fantastic cast of characters, including a vast array of princesses, a carpet seller with extremely fussy relatives, a fried squid seller, you get the picture. The ending is surprising and has a unique twist that catches you off guard. I was truly entertained by this excellent page turner, which is further proof of Diana Wynne Jones's fantastic talent as an author.
Nice, entertaining read I haven't read juvenile fiction in years! Thankfully, I was not disappointed with selecting this book. It read it during my vacation and was thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend this book for pre-teens and those who love quick, light-hearted reads.
Anything Goes Trivia
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