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Two households, both alike in dignity... This book is a real breath of fresh air. Set in an alternative universe where magic is part of everyday life, and where history has happened a little differently (so Italy, for example, is still divided into city states well into the twentieth century) it's beautifully written and has a superb sense of place. The characters are well defined, and the atmosphere remained with me through lesser, more adult, books. Perhaps my favourite of the Chrestomanci series.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/10125880/

There is nobody quite like Diana Wynne Jones for evoking an utterly convincing real life setting, creating a horribly plausible fantasy element, and combining the two in a way that makes you wander around the house casting shifty looks at the lightbulbs for the next few days. I enjoyed this book very much, finding the tribulations of the everyday family afflicted by the attentions of a family of wizards most amusing. I didn't see the twist coming at all; possibly I am not observant. I used to read a lot of DWJ; must seek out some more.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4339578/