House of Many Ways

When I started this book, I didn't realize it would be the final book. I thought the author may continue to write more. Turns out she passed away only a few years after this book was published.

There is something so charming about Wynn-jones writing. Unlike Castle in the Air, Sophie and Howl make appearances fairly early. This was a huge improvement. Howl disguises himself as a mischievous child named Twinkle. Every time he made an appearance I could feel myself smiling. Poor Sophie, but oh Howl.

I also loved the magically expanding house. i expected them to expand more on the house. perhaps the author planned to, but ran out of time.

in summary, this wasn't as chaotic as the first two books, but it's charming and a great Sunday read.

I am sad that there won't be more trips back to Ingary, but maybe it's time to visit her other books.

This was an engaging enough read. Appropriate for ages 8 & 9 up I'd say. I was interested to discover that it was published 4 years after the release of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli adaptation of Howl's Moving Castle. I feel like Wynne Jones has definitely taken inspiration from the film in this follow-up to the original 2 books that pre-date (& differ from ) the film. There is a character that is somewhat like Heen, as well as Markl, and visits to the royal palace. Howl also features in disguise at the palace as a cute blonde, curly haired boy, just like in the film. I felt somewhat uncomfortable with the characters of the “kobolds” who seemed to be inspired by the houseelves from Harry Potter but without any riposte to the paternalistic/supremacist undertones of servitude. There was some surprising Alien-esque body-horror in the Lubbock's laying of eggs in bodies. With the lubbock / lubbockins too, I do get a bit antsy with the problematic plot device of characterizing a whole species as evil. And the implications of interspecies offspring as evil. That's a bit sucks teeth for me.