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Book Reviews of Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2)

Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2)
Castle in the Air - Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
ISBN-13: 9780064473453
ISBN-10: 0064473457
Publication Date: 8/1/2001
Pages: 304
Reading Level: Young Adult
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 82

3.9 stars, based on 82 ratings
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

5 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

althea avatar reviewed Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2) on + 774 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is marketed as 'a sequel to 'Howl's Moving Castle', but the familiar characters from that book don't make an appearance (well, that we know of) till the very end of the book - so readers who are not familiar with that book will equally enjoy this. It's just sort of that for fans of 'Howl's Moving Castle', there's a bonus at the end!
It's an Arabian-Nights-flavored story of a young Middle Eastern carpet dealer who, against his better judgement, is convinced to buy an allegedly magic carpet. But when he falls asleep on the rug, he wakes to find himself transported to a garden inhabited by a beautiful young woman. At first, he believes it's only a dream - but the carpet's powers of flight are real, and soon he finds himself with an enraged Sultan to deal with, not to mention assorted bandits, a temperamental genie, and more... Familiar elements, but Wynne Jones' wit and style make the story fresh and entertaining.
tripleguess avatar reviewed Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2) on + 48 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This is my least favorite of the HMC books. It's basically an Aladinn re-telling with Howl and Calcifer jammed into the corners. It's nicely told, and to my surprise I re-read it all the way through, but I don't think it's fair to bill it as a "Sequel" to Howl's Moving Castle. It's a companion book at best, and it's really not about Howl and his gang. Nor does it have the wonderful all-original feel of the first novel, for the reason mentioned above.

That's not to say it's a bad book. The author simply did a good job of getting me to like the original bunch and I wanted to see more of them, not Flower-in-the-Night.
reviewed Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2) on + 146 more book reviews
"This ebullient follow-up to Howl's Moving Csatle lives up to its predecessor's wacky humor and mysterious goings-on. Jones maintains both suspense and wit throughout, demostrating once again that frequently nothing is what it seems to be. Readers of the first book will welcome the sequel with glee." ALA Booklist
reviewed Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2) on + 296 more book reviews
A story which begins far to the south of Ingary with a lovely yet fairly traditional genie and magic carpet beginning, but later on we do revisit Sophie and Howl and the cast of Howl's Moving Castle and the story gets just as wonderfully twisted as before...
wiltinglilly avatar reviewed Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, Bk 2) on + 33 more book reviews
Another awesome story by Diana Wynne Jones. I loved her little connections in this book that ties this story to another one of her's. It was such a good read, definitely recommended!