The Merlin Conspiracy [Hardcover]

Master fantasist Diana Wynne Jones, author of the Chrestomanci books, scores another winner in The Merlin Conspiracy. This absorbing tale of magic and courtly intrigue is told in two voices. In the world called Islands of the Blest, Roddy is a young page who has grown up travelling with her family in the King's Progress, a constant journey around the kingdom. Just after she and her younger friend Grundo spot a growing conspiracy to overthrow the King and change the balance of magic, they are whisked away to visit Roddy's grim and silent grandfather; when they return the Progress has moved on without them. Meanwhile in another world, Nick Mallory, 14, blunders into a dreamlike adventure that leads him to the powerful wizard Romanov and involves him in Roddy's mission to save the worlds from the upset planned by the conspiracy.

The story moves through several precariously linked worlds in vividly imagined episodes told alternately by Roddy and Nick, as their journeys begin to mesh. Part of the fun for the reader is sorting out Roddy's many wizardly relatives from the double perspective and clicking them into place in the plot. Wynne Jones's many fans will pounce on this complex but fast-moving fantasy that features not only 34 characters, but a panther, a goat, a dragon, and an extremely charming elephant. (Ages 10-14) --Patty Campbell, Amazon.com

“The characterisation is first rate, the ideas are fabulous … This is fantasy at its most inventive – canny, funny and far-reaching.” The Telegraph

“A curiosity shop of a book … a pleasure to lose yourself in.” The Sunday Times

“The Merlin Conspiracy is Wynne Jones on top form … [her] powerful narrative and her ability to create extraordinary charachers with real emotions make her more than a worthy rival to J K Rowling.” Financial Times

“A must for all Wynne Jones fans, past, present and future.” Limited Edition

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

The magic is where it ought to be; in the writing --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Diana Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci series...is becoming hotter than Potter with a new generation of readers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A glorious new fantasy from an award-winning author.

The story is narrated by two very different teenagers, who each inhabit two extraordinarily different worlds.
Arianrhod Hyde's world (or Roddy, as she prefers to be called) is very much the world of magic, pageantry and ritual. Not unlike Britain in King Arthur's Day, Roddy is daughter of two Court Wizards and therefore part of the King's Progress, travelling round the Islands of Blest and ready to take part in whatever ritual or ceremony is required, as it occurs. Presiding over all, the most important person is the Merlin, who is entrusted with the magical health of the Isles of Blest.
Nick Mallory's world is much more familiar – at least, it starts off being our own. But it soon transpires that Nick's not quite the ordinary 15 year old he seems, as he slips sideways into something he thinks is a dream – but in fact is another world entirely. Now, Nick's been on other worlds before (although never alone) but he's a confident type. Maybe a bit too confident…
In Roddy's world, the current Merlin expires and a new one takes his place. Yet something is wrong – the rituals have been upset and nothing is going the way it should. Roddy needs help, and certain powers indicate that Nick is to be the one to help her. And Nick is cool about helping her – in theory… but it's a bit worrying that she seems to mistake him for a magic-user.
Their stories unfold, side-by-side, each part leading into the next, and the Merlin Conspiracy thickens as the tales swirl around each other – twining, meeting and affecting each other, yet never completely combining until the very end chapters when all is finally revealed.
Compelling, howlingly funny in places, mind-boggling – this is going to WOW DWJ fans all around the world (and probably in other universes too).

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'I saw a dark space open in front of me and someone come stumbling from around a corner towards me. The first thing I noticed about this person was that he had a little blue flame sitting on his forehead. "Oh Good," I said. "You're a wizard."

I knew he could see and hear me. But he didn't seem any too certain that he was a wizard. My heart sank rather.'

Roddy Hyde lives in a world of magic, pageantry and ritual. The daughter of two court wizards, she travels with the King's Progress, ready to take part in whatever ceremony is required, as it occurs. Presiding over all is the Merlin, who is entrusted with the magical health of the Isles of Blest.

Nick Mallory's world seems quite ordinary in comparison – which isn't surprising because it's plain old Earth. So when he finds himself suddenly elsewhere, it is a dream come true, literally.

In Roddy's world, the current Merlin expires and a new one takes his place. Yet something is wrong – the rituals have been upset and nothing is going the way it should. Roddy needs help, and certain powers indicate that Nick is the answer to her problems. And Nick is cool about helping her – in theory – but it's a bit worrying that she seems to mistake him for a magic user.

As their stories unfold side by side, the Merlin conspiracy deepens…

Praise for Diana Wynne Jones:

'Wynne Jones' books are charming, well-constructed fantasies full of fresh twists and joyous life.'
'Books Magazine'

'The magic is where it ought to be, in the writing.'
Jan Mark

'Utterly superb.'
'Daily Express'

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Diana Wynne Jones spent her childhood in Essex and has been writing fantasy novels for children since 1973. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she has been enthralling children and adults with her work ever since. She won the Guardian Award in 1977 with Charmed Life, was runner-up for the Children’s Book Award in 1981, and was twice runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. She is married with three sons, and lives in Bristol with her husband.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Chapter One
I HAVE BEEN with the Court all my life, travelling with the King's Progress. I didn't know how to go on. I sat and stared at this sentence, until Grundo said, "If you can't do it, I will."

If you didn't know Grundo, you'd think this was a generous offer, but it was a threat really. Grundo is dyslexic. Unless he thinks hard, he writes inside out and backwards. He was threatening me with half a page of crooked writing with words like "inside" turning up as "sindie" and story as "otsyr".

Anything but that! I thought. So I decided to start with Grundo - and me. I am Arianrhod Hyde, only I prefer people to call me Roddy, and I've looked after Grundo for years now, ever since Grundo was a small, pale, freckled boy in rompers, sitting completely silently in the back of the children's bus. He was so miserable that he had wet himself. I was only about five myself at the time, but I somehow realised that he was too miserable even to cry. I got up and staggered through the bumping, rushing bus to the clothes lockers. I found some clean rompers and persuaded Grundo to get into them.

This wasn't easy because Grundo has always been very proud. While I was working at it, Grundo's sister Alicia turned round from where she was sitting with the big ones. "What are you bothering with cesspit for?" she said, "tipping up her long freckled nose. "There's no point. He's useless." She was eight at the time, but she still looks just the same: straight fair hair, thick body and an air of being the person, the one that everyone else has to look up to, "and he's ugly," she said. "He's got a long nose."

"So have you got a long nose," I said, "Lady Sneeze." I always called her "Lady Sneeze" when I wanted to annoy her. If you say "Alicia" quickly it sounds just like a well-behaved sneeze - just like Alicia, in fact. I wanted to annoy her for calling Grundo Cesspit. She only said it because of Sybil, her mother, called Grundo that. It was typical of the way they both treated him. Grundo's father left Sybil before Grundo was born. Ever since I could remember, Sybil and Alicia had been as thick as theives together. Poor Grundo was nowhere......

....There were only about thirty of us young ones who travelled in the King's Progress all the time. The rest only joined us for Christmas or for the other big religious ceremonies. Grundo and I always used to envy them. They didn't have to wear neat clothes and remember court manners all the time. They knew where they were going to be, instead of travelling through th nights and finding themselves in a flat field in Norfolk, or a remote Derbyshire valley, or a busy port somewhere next morning. They didn't have to ride in buses in a heatwave. Above all, they could go for walks and explore places. We were never really in one place long enough to do any exploring. The most we got to do was look around the various castles and great houses where the King decided to stay. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.