Castle in the Air

By Diana Wynne Jones

A magical Arabian Nights tale from the captivating creator of fantasy, Diana Wynne Jones. The dazzling sequel to Howls Moving Castle, now a major animated film.

Far to the south in the Land of Ingary, lives a young carpet merchant called Abdullah. In his dreams, he is the long-lost son of a great prince. This dream is a complete castle in the air… or is it?

Abdullah’s day-dreams suddenly start to come true when he meets the exquisite Flower-in-the-Night, daughter of the ferocious Sultan of Zanzib. Fate has destined them for each other, but a bad-tempered genie, a hideous djinn, and various villanous bandits have their own ideas. When Flower-in-the-Night is carried off, Abdullah is determined to rescue her – if he can find her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Dec 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9780007369089

Diana Wynne Jones

DIANA WYNNE JONES was born in August 1934 in London, where she had a chaotic and unsettled childhood against the background of World War II. The family moved around a lot, finally settling in rural Essex. As children, Diana and her two sisters were deprived of a good, steady supply of books by a father, ‘who could beat Scrooge in a meanness contest’. So, armed with a vivid imagination and an insatiable quest for good books to read, she decided that she would have to write them herself.

Reviews for Castle in the Air

[oxlabyrinthxo-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's great, but as a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle I would have liked to see more of Sophie and Howl than we did.

[ladyjoana-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The stunning continuation of Howls Moving Castle, the book now tells us the story of Abdullah and Flower-in-the-Night and their misadventures as they struggle to be with eachother. This is a somewhat more upbeat tale, with many funny situations all throughout the book.

[quondame · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I spent the first half of this generally annoyed but it did improve though the connections to the Howl's cast was annoying in a different way. A generally silly adventure lacking in basic story integrity.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable sequel. Howl is a secondary character here. No one is who they seem and all have something to learn about themselves.

[teckelvik · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This isn't exactly a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle - it's set in the same universe, and there is some character overlap, but it's more tangential than following. Abdullah is a poor carpet seller who dreams that he is flying on a magic carpet, and meets a beautiful princess who falls in love with him. It's only when an evil djinn shows up to kidnap the princess that he realizes that he's not dreaming, but he is in a whole lot of trouble. This is entertaining, funny and light-hearted - a good bedtime read.

[melumebelle-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as Howl's Moving Castle, sadly. :(

[moonspider-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First and foremost, something to note is that this is not a direct sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, but instead a separate story that overlaps in some parts. I know some people went into this book without knowing that and was utterly disappointed. I did not go in with such expectations and therefore enjoyed it more than I might have, having been told beforehand.I was surprised in the beginning...seemed to be another take on Aladdin at first - genie, magic carpet, princess, guy pretending to be a prince, the works! Then it slowly morphed into a unique story and then BAM in the last few chapters, Howl's Moving Castle makes a comeback and you would feel completely decieved. At least, when it comes to the big magic reveal, I never saw it coming. Not saying what it was, but it felt like a 180 and then I couldn't take my attention away from Howl, Sophie, Calcifer, and another little addition to the castle. The change in atmosphere seemed very abrupt, but I enjoyed it completely. Felt like it ending too soon, though it was summed up nicely. About to move into the not-quite-sequel after this one: House of Many Ways. Recommended not quite to fans of Howl and Sophie, but fans of the world they lived in. Though, as a fan of them myself, I enjoyed it too.

[rosenstern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Howl is one sly bastard. Yup, I love the guy. Jones' magical world starts to expand and en...shape..en in this book, part of the moving castle trilogy. We follow Abdullah in his quest to save a princess. The ending made the book. Just get to the end, and then we'll all sit around grinning like fools.

[altheaann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[ed9pendragon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This, the sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, begins in an Arabian Nights fashion, which seems light years away from the European land of Ingary. Genies in bottles and flying carpets have nothing to do with a Welsh wizard and a fire demon powering the moving castle, surely? And many of the other distinctive characters in that famous first installment must be unrelated to the eastern city of Zanzib in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, mustn't they?But appearances are deceiving in this parallel world where magic can and does happen. The impecunious young carpet-seller Abdullah, so much given to flowery flattery that it becomes irritating, sets his heart on the almost unobtainable Flower-in-the-Night, thereby seemingly setting in motion a series of events that changes his life forever. Unbeknown to him (and to us, as readers) those events have already been kickstarted before the story opens, meaning that the commonplaces of Eastern romances are interwoven with Jones' verbal comedy and confused identities to create a fabric whose intricate overall pattern is only revealed at the end when we can stand back and admire the whole.Not as famous and well-loved as the first of the series, I was won over by the clever plotting which expertly tied up all the loose ends in the final pages. Unlike some of Jones' more 'difficult' novels where the storyline is obscure and the ending seems fudged, Castle in the Air draws you along like a needle pulling thread to its final satisfying conclusion. This must have been as much fun to write as it is to read, while Tim Stevens' accomplished line drawings heading each chapter clarified and complemented the author's text perfectly.

[jwscorpio94 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love it, love it, love it, love it. This series is so wonderful. Can't even begin to express how much I love Howl and Sophie.

[ghost_boy-691444 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I still really like this series. This one was never made into a movie, but don't let that turn way. I love how Jones writes this world. I feel like this book was helping building the world of her series more while introducing newer characters. I actually like Abdullah's character. Not going to read the last book now, but curious how this ends.

[codonnelly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Castle in the Air is the underrated companion novel to Diana Wynne Jones’ beloved Howl’s Moving Castle. While the setting and characters are mostly different, Jones’ clever, albeit short, addition of the characters from the first novel, provide value to an already strong standalone plot. The novel follows Abdullah, a young carpet merchant in the neighboring country of Zanzib. When he comes into the possession of a flying carpet, his once mundane life turns upside down as his lofty dreams rapidly start coming true.

The novel is a fun, wide-sweeping romp through Zanzib, a land ripe with genies, pirates, and djinns, and the already established country of Ingary. The main character, Abdullah, while a daydreamer, works very hard and has an active imagination which never fails to entertain. The companions he meets during his journey are just as interesting. A belligerent genie who twists others’ wishes to his pleasing, a cat-loving soldier from the nearby country, Strangia, and a mother cat and her kitten are just a few of the many travelers Abdullah befriends along the way.

Similar to Howl’s Moving Castle, magic also plays a significant role in the novel, although there is a larger emphasis on the exotic, particularly prophecy. Both Abdullah and his love interest, Flower-in-the-Night, live under the constant pressure of prophecies made at their births, which add an element of mystery to the plot. Will their prophecies come true, and if they do, will they play out in predicted ways?

Surprising twists and turns are a common element in Jones’ work, so expect a few throughout this novel too. The plot and timeline are very straight-forward, but don’t let their simplicity fool you.

If you love Howl, Sophie, and Calcifer from the first novel, there will be moments where you will wish they appear more often. Don’t get frustrated when they don’t appear right away. Most importantly, don’t put the book down for this reason! I promise their eventual appearance will be worth it.

Diana Wynne Jones’ Castle in the Air is a rollicking adventure filled with new faces and familiar friends. As Abdullah sets out on his quest of discovery, keep your mind open to the peculiar. You may learn a thing or two.

[aspirit-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick and charming book that kept me guessing. Unfortunately, I did not relate to Abdullah as much as I did Sophie in Moving Castle.

[samjehanzeb · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Castle in the Air (Ziemlich viele Prinzessinnen) ist die indirekte Fortsetzung zu Howl’s Moving Castle (Sophie im Schloss des Zauberers). Hierin wird es allerdings märchenhaft wie in einer Geschichte aus Tausendundeinernacht und der geneigte Leser muss sich recht lange gedulden, ehe die bekannten Protagonisten aus dem ersten Buch dieser locker verknüpften Reihe wieder in Erscheinung treten. Castle in the Air sollte man daher auch als einen eigenständigen Roman betrachten – in dem nur zufällig ein paar bekannte Charaktere wieder auftauchen – und keine richtige Fortsetzung zu Howl’s Moving Castle erwarten.Ganz so brillant wie sein Vorgänger ist Castle in the Air nicht, dennoch ist es wieder eine sehr phantasievolle und lebendige Geschichte, die Diana Wynne Jones hier erschafft und mit gewohntem Humor garniert. Letzterer kommt diesmal besonders bei Namensgebung und Wortwahl zum Tragen, denn die Autorin spielt wieder gerne mit Klischees und bedient sich hier bei den Vorstellungen vom Orient, wo Namen nicht nur Namen sind, sondern Bedeutungen haben. Dabei darf natürlich auch nicht die blumige Ausdrucksweise fehlen, die die Autorin jedoch in unseren Sprachgebrauch überträgt, was für viel Schmunzeln sorgt. So kommt es, dass eine Prinzessin den Namen Blume-in-der-Nacht/Flower-in-the-Night trägt oder Teppichhändler geradezu lyrische Verkaufsgespräche führen.Darauf lässt die Autorin es freilich nicht beruhen und schickt zusätzlich wieder herrlich überzogene, schrullige, spießige oder hochnäsige Charaktere ins Rennen, die alle ein bisschen mehr sind, als man glaubt über sie zu wissen. So überzeugend sympathisch und lebendig wie Howl und Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle werden Abdullah und Flower-in-the-Night aber leider nicht, und auch die beiden erstgenannten kommen in Castle in the Air nicht so richtig zu ihrem alten Glanz.Kleinere Abzüge muss man ebenfalls bei der erzählerischen Dynamik machen, die sich mit Einschüben, die nicht zwingend nötig gewesen wären, leider immer mal wieder als etwas langatmig erweist. Es ist daher dringend ratsam, eine längere Pause zwischen Howl’s Moving Castle und Castle in the Air verstreichen zu lassen und die beiden Bücher nicht gleich nacheinander zu lesen. Auch sollte man davon absehen, die Bücher als normale Buchreihe zu betrachten, denn im direkten Vergleich haben sie wenig miteinander zu tun und gerade Castle in the Air wirkt dabei doch ein wenig enttäuschend. Für sich betrachtet und davon ausgehend, dass die wiederkehrenden Charaktere ein zusätzlicher Bonus, aber kein tragendes Element dieses Romans sind, ist Castle in the Air durchaus unterhaltsam und amüsant. Man muss sich lediglich klar machen, dass dies die Geschichte von Abdullah und Flower-in-the-Night ist und nicht die von Sophie und Howl.

[saroz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Something I'm learning about Diana Wynne Jones novels: she doesn't always know how to end them, or at least, that's how it feels. When I read Howl's Moving Castle several years ago, I thought Jones devised a brilliant scenario, fun characters and a vivid world. It was engaging and funny and easy to read. However, the longer the book went on, the more it seemed to rush toward its ending. Something about the pacing felt off - as if Jones wasn't quite sure when or how to end it. Now I feel the same way about the "companion novel" to Howl, Castle in the Air.The setup is great. I love the idea of a magic carpet that reacts to commands you don't know you're giving, taking the protagonist to meet the girl of his dreams without his knowing why. I really enjoyed the flavor of Abdullah's life, family situation and work environment. I even liked the parts of his quest. As the book traipsed toward its conclusion, though, it felt like it was wrapping up a little too easily, and the introduction of characters from Howl's Moving Castle felt incidental and almost unnecessary.That's not to say that Castle in the Air wasn't a fun book - it was, tremendously. It just felt, ultimately, a little unsatisfying. I'm interested to read the final book set in this world (I hesitate to refer to it as a "series"), and I'm curious if it will continue the pattern established by the previous two. With luck, that one will have a conclusion that feels just a bit more natural.

[sandyamcpherson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The continuation of "Howl" and his life with Sophie. Intricate, fabulous world-building. Great characterisations.

[quigui · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Castle in the Air is a sequel to companion to book set in the same world as book written by Diana Wynne Jones where Howl also appears. I loved Howl's Moving Castle, so I really was expecting more of the same in this book. And I really shouldn't have because this book is not about Howl, and he is not even important to the story.This book is about Abdullah, a carpet merchant on the distant land of Zanzib. A disappointment to his father, and with a prophecy made at his birth that he knows nothing about, Abdullah is quite happy living in his booth at the edge of the Bazaar and spending his days daydreaming (and occasionally selling carpets). Everything is fine until a merchant sells him a magic carpet. Soon all his daydreams start to come true.While reading this book, I spent most of the time trying to figure out how it related to Howl's Moving Castle. Every new character that appeared had me thinking “Is this Howl in disguise?”, “Where's Sophie?” and so on. Which, as expected, takes some of the fun out of reading. Castle in the Air is quite a good story, and stands very well in its own. Yes, Howl and Co. do appear (eventually), but this book is about Abdullah. He is quite a wonderful character, that I can't help but relate to (it must be all those daydreams). And all the other characters that appear throughout the novel are so funny, each very different (and that means something when there about 30 princesses in there).If I started this book with expectations of a story with the characters from the first book, by the time one of them finally appeared I only wanted to know about these new amazing characters.Like its predecessor, this book has its fill of funny (and silly) moments, without ever sacrificing the story to humour. But, unlike Howl's Moving Castle, the inspiration for Castle in the Air comes from Arabian folklore and myths, giving it a Arabian Nights (or Aladdin) feel to it.This is a good book, one that I feel that everyone should read – young and adult readers alike. Also at Spoilers and Nuts

[sunias-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book! I wouldn't recommend it if you're hoping to read more about Howl and Sophie: even though it's listed as a sequel to Howl's moving castle, it features an entirely different story line and new characters, with Howl and Sophie making guest appearances at the end. The story itself, however, is fantastic! I loved reading about Abdullah's world, filled with magic djinns, flying carpets, and princesses. Overall, it's a very captivating read, especially if you're interested in Arabian mythology and stories like Aladdin.

[klburnside · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Most reviewers seem to love this book, and the entire series for that matter, but it didn't do much for me. The story didn't really engage me much and I wasn't drawn to any of the characters. I'll read the final book in the series only so I can say I've read a trilogy this year.

[soybean_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

a really good read

[themulhern · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A ton of fun, with some questionable resolutions.

[soybean7soybean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

a really good read

[mizpurplest · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite, but I did really enjoy it.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun, quick, easy to read.

Separating this one entirely from Howl's Moving Castle would have been a better idea than making it a second book in a series, I think. Trying to tie it back in to the other book with a sudden information dump near the end and an incomplete back story was troublesome, particularly as the main character was from an Arabian-inspired culture--how does that fit with magical realism set in Wales of the first book?

[erincathryn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first glance, this doesn’t seem like much of a sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle. And in some ways it isn’t. It follows Abdullah’s story almost exclusively. Howl and company make an appearance, though not in a way you would expect.

I really liked Castle in the Air. Diana Wynne Jones continues to weave exceptional story and landscape, and I was completely drawn in.

Abdullah is a likeable protagonist, though I was so aggravated at times that everything seemed to be working against him. I mean, there are obstacles and then there are the stories where absolutely nothing seems to go right. This was the latter. There is only so much of that a reader can take. I also found Abdullah’s way of speaking to be very obnoxious at times. The flowery speech was great at first… but then it really got old fast.

The other thing that took away from the enjoyment for me was that in true YA style, after only one meeting, Abdullah is proclaiming his true and undying love for Flower-in-the-Night. Can we please break this mold already? Romance is great. But it takes time to grow and become real. By proclaiming love after one day, it cheapens real love and gives young women unreal expectations.

Flower-in-the-Night had some moments where I really loved the way Diana Wynne Jones wrote her. She calls Abdullah on the double standard that men can have multiple wives, but women can’t have multiple husbands. I wanted to stand up and cheer.

Castle in the Air has the same narrative style that Howl’s Moving Castle did, though by now I was used to it. As with the first book in the series, it is a small book, but not a small story. The big climactic moment lacked something for me, though it was still nice to see how everything tied up. And everything did tie up nicely, making me very intrigued to see where the third volume in the series takes us.

Bottom Line: I liked that this wasn’t a direct sequel, but that it takes time to check in with Howl and company. Some flaws, but flawless books are hard to find. I will most definitely finish off the series.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book worthy of being a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. A dreamlike adventure filled with wonderful characters and spectacular plot twists. Though now I mostly just want to reread Howl's Moving Castle.

[humouress · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Several days to the south of the fairy-tale land of Ingary, as the carpet flies, lies the fabled land of Zanzib, where Abdullah the carpet seller ekes out a living at the edge of the bazaar, and dreams of being a long-lost prince. One day, he buys a rather thread-bare magic carpet, and then his daydreams start coming true! Between the quirky carpet, an unreliable genie in a bottle, a djinn, who might or might not be wicked, not to mention a magical cloud castle in the air, Abdullah has to rescue his beautiful princess and save the world.I was initially surprised to find that this sequel to Howl's Moving Castle didn't start where that book ended - but don't worry; all the beloved characters do feature in this book. As with the first book, the twists at the end caught me by surprise, and turned a good ending into an even happier ending. As ever, the story is well written, engaging and amusing, and clips along at a good pace. I'm glad I succumbed to all the LT recommendations!

[phoebesmum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I first read this, I was disappointed; it's a sequel to 'Howl's Moving Castle', but Howl and Sophie are (apparently) barely in it. On a couple of rereads, it turns out to have its own unique and quirky charm, chief among which is that absolutely nobody is who or what they seem. I suspect it owes a certain debt to Noel Langley's 'The Land of Green Ginger', but that may just be my imagination and/or the presence of a flying carpet in both.

[andreablythe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Abdullah, a young carpet seller, lives in his small stall in the bazaar of Zhanzib. A disappointment to his deceased father, he daydreams himself another life, in which he is really a lost prince from a distant land destined to marry a princess. He is content with his simple life and these daydreams, when a stranger sells him a flying carpet. In his sleep, the carpet carried Abdullah off to the gardens of a beautiful woman. He falls in love with the girl, but she is carried off in the night by a giant djinn, thus beginning the carpet seller's adventures. He is a kind and clever adventurer, who uses his wits and exceedingly polite manners, rather than physical strength, to escape a number of scrapes.Castle in the Air is an amusing fairy tale full of the kind of interesting characters on Diana Wynne Jones could write, including a charming criminal, an grumpy yet lovable cook, good and bad djinns, a wicked genie, evil family relations, wizards, witches, shape shifting cats, and a multitude of intelligent and strong minded princesses. I especially like the princesses, who are not idling away in their tower, but actively making plans to enact their own escape. It's an excellent companion to Howl's Moving Castle.