Castle in the Air (Howl’s Moving Castle, #2)
House of Many Ways (Howl’s Moving Castle, #3)
By: Diana Wynne Jones
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars
Best for: 12 and up

A magical gem of a story!

Howl’s Moving Castle was published in 1986, and Castle in the Clouds was published in 1990. House of Many Ways was published in 2008–22 years after Howl! Sadly, Diana Wynne Jones died of lung cancer in 2011. I wish I knew why she waited 22 years to write another Howl’s story! I’ve read all three, and the world she created for Howl, Sophie, and their adventures is my favorite.

Both Castle in the Clouds and House of Many Ways are set in the same world as How’s Moving Castle (which is by far the best known of the series). Fan’s of Howl can expect to find familiar characters and places, but in both sequels, new characters take the lead. The plots are simple, the characters aren’t complex, and the stories are sweet. There isn’t much too these stories, but as will Howl’s Moving Castle, it’s the world Diana Wynne Jones created and that shines for me.

It’s a world of magic carpets, secret doors, and fitting big things (like castles) into small spaces (like a cottage). There are magical creatures, mysteries to solve, other lands to visit, and they are all tied together in fun ways throughout all three books.

This is simple fun, uncluttered.

No content issues. Best for 12 and up.

Happy Reading!