Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne JonesEnglish edition
Someone at Stallery Mansion is changing the world. At first, only small details, but the changes get bigger and bigger. It's up to Conrad, a twelve-year-old with terrible karma who's just joined the mansion's staff, to find out who is behind it.
But he's not the only one snooping around. His fellow servant-in-training, Christopher Chant, is charming, confident, and from another world, with a mission of his own -- rescuing his friend, lost in an alternate Stallery Mansion. Can they save the day before Conrad's awful fate catches up with them?
Review:
It's been a while since I read for pleasure. This book has pleased me incredibly. Such a good read, and it brings me joy.
The beginning of it may not be a happy one, even though it is a children book. One might think that a children book should always has a happy tone in it, but not this one. I found myself in rage and frustrated when family adults seemed "purposely" neglect their children.
Conrad is an eleven-year-old boy in this family. He lives with his mother, who's a feminist writer, an older sister, and an uncle who's running a bookstore. He and his sister Anthea is the one who runs the domestic chores, while his mother is busy writing and his uncle is busy making experiments with charms, spells, and potions.
Oh, I forgot to add, Conrad's uncle, Alfred, is a magician. Well, it seems that everyone in this universe has magic, and it is not purposely concealed, but just hidden. Conrad knew his uncle and his friends, who holds a regular meeting at the bookstore, are magicians. But he doesn't know what they are up to.
One day, there is a shifting in the universe, and only several people, mainly magicians, realize the shifts. The shifts take forms in the change of book titles, color of postbox, and small things like that. Most people don't realize, but Conrad and his family do. And his uncle said that Conrad holds a bad fate.
Another bad news is that his sister, Anthea, decided to leave the house to go to a university and promises to never come back. The family protest about the money etcetera, but she said she got a scholarship. Conrad is disheartened, and realized that the chores his sister did are a lot. After his sister is gone, all of her duty falls on him. And he is furious. He promised that one day, he also wants to go out of the house once he's coming of age.
When he's twelve, he is determined to get to a higher school where they teach magic. But, his uncle said that he has a bad fate or karma, and he has to take down someone from the Stallery or he will die. Conrad is angry but also scared. After make his uncle promised to get him to a school he wants after he finishes his duty, he agrees to go to the Stallery. He is supposed to work as a valet or be trained as one, and this is where his adventure begins.
I've read some fiction about british classic aristocracy lives, so I've got some ideas about the settings, but this book gives the feelings that are entirely different. I saw everything from the eyes of a valet-to-be, not the aristocrats, where he has to do a lot of works and almost no time to rest. Luckily, there are 2 trainees, or they called them Improvers, Conrad and Christopher.
So, I suggest that you should read the other books about Lives of Christopher Chant before you read this book or you will miss some details.
Christopher character is kinda familiar to me. Well, not because I have read the Lives of Christopher Chant, but because his character is similar to Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter series. He is sarcastic, snob, and irritating (according to Conrad, sometimes), even though he's just a valet trainee. But Conrad and Christopher are kinda helping each other out and end up being friends. It appears that Christopher also has his own mission and he and Conrad works together to get their mission done.
I really miss reading for pleasure and this is such a good, happy read. The intro is kinda irritating, but it turns out well. A lot of plot twist, that's why I'm happy. Confusing twists, enraging twists, and happy twists, they're all present. And almost no plot hole. Everything is explained in the end. And no rush to the end, and I really enjoyed the ride. I know I'm so biased here, I apologise. I just want to say this, in the end: if you miss a magical fantasy story that reminds you of Harry Potter series, but laced with british aristocracy settings, you may want to read this story. Even some spells are similar, like 'glamour spells'!
View all my reviews
It's been a while since I read for pleasure. This book has pleased me incredibly. Such a good read, and it brings me joy.
The beginning of it may not be a happy one, even though it is a children book. One might think that a children book should always has a happy tone in it, but not this one. I found myself in rage and frustrated when family adults seemed "purposely" neglect their children.
Conrad is an eleven-year-old boy in this family. He lives with his mother, who's a feminist writer, an older sister, and an uncle who's running a bookstore. He and his sister Anthea is the one who runs the domestic chores, while his mother is busy writing and his uncle is busy making experiments with charms, spells, and potions.
Oh, I forgot to add, Conrad's uncle, Alfred, is a magician. Well, it seems that everyone in this universe has magic, and it is not purposely concealed, but just hidden. Conrad knew his uncle and his friends, who holds a regular meeting at the bookstore, are magicians. But he doesn't know what they are up to.
One day, there is a shifting in the universe, and only several people, mainly magicians, realize the shifts. The shifts take forms in the change of book titles, color of postbox, and small things like that. Most people don't realize, but Conrad and his family do. And his uncle said that Conrad holds a bad fate.
Another bad news is that his sister, Anthea, decided to leave the house to go to a university and promises to never come back. The family protest about the money etcetera, but she said she got a scholarship. Conrad is disheartened, and realized that the chores his sister did are a lot. After his sister is gone, all of her duty falls on him. And he is furious. He promised that one day, he also wants to go out of the house once he's coming of age.
When he's twelve, he is determined to get to a higher school where they teach magic. But, his uncle said that he has a bad fate or karma, and he has to take down someone from the Stallery or he will die. Conrad is angry but also scared. After make his uncle promised to get him to a school he wants after he finishes his duty, he agrees to go to the Stallery. He is supposed to work as a valet or be trained as one, and this is where his adventure begins.
I've read some fiction about british classic aristocracy lives, so I've got some ideas about the settings, but this book gives the feelings that are entirely different. I saw everything from the eyes of a valet-to-be, not the aristocrats, where he has to do a lot of works and almost no time to rest. Luckily, there are 2 trainees, or they called them Improvers, Conrad and Christopher.
So, I suggest that you should read the other books about Lives of Christopher Chant before you read this book or you will miss some details.
Christopher character is kinda familiar to me. Well, not because I have read the Lives of Christopher Chant, but because his character is similar to Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter series. He is sarcastic, snob, and irritating (according to Conrad, sometimes), even though he's just a valet trainee. But Conrad and Christopher are kinda helping each other out and end up being friends. It appears that Christopher also has his own mission and he and Conrad works together to get their mission done.
I really miss reading for pleasure and this is such a good, happy read. The intro is kinda irritating, but it turns out well. A lot of plot twist, that's why I'm happy. Confusing twists, enraging twists, and happy twists, they're all present. And almost no plot hole. Everything is explained in the end. And no rush to the end, and I really enjoyed the ride. I know I'm so biased here, I apologise. I just want to say this, in the end: if you miss a magical fantasy story that reminds you of Harry Potter series, but laced with british aristocracy settings, you may want to read this story. Even some spells are similar, like 'glamour spells'!
View all my reviews
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