A hugely imaginative and magical novel from the Godmother of British fantasy, Diana Wynne Jones.

When Howard Sykes comes home from school and finds the enormous Goon in the kitchen, his life turns upside-down. The Goon has come to demand the two thousand words of nonsense that Howard's father allegedly owes a mysterious figure named Archer.

As Howard unravels the truth, he uncovers that their town is run by seven megalomaniac wizards, each desperate to rule the world - and each convinced that his father's words are the key...

Can Howard find a way to stop the wizards before they wreak chaos?

About the Author

Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) spent her childhood in Essex and began writing fantasy novels for children in the 1970s. With her unique combination of magic, humour and imagination, she enthralled generations of children and adults with her work. 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.

Reviews

"Diana Wynne Jones ought to be crowned with coloured garlands because she is the best writer of magical fantasy for children in this country" - Evening Standard

"Diana Wynne Jones is, quite simply, the best writer of magic there is, for readers of any age." - Neil Gaiman

"...Her hallmarks include laugh-aloud humour, plenty of magic and imaginative array of alternate worlds. Yet, at the same time, a great seriousness is present in all of her novels,
a sense of urgency that links Jones's most outrageous plots to her readers' hopes and fears..." Publishers Weekly

Book Information
ISBN 9780006755272
Author Diana Wynne Jones
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 270g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 19mm