The Merlin Conspiracy

Starred review from March 10, 2003
Whimsy, invention and the chilling sense of a world (multiple worlds, actually) gone topsy-turvy characterize this grandly outsize fantasy from Jones (Year of the Griffin). In an alternate England, where the king maintains the magic of the realm by constantly traveling the land, teenage Roddy and her best friend-cum-protégé, the younger boy Grundo, have spent their lives as part of the peripatetic Court. When Roddy and Grundo stumble on a fiendish plot to take control of all their world's magic, they realize that they must put a stop to it—even though one of the would-be usurpers is Grundo's own mother. Meanwhile, here on our own version of Earth, Nick (aka Nichothodes Koryfoides, whom Jones's fans may already know from her adult fantasy A Sudden Wild Magic) is tipped into yet another alternate world and begins a journey that eventually lands him right in the middle of Roddy and Grundo's struggle. Cities personified (imagine Old Sarum as a walking, talking and somewhat grumpy old man), hordes of smuggled salamanders and a pair of astonishingly bratty twin sisters (in response to their rude behavior, their mother gushes, "Aren't they a caution?") are just a few of the delights to be found here. Ensorcelled by this exuberant tale and Jones's unmistakable wit, readers may find themselves echoing Nick's off-the-cuff literary critique: "By the time I'd read two pages, I was so longing to get to this other world that it was like sheets of flame flaring through me." Ages 10-up.

July 1, 2003
The story is narrated in alternating chapters by Roddy (a girl) and Nick. Roddy and a friend summon Nick, an unknown helper, when they discover that the Merlin (in charge of magic) has been murdered. Writing on an epic scale, the author deftly creates a fully realized fantasy universe with a series of worlds that resemble one another and our own but with distinct differences. This is a vastly absorbing story of good battling evil.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2003
Gr 7 Up-This title from one of the masters of fantasy shows the author's signature style and imagination. The story begins in an alternate England called Blest, where Arianrhod Hyde travels with the King's Progress, as both of her parents are modern-day court mages. Roddy and her friend Grundo become aware of a conspiracy to upset the balance of magic in Blest and the rest of the "multiverse," a plot that involves both the new Merlin, the court official in charge of magic, and Grundo's mother. At the same time, Nick Mallory, who lives in what appears to be our Earth, is sent on a dangerous journey between worlds, which ultimately brings him to Blest. Roddy, Grundo, and Nick are called on to use knowledge and clues found in a variety of worlds to expand their budding magical powers and save Roddy's parents, the king of Blest, and the magic of the multiverse. In alternating chapters, Roddy and Nick narrate the action, which successfully allows the author to present background, draw in readers, and integrate her many subplots and dramatic elements. As always, Jones's characters are complex and her villains despicably bad, adding depth to this expansive and entertaining tale. A fine, challenging read for seasoned fantasy readers.-Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2003
Gr. 6-10. Jones' convoluted, alternate-world fantasy is put together like a four-dimensional jigsaw puzzle, including time, a dimension in which the puzzle pieces don't quite fit together. The tale unfolds in alternating first-person narratives by two teens: Arianshod Hyde, known as Roddy, and Nick Mallory, both of whom are just learning to use their powers. Roddy lives in the Islands of Blest, an alternate England, which is under attack by a group of powerful wizards. She is the daughter of the king's weather wizard, and has more or less adopted Grundo, whose mother, Sybil, an Earth wizard, has scorned him. Nick, who lives in England, blunders his way through several alternate worlds before arriving in Blest, where he joins Roddy and Grundo in trying to prevent the island's destruction. The lively plot involves not only wizards but also Great Powers, a lost circus elephant, a cantankerous goat, a horde of salamanders, a coven, a dragon, and much more--perhaps too much more. Nevertheless, the story, infused with humor as well as exciting adventure, makes compelling reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)