Conrad's Fate

Diana Wynne Jones at her wry best: twelve-year-old Conrad is sent by his scheming uncle to Stallery Mansion with a secret (and morally alarming) mission, while a teenage Christopher Chant shows up on his own parallel-world errand. The two boys slowly piece together that the mansion is quietly sliding between universes while someone there works dangerous magic. Jones balances genuine suspense with the dry, comic tone her fans love, and Neil Gaiman's endorsement — 'funny, smart, twisty, exciting' — isn't hyperbole. New readers to the Chrestomanci series will manage, but some payoff depends on knowing Christopher from earlier books. The setup (Conrad is told to kill someone) sounds alarming but resolves cleverly; still, very young readers may need context. Family-safe fantasy at its most inventive.