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The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume I
A timeless classic with brand-new cover art! Diana Wynne Jones’s bestselling, magical, and funny Chrestomanci novels will enchant fans of Soman Chainani, Rick Riordan, and Chris Colfer.
Volume I contains Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant.
In Charmed Life, the first Chrestomanci book, the orphaned Cat Chant and his sister Gwendolen are taken to live at Chrestomanci Castle. There they are under the guardianship and tutelage of the Chrestomanci—a nine-lived enchanter who polices the many worlds of the multiverse. Gwendolen thinks highly of herself and her magical skills, but it soon comes out that Cat is the more powerful. He himself is a nine-lived enchanter and will one day take up Chrestomanci’s job—if he and Chrestomanci can stop Gwendolen from wreaking havoc in multiple worlds.
The Lives of Christopher Chant is the story of Chrestomanci’s own childhood and how he came to live at the Castle himself. With distracted parents, a nefarious uncle, and a severe guardian who was Chrestomanci before Christopher, it’s no wonder that Christopher keeps losing his lives.
The first of three volumes, the Chronicles of Chrestomanci can be read in any order.
What happens when two shy young boys are destined to become the most powerful enchanters in the multiverse?
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume I
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume I
Cozy Pairings
Speakeasy is a rich and layered fragrance that opens with warm spice and soft smoke, blending cardamom, incense, and pimento berry. At its heart, notes of saffron, plum blossom, and tobacco leaves create a deep and slightly sweet warmth, while hints of licorice add a subtle intrigue. The scent settles into a smooth, lingering base of palo santo, patchouli, vanilla, and dark chocolate, bringing a soft sweetness to its darker edges. Complex and atmospheric, this fragrance feels warm, enveloping, and quietly captivating.
Why we chose this: Chrestomanci Castle is home to a nine-lived enchanter who polices the many worlds of the multiverse, and the children who find their way there are never quite who they appeared to be at first. From Cat Chant discovering his own extraordinary power to Christopher learning what it costs to become the Chrestomanci, these stories are layered and surprising and full of the particular pleasure of a world that keeps revealing more of itself. Speakeasy carries that same quality, rich and atmospheric, with a warmth that builds slowly and a complexity that rewards attention. It is the candle for every volume in this series. Light this candle and let the smoky cardamom and dark chocolate fill the room like a castle that is considerably larger on the inside than the outside suggests and has been keeping its secrets for a very long time.