Diana Wynne Jones
4/5 stars
Abdullah, a carpet seller in Zanzib, purchases a flying carpet which transports him to the garden of a lovely girl, Flower-in-the-Night. They fall in love, but before Abdullah can elope with her, a djinn kidnaps Flower-in-the-Night. With the aid of his magic carpet, a genie in a bottle, and an old cat-fancying soldier, Abdullah sets off on an adventure to rescue his beloved.
Jones was a gifted storyteller, and this is a fun adventure. Her characters become real as the reader gets deeper into the story, and even the most bizarre situations make sense after Jones works her magic tying up the ends. Humorous and well-written, Castle in the Air is a satisfying read.
Note: This sequel to Howl's Moving Castle seems like a stand-alone novel at the beginning, but as it reaches the final third, the reader must be familiar with the characters from the previous book for the situations to make sense.
