Description

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?

Publisher Review

"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