Enchanted Glass, by Diana Wynne Jones

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Aidan Cain has had the worst week of his life. His gran died, he was sent to a foster home, and now malicious beings are stalking him. There is one person Gran told Aidan to go to if he ever got into trouble - a powerful sorcerer who lives at Melstone House. 


But when Aidan arrives on the doorstep, he finds that the sorcerer's grandson, Andrew, has inherited the house. The good news is that Aidan can tell immediately that Andrew's brimming with magic, too - and so is everyone else at Melstone. The bad news is that Andrew doesn't remember anything his grandfather taught him. Chaos is swiftly rising, and he has no idea how to control it. A sinister neighbour is stealing power from the land, magic is leaking between realms... and it's only a matter of time before the Stalkers find Aidan. 


If Aidan and Andrew can harness their own magics, they may be able to help each other. But can they do it before the entire countryside comes apart at the seams? 
Short version: IT'S BY DIANA WYNNE JONES OF COURSE IT'S WONDERFUL WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU SILLY LITTLE PERSON

Slightly longer version: This was Diana Wynne Jones' last book before she died (D:). It's not one of her very best (very best one: Dark Lord of Derkholm. The end.) but it's still very good indeed.

Long version: From the very beginning of this book, there was one thing I really loved, and that was what made me love this book.

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I'm talking, of course, about Andrew. I don't know why, but I've always enjoyed kids/YA where one of the main characters is an adult, and Andrew is massively lovable in his own right. He's a bit of an absent-minded professor (another character type I've always loved). He's very kind, and very good at magic. He also reminds me quite a bit of Rowan, one of my own characters, which was fun.

(Image at right: Alternate cover of Enchanted Glass. It's not the one I read, but it's so so very much prettier.)

I liked the other characters as well. Stashe especially - she was really cool, and I though the (spoilers in white; highlight to read, but only if you've read the book) romance between her and Andrew was extremely well-done. Further spoilers: The moment when he proposed to her after she kicked out Titania one of the best moments in the book, because it was so sweet and it showed how awesome Stashe was.  Actually, no, I think it was my favourite moment.

Aidan was good, too. I loved Tarquin. Mr. Stock and Mrs. Stock (no relation to each other) made me giggle. I'm not sure I got the point of Rolf - why was he there? He wasn't very interesting and he didn't seem to add anything much, but maybe I'm just prejudiced against dogs? *cat person*

The plot was good, while slightly confusing, but, like in many of DWJ's books, it was the characters that really made me love it.

Four stars.

Six words: Aidan runs from Stalkers; Andrew helps.