The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase Sequence
9 total works
This historical fantasy, first published in 1962 and now reissued in its original format, takes place in 1832 - in a period of English history that never happened. For Good King James III is on the throne, and the country is ravaged by wolves who have migrated through a newly opened Channel Tunnel.
Shipwrecked Dido Twite, picked up by a whaling ship, finds herself many miles from home and facing deep troubles. Sinister Miss Slighcarp, the governess from Willoughby Chase, makes a reappearance, this time is cahoots with Hanoverian plotters who have a dastardly plan in mind.
Dido Twite is back in London, where the street life is gutsy and original, and only someone with as much wit and skill for improvisation as Dido can hope to escape the terrible plots of the evil Margrave of Nordmarck. By the author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.
As the result of an accident a young girl is faced with the responsibility of foiling a Hanoverian plot to put St. Paul's Cathedral on rollers and roll it into the River Thames during the coronation of James IV.
Simon, hero of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, comes to London to study painting. He finds it a sinister place seething with plots, a town of dark alleys, mysterious meetings and still odder disappearances, of the grandeur of eccentric dukes and the evil of conspirators.
Dido faces fire, flood and execution as she unravels New Cumbria's dark secrets. But has she met her match in the shape of the country's tyrannical queen, whose secret of eternal youth seems suspiciously linked to the lack of children in the land.
King Richard, son of James III, lies gravely ill and there are rumours that the king's enemy, the Duchess of Burgundy, is preparing an imminent invasion. The ancient crown of Alfred must be found so King Richard can pass it to his successor. Is Simon, Duke of Battersea and friend of the king, next in line to the throne or will the evil werewolf Baron Magnus Rudh succeed in his plot to make his son, Lothar, king? And will Simon's friend Dido, who is being held captive by the Baron and the Duchess escape in time to find Simon and the King before it is too late? This latest adventure - with a truly galloping plot and some breath-taking situations - will delight all fans of Joan Aiken, one of Britain's best-loved children's authors. 'Playful, urgent and wildly inventive, Aiken's language is always potent. Readers with a taste for mystery and complexity will find much to savour. ' - Publishers Weekly.
The Witch of Clatteringshaws lives in Scotland in a disused Ladies Convenience - not at all convenient, the plumbing having long been smashed. In London, Simon Battersea, unhappily settled on the throne of England, is forced to live in St Jame's Palace with his good friend, Dido Twite. Never has Joan Aiken's wild imagination been more in evidence as Dido, travelling north to investigate a false claimant to the throne, is confronted by abandoned children, monsters and murderers, while Simon has to defend his country against invading Wends. Their instinct to go north is a good one for it is the witch, Malise, who provides the key to everyone's troubles in a wonderfully swift and extravagant climax. A tremendous read and a truly satisfying ending to the Dido and Simon saga.
Dido Twite is aboard the Thrush, trying to return to England after her adventures in America. But orders have been sent to find Lord Herodsfoot, said to be on Aratu, the Pacific 'Island of the Pearl Snakes'. Snakes are the least of Dido's worries as she and her companions struggle through the jungle. On Aratu she is helped by spirit magic but also meets settlers who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. And what is this strange royal residence called Limbo Lodge?