We’re bravely continuing to cover the Chrestomanci series in whatever order we please. It’s time to revisit The Magicians of Caprona by Diana Wynne Jones! The Montanas and the Petrocchis have a generations-deep family feud, but are forced to work together when their children Tonino and Angelica go missing. Their Italian hometown of Caprona is beset by a mysterious enchanter who manages to throw off the families’ magic and confuse them at every turn. Featuring the most frightening puppet scene, the grossest cursed kitchen, and the biggest cat, this small stakes story still offers delightful maximalism. Grab your Punch and Judy collection and join us!

Our other Chrestomanci episodes:

Charmed Life

Witch Week

The Lives of Christopher Chant

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Our Zilpha Keatley Snyder hyperfixation continues with The Changeling. If you’ve been looking for a way to connect with your child self, this book is it. Ivy and Martha access magical worlds, set pork chop traps for cryptids, and attempt righteous horse theft and the rest of Rosewood Manor can’t handle it. We discuss the pain of aging out of make believe, suburban class tensions, and the healing power of the stage. We’re all changelings and we’ll never grow up - join us!

Other ZKS episodes:

The Witches of Worm

The Egypt Game

The Headless Cupid

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We’re returning to D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon series with The Never War! This ridiculous (complimentary) alternate reality historical fiction sees Bobby heading to New York City, 1937. He’s supposed to stop the Hindenburg from exploding and save the passengers aboard - OR IS HE??? We meet the wonderful Gunny, watch Spader go full Inigo Montoya and wonder how the heck Courtney and Mark are doing. Enjoy butterfly effect fury, concerns about parallel worlds sharing the same timeline, why Bobby can’t just go kill Hitler and whether he’s trapped in a cycle of grief avoidance. Ya know, regular middle grade SFF stuff!

*Note - in spite of a promise to talk at length about season 2 of The Rehearsal, my favorite piece of media from 2025 so far, we had so much to say that there wasn’t a chance to get to it. If you would like to discuss the intersection between The Rehearsal and The Never War, I beg you - get in touch.

EPISODE MEDIA

Other Pendragon episodes:

The Merchant of Death

The Lost City of Faar

Adventure Time Islands miniseries episode - Imaginary Resources

MUSIC - Pippin the Hunchback and Thatched Villagers by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/