Once upon a time, in a far southern land, there lived a young man named Abdullah. He traded in carpets at the bazaar, but more than anything else he loved building air castles, dreaming up wonders, and fantasizing about marrying a beautiful princess. But before Abdullah could truly get an enchanted carpet-airplane and meet the very real princess, his peaceful life ended: the lovely Flower-in-the-Night was immediately kidnapped by a terrible ifrit. And then thrilling adventures began… Soon Abdullah found out—by fate’s will—that air castles are more than real, and that the people (and not only people) he meets on his travels are by no means who they seem at first glance!
No matter what fantastic story Diana Wynne Jones tells the reader, you definitely won’t be bored. This time, even Shaherezade might envy her. The reader is in for a magical detective story and a wonderful fairy tale, scheming and love, the kidnapping of a princess (and not just one), faraway, sky-high places and an air castle, scorching deserts and forest thickets, robbers and wizards—and also the familiar heroes of “Howl’s Moving Castle.”