Enchanted Glass

Finished December 8

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

This middle grade fantasy has a great setting, interesting characters, and a plot with interesting elements. 

Andrew Hope's magician grandfather has recently died and left him everything from his house and land to his magical field of care. Andrew, a university professor, moves into the house, but plans to continue his research. The cook/housekeeper and the gardener are vying to see who can get the upper hand in terms of control and both bring in relatives as additional employees as part of this competitiveness. One of them is Stashe, an attractive and efficient secretary and research assistant who also plays a larger role in terms of magic. The other is Shaun, a simple and earnest young man who has mechanical know how and is willing to work hard at whatever job he is given.

When a boy, Aidan, arrives at the house, things begin to get even more interesting. Aidan's grandmother, who raised him, has recently died leaving him in foster care, but she'd given him instructions to seek out Andrew's grandfather should anything happen to her, so he has. Andrew takes Aidan's situation seriously, guarding him from the creatures who seem to be threatening him, and looking for a longer term solution. 

Since one of Andrew's first tasks is to walk the boundaries of the field of care, he asks Aidan to accompany him on this series of outings and they both begin to learn more about their own magical abilities. Andrew also learns of threats to his field of care and the village itself and is determined to keep control. As he learns more about the two stained glass windows on the property, and the way the magic works, he grows into proper adulthood. 

A captivating read.