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The Winter of Enchantment Hardcover – Illustrated, October 1, 2007

by Victoria Walker (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
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Through a magic mirror Sebastian travels from his Victorian world of winter snow and Mrs. Parkin to a magic world of Melissa, Mantari the cat, a wicked Enchanter, and many other exciting people. Melissa, a pretty young girl, has been imprisoned in a large house by the wicked Enchanter. Sebastian first meets Melissa through the magic mirror and resolves to do everything in his power, and with the help of a little magic, to free her. First published in 1968, this wonderful children's classic is back in hardcover!
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    152 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Purple House Press
  4. Publication date
    October 1, 2007
  5. Grade level
    8 - 6
  6. Reading age
    13 - 17 years
  7. Dimensions
    6.45 x 0.65 x 9.25 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    1930900333
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1930900332
  10. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

One of my all-time favourite children's fantasy novels. Garth Nix

About the Author

Victoria Walker was twenty-one when she wrote The Winter of Enchantment in 1968. A second story about Sebastian and Melissa, The House Called Hadlows, was published in 1972. In 1973 she went to Cambridge University to read English and married immediately after finishing her degree. Two children followed and two decades passed before she began to write under her married name of Victoria Clayton. She lives with her husband in Northamptonshire.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Purple House Press (October 1, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1930900333
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1930900332
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 - 6
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.45 x 0.65 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

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  1. Victoria Walker

    Victoria Walker

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  2. Victoria Clayton

    Victoria Clayton

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
74 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

catherine.murdoch@bigpond.com
5.0 out of 5 stars Neverending enjoyment
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2014
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I have lost count of the number of times I have read this book. Even though it is a children's book, in my opinion it is one of those rare books that appeal equally to young and old. It is many decades since I was a child and I still enjoy this novel and never seem to tire of it. Part of the story's appeal for me is the fact that although neither of the two main characters have magic powers, by the powers of the magic objects in the story they are able to use magic to perform certain tasks. A surprise ending is the icing on the cake. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a "fairy tale" with a difference, or to anyone who just enjoys a good story.
One person found this helpful
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Naticia
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Story
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2021
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An absolutely delightful children's story of magic where nothing really bad happens. Will likely read again, over and over.
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Susie Skavdahl
5.0 out of 5 stars fun, mysterious story that will capture your imagination
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2014
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This story has been one of my favorites since I was in Jr a High. It is a creative, fun, mysterious story that will capture your imagination.
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Bee
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2018
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A childhood favorite. I'm so glad I found it. It's a magical book.
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Phil
5.0 out of 5 stars Being re-pusblished
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2006
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Just a note that "Winter of Enchantment" is going to be re-pusblished by Fidra Books, and will be due out in November of 2006. The "House Called Hadlows" is scheduled to be published the following year.
7 people found this helpful
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Inspector Gadget
3.0 out of 5 stars No discontent
Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2013
I was told that The Winter of Enchantment was very much like  Marianne Dreams  and was given it to read on that basis. I won't deny that there are a lot of similarities, and when it comes to the style of writing the former has aged a lot better, but it lacks the dark symbolism of Catherine Storr's novel.

Sebastian is a lonely privileged boy in Victorian London who misses his dead mother while his father works across the world. He is cared for by his governess and tutor and rarely interacts with anyone else. During a dark December his world is slowly manipulated by a girl trapped in an alternate reality limbo. Sebastian ventures into this limbo to rescue her, but must solve a series of low-wattage puzzles and tasks first.

TWOE is not a dull novel, but it certainly could be better. There is not much winter atmosphere, the magic seems to be kind of "stock", and there wasn't much mystery. I felt that it sort of played-out like a 80s text adventure on the Commodore 64.

The book is preceded by a long introduction by the writer reflecting on her turbulent life in the years before and after the original printing of TWOE. I had never heard of it, but apparently many fans from back in those days had been clamoring for a reprint, which Fidra eventually provided. I think that this novel would have made a perfect children's drama series on the BBC back in the 80s. I can totally see this being as popular as Greenclaws or the 1988 Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe if they had given it a chance.

I didn't quite understand the ending, which I won't spoil, but perhaps  The House Called Hadlows  would clear that up.
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Clare O'Beara
5.0 out of 5 stars The winter of enchantment
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2013
This is a brilliant tale for young people.
Sebastian lives in Victorian London. He likes an old silver teapot because it seems to have a face on it. Then a very smart ginger cat shows up and follows him around, purring.
Sebastian's father is abroad in India and his mother is dead, so he is lonely. Through a magic mirror in a junk shop, Sebastian gets to see a girl, and he feels he has to buy the mirror. Then the girl can speak to him. She is called Melissa and is being held captive in a large house by a wicked enchanter. She says the cat is hers, called Mantari. She wears a red dress and lives in a tower by herself, but she can come down and wander in the gardens. Melissa knows of a magical item called the Silver Fish, and while it can't be found, the young people think it very likely that Mantari has eaten the fish, which would have drawn him to the Silver Teapot and the Mirror.
Sebastian has marvellous adventures such as a shadow turning him into a shadow to travel through walls, meeting up with the personifications of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and finding a way through a hedge maze as he and Melissa seek out the magic emerald and rose which could, together with the teapot, mirror and Mantari, be the items required to free Melissa from the spells of the enchanter.
The younger readers can read this - if you can read Narnia you can love this - and older readers will find a lot of originality and excellent description. Eight might be a good age. There is no huge cast list so the story is easy to follow. I'm thrilled that it has been reissued.
Read and enjoy.

There is a follow-up called The House Called Hadlows, now reissued. Unfortunately I didn't find it nearly so vibrant and engaging. But sure, read it for more about Sebastian, Melissa and Mantari, but do read the first book first. The author, after a hiatus to rear her own family, then wrote adult romances.
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Molly Grue
5.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting adventure!
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2008
When Sebastian, a boy in Victorian England, sees an unhappy young girl in an antique mirror, he feels compelled to purchase it and free her from captivity. Melissa was kidnapped long ago by a wicked Enchanter who swore to deprive her adoptive father of whatever he loved most. Unless Sebastian can free her, she is doomed to spend eternity alone, trapped in the Enchanter's Treasure House, a place where time is meaningless.

To liberate Melissa, Sebastian must collect the Enchanter's five Power Objects---the mirror, a teapot, a silver fish, an emerald, and a green rose---and throw them into a magic well.

The dreamlike adventures Melissa and Sebastian experience while locating the Power Objects are both vivid and memorable, as the two meet the anthropomorphic four seasons, escape from the Grey Forest, discover the Enchanter's Garden, negotiate a treacherous maze, and confront the evil Enchanter. But just as their quest succeeds, Sebastian remembers that Melissa was abducted about ninety years before he was born. Will freeing his friend mean losing her forever?

A wonderful book sure to appeal to fantasy lovers of all ages.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

paperbackreader
5.0 out of 5 stars A childhood favourite
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 15, 2019
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I first read this book when I was 7 years old. Over the intervening 40 years, I have returned to my childhood favourite time and again and I never tire of the enchanting plot about a boy who goes on a spectacular adventure
Having just read it again, now on Kindle, I thought I'd leave a review... children will love this story and I do think most adults will too.
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Adam_
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read. Will appeal to boys and girls alike.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2020
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Had this first read to me in class back in the late 60's. Just had to read it again. Well worth a read. Both girls and boys will like this.
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Nick Creffield
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 17, 2020
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Had this book read to me as a child at school, but it was out of print even then. So glad to be able to re-read it and find out there is a sequel!
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Malcolm Steward
5.0 out of 5 stars Malcolm steward
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2015
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I have been addicted to ms clayton books. I believe chick lit is the genre but that's not how I see them. This is written with the same flair and fluidity,and has clearly proved an excellent apprenticeship for clayton for later work. Many thanks ms clayton
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Denise Butler
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2013
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I decided to buy this book as I had read most of the author's other books for adults. This book is not just for children - in fact it's too good for them!! I absolutely adored it & am now off to buy the sequel!!
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