Author | Diana Wynne Jones |
---|---|
Illustrator | Tim Stevens[1] |
Language | English |
Series | Chrestomanci |
Genre | Children's fantasy novel |
Publisher | Collins |
Publication date | March 2005 |
Publication place | United Kingdom |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | 393 (first edition)[2] |
ISBN | 978-0-00-719085-0 |
OCLC | 57199954 |
Preceded by | Mixed Magics |
Followed by | The Pinhoe Egg |
Conrad's Fate is a children's fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones published by Collins in 2005. It was the sixth published of the seven Chrestomanci books (1977 to 2006).[3]
Conrad is the protagonist, a twelve-year-old boy sent to work at the local castle ("Stallery"), with a magical mission to kill someone who is neither named nor described. Fifteen-year-old Christopher Chant (The Lives of Christopher Chant) applies for work at the same time on a personal mission. They are both hired.
The Chrestomanci books are collectively named for a powerful enchanter and British government official called "the Chrestomanci" in a world parallel to ours, who supervises the use of magic - an office that requires a nine-lifed enchanter and which is responsible for supervising all use of magic in the Related Worlds (worlds that speak English). Conrad's Fate is set perhaps three decades ago in a world quite different from ours, during the adolescence of Christopher Chant, who is Chrestomanci in five of the other books in the series.