Magic Flutes is the last of Eva Ibbotson’s young adult books that I have to read. I do enjoy her books but I cannot help but feel, as you progress through them, that they are rather formulaic and predictable and that led to me not enjoy the book as much as I did the early books.
I love the way in which Eva Ibbotson describes Vienna and Austria. She really draws you in to that world although at times I find myself stumbling on some of the words such as the name of the castle. Some of the dialogue also leaves me a little confused because at times the book presumes you know certain things which aren’t necessarily common knowledge.
Tessa and Guy are very likeable characters although at times they are just too perfect. I suppose that could be said of most of Eva Ibbotson’s novels though – especially with the female heroine. Guy, I guess, is supposed to be slightly flawed in his temper. Nerine reminds me rather too much of Muriel from the previous Eva Ibbotson book The Secret Countess. The characters just seem too similar.
This novel is an easy read. Everything that happens you can see coming without any difficulty even if you aren’t familiar with Eva Ibbotson’s previous novels. But that doesn’t totally destroy my enjoyment of the novel – it’s easy to get lost in the world that Eva Ibbotson creates. It’s a world which is pretty safe and comfortable despite it taking place in the fallout of war.
