In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter.</p>

After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the Witch was about to terrorize the country again. So when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was the Witch. The castle, however, belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the souls of young girls.</p>

The Hatter sisters--Sophie, Lettie, and Martha--and all the other girls were warned not to venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning.</p>

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?</p>

Diana Wynne Jones's entrancing fantasy is filled with surprises at every turn, but when the final stormy duel between the Witch and the Wizard is finished, all the pieces fall magically into place.</p>

戴安娜•韦恩•琼斯

Diana Wynne Jones（1934－2011）

她才华横溢，想象力超群。

她深得托尔金（《魔戒》）和C.S.刘易斯（《纳尼亚传奇》）的精髓；

她笔下的故事激发了无数后起之秀的灵感，

无论是远在东方的宫崎骏，还是风靡全球的J.K罗琳……

她的幻想作品被称为《哈利•波特》的前身。

戴安娜•韦恩•琼斯（1934－2011）是杰出的幻想小说作家，写作出色的幻想小说已有三十多个年头。凭借漫无边际的想象力，她的故事糅合了精彩的情节，热情的幽默感，和动人的真理，为各年龄层的读者所喜欢。她的作品受到国际褒奖并获得了一系列荣誉，包括两次“波士顿环球报号角书奖”以及英国幻想协会卡尔•爱德华•瓦格纳奖——以肯定她在幻想文学领域的重大影响。著名导演动画家宫崎骏改编了《哈尔的移动城堡》，拍摄成一部出色的电影，获得了奥斯卡奖提名。