Some of the best fantasy writing today can be found in novels arbitrarily labeled as "Young Adult," even though they can and should be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Chief among this contingent of writers who now seem destined to lurk in the shadow of J.K. Rowling is Diana Wynne Jones, who's output of well-crafted, entertaining books spans the past four decades. With dozens of titles in print, Jones is arguably one of the most talented, most entertaining fantasy novelists writing today.

Among her best novels is Howl's Moving Castle, a pure joy of a story that takes familiar elements from fantasy--witches, wizards, demons, and the like--and turns them inside out. By peopling her fantastic world with dynamic, realistic characters, Wynne Jones takes the fantasy genre beyond its usual cliched narratives.

Instead of a typical fantasy protagonist, we are presented with Sophie Hatter, eldest daughter of a hat maker, resigned to assist her step-mother in the family hat shop while her two younger sisters are apprenticed to a pastry cook and a witch. The family dynamic, while straight out of a hundred Cinderella imitators, is turned on its head by the unexpectedly affectionate feelings of the sisters toward each other. All three are far more than they seem to be at the novel's outset. Most notable is the fact that, of the three, Sophie is the least interesting. She has no drive or desire to seek her fortune, no particular talent or skill at much of anything, and is overall a bit on the slow side.

Most novels would have been content to follow the story of Sophie's sisters, Lettie and Martha, who switch bodies in order to achieve their respective goals (Lettie wants to learn witchcraft; Martha wants to start a family). Both have stronger personalities and more interesting motivations than their older sister. Wynne Jones is up to the challenge of telling Sophie's story, however, despite the difficulties involved.

While a typical heroine would no doubt have uncanny insight into the feelings and motivations of others, Sophie is actually quite dense when it comes to reading people, least of all her family. Her social and intuitive incompetence incites the rage of the feared Witch of Waste, who turns the hapless heroine into a hunched crone in a fit of misdirected spite. In short order, Sophie is driven away from the hat shop and into the grasp of the elusive Wizard Howl and his mysterious moving castle.

What makes Castle such a great read is the unexpected way in which characters and motivations change as the story progresses. Because we see events through Sophie's eyes, many individuals' true intentions are obscured or masked early on. Part of the fun of the book is determining not only who is good and who is evil, but exactly who is trying to get what from whom.

While the middle section of the novel is likely longer than it needs to be, Wynne Jones' breezy style and clever diction push the reader through the less eventful sections. Despite the meandering nature of the plot, events tie together very nicely by the time the final page has been turned.

Particularly exciting for fans of the novel is that it is currently being adapted by Hayao Miyazaki (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) as an animated film. The combination of Wynne Jones' fantastic storytelling and Miyazaki's visual brilliance are likely to make this the best animated film of 2004.