Charmed Life was published by Macmillan in 1977. The novel introduces the Chrestomanci series — set in a multiverse of parallel worlds, one of which is overseen by a powerful enchanter called Chrestomanci (a title, not a name, held by whoever has nine lives). The current Chrestomanci is Christopher Chant, an elegant, dandyish figure whose apparent laziness conceals enormous power.
The protagonist is Eric “Cat” Chant, a young orphan who lives in the shadow of his sister Gwendolen — a talented witch who takes them both to live at Chrestomanci Castle. Cat believes himself to be without magic, an ordinary boy in an extraordinary household. In fact (as the reader gradually understands), Cat possesses nine lives — the qualification for becoming the next Chrestomanci — and Gwendolen has been secretly using his lives and magic for her own purposes.
The novel’s central revelation — that the apparently helpless protagonist is actually the most powerful character in the story — is characteristic of Jones’s work: her novels consistently challenge assumptions about where power resides and who deserves it. Cat’s ignorance of his own nature is not mere plot device but thematic substance: the book is about what it means to have power you don’t know about, and what happens when that power is exploited by someone you trust.
The domestic comedy of the castle — its rituals, its hierarchies, its servants and visitors — provides a warm, detailed setting that grounds the metaphysical concepts in recognizable social reality. Jones was expert at making magical worlds feel lived-in.
Collecting Charmed Life
First edition (Macmillan, London, 1977): Hardcover, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $200–$500
- Very good/very good: $80–$200