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"You are now a discard. We have no further use for you in play. You are free to walk the Bounds, but it will be against the rules for you to enter play in any world. If you succeed in returning Home, then you may enter play again in the normal manner." When Jamie unwittingly discovers the scary, dark-cloaked Them playing games with human's lives, he is cast out to the boundaries of the worlds. Only then does he discover that there are a vast number of parallel worlds, all linked by the bounds, and these sinister creatures are using them all as a massive gamesboard. Clinging to Their promise that if he can get Home he is free, he becomes the unwilling Random Factor in an endless game of chance. Irresistible Diana Wynne Jones fantasy adventure, featuring an insect-loving shapeshifter, an apprentice demon hunter and a whole host of exotic characters clinging to the hope that one day they will return Home.
After witnessing the malevolent entities known as Them manipulating human lives, young Jamie is exiled to the boundaries of existence and forced to navigate a series of parallel worlds. Jamie must survive as a 'Random Factor' in a cosmic game, constantly fleeing the reach of his captors while searching for a way back to his original home. The narrative, presented through a first-person perspective, follows his desperate attempts to outmaneuver the rules imposed by the dark-cloaked figures. He encounters other displaced individuals, each struggling with their own limitations as they traverse the dangerous, interconnected landscapes of the multiverse.
This work is frequently cited for its imaginative scope and its ability to blend dark, existential themes with traditional fantasy adventure elements. Readers often highlight the unsettling nature of the antagonists and the emotional weight of Jamie's isolation as he moves between worlds. The narrative structure is noted for its clever subversion of standard portal fantasy tropes, favoring a more cynical and high-stakes approach to world-hopping. The book remains a significant entry in the author's bibliography, praised for its intellectual depth and the consistency of its internal logic.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
1981-01-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins Canada, Limited
ISBN-10:
0006755259
ISBN-13:
9780006755258
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