Howl and SophieвЂ™s romantic relationship was a very gradual one.В Initially, Sophie finds Howl to be annoying, vain, and rather selfish.ДЄs you read, however, and as SophieвЂ™s own magical abilities becomes more apparent, you begin to wonder if there is more depth to SophieвЂ™s feelings. We get viewsВ into the relationships between Howl and Calcifer, Howl and Michael, Sophie and Calcifer, Sophie and Michael, Sophie and her sisters and, of course, Sophie and Howl. RELATED: Strong Heroines of Studio GhibliДЄs the novel progresses, so do all the relationships. This is a bond that scares them both, because the pairing of magical person and fire demon has, historically in this world, ended very badly for both parties. Calcifer is powerful but unable to do anything on his own because of his bond with Howl. Sophie is brash, tending to rush into situations without really thinking things through, while Howl is vain and a little bit selfish. The characters are complex and real, each with their own flaws and conflicts. All of SophieвЂ™s attempts to help both Howl and the other characters consistently makes things more complicated, as does her discover that she has magical powers of her own.

Despite that, heВ continues to work behind the scenes. Being in hiding, and trying to pretend that heвЂ™s not actually a good guy, Howl is reluctant to help. The event that started the disappearances wasВ a confrontation that the King had with the Witch of the Waste, who is still searching for Howl. One of the people seeking help from Howl is the King of Ingary, who is looking for theВ Wizard Suliman, and his brother Prince Justin, who disappeared while searching for Suliman. Old Sophie, as seen in the Miyazaki film, вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving Castle.вЂќ Photo: Studio Ghibli While there, she meets a cast of colorful characters including HowlвЂ™s apprenticeВ Michael, Calcifer, a fire demon who agrees to break SophieвЂ™s curse if she breaks his contract with Howl, and the people who come to Howl for magical assistance through the castleвЂ™s door, that allows Howl and his friends to go to different locations in the various worlds. Sophie finds Howl and moves into the castle as the cleaning lady, hoping to break the curse. Through a case of mistaken identity, Sophie is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, a powerful witch who had been jilted by Howl and is intent on revenge. Once they fall for him, he loses interest and the girls are left heartbroken. As the story unfolds, however, readers learn that while Howl is dangerous to young women, itвЂ™s because he tries to figuratively steal their hearts. At first, it is believed that his is literally stealing hearts, and as a result, the entire town is in fear of him. Howl has a reputation for kidnapping young girls and stealing their hearts. While Sophie is working in the hat shop in Market Chipping, a mysterious castle that moves on its own appears in the surrounding county the castle of the dreadful Wizard Howl. Of course, as in any good fantasy, there is more to Sophie than meets the eye. Sophie, of course, happens to be the eldest of three children, and as a result, she is willing to quietly fade into the background to allow her more talented sisters to shine. This bookВ also includes one of the best opening lines that I have ever encountered in a book, вЂњIn the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.вЂќВ This line both sets up the land as a place of magic and provides an introduction, of sorts, to our heroine. HowlвЂ™s Moving Castle is set in the land of Ingary, and follows Sophie Hatter, a young woman who lives in the town of Market Chipping. I was not disappointed, and felt that Jones took me on an adventure that was both a typical fantasy and a very atypical adventure story, peppered with a sense of humor. Finally, I decided that I needed to read the book itself to form a balanced opinion.

вЂњ HowlвЂ™s Moving CastleвЂќ is a book that has gotten a lot of buzz, both because itвЂ™s a widely loved fantasy and because itвЂ™s the basis for a Ghibli film.

I had also previously read the sequel,В вЂњ Castle in the Air,вЂќ not realizing it was a sequel. вЂњHowlвЂ™s Moving CastleвЂќ was one of the first Studio Ghibli films that I saw and when I learned that it was based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones, I got excited. I have to be honest, this is one of the few times that I have ever picked up a book because I loved the film.

Sophie howls moving castle