In the style of Diana Wynn-Jones and J.K. Rowling, there's a lot of moral ambiguity in this fantasy, buoyed by great characters and sly humor. The plot is satisfyingly wrapped up, but Jinx himself remains a bit of a mystery at the end, so we can expect sequels. Here's how I'd book talk it:

After being abandoned in the Urwald forest by his uncaring stepfather, Jinx is adopted by a cranky wizard named Simon. As he grows up in the wizard's strange home, he learns some magic and makes friends with two other kids, Elfwyn and Reven, who have mysterious curses on them. Jinx is no ordinary boy himself: He has the strange ability to see the color of people's thoughts. Together they search for a way to lift their curses and discover the secrets of the Urwald. ( )

Jinx is abandoned by his stepfather in the Urwald forest, where the wizard Simon adopts him as a possible apprentice. Jinx has a gift of being able to see people's emotions as colors and an ability to speak to the trees via physical contact with the dirt/leaves. Lonely and isolated, he makes friends with Ellwyn and Reven, each of whom are trying to get spells lifted. Together they seek out the dangerous wized, the Bonemaker, whom they believe can breal the spells; they discover the source of his evil and work together to escape his clutches. ( )

children's middlegrade (PG for witches/dark magic and mild scariness). orphaned magician's apprentice adventure, actually pretty good. ( )

A very nice book in the Diana Wynne Jones tradition--perhaps even with a knowing nod to her, as the first wizard we encounter is quite Howl-ish, and married to a Sophie! Not as moving as her books can get, so rather equivalent to a second-tier Jones' book, which is still very high praise.

I didn't quite feel all the characters as much as I'd like to (compared to, say, Flora Segunda, where everyone seemed so vivid and vital and interesting.

The plot wavered from Howl's Moving Castleish, to Ella Enchantedish, and didn't seem quite as neat as it could be, so it's a 4 for me, but I'm quite keen to continue the series and hardly expect most books to earn 5 stars.

(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!) ( )

A fun and funny adventure in a fantasy world reminiscent of the works of Dianna Wynne Jones. ( )