The Witch of Clatteringshaws

The Wolves Chronicles #11

by Joan Aiken

Dido Twite’s sharp wits are put to the test in this new adventure in the Wolves Chronicles. After King Richard dies, Dido’s good pal Simon is put on the English throne, but he hates being cooped up in drafty St. James Palace, and his crusty old advisors won’t let him have any fun at all. If only another descendent of the king could be found, Simon would gladly be replaced. Never short a solution, Dido discovers a lead to another member of the royal line. But no one knows exactly who—or where—the child is.

The masterful storyteller Joan Aiken once again invites readers into a spellbinding world of magic, mystery, and mayhem—with a dose of “proper” English hilarity, of course.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Adventure, Fiction, Historical, Alternate History, Mystery

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Joan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.

She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).

Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.

Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.

Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.

Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malise is the District Witch of Clatteringshaws, sometime in the 1840s of a Caledonia not of this world. She almost held the key to who was to be the monarch after the death of King Richard IV, if only she hadn’t been distracted by a tune composed by Dido Twite’s father. And if that last piece of a puzzle isn’t recovered, Dido’s friend Simon won’t be fully convinced he need not be King any longer.

This, then, is one facet of the final instalment of Joan Aiken’s Wolves Chronicles, a series which ran to a dozen or more titles and which this novella, even in its seemingly truncated form, attempts more or less successfully to bring to a satisfactory conclusion.

But, as with each and every episode, the story is like a intricate mosaic: seen in a cursory way from a distance it presents a strong image with a narrative, but when examined closely its tesellated pieces give hints of different materials and their unexpected relationships.

The main story begins in St James’s Palace in London where King Simon is chafing at the bit not only because of his tedious duties but because he’s expected to marry a giant Finnish princess whom he’s never met. Dido, who doesn’t want to be queen, declines to marry him. But circumstances dictate that she needs to travel with another friend, known as Woodlouse, to the railway terminus at Clatteringshaws in Scotland, the very same location where Malise is ensconced in a former convenience at a disused coach park.

In due course Dido and the Woodlouse are followed by Simon, the royal jester, the Archbishop of Canterbury and sundry ne’er-do-wells. In less than a hundred and fifty pages they are confronted by treasonous plots, an invading army, ravenous folkloric creatures called Hobyahs and a monster which is equally comfortable in Loch Grieve, in the air, or in its hidden mountain cave. Will Clatteringshaws be the end of the line for any of these people?

In other words, this is a classic fantasy from Aiken in which outrageous coincidences, traditional motifs, incredible prophecies and fantastical creatures interact in completely satisfying ways with quirky characters and drag us along, willy-nilly, in their wake. It is a coat of many colours and contrasting materials, woven together in the author’s distinctive way.

And did I mention humour, and compassion, and music? When Dido’s last words are ‘Pa’s songs! They’ve really come in handy at last!’ this Aiken fan just wants to turn back to the first page and start anew, picking out the nuances missed the first time and reliving the joy and exhilaration of the tumultuous ride. Any sadness that this is the end of the written saga is mitigated by the sense that Dido and Simon and their friends will live on in our imaginations.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first impressions on reading this last book in the "Wolves Chronicles," published more than 40 years after The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and the year after its author's death in 2004, were that it was too short; that it was too lightweight; that it resolved things too quickly and too easily; that it had too many earmarks of an unrealized sketch, or an unfinished work, fleshed out or completed by a ghost-writer. By that time, however, I had been in touch with Lizza Aiken, daughter of the late Joan and administrator of the author's website. She admitted that other reviewers had picked up on the same vibes, but in fact the book was all Joan Aiken's work. And the reason the book reads that way is explained in the author's own afterword to the U.K. edition of the book - read it here, in case (like me) you were perplexed by a U.S. edition that omits it. And here is an essay Lizza wrote about how certain authors' final, posthumous works may be considered a parting gift to their fans - as evidenced not only by this book, but also by Terry Pratchett's The Shepherd's Crown . I am thankful to Lizza for directing me to all these resources. The sum-total TLDR of them is that Joan Aiken wanted to bring the story of Dido Twite and Simon Battersea to a satisfying conclusion, and to reveal her final intentions for the unique alternate-history fantasy world in which they dwell - but as she felt the energy to write leaving her, she decided writing a short book was better than starting a long one and not finishing it.

As the canon closes on the strange world of Dido Twite & Co., Simon - lately promoted from Duke of Battersea to King of England, against his will - has begun to wish somebody else would come forward with a believable claim to the throne. Dido, meanwhile, has turned down his proposal of marriage for the simple reason that she doesn't want to be queen. She isn't the only person who doesn't want Dido to be queen; a couple of Simon's counselors have begun to hatch a plot to put forward a pretender to the throne. Joined by her friend Piers, a.k.a. the Woodlouse, who has turned up surprisingly alive and well after being presumed dead in a previous adventure, Dido travels to the lochside village of Clatterinshaws, Scotland to check out a possible heir who has been reported by the local witch, Malise.

Malise is the final masterpiece in Aiken's long career of inventing unforgettable characters. Doing triple duty as a district health inspector, child welfare case worker, and magical practitioner, she consorts with an ancient otter-worm known to local folks as the monster of the loch, battles even ancienter nocturnal nasties known as the Hobyahs, has family connections with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the king's jester, and struggles daily with the guilt of having missed the dying words of an important saint whose prophecy was supposed to carry great importance for the kingdom. Also, she rides a golf club instead of a broom.

Between them, Dido and Malise have to protect a downtrodden orphan named Fred from an awful nursing-home matron and her worthless son, who have designs of their own on the British throne. Meanwhile Simon must lead an army equipped for warfare in another century to confront a threat that has landed on the Scottish shore. Though he is anything but a battle-hardened warrior, he must soon face the Wendish king in a goofy sort of single combat.

Though it all ties up faster than one would like, it does so with many fine, Aikenesque touches - such as Malise's remark about a case of athlete's foot turning out to be Achilles heel. Towards the end it has the plotting and pacing of some of the more preposterous operas of Rossini, and perhaps a similar style of music is meant to go with the silly lyrics that its characters sing increasingly often. But all is finally well in a kingdom blessed with an ex-king who has kind hands, a surprise heir, an all-too-knowing parrot, and a prophecy that comes to light with perfect timing. I wish there could have been more - but perhaps it is, as Aiken said, better to know how the author meant it to end than to be left wondering forever.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It turns out this is the last book in the series, and I have yet to read the one that comes before this, but they really do work all right as stand-alones. This one is quite short and appears to be more of an outline than a fleshed-out novel. It was published after Aiken’s death, and I think she wanted to write it out in case she didn’t get a chance to write out a proper novel (which she didn’t, sadly). This way at least people would get a conclusion.

So for what it is, it is pretty good. Aiken has a distinct style and a unique imagination. Her books defy genre. This series I can best describe as pre-steampunk alt-history. Each book includes a conspiracy of some kind, usually an assassination plot. Aiken is not afraid to kill off characters! The books tend to include some supernatural elements like ESP and prophecies and twists like long-lost relatives.

This book is mostly a search for a long-long heir. There’s also a loch with one big monster and a group of smaller monsters and a witch who lives near the loch. The villains are into plastic surgery and starving the elderly and being mean to cats. I can’t imagine Dido older than 12, but apparently she’s old enough to marry now. I couldn’t quite grasp that. Also, I love Simon so much, and he’s the closest I ever came to a book crush. I just wish this book could have been bigger!

Book Blog

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book in the wonderful Wolves sequence of alternate historical novels by Aiken. As it explains in the foreword this was written as Aiken's health was failing and she knew she couldn't commit to writing a full length book. This is important and needs to be taken into consideration when reading - as it does feel like a quickly sketched out tale without the usual fleshing out which makes Aiken's writing so full of depth and realism.

As such it isn't in the same league as classics such as Dido and Pa or Midnight is a Place, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Aiken's wry comic humor is still in full force, along with some puzzling modern references to washing machines and A roads... which I think might bother the more purist readers, but Aiken has always been at times a rather whacky and bonkers creative writer, and her historical settings have never completely adhered to accuracy.

Whilst it might have been more satisfying if this had been a fully fleshed out novel, which might have tied up the ends of Dido and Simon's story more satisfactorily - sometimes the best endings are left unsaid.

I will miss looking forward to reading the next books in this series, but now I have the perfect excuse to revisit them and enjoy all over again.

[Amy Linton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose there's a double-decker German word to describe the special sorrow a reader feels when a beloved author has died, thereby ending new excursions to a beloved fictional world.

So it is with Joan Aiken and this, the final novel with Dido Twite in an alternate England where Victoria never comes to the throne.

It's a slight novel, but one that gives Dido's father's music one last verse, and sends us to a Scotland still battling Vikings (though they are pretty tame by now), so our plucky heroine finally sees a way for her friend Simon to escape out from under the British crown. Sigh. The End.

But a person can always go back and start over with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, right?

[Tyas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Read as a standalone, it's a little charming book; but considering it's the last book of the Wolves of Willoughby Chase chronicle, it feels like it's lost most of the energy that has driven the rest of the sequence. Well, Joan Aiken has reached a very considerable age at the time she wrote this book (she died in 2004, aged 79), so maybe it has to do something with the book being thin and feeling like a hasty conclusion for Wolves. Wolves could have ended rather heart-breakingly with Midwinter Nightingale, but Aiken decided to write another one to end Simon's misery as a king. But then again the book does not feel really... finished. I wonder if the writing was interrupted or halted by Aiken's health conditions.

In short, Simon didn't think he fit his duty as King of England, and Dido didn't want to be Queen, so Dido went to Caledonia to find another one in the line that could replace Simon. From there, things went on a serendipity fast-track - many events just seemed a bit unbelievable. I don't know whether Piers' return has been planned ever since the previous book, but there - there are always simple, even silly, solutions in Clatteringshaws. Simon having to face the Welds invasion with only 2,000 men? ("Men of the Ninth Army... By the way, what happened to the other eight?") No worries. Simon wouldn't even have to shed a drop of blood.

And it ended - yes, just like that, when I'm dying to know what would happen to Simon and Dido afterwards! They had grown really fond of each other ever since they met, but then... What! The pages run out! Uh, what!

Oh well. Anyway, I really thank Aiken for having provided us with one of the most interesting fantasy sequence ever written. I first read Is and Cold Shoulder Road when I was in high school, and it took me more than 10 years to complete my Wolves collection (even now I still have 2 of the books unread, I was dying to read the ending of the sequence!) Thank you once again, Joan, I'll always remember Simon and Dido.

[Amy Worrall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can only be read in the context of its author’s note at the end. Near the end of her life, Joan Aiken was trying to write one last instalment of the Wolves saga, and as she says herself, better to have a short-but-finished tale than an ambitious yet unfinished work.

So what if the plot (and indeed the plot twist) is rather predictable? The situations and characters still have Aiken’s usual zany charm — a witch who lives in a lavatory, an army of cheese loving Scots, a casually evil retirement home owner… there were questions left unanswered but my mind filled in the blanks. (And there is one question about the main characters that I’m glad remains unanswered, since it would have made too twee an ending.)

As a stand-alone work without this context, yes the story is too short, with some deus-ex-epistola to resolve the plot. But I was very glad to get another instalment of Dido’s adventures, and can forgive it a lot.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alas and alack, if Midwinter Nightingale felt underdeveloped, this is sadly undercooked, almost a short story. Nonetheless, Aiken's wit and invention are present on almost every page, just not the energy and not the proper momentum that a book featuring plots about Dido's search for a new heir to the throne and Simon marching to war should have. The conclusion is rushed, but nothing is really left hanging and there are some fine jokes, and the letters from the witch are worth reading all on their own. Maybe only completists will make it this far, and maybe they'll be sad, but hopefully they'll be satisfied, too.

[karoline steinfatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phonetisch transkribierter schottischer Dialekt ist immer wieder schön.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been better -- it was maybe a little underbaked in the middle -- but it was still pretty good. I tried reading it to my 9YO last Halloween but he wasn't having it. Maybe when he's older? For some reason, the author's voice reminded me of Lloyd Alexander, whom I've also struggled to get my kids into, so maybe it's just a matter of personal preference for and against British prose.

It made sense to find out that the author was trying to get this out before her death. I think this is an exemplary case of Done conquering its archenemy, Perfection. Now I want to check out her other books that she was able to spend more time perfecting. It's apparent that she's a storyweaver who enjoys tying all the strands into a satisfyingly neat bow at the end.

Another half-star off for one of the main, likeable characters -- a mandatory reporter at that -- shrugging off child abuse. But give it back for the fun cover.

[Kira Nerys · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a bad habit of picking up and reading Joan Aiken's books whenever I come across them. I'm screwing myself over with it; this is book 11 in the series and my account only lists 6 I've read. I've probably read more, but it was before I got a goodreads account, so who knows--and anyway, that doesn't mean I remember this broad and growing cast of characters. Plus: literally none of the books I've read list "The Wolves Chronicles" separately and in order at the beginning of the book. When I was in elementary school, I had no idea which books to look for next at the library.

As a novel, this is an odd one. It moves along at a snappish pace, which probably isn't a surprise; it's a short read, and it seems to have been published posthumously. This doesn't mean it needs to be longer; the pacing is, actually, quite impressive for the broad intertwining of plot points and characters this volume pulls off. Aiken leans into her dark sense of humor here, with both positive moments of friendship and her usual sprinkling of children being tormented by adults. There's a distinct fantastical bent to this story, which I didn't quite expect but which proved my favorite part. A lot of the premise seems to expand her satirizing of England to include Scotland, but as an American, the jokes about culture and language often went over my head.

Dido is just as fun (and incomprehensible) to read as she always is, and I liked most of the other characters, although I can't say I understood their accents much. It seems unfair to draw any major conclusions about an 11-book series without comparing the entries, though, so I'll leave my scattered thoughts at this.

[Taylor Ren’e Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm very sad to say I did not enjoy this book. I thought the story was underdeveloped and the dialect of the characters (still not sure whether it was supposed to be Scottish or just made up for the book) tiring to follow. I did enjoy the imagination that went into the creatures and settings but that wasn't enough to keep my attention. I got halfway through it and quit.
That said, I find it necessary to point out that this book is the last in a chronicle and I tried to read it as a stand alone. Maybe I would have felt differently had I read it with the rest of the series.

[Shala Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely fine way to spend an afternoon. A little Terry Pratchett-y but not too derivative. Goodreads tells me this is book 11 in a series which explains some things but I read it as a stand-alone and the stuff I needed to know was told to me so it worked fine. I might have given it more stars if I’d read the earlier books Bc I would have been more invested in the characters and understood the world building quirks. Book 11 is never going to have the same amount of world building as books 1-3. Still a fun find and I’m glad I read it as a Friday afternoon treat.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conflicted. I am very glad that the author realised how much her Dido Twite is loved. And I appreciate her effort to close the series of her alternative world at such an advanced age. But in truth I did not think it good (although not too bad) and I will go and read some of her books that I love. My partner suggested exclusogeomelancholia for the sadness when a favourite author dies and there are no more chances to spend time in their constructed world.

[Josephine Waite · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book of the Wolves of Willoughby Chase sequence, and the most hastily constructed. I think Joan Aiken was dying as she finished it, so it feels a bit rushed. Still, I have re read it a lot, as well as all the other books in this series. I am afraid I will have to buy my own copies, as the questionable content means they are withdrawn from public libraries.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I checked this out at the library I didn’t realize that this was part of a series. Oversight on my part or trying to wrangle a toddler, you be the judge. The fact that I understood the whole story and that this book could stand alone even within a series speaks for itself. I enjoyed the witch, Malise and how she was Intertwined with each character. Definitely going to read this series.

[Elizabeth Brush · Rating 3 out of 5]

another one to reread, because I'm drawing a big blank other than Dido was a big part of this book? and that my otp never got together uhuhuhuhu

[Karen Waller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book about finding a missing heir. It has several surprising twists.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very sad to have reached the end of this children’s series. It has been an utter joy to read.

[Jordan Grieve · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made no sense, was painful to read and was one of the worst experiences reading a book I’ve ever had.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weaker finish to the series. Aiken knew her days were numbered and decided to write a shorter book and complete it rather than leave readers frustrated by an incomplete longer story.

[Farah Mendlesohn · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's just silly.

[Amy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[David Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I love Joan Aitken and how sad I was when she died. This is the last of her books and I'm sure if Joan had more time and better health she would have made this much better than it is. It feels like a first draught or even an outline in places. All of her familar characters are there, together with her usual wit and humour, but it feels so much slighter and undeveloped then her best work. Well worth reading if like me you are a huge fan, but if you are new to Joan's child focused magical realism and alternative history masterpieces then there are better places to start and become familiar with her work. My personal favorite is Midnight Is A place

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and sad to finish the series. I really enjoyed this, (more than Midwinter Nightingale) and I particularly appreciated the author's note at the end explaining her philosophy that it would be better to finish a short book, than leave a long book incomplete to frustrate people forever. So touching. She was obviously so much a reader as well as a writer, that she fully appreciated the implications of leaving an unfinished work (like Dickens' Edwin Drood and Austen's The Watsons.) She had a couple of particular things she wanted to tidy up, and she tidied them very nicely, whilst making us laugh and smile along the way with her quirky sense of humour (and gruesomeness of course - she had that in common with Dahl).

*sigh*

[Sherry Chiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

On its own, The Witches of Clatteringshaws is a fun, fast-moving, but not overly memorable book. But it's almost impossible to rate the book on its own--indeed, if this is a reader's introduction to the Wolves Chronicles, the book may seem close to nonsensical. But as the closing episode of the Wolves Chronicles, it's poignant primarily because it is the last in the series. Like its predecessor, Midwinter Nightingale, it reads more like a hurried outline than like a full-fledged, fully satisfying novel--the characters are sketched in shorthand, and places are given only the most cursory descriptions. It's almost as if Aiken knew she had one final deadline to beat. Personally, though, I wish the ending had been more conclusive--heck, I'd just like to know exactly how old Dido and Simon are by this point! Nonetheless, having started the series when I was a child, I look forward to introducing my daughter to Dido, Simon, Pa, Dutiful Penitance (remember her?), and the rest in a few years. Thank you, Joan Aiken...

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This last book in the "Wolves of Willoughby Chase" series doesn't seem to shine like the other books. The plot feels more contrived than usual, and the pacing is not quite up to Aiken's usual writing. As a book on its own, this one is not that great. As part of a series, the book is elevated, since we are revisiting favorite characters and scenes. The series as a whole are wonderful books, engaging and brilliantly written, full of humor and adventure! So don't let this one last book put you off reading the others!

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joan Aiken is a master at walking the knife edge between comedy and tragedy. I often find myself laughing one minute and then gasping and crying the next when reading her work. This book and the one that precedes it in the series (Midwinter Nightingale) are interesting in that they seem to split the comedy and tragedy, so that Midwinter Nightingale is all tragedy, and The Witch of Clatteringshaws is all comedy. Together, they make for a poignant and hilarious end of the series (the Wolves of Willoughby Chase books).

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected SO much more from this book, because all the Joan Aiken books had so much more. I felt like I had been dropped in the middle of a bizarro wilderness that was outside of time, and left to fend for myself. I felt so completely lost that the fact that I had read prior Joan Aiken books was of absolutely no use to me. I can't even imagine how a middle-grade child, who is the actual targeted audience, would feel about reading this book. My guess is, they would never finish it.

[Jocelyn Branco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is classic Joan Aiken, with a cast of characters both villainous and heroic, some mythological creatures, a smattering of magical abilities, and of course royalty thrown in for good measure. I feel that in bringing back Piers, then revealing that he is the heir to the throne, she cheated a little, but I did quite enjoy this book.