SOLVED. Lost book about alternate worlds, animal totems and an attempted assassination of a French prince... [s]

[Will]

I remember frustratingly little about this book unfortunately. I remember it is as a YA fantasy type book featuring alternate worlds, animal totems (a Jaguar comes to mind most clearly) and an attempted murder on a French prince at a massive cricket match - all quite early on in the book.

As you can see, its a bit of an imaginative hodge-podge of ideas so its a real pain to Google an answer.

Any help is hugely welcome!

[Charlotte]

could this be The Merlin Conspiracy, by Diana Wynne Jones?

[Kris]

Link for Charlotte's suggestion - The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones.

[Kaion]

Do you remember anything else, Will? For instance, about when you read it? What the alternate worlds were like? What do you mean by animal totems?

[Will]

Nailed it Charlotte, thank you!

More than a little surprised that anyone managed it!

Would a mod mind shelving this for me?

[Charlotte]

yay!