Jones is known for her exuberant, convincing writing style which allows her to give fantasy the feel of realism. While many writers of fantasy use lyrical, poetic language to evoke the otherness of an imaginary world, Jones adopts a matter-of-fact style. This is tricky to do since it invites the risk of making the extraordinary seem mundane or even flat and lifeless. But Diana Wynne Jones's sure touch gives every inch of her tale the crackle of vitality. She creates realistic effects with vivid, particular details of narrative and description. For example, the dragon Scales has "a deep, windy voice, like somebody blowing across the top of a very large bottle," and Querida's living room is "full of feathers in jars, nicknacks, patterned cushions, patterned shawls, patterned rugs..." Jones almost makes readers believe that if they.....
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