The Chronicles Of Chrestomanci, Volume 1 by Diana Wynne Jones

A pair of linked fantasy tales set across multiple parallel worlds follow a powerful enchanter who oversees and polices magic and the lives he touches: one story about a neglected orphan who discovers he has nine lives and unwittingly attracts dangerous witches and rivals, and another about the earlier coming-of-age of a spirited boy whose growing powers and misadventures lead him toward the office of state enchanter. Witty, inventive, and full of whimsical magic, the collection explores responsibility, identity, and the consequences of unchecked sorcery.

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