'' The Pinhoe Egg'' contains a number of 'beyond the book' extras, which allow for clarifications and world building, while keeping the readers interested in further - and previous - books from the Chrestomanci series.
This book should appeal to similar readership as its predecessor, as it has a similar mix of colourful, fairly complex characters, truly enchanting magic described in detail, mayhem and humour typical of children's adventure stories and realistic psychology, this time concentrating on parents-children relationships. I think the youngest children, who can enjoy [[Charmed Life (The Chrestomanci) by Diana Wynne Jones|Charmed Life]], would probably not be able to follow the complexities of the story, narration switching from Cat to Marianne and the intricacies of the final explanation. Readers around 10 years old should be up to it. Despite ''deus ex machina'' resolution, I liked the whole of '' The Pinhoe Egg'' a lot and so would many of young fantasy fans.
Ursula LeGuin's [[Voices]], though perhaps better suited to slightly older readership, also has a character endowed with life-force type of magic and a young girl developing morally through a conflict situation.