It is 19th century Switzerland. Two young sisters, Charlotte and Lucy, are under the watch of Count Karlstein. The young girls' parents died when they were very little; the count was their only relative. He is a mean, cranky old thing and has a very haunting effect to his personality. The whole thing started long, long ago. The count made a deal with Zamiel, the demon hunter, to sacrifice 2 human souls to him in order to keep his own soul and all his riches. So guess whom Count Karlstein chooses- that's right, his annoying little nieces. (They're actually quite sweet; he's just scared he might die if he doesn't sacrifice someone so he resents them.) Hildi, a maid at the castle overhears his plan one night- he is going to invite the girls to his hunting lodge with him for a vacation. He'll lock them up there, midnight, on All Souls Eve, when Zamiel comes, and then he'll be stress-free. All his life he's been afraid, for if he doesn't offer up a sacrifice, he will go instead.
Since Hildi is such a good friend of the girls, (she's like a nanny to them, although she's only about 5 years older) she immediately goes to tell them. They run away and as soon as the Count finds out that they are gone he sends out a search. Dogs and patrolmen are looking everywhere for them. Lucy and Charolette get cold and hungry in their little hideout in the mountains, since it is the middle of winter, so they go out to find food and shelter. Charolette gets caught. After multiple captures, escapes, and who-knows-what other shenanigans, the three girls come up with a plan, with the help of some friends. The girls are to return to the castle in time for the vacation. They will go with Count Karlstein to the lodge and just before midnight on All Souls Eve, they will be rescued, Hildi's brother is to be the miraculous rescuer and come get them. If all else fails, he will kill Zamiel with an arrow to the heart or with garlic. All goes as planned until, on the way to rescue them, Hildi and her brother are seen by the castle guards. They catch Hildi and chase her brother. He gets away but he is put far behind schedule. He may not make it before midnight. Luckily, he does and the girls are freed. Count Karlstein leaves the human world with Zamiel to become demon food. All ends well and everything is back to normal.

Count Karlstein-
Dark, fantasy novels have always been a favorite of mine. That's why I fell in love with Count Karlstein. Count Karlstein, by Phillip Pullman, was an ironic twist of inhumane seriousness and discreet humor. It was very well written and never once was I bored with it. I really enjoyed the writing style, characterization, and plot of Count Karlstein.
Phillip Pullman's use of colorful, vivid words, really brought flair to this story. I loved how he went from total seriousness to laugh out loud funniness. One example of his unique humor, was when Sergeant Snitsch was trying to write a police report on the arrest of Doctor Cadavarezzi. The Sergeant could never seem to get the Doctor's name right, and therefore, he was never arrested. Another situation was when Max tried to enter a competition with the prize of money and the title of being named forest ranger. Max didn't have a musket, so he used his coach horn and a frozen pea for his ammunition. Oddly enough, Max trips while firing his coach horn and the pea collides off the pillars, into the audience and ends up strangling the unsuspecting mayor's wife. Some of the situations in this story were so bizarre I couldn't help but laugh. This and other funny situations led to my great enjoyment in this book.
The characters in this story were so unique, I was amazed. When each new character was introduced, I fell in love with them instantly. Not only were they funny and interesting, they all had a mind of their own. First there was Hildi, the ever so kind, handmaiden who was always there when you needed her. Then there was Count Karlstein, the villain of the story, who always had an evil plan up his sleeve. There was also Snivelwurst, Count Karlstein's assistant, who couldn't stop sneezing and coughing, and was afraid of Count karlstein himself. Doctor Cadavarezzi however was a favorite of mine. He always had a trick to pull, or a pocket to pick, and you had to watch your back; otherwise you could be cheated by this mysterious man.
The eerie plot was what entranced me the most. Count karlstein takes place in a secluded village in the Swiss Alps. There, is Castle Karlstein, owned by Count Karlstein. The maidservant Hildi discovers the Count's horrible plan of disposing of his young nieces, Charlotte and Lucy, so Hildi decides to help them. Hildi hides the girls in the mountain guides hut. Trouble then explodes in the village when the girls appear missing. Several humorous chararacters try to help the girls, and make sure they stay out of harms way. Count karlstein was an awesome book about courage, bravery, and the fight for life. I was amazed at how the carefully woven plot could be scary, yet hysterical. It was almost like you were there, experiencing all the events that took place in the novel. The surprising twists had me engrossed until the very end. I never knew what was going to happen, and I couldn't wait to find out.
Overall, this was a very good book that was well worth the read. Phillip Pullman is my favorite author and I wasn't at all disappointed in reading Count Karlstein. I'd totally recommend this book to anyone who's into dark mystery and fantasy stories. It was an awesome book, with an awesome story line, awesome characters, and Phillip Pullman's writing style was awesome all in this own. This novel held my attention with its writing style, lively characters, and entertaining plot.

'Count Karlstein' varies from 'Clockwork,' but it is still a chilly, gothic tale worth reading. The different narratives throughout the story are amusing and add preception to the events. I became very concerned with several characters as they reminded me of people I know. This relation between the characters and people in real life will probably not hold true for everyone who reads it, obviously, but it added greatly to the story for me.
The characters are developed well and are very interesting to read about. They all come together to form one of the best gothic tales I've ever read.

I really did enjoy the book! But I think it is better for kids around the age of 8-12 the humor and mysteries are at about that level. The good thing about that level is that it is fast reading and that in some places the suspense was really high and you just wanted to keep reading it so this probably isn't a good book for kids to start close to bedtime. The fun twist with the shooting contest and the end of the demon huntsman at close to the end of the book was really surprising. At the front of the book the author gives you a list of the characters with a little photo of each one that helps you keep them straight throughout the book. The book gets a little confusing because with each chapter there is a different narrator trying to tell their part of the story. The book really makes you think about your life and how well things are for you. Because the two main character uncle doesn't appreciate them and want them to be out of his life for good. Another thing that made the book a little difficult was that since the story was set in the 19th century the vocabulary was hard at times to understand so you may want to keep a dictionary close by when reading the book. The best thing about the book is that it has made me want to look at more of his books and start reading them.

This book is good. It has strange twists in and out through the book. Although it took me a while to figure out the main character was a girl in this book and what the plot was it was still a good book. The ending was very strange though. But all and all a good book.