The Strega Borgia Chronicles is a series of black comedy novels for older children by award-winning Scottish writer and illustrator Debi Gliori. "Pure Dead Magic" was Gliori's first novel.
The chronicles follow the Strega Borgias, a quirky, bizarre, Italian family: Signor and Signora Strega-Borgia (Luciano and Baci) and their four children, Titus, Pandora, Damp and Nieve, who live with their mythical companions in their fictitious home StregaSchloss, in Argyll. It consists of two trilogies: Pure Dead and Deep. The Strega-Borgias share similarities to The Addams Family.
Characters.
The Beasts.
The series takes place in a world similar to our own but where magical creatures are apparently quite commonplace. Among the pets belonging to Strega-Borgias are a large menagerie of sentient animals and monsters collectively referred as the Beasts. It is worth noting that Tarantella resents being called a Beast and instead refers to herself as "an arachnid."
The immortals.
Aside from Mrs McLachlan, many immortal characters appear in the series due to its nature as fantasy. The arch-villains of the series are demons who seek possession of the Chronostone with which they will be able to rule the universe. The Chronostone once belonged to the ruler of Hell, S'tan the Boss but he lost it and the main plot of the series concerns his quest to regain it by sending various minions to do battle with Mrs McLachlan for possession of the Stone. Mrs McLachlan is the only person aware of the threat posed by the demons although Titus, Pandora and Latch become aware of them. The demons are portrayed as extremely powerful and irredeemably evil creatures but are nonetheless used to great comic effect. Most demons in the series are cynical, egotistical and cruel but with a dry sense of humour.
Other.
Rand Macalister Hall: TTitus' former friend and member of his band who
Other minor characters include the posse of surgeons, nurses etc. in the hospital where Don Lucifer's nose job takes place and numerous policemen.
Books in the series.
 Accompanied ISBNs are for paperback editions, published by Corgi Children's in the UK.
The first novel in the series sees the arrival of the children's new nanny Mrs Flora McLachlan, shortly after Signor Strega-Borgia, has left, following an argument at the breakfast table. While Signora Strega-Borgia is away at the witch academy, Pandora's rats are accidentally unleashed onto the internet via email and their mother, Multitudina tries to find her babies. Unaware of this, Pandora enters into a foolish bet with Titus, to the effect that, should she fail to find the rats, she must swim the castle moat, the home of the crocodile Tock, who has, it seems, eaten all the previous applicants for the job of the Strega-Borgia's nanny. Little do they know that Flora McLachalan is a witch who will save their lives after winning them over with her delicious food and kindly, sensible personality. Meanwhile, Signor Strega-Borgia could not have picked a worse day to storm out of his house, seemingly for good. He has been kidnapped by his evil half-brother, Don Lucifer Di S'Embowelli Borgia, a rich and sadistic gentleman who takes pleasure in killing people, and will take the slightest excuse. However, he does have a weakness- his long, ugly nose. He sets fire to the house and leaves his brother to burn to death, while he goes off to have plastic surgery on his nose. By some unfortunate coincidence, the escaped mice have got stuck in the computer at the hospital where Don Lucifer is due to have his surgery- as a result, Don Lucifer looks worse than he did before his operation.
The second novel in the series. The roof of the ancient family home is badly damaged and the Strega-Borgia family are forced to decamp to the local hotel, leaving the frozen granny, the rats and the spider behind. However, the builders appear to be up to something... Such as destroying a roof, murdering hotel proprietors and dating fur lovers. Titus has accidentally created 500 pink clones and he and Pandora are trying to keep them secret from Latch and Mrs. McLachlan, which becomes a challenge as the 10% size clones grow up.
Baci's friends from the witch academy are coming to stay, much to the family's despair. However there is something suspicious about one of the guests. Pandora and Titus have continuous fights over the money that Titus has inherited, which stop when they discover a clock that lets them travel back in time. Damp is revealed to be a Magus and Lucifer offers Mrs.McLachlan a marriage proposal.
The title comes from the popular Scottish expression "Pure dead brilliant".
"Deep Trouble".
Also published as Pure Dead Trouble ().
A vengeful demon is trying to invade StregaSchloss. However, Titus is too busy on the internet looking up the world destroying company SapienTech, Pandora only has eyes for the gorgeous (and pyromaniac) new butler temporarily replacing Latch and the beasts are raising funds to give the moat a makeover by volunteering for medical science. Only Flora McLachlan has noticed and is doing something about it!
"Deep Water".
Also published as Pure Dead Batty.
After Isagoth's attack on Stregaschloss, Mrs.McLachlan has thrown herself into Lochnagargoyle in order to hide the Chronostone, and Luciano is blamed for the murder. Titus ingests 'acanthoid wax', which causes him to grow at an alarming rate, and develop a crush on the new nanny that Baci hired, Araminta Fraser. Luciano's lawyer, Munro MacAlister Hall, botches his case, while making sure that his son, Rand, stays occupied at StregaSchloss, in order to make Baci forget about Luciano, and fall in love with him instead. It is revealed that S'tan is losing his demonic traits, while Mrs.McLachlan and Isagoth share an island, in the company of Death and the Chronostone.
"Deep Fear".
Also published as Pure Dead Frozen. ().
This is the ultimate in the series. StregaSchloss is invaded by wolves, demons, vengeful Mafia uncles, and a changeling while Isagoth puts his plan to take over Hell into action.
Awards.
"Pure Dead Wicked" was shortlisted for the Scottish Arts Council Award in 2003.
References.
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