High Wizardry

By Diane Duane

Book Three of the Young Wizards Series



Nita's younger sister Dairine just found out that wizardry exists, and that her sister is a wizard. Star Wars addict that she is, Dairine is thrilled, and she wants wizardry. Then Nita's family gets a new computer, and Dairine discovers that it has some unusual software. The computer is a Manual, and Dairine is a wizard. Not only a wizard, but a wizard more powerful than Nita and Kit together. And all that power attracts attention. Dairine gets herself halfway across the galaxy before anyone realizes she's gone, and attracts the Lone Power's attention. She gives Its minions the slip and finds a planet light years away from the known universe to hide out until she figures out the computer better. The planet she finds turns out to be basically a giant computer chip, and sentient. It plugs into Dairine's computer, and she gives it everything Spot--the computer- has got, including the wizardry. The planet then produces the mobiles with Dairines help; small robot like creatures linked to the Motherboard--the planet--and eachother. THIS is the reason for Dairine's power. Wizardry is not random. powerful wizards appear when needed, and now Dairine must face off against the Lone Power, aiding in the mobiles Choice. Nita and Kit meanwhile, have found her missing, and with Peach, the local Senior wizards' psychic macaw have set off to find her. Can they find her before the Lone Power destroys the mobiles--and Dairine?
I have been meaning to do this post for a while now, but somehow never got around to it. High Wizardry is my favorite book in an absolutely wonderful series. Amazing characters and world, facinating plot, brilliant writing, Diane Duane's Young Wizard series is a must read for any fantasy lover. LOVE IT! I know I tend to gush in these reviews, but truly, this book is that good. They all are! Anyway, read the series, and READ THE BOOK!

Deep Magic

By Diane Duane

Book Two of the Young Wizards Series


Nita and Kit were SUPPOSED to be on summer vacation. Nita's family rented a beach house for a few weeks and she managed to convince them that Kit should come. Of course, magic never goes on vacation. When they help a fellow wizard--a whale--they agree to help a group of the underwater wizards perform an ancient ritual, a reenactment of when the Lone power offered death to the undersea peoples and was bound beneath the seafloor. The consequences if this ceremony fails? The Lone Power will break free. The catch? Whoever is singing the Silent Lord will die. You get one guess as to who agreed to sing that part, BEFORE finding out about that tiny snag. Here's a hint: Kit is upset and isn't singing, and Peach told Nita to read the fine print before she signed. Peach is Nita and Kit's local Seniors psychic macaw, and can tell the future. For those who are a bit confused as to how the Lone Power can be wreaking havoc in the universe (snuffing stars, convincing new species to take its"gift" of death, plotting the destruction of the universe, and so on) AND be bound on the bottom of the ocean, well, that's the usual confusion about time. All the Great Powers just dip into the time flow we live in. THEY live outside of it, in a place where things don't have to happen one after the other. Anyway, this is a really good book. I LOVE THIS SERIES! There are nine or so so far, and I am pretty sure there will be another one. They still haven't figured out what happened to Roshaun, although they are pretty sure he isn't dead.

So You Want to Be a Wizard

By Diane Duane

Book One of the Young Wizards Series

Fifty or sixty eons ago, when life brought itself about, it also brought about to accompany it many Powers and Potentialities to manage the business of creation. One of the greatest of these Powers held aloof for a long time, watching its companions work, not wishing to enter into Creation until it could contribute something unlike anything the other Powers had made, something completely new and original. Finally the Lone Power found what it was looking for. Others had invented planets, light, gravity, space. The Lone Power invented death, and bound it irrevocably into the worlds. Shortly thereafter the other Powers joined forces and cast the Lone One out.
Many versions of this story are related among the many worlds, assigning blame or praise to one party or another. However, none of the stories change the fact that entropy and its symptom, death, are here now. To attempt to halt or remove them is as futile as attempting to ignore them.
Therefore there are wizards--to handle them. 

                                                     ---- The Manual, exerpt

When thirteen year-old Nita Callahan finds a book titled So You Want to Be a Wizard at the library, she thinks it's a joke--or is it? The book is actually a manual--for wizardry, and it says that Nita herself could be a wizard if she wants. She takes the Oath, and begins her Ordeal. All new wizards, once they take the Oath, embark on an ordeal, a test of aptidude. If they survive, they become full-fledged wizards. Nita soon meets Kit, another new wizard on Ordeal, and they become friends. When they are accidentaly thrown into an alternate Manhattan, they must work together to survive, find a way home, and save the Universe. I (of course) loved this book, this series, and this author. Nita and Kit are awesome, the Lone Power is a great villain, and Peach is hilarious. As always, great writing, great chrarcters, great plot. LOVED IT! The writing is fairly simple, rather than the somewhat complex books I sometimes read, but sophisticated enough that IT IS A GREAT BOOK! It was funny, interesting, and engrossing, with a great take on magic, fun characters, and AWESOME epic battles. The quote at the top is from Nita's Manual in the prologue of So You Want to Be a Wizard. I don't usually put quotes in my posts, but I thought it was the best way to explain why there are wizards in this book. This is a nice long series, with about nine books already out and more to come. YAY!