Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane

This book was so much better than the first in the series.  Honestly, if it wasn't for the background information you need for this one, I'd suggest skipping the first and starting here.  The characters were so much better, there was an understandable plot, and even the magic was more realistic.

Nita and Kit are on vacation.  It's at the beach, and while they were hoping for a relaxing trip, their status as wizards prevent that from happening.  Strange earthquakes are rocking the seabed, and upon meeting and saving a whale wizard, Kit and Nita become a part of a special song ritual that will help stabilize things and weaken the Lone Power's powers.  Nita's role though isn't what she thinks, and despite her wanting to help, she should have read the fine print.

Nita and Kit are much more developed as characters in this book.  You can actually empathize with them, especially Nita.  Because she has to make some hard decisions in this book, deal with lying, and learn about what type of person she wants to be and what her word means.  Kit is a little more feral and aggressive and it's actually a good move for him.  Shows how youth can be confusing and that sometimes personalities change.  There's a lot of growth for both of them.  But the real standout character in this book is "Ed" the Master Shark.  His character gives me chills, in the good way, with the things he says and the emotions he expresses.  You know he's not really a good guy per say, he's actually the most neutral character you'll ever meet, but he's so powerful and wise in his own way that you are actually held in awe of him.  Duane really did a terrific job on this character.

The plot was very dark and grown up for a young adult novel.  I was surprised actually at the themes of sacrifice, love, and ruthlessness.  But it was worked very well and wasn't overly graphic.  In fact, you're so busy enjoying the characters that the wonderful descriptions of ocean life just seem like they should be there.  They fit in so well and become part of the background, but you'd definitely know if they were missing.  The book just wouldn't be as good.  And the fact that the whole thing takes place in the sea, that's a nice spin on a "wizarding" book.  The magic, while still dominated some on science, was understandable this time around as well.  You could keep up with it without having to get out a physics textbook.  So that made it more readable than the first book was.

I'm glad I didn't give up after the first book.  This one was well worth the read and has inspired me to go take a look at the 3rd book.

Deep Wizardry
Copyright 1985
356 pages

So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane

The 2nd book of this series randomly appeared on my shelf (and with the nature of how books work in this series should I take that as coincidence or not?).  Of course I couldn't start at the 2nd book, so instead I started here.  And I have to say, I really wasn't that taken with this book.

Nita is an outcast girl that is frequently bullied.  One day, while hiding from said bullies in the library, she discovers a new book on the shelf "So You Want To Be A Wizard."  But it's not an ordinary book, and after taking the oath contained within, she becomes a wizard.  Along this journey she meets Kip, another wizard who has a book as well and they manage to get themselves in all sorts of trouble as they attempt to get back Nita's special pen and also a very important book to the wizarding community.

Nita and Kip don't really intrigue me at all.  I just didn't find them that interesting.  Although I did find it rather upsetting that the violence to Nita by the bullies is largely ignored by her parents.  But anyways, things come too easily to them.  There's no struggle with the powers, they are just able to do it.  Their dialogue to each other wasn't that interesting either.  The only character I really did like was Fred.  Who wasn't a person at all but a white-hole (think black hole) that they conjured and who talks like a normal person while emitting objects.  He was funny and brave and a pleasure to read about.

The plot was ok.  I found it weird that wizards are supposed to conserve energy to help save the world and keep it from falling to entropy so quickly, yet so much energy was used in the journey for Nita's pen that it didn't seem like they were conserving at all.  But maybe Duane and I just have different theories about energy and its use.  I also thought the plot was overly rushed.  I was glad it moved fast but they were constantly doing things that it was hard to keep up sometimes.  And the language used; the magic in this book is closely related to science, but words are used that I didn't recognize, and there wasn't really an explanation or definition given of them.  It was confusing, and considering this book is marketed for young adults, I can see them being even more confused than I was.  It just wasn't friendly reading, even if it did have a lot of action and adventure.

I'll read the second book, just because I have it.  But I can only hope this series becomes a little more interesting.

So You Want To Be A Wizard?
Copyright 1986
323 pages