Customer Reviews

High Wizardry (The Young Wizards Series, Book 3)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Wizardry series was intended to be a trilogy at first, this being the third and final book. It shows - but the events here lead up perfectly to the fourth novel.

In it, Nita Callahan's bratty but highly intelligent sister Dairine takes the Wizard's Oath without realising what she's getting into and, with a software version of the wizard's manual, finds herself on a journey into deep space - with the Lone Power itself chasing her. As Nita faces up to many changes in her life, she and Kit follow her to a strange planet where an alien intelligence, locked in a planetary computer chip, has been waiting indefinitely for a sentient being to wake it up. Dairine, of course, has never baulked at anything but when she gives the motherboard access to wizardry, the story rises to a stunning climax with a totally unexpected twist. You may think it's unbelieveable, but remember the youngest wizards have the most power . . .

A brilliantly constructed piece of storytelling, thoroughly enjoyable - all the more so when you discover there is a fourth book in the series.

After reading So You Want To Be a Wizard and Deep Wizardry, the first two books in the Young Wizards series, and enjoying them, I expected High Wizardry to be really good, but not this good. High Wizardry is very well written, and the story is exciting and original. It kept me reading as fast as I could until the end, when I felt horrible because the book was over. The story has no lack of action, unlike Deep Wizardry, which got a little boring and repetitive after a while. It shows a new way for wizardry to work, through a laptop computer, and also what what a wizard can do when a they have almost limitless power. It also shows a species making its Choice (what it will do about the Lone Power and entropy), which is nice because the readers never actually got to witness a Choice before. I got a look at Ms. Duane's idea of aliens and alien planets for the first time, which were not only very original but also hysterically funny. The climax was wonderful, and wrapped the story up nicely.

I actually like it that Dairine is the main character of this book, even though Nita and Kit have less of a part. I find her more interesting and fun to read about than Nita, because she stands out to me from all the other characters I've read about. Nita seems a little boring to me, and Dairine has more character, which is necessary for a good story. After reading A Wizard Abroad and A Wizard's Dilemma, both of shich hardly included Dairine, I was very happy to see her getting a bigger part in Wizard's Holiday. Without her, I wouldn't have laughed nearly as much, and I found myself actually admiring her determination. Personally, I've never liked a character more.

High Wizardry and the other Young Wizards books all make a wonderful guess at the answer to the "life and death" question. The idea that all the bad things in the world could possibly be fixed, if the Power that made them could be persuaded to change, is an optimistic idea, and I often find myself wishing that Ms. Duane's world were real.

High Wizardry is a great book for anyone who wants to read an amazing, thrilling mix of fantasy and science fiction. I'm thirteen, but my dad read it and he liked it, too. I recommend reading So You Want To Be A Wizard and Deep Wizardry first, because this is the third book in the series, or else it might be confusing. Aside from that, if you're wondering if you should read this book, or the Young Wizards series in general, definitely do it. You won't be disappointed.

I *LOVE* this series! Here in High Wizardry, we spend some time with Dairine's Ordeal, and the deeper nature of Macchu Picchu (Peach to her...friends) is at last revealed. Where the "So You Want To Be A Wizard" was largely about action, and "Deep Wizardry" was more interpersonal development and self-realisation for Kit and Nita, this one switches to bring Dairine in, and is much more about Kit and Nita's emotional relationship. I especially love the scene on the Moon, before they set off. Gigo is one of the best new characters (until Neet's aunt), Peach gets a great scene, but don't think this is the end of the line for our favourite wizards!

I really enjoyed So You Want to be a Wizard and absolutely adored Deep Wizardry; however, I found this book somewhat lacking. I thought the first half was pretty good, in which Darianne gets herself into a mess because she doesn't realize the responsibility that she is undertaking. However, I thought Duane should have continued the moralitly tale angle. Instead Darianne stumbles onto a deserted planet, converts it into a giant motherboard, and begins a new creation.

I thought that Duane lost herself a bit in the climax of the story. It was comforting to achieve such a victory for the wizards, but I thought it all went a little too fast. Darianne changed from irresponsible brat to mother figure entirely too quickly and I just couldn't buy the transition.

Furthermore, I think the characters of Kit and Nita are more fully developed and intersting to follow. Darianne was a really interesting side character in the first two novels, but she couldn't hold my interest throughout the entire book.

It should come as no surprise that Dairine, Juanita Callahan's sister, was due to become a wizard herself. What no one expected though was that Dairine would peek into Nita's manual and take the Oath herself. Without even reading the small print. Suddenly an 11-year-old human is one of the most powerful wizards in the universe, and the powers that be have some surprising plans for her. In short order she turns her brand new computer into the perfect spell assistant and heads off. First, a trial spin to Mars, and then whoosh! - She's off to her own ordeal.

Dairine quickly discovers that she is being chased by the powers of darkness. In a mad run, she covers billions of light years until she finally comes to rest in what appears to be a dead planet composed of layer after layer of silicon. But appearances can be deceiving and Dairine discovers that the planet has become a giant computer chip, hovering on the edge of sentience. The young wizard and her trusty Apple III are the catalyst. Since Dairine is teaching the planet first to think, and then to create. Soon she is surrounded by silicon creatures, creatures to whom she has given the gift of magic, without considering the consequences.

To each culture comes the lone power, the one that created death. And to each he offers a choice to accept his gift or choose otherwise. Never before has it been rejected right from the start, and it has no intention of this being the first time. A great argument is begun. But nothing is certain, especially around Dairine, and she and the Lone Power are quickly locked in a battle of logic and heart. And coming up behind as fast as they can are Kit and Nita. Three wizards facing a battle that could determine the future of the universe - and kill them just as easily.

While none of Duane's Wizardry series are slow reading, High Wizardry goes by in a great flash, with a memorable ending. The book has much to say about behaving responsibly and accepting help, but it never preaches. Dairine may be a hero, but she still has much to learn, and that's the lesson she takes home with her. And Nita comes face to face with her own resentments towards a sister who is both younger than her and a better wizard. The book has a lesson for everyone it seems, even the Lone Power.

"Never think We were made to be less than equals in the One. Someday you will surpass Us, and still be our equals, and both you and We will rejoice at it."

Probably the emotional high point of the series, this book culminates in a great fiasco that spans the entire universe in its scope. It is mostly science fiction, but it takes a stronger look at the Christian mythos that the series has in the background of all the characters. Nita and Kit are played down a great deal, with Dairine stealing most of the "screen time." For some this may be a let down, but how often can you do the same thing over and over again. I argue that this should be the last book in the series, since the next two books in the wizardry series never succeed in topping the dramatic events of this one.

A character who has constantly been in the background of the first two books in this series, "So You Want to Be a Wizard" and "Deep Wizardry," has been Juanita (Nita) Callahan's younger sister Dairine. While Dairine has been a pest, as younger sisters (and brothers) often seem to be, Diane Duane was setting up Dairine for a special role. A role Dairine gets a chance to fill in this book.

We discover early in this book that Dairine is an incredibly power wizard; much more powerful than either Nita or her best friend Christopher (Kit) Rodriguez. Dairine's book of magic comes not in the traditional form of a book, but as a lap top computer, reflecting the improving state-of-the-art of computers in 1990 when Duane wrote this book. Of course any computer owned by a wizard would have to be strange, and Dairine's computer exhibits characteristics that are decidedly different from any computer we mere mortals have experienced.

Dairine's Ordeal matches her incredible power. She is tasked to bring an entire planet to self-realization and advancement to a higher state of consciousness and she takes on the Lone Power with the support of her newly created and found friends. I leave the details to the reader.

This book has a different flavor from the first two books in the series. While the first two books had technology, this book exhibits a stronger science fiction or science fantasy influence. Even with that influence the fate of the Lone Power remains strongly metaphysical and just a touch incongruous with the science fiction nature of the story. The ending of the story relates, as with the previous two books, to the fate of the Lone Power, and thus must be metaphysical, and the ending confuses much of the effort Diane put into developing the science fiction aspect of the story.

Excluding the ending, this book is a captivating read and further develops the characters in the series. While the second book stands acceptably well on its own, I recommend reading at least the first book in the series, "So You Want to Be a Wizard," prior to reading this book. Knowing the principal characters is helpful in coming up to speed with the storyline.

This book is another good entry in this series, but with a different flavor. A solid four stars.

High Wizardry is undoubtedly Duane at the top of her game. The characters are more complex than one anticipates in a young adult fantasy novel, and the writing more involved. Unambiguously some of Duane's very best work; High Wizardry is emotionally involving, thought provoking, intelligent, and well-informed, but in no sense a burden or chore to read.

The first time I ever knew that this series existed was when my mom brought home High Wizardry from the library. I was (and am) a Harry Potter nut, and she thought it might be of some interest to me. I picked it up at about 2:00 pm and didn't put it down till dinnertime. The book was fantastic, even though I still didn't know the first two existed.
I got about halfway through it, and it became too confusing. I didn't know who the Lone Power was (yikes) and didn't even understand the whole concept of this type of wizardry. I was clueless. So, one night, I left it on the table, and my mom (thinking I was done with it) took it back to the library.
About six months later, I was in a bookstore and the first book, So you want to be a Wizard, caught my eye. I bought it, and devoured it in about two days. Then I bought Deep Wizardry, and devoured that, too. I was excited then- remembering how good High Wizardry was and thinking it would be a lot better than it was when I read it the first time.
It was.
That's an understatement.
I was captivated. I would not leave my book alone for more than five minutes. This book held me in its pages like none other has ever done. I stayed up hours past my bedtime, carefully eluding my mom's attempts to catch me reading.
At school the next day, I got told off a few times for reading when I wasn't supposed to. (oops) There was one boy who even made fun of the title. (Oh, I get it! She's high on wizardry!)
High Wizardry is the best book I have ever read. The last half is incredibly written and had me sitting on the edge of my chair. A few days of sorrow happened after I finished it- I had nothing to read... One last comment- do NOT read this book unless you have read the first two. It will (in the end) do nothing more than confuse you.

Nita has known about wizardry for a while. Her little sister, Dairine, is fascinated. But the Powers That Be only invite certain people to become wizards. Only if no one else can fix a problem. And Dairine has been chosen.
Nita thought it would be a quiet day at the space museum. But when your a wizard and Dairine is your sister, nothing is ever quiet. With the help of a Wizard's Manual Laptop, Dairine finally gets the freedom she's dreamed of: she leaves Earth and heads out to explore the galaxy. Dairine thinks she's on a little vacation, but if she is on vacation, why are evil creatures following her? Why do the beautiful creatures she's created want to freeze all life forms? She soon finds out that the Lone Power, the most feared Power That Is is after her. And she's up to her neck in danger. Will she make it back to Earth all in one peice? Will she even be able to get to Earth at all?