Customer Reviews

Wizard's Holiday

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wizard's Holiday (2003) is the seventh novel in the Young Wizards series, following A Wizard Alone. In the previous volume, Kit and Ponch had disappeared into Darryl's world. Nita, with a little help from the residual anger from her mother's death, dreamed her way into Darryl's world, located its kernel and freed everybody from the mirror trap. She talked Darryl into freeing the fragment of the Lone Power trapped in his world and then Darryl, Nita, Kit and Ponch returned to their own reality. However, Darryl left behind something to keep the Lone Power occupied when it returned.

In this novel, Dairine applies to a wizard exchange program for Nita and herself without asking permission from anyone. After the dust settles, Dairine is restricted to the Solar System, but Nita, Kim and Ponch are going to Alaalu, a planet on the other side of the galactic core. Nita and Kit are each provided with an information packet, a "pup tent" and a subsidized mobile world-gate.

Since the pup tent is a claudication the size of Nita's bedroom, packing isn't the problem of having too little space, but rather one of taking too much. Nita packs her desk and all her swimsuits -- did I mention the beach -- and finally decides enough is enough; she can always return through the personal world-gate to get anything she missed. In fact, she will have to come back for sun block for she burns very easily and naturally all the sun block in the house is outdated.

Kit has the usual problem with his mother's over concern for his well-being, but the pup tent allows him to pack everything she suggests. Tom Swale modifies a cellphone for Nita's Dad so that he can call through her manual. Finally, everything is ready and Nita, Kit and Ponch leave, transiting first to Grand Central Terminal and taking a public world-gate from there to the Galactic worldgates at Crossings.

While Nita is away, her Dad and Dairine have three wizards from other worlds as house guests. Sker'ret is a metallic purple oversized centipede. Filif is a migratory tree. Roshaun is a very good looking humanoid. Dairine greets them as they arrive and immediately feels simpatico with Sker'ret and Filif, but Roshaun seems a bit arrogant and unfriendly.

This novel describes a holiday that soon resembles errantry. Alaalu is a close approximation of paradise, but Nita has a hunch that something is wrong. Quelt, the only wizard on Alaalu, also has feelings that she is missing something.

Meanwhile, back home, Dairine discovers that Sker'ret can eat canned foods, including the can, as well as jars, plates and silverware. Filif is very afraid of fire, but loves to root himself in the rhododendron bed. Roshaun is susceptible to Carmela's charms, but is still moody.

This story continues the tale of the maturating young wizards, particularly Dairine, dealing with the consequences of death and the other "gifts" of the Lone Power. This segment shows how yet another sentient species dealt with the Choice and the long-term -- 100,000 years -- results of that decision. Moreover, things at home start to heat up a bit while Nita and Kit are away.

Highly recommended for Duane fans and for anyone else who enjoys musing about evil, entropy and wizardry.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Life seems to have returned somewhat to "normal," such as "normal" may be defined when three wizards are about, after the fifth book in this series, "A Wizard's Dilemma," and the sixth book in this series, "A Wizard Alone." However, we quickly discover that Nita's (Juanita Callahan) younger sister Dairine has applied to a wizard exchange program, without bothering to ask permission of anyone. Dairine is restricted to the Solar System as punishment while Kit (Christopher Rodriguez) and Nita are off to the safest planet in the galaxy, Alaalu.

The other portion of the exchange program is that three aliens visit the Callahan household. Two of the aliens, Sker'ret, an insectoid, and Filif, a tree-like being, are friendly in their own way. The third alien, Roshaun, is humanoid and quite arrogant. Dairine quickly learns quite a lot from the first two aliens, but the third has her puzzled as she tries her best to make friends with him.

While things appear to be going smoothly, the wizards on earth and the wizards away on Alaalu each discover there are problems. The wizards on earth discover that the sun is sick, and that sickness is going to spill over onto planet earth, with catastrophic consequences. Quickly we learn why those particular four wizards were sent to visit the earth. On Alaalu, Kit and Nita feel as though something is not quite right with the planet. How can there be anything wrong with a planet that is nearly paradise? Kit and Nita discover the most insidious side-effect of a society without fear, including the fear of death. How can they help the residents of Alaalu escape from the stagnation that they chose millennia ago? Is it ethically right for Kit and Nita to change their world so much?

Diane Duane has seldom avoided deeply philosophical issues, but in this book she tackles an issue that has been discussed in many circles: What are the consequences of a perfect society? Further, if the perfect society caused the society to effectively stop evolving, should an outside agent "correct" the problem? What choice would a reader make? As Diane outlines the choices the reader discovers that the choice is not easy, regardless of how beneficial the outcome.

At some places this book is a little too philosophical, and this book is not light reading. The story is well-written and coherent, but may either bore some readers or lose others. However, I enjoyed this complex story and the arguments Diane puts forth to support her character's actions. A well crafted story.

This book relies on the reader knowing about Dairine, Kit and Nita. For the first time in reviewing this series I recommend reading all six previous book, "So You Want to Be a Wizard," "Deep Wizardry," "High Wizardry," "A Wizard Abroad," "A Wizard's Dilemma," and "A Wizard Alone." You may read this book without reading any of the prior books, but you will miss out the depth of the relationship that has developed between the three characters.

...and "wizard's holiday" has proverbial status in the series for a *reason*. But then, you could probably figure that out from the cover blurb.

Series concept for those coming in late: Wizards are those with the abilities and character to be offered the duty of preserving the universe, using a language in which you can't lie and *can* define (or redefine) reality. And if you're a wizard, you aren't likely to refuse to help just because you're on vacation and not assigned to the problem -- because if you were, you probably wouldn't be one.

I think the third book is still my favorite (of an excellent series), but this one is close. It's fun without failing to be serious; it involves the Callahan family recovery from events in the fifth book, an unusual use for a worldgate, Kit's sister flirting with a tree, what happens when you make paradise on earth and then stop, and the Lone Power giving impromptu history lectures. Sort of.

And, of course, just because you're on vacation and not assigned to help doesn't mean you won't. You probably wouldn't have become a wizard else.

As a structural part of a series, this book is interesting in that it resolves the dual plot introduced within its own pages and answers an assortment of small questions while leaving several major ones open -- including Ponch's continuing strangeness, the setup for the next book and one or two "echoes" of previous plots. I suspect the earth-plot of connections to the first book, though I could be imagining that, and Nita may have done something with consequences as interesting as those of the life-price spell.... We also visit Choices made, well-made, and re-made in a completely different way from "High Wizardry" and "The Book of Night with Moon", but with some familiar questions.

And judging from the end... I think the action of the next plot is going to follow very, very closely on the heels of this one. I can't wait.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

Thanks to a surprising twist, Kit and Nita have an unexpected opportunity. After difficult assignments and personal tragedy they finally have a chance at a break. The powers that be have declared them eligible to be 'exchange wizards' - a three-week visit to a very distant world where they can experience different forms of wizardry without the usual price tags attached. In return Dairine and her father will play hosts to three visiting wizards. After all the serious problems of the past few volumes, both the characters and the reader get to have some fun. For a while, anyway.

The world Kit and Nit travel to is a nearly perfect one. A beautiful planet full of humanoids that know little of pain and death. On Alaalu, the inhabitants have never known war or famine - it is one of the few worlds that denied the Lone Power. In a complicated spell, Alaalu stopped the Power in its tracks, actually imprisoning its local manifestation. As a result, Alaalu has but one wizard, Quelt, and that seems to be just enough. But both Kit and Nita keep getting a feeling that something isn't quite right on this world of changeless peace. If the Lone Power didn't win, it didn't quite lose either.

Back on earth Dairine discovers that three wizards from different worlds can be quite a handful. One is a mobile tree with a sudden love for decorations, another looks like a centipede with a voracious appetite, and the third is a prince, and irritating, spoiled one at that. A trip to the mall nearly gives Dairine a nervous breakdown or two. And Carmela, Kit's sister develops an unnerving interest in alien relations. Just as Dairine is about to kill the prince he notices that the sun is becoming dangerously unstable and suddenly the vaudeville act turns deadly serious, as four wizards struggle to save the solar system.

As you can see, Diane Duane never quite deserts serious subjects, but there is a large helping of humor this time. Everyone gets to be heroes, and we learn quite a bit about the dangers of refusing to change and grow. Duane has carved out a special niche in books for teenagers, one where the characters are allowed to have both strengths and weaknesses and the solutions aren't always easy. The idea of wizards who are real people too has a lot to say for itself, and these books really work on many levels.

One final note. If you read this book out of sequence it will give away too much of the earlier novels, and not make as much sense as it should. As is often the case, you must read these in order to really enjoy them.

I've been reading this series ever since High Wizardly got me hooked when I was a kid, doesn't that make me feel old?, and even grudgingly buy a hardback every time a new one makes an appearance. I loved how this book gave equal concentration to both Dairine and Nita in the form of complex dual plotlines, and my only gripe is with the rushed feel of the ending. I'm quite resigned about lack of closure (I look forward to reading many more 'Wizard' books in fact), but the Dairine ending especially seemed forced and stilted. Characters we had learned to care about were thrust into a situation that was barely explained and resolved with as little effort. I do look forward to Wizard at War though, and especially a continuation of Ponch's increasingly oddness, Dairine's otherwordly friends, and the price Nita will ultimately be required to pay for her interference with the Lone Power.

There is very little to say about WIZARD'S HOLIDAY except it meets what has become an extremely high expectation of quality and professionalism from the pen of author Diane Duane. The blend of magic, action and raw human emotion is truly amazing in it's impact.

The time span between her last volume, WIZARD ALONE and WH is too short to expect much growth from the principal characters so instead we see others, before now seen in mostly supporting roles, begin to flesh out and come into their own. We also see a family still grieving over the lost of their beloved mother and wife begin the slow path to healing. Ms. Duane's entire handling of the death of Nita's mother has been nothing short of spectacular as she continues to explore this darker side of our existence.

For any young adult with interests in fiction, especially that which straddles the border between fantasy and science fiction, I give WIZARD'S HOLIDAY an unqualified HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Do be aware though, this is the seventh book in a series and the reading of the first six is, while not absolutely required, highly recommended.

I have read the first 5. I work in a K thru 6 elem library and I recommend to students that like Harry Potter ,Charlie Bone, "LeEngle" stories.

Lots of imagination and adventure on a sci-fi level.

Reading level 4th and up.

- It all begins when Nita Callahan, your average four-teen year old wizard, comes home from school one day to find out that her younger sister (Dairine, another wizard) has signed her up for an exchange program, across the galaxy.

- So Nita travels light-years with her best friend Kit to the plaent Alaalu, hoping for some peace and quiet relaxing on the planet's otherworldly but super beaches.

- It starts that way, but *surprise suprise* before they even know what's going on Nita and Kit find out that there arch-nemesis the Long Power, (the Power that created death itself) is on the planet too! And this time It lives there happyly in a great structure made just for It.

- The people on the planet don't understand who this dark power really is, but NIta and Kit do. This power has tried to kill them many times, succseeded in killing Nita's mom, and done horrible things to change them and their lives.

- They warn their fellow wizard who is native to the planet Alaalu, but the wizard blind to the truth and instead decides she can't trust these two wizards form Earth.

- So to gain back their friendship, and of course to save the planet, the make a deal with the power that created death. It starts good, but ends as a big mistake. Of course deals with death never turn out.

- And when all seems bad, and Nita and Kit are sure it's over forever, their alien friend comes to save them.

- So the evil Lone Power is defeated once again and Nita and Kit return home early.

- But uh oh. They forgot about the other side of their exchange program, while they were gone new wizards from wierd planets all over that galaxy are staying with Dairine and Nita's dad! the Lone Power strikes them too, though not directly, and Dairine and the other alien wizards must save the Sun from bubble-storming and destroying the Earth!

- This book may sound queer (i luv that word, queer queen quails quibble), but it is really great. It's another masterpiece by author Duane about the struggles of pre-teen kids who some-times wield magical forces that need to battle super-natural Powers. (Powers That Be)

- Read the other books in this series. They're real great. Nita and the Lone One power rule the duel. I LUV these books, they surpass even harry potter and lord of the rings.

- Look for book eight, coming soon, (in spring '05, i hope!), and nice reading. find out more about that book (Wizards at War) by going to young wizards website.

- Overall this is a great book. Very original and fun. See you on errantry!

The Young Wizard's Series, which began with 1983's _So You Want To Be a Wizard_, will probably remind readers more of Madeleine L'Engle or Ursula K. LeGuin than J.K. Rowling. In fact, Duane's wizards work somewhat like LeGuin's of Earthsea...changing the world through the use of a true language in which they cannot lie. Their powers are substantial; their responsibilities moreso. To be a wizard in this universe really means something. It's a privilege and a burden.

Like L'Engle, Duane does not shy away from weighty moral issues. This one, as deeply philosophical as the others in the series, investigates the question of pain and its purpose in evolution. The adolescents at the core of these stories are excellent role models for readers, grappling early and often with what it means to be a hero in a world where you aren't always sure that you're doing the right thing.

More than that, they offer an engaging read. This book should hold plenty of attraction for older adolescents and adults--but I wouldn't start here. Without familiarity with the characters and their lives, readers will miss much of the richness of the work.

It's a nice easy read, good for a Jr. High/High school student leisure reading. I've enjoyed this book many times, definitely good for a re-read or a first time. It is better after having read the series before it so it makes more sense.