A Wizard Abroad: The Fourth Book in the Young Wizards Series (Paperback)

by Diane Duane (Author) "NITA FIRST FOUND OUT about what was going to happen when she came in after a long afternoon's wizardry with Kit..." (more)
Key Phrases: spell diagram, young wizard, other wizards, Lone Power, Bray Head, Lone One (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8. Nita Callahan, a 14-year-old wizard from Long Island, is annoyed when her concerned parents ship her off to Ireland for six weeks on an enforced vacation from magic-working and her partner Kit?but what's time or space to wizards (see So You Want to Be a Wizard [1996] and its sequels [all Harcourt]). In any case, Ireland is hardly the ideal spot for a magic-free getaway, and indeed Nita soon finds herself involved in big doings. With the ancient harvest festival of Lughnasad approaching, signs point to a major attack from the malicious Lone Power, the very inventor of Death, in its guise as Balor of the Evil Eye. The assembled wizards of Ireland have but one hope: to find or re-create the Four Treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan, said in ancient stories to have helped defeat Balor once before. Moving easily between light, everyday language and the sonorous formality of high fantasy, Duane seamlessly interweaves encounters with creatures from legend with glimpses of modern Irish life and teen culture. Her view of magic's place in the scheme of things is so clever and well reasoned that readers will have no trouble suspending belief. Nita is an appealingly hot-tempered teenager who faces slavering dire wolves and trollish drows with more courage than the dismaying realization that she's gotten "the hots" for young fellow wizard Ronan. Balor's appearance in the climactic battle is all too brief, but against this army of wizards, it never stands a chance. At least in retrospect. An unusually consistent fantasy, rich in details, subplots, and Irish lore.?John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
Grade 5-8. Nita Callahan, a 14-year-old wizard from Long Island, is annoyed when her concerned parents ship her off to Ireland for six weeks on an enforced vacation from magic-working and her partner Kit?but what's time or space to wizards (see So You Want to Be a Wizard [1996] and its sequels [all Harcourt]). In any case, Ireland is hardly the ideal spot for a magic-free getaway, and indeed Nita soon finds herself involved in big doings. With the ancient harvest festival of Lughnasad approaching, signs point to a major attack from the malicious Lone Power, the very inventor of Death, in its guise as Balor of the Evil Eye. The assembled wizards of Ireland have but one hope: to find or re-create the Four Treasures of the Tuatha de Danaan, said in ancient stories to have helped defeat Balor once before. Moving easily between light, everyday language and the sonorous formality of high fantasy, Duane seamlessly interweaves encounters with creatures from legend with glimpses of modern Irish life and teen culture. Her view of magic's place in the scheme of things is so clever and well reasoned that readers will have no trouble suspending belief. Nita is an appealingly hot-tempered teenager who faces slavering dire wolves and trollish drows with more courage than the dismaying realization that she's gotten "the hots" for young fellow wizard Ronan. Balor's appearance in the climactic battle is all too brief, but against this army of wizards, it never stands a chance. At least in retrospect. An unusually consistent fantasy, rich in details, subplots, and Irish lore. John Peters, New York Public Library (School Library Journal )

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Magic Carpet Books; 1 edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152162380
• ISBN-13: 978-0152162382
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #601,973 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Young Wizards Series Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 13-year-old's opinion. . ., December 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Wizard Abroad (Young Wizards, Book 4) (Paperback)

Three words: I LOVED IT! This is definitely one of the best young adult type books around. One of my all-time favorite books (like the others in the series), A WIZARD ABROAD kept me captivated till the end (an I still want MORE!). With the addition of Dairine, Nita's younger sister, who is my favorite character (sorry, Nita or Kit fans), this and the book before it, HIGH WIZARDRY, are my favorites. Please, read this book! I've had many people turn it down, but those who take my advice are glad! They agree: A WIZARD ABROAD IS THE BEST! ( but read the others first! )

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opinion of an avid reader, November 11, 2000

By	"noelgirl" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wizard Abroad: The Fourth Book in the Young Wizards Series (Hardcover)

I've read all of the Wizard series by Diane Duane, and this is definitely the best yet. According to Nita(Juanita)'s parents, she and and her wizardry partner, Kit (Christopher), have been spending way too much time together. Her parents just can't understand that there's NOTHING going on between them, just magic. Nonetheless, Juanita is packed up and sent to live with her aunt in Ireland for six weeks until school starts. Grudgingly, Nita settles in with her aunt, and even starts enjoying a little break from magic, but it's not too long until she realizes how much trouble Ireland is really in, and how one little shift of power in the wrong direction could destroy it. It's up to Nita, Kit, and a few new characters to gather the tools they need and re-enact an ancient battle, or accept their fates. The story is set with Duane's typical magic, melded together with Irish lore to make one of the most creative and thrilling fantasy books of today.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The uneasy, uncomfortables sense of -- Power., July 4, 2005

By	Akethan (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

Somewhere between Madeleine L'Engle and Judy Blume is where this book by Diane Duane fits in.

I hadn't paid attention to the fact that this was a 4th book in a series. I was caught by the cover and title and took it home with me. Despite plunging into #4 without any background on the series, it wasn't hard to pick up and follow - the story in this book stood on its own and didn't require a lot of 'flashback' referencing.

The writing is strong enough - and well-suited for the teenage crowd that Duane seems to be targeting. The magical adventures and lore is interspersed with teen angst and qualms, "Not important stuff, like kissing -- how do you do it and still breathe? Is not wearing a bra a come-on?"

Much more adult than the Harry Potter series, Duane goes right into battles with thick descriptions - and death in tow, not shying away from the facts of things. She also takes the time to tuck in the myth, history and lore that flush out the story.

A good read - I'll take the time sometime to go back to #1 and roll forward.

However - the writing here should steer readers to progress toward similarly crafted books by Alan Garner, Madeleine L'Engle, or Ursula K. LeGuin.