Deep Secret (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Diana Wynne Jones (Author) "I may as well start with some of our deep secrets because this account will not be easy to understand without them..." (more)
Key Phrases: quack chicks, frilly chair, staff car park, Uncle Ted, Gram White, Ted Mallory (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Keeping the multiverse in balance requires MagidsApowerful magicians who are sensible, pragmatic and often very busy. One such Magid, Rupert Venable, is sorting out a crisis in the Koryfonic Empire while, on earth, he must locate the proper replacement for a recently deceased fellow-Magid. The Empire needs Rupert's talents to help locate missing heirs, and good Magid candidates are hard to track down. These plot strands tie neatly at a fantasy/SF conventionAthe fictional PhantasmaCon in the equally fictional Hotel Babylon of Wantchester, England. Anyone familiar with such "cons" will appreciate Jones's accurate and wryly fond depiction. The setup works admirably as the plot thickens, for the con hotel is situated on a magical "node" of power; the appearance of a handsome wounded centaur brings little more than comments like "Fantastic costume!" As readers are hurtled toward a conclusion involving the guest of honor's speech, Imperial troopers and a bush-goddess, what might first be perceived simply as mere embellishment and rich detailing prove to be adroitly handled story elements of an intricate plot. Throughout, Jones (Charmed Life, etc.) combines strong writing, high fantasy heroics and delightfully dark humor to sparkling effect.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-A romp through "the Multiverse," where reality, symbolized by the infinity symbol, contains numerous worlds ranging from "ayewards" to "naywards" and back again. The Multiversal balance between positive and negative forces is maintained by a small and unchanging number of Magids, powerful magicians able to cross the boundaries of worlds at will; still, though possessed of extraordinary talents, Magids are "only human." At the nexus of the Multiverse sits a politically backward Empire, and it is the misfortune of the most junior of all Magids, one Rupert Venables, to be assigned to oversee the Empire and all its worlds. As a new crisis is erupting, Rupert's mentor on Earth dies and, under a strict deadline, he must replace him. Attempting a sub-rosa interview of the people on his short list, he inadvertently brings them all together at a science-fiction convention that soon reels out of control. The best candidate for new Magid proves to be a young woman who irritates and upstages Rupert at every turn. Maree and her sidekick cousin, Nick, are eccentric, gifted, and plucky adolescents who should be familiar to teenaged graduates of YA fantasy novels; the two first complement and then prove instrumental in solving Rupert's problem with the Empire in a splendidly entertaining adventure. This should be a popular choice among readers of humorous fantasy and science fiction, and it will be a special treat for those who have already dipped their toes into the world of SF-fantasy fandom.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Fantasy; 1st edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812575725
• ISBN-13: 978-0812575729
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #959,013 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Infectious and Absorbing Alternate Worlds Fantasy, August 7, 2000

By	Richard R. Horton (Webster Groves, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Seldom recently have I simply enjoyed reading a book as much as I enjoyed Diana Wynne Jones' Deep Secret. Jones employs a mixture of engaging characters, interesting fantasy concepts, and a light touch with serious undertones, to create a novel that is infectious and absorbing.

Right from the beginning we know something is up, as narrator Rupert Venables is called away to the Koryfonic Empire, to give his stamp of approval as a Magid to a legal preceding there. Koryfonic Empire? Magid? We are told that the Multiverse consists of worlds arranged in a sort of infinity figure, with one half (including Earth), negative magically (this is the Naywards half). These worlds tend not to believe in magic, and magic is harder to do there. The other (Ayewards) half are positive magically, and creatures such as centaurs can exist there. The Koryfonic Empire is somehow very important, and it occupies the exact middle of the infinity sign. And Magids are some variety of wizard, with the duty to subtly influence events on whatever worlds they are responsible for in the appropriate direction. Rupert is Earth's junior Magid, and he is fresh from helping out in Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland, when he gets sent to the Empire.

This is a bit of a complicated setup, but it's not really necessary to worry about it too much. Rupert is soon engaged in two succession problems. His mentor has died, and he must select a new Magid from among several human candidates. In addition, the Koryfonic Emperor is assassinated, and he has to try to track down the proper heir: a process complicated by the previous Emperor's paranoia, which caused him to hide away his heirs so they wouldn't try to take over before their time. An alternate narrative path starts to follow Maree Mallory, one of the Magid candidates (which ought to be a clue to any reader).

The action converges at a Science Fiction convention. Much of the action is superficially light in tone, including some funny bits involving the difficulty of navigating the hotel's corridors, which reminded me of stories of real world conventions. But at the same time the concerns are deadly serious, and Jones doesn't cheat us there: real mistakes are made, people are really hurt and killed. So it's not just a light-hearted romp, and though it's often funny, Deep Secret is not a comedy.

What it is, is a thoroughly involving book. Jones is one of those natural storytellers: her books compel reading. The characters are real, and very likable. The plot is exciting, and resolved logically. The magical system is lightly sketched, but what we see is interesting and well drawn. The resolution is largely what we expect, but it also involves satisfying surprises. This book kept me up late at night reading, and made we eager for each chance to read another chapter. It's not perfect: the overall setup, though interesting, is a bit strained, and a bit too lightly sketched, which for me reduced the immediacy of some of the events. And structurally there is a slight burp: the book ends, more or less, and then there is an odd sort of coda, which really fills us in on an event from the earlier of the book that we had missed. But Jones finds a way to round up that coda nicely, without causing a muffled end to things. And I came away from this book a satisfied customer. Highly recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No deep secret that the Multiuniverse spin is an exciting SF, April 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Deep Secret (Hardcover)

The Magids keep the positive and negative magic in balance throughout the Multiverse. Junior Magid Rubert Venables, an Earthling, works the barbaric Koyrfonic Empires where trouble is a way of life. In the large scheme of the Multiverse, a backward series of planets usually means little. However, this group happens to be located at a critical point where the center of the Multiverse twists onto itself. When someone assassinates the Emperor, Rupert has to find the rightful heir even though the previous ruler seems to have killed all of them before a possible chaotic civil war even starts..

However, Rupert has a second problem to deal with at the same time. He has been assigned the task of finding the replacement to his own mentor, who just died. Rupert must go to Earth and select the most competent of the junior Magids (including himself) to become the new Magid of the planet. He meets with the five contenders at a SF convention, but other forces not quite as friendly as the hostile candidates are also there.

DEEP SECRET is a great SF tale that fans will take much pleasure in reading. The story line is exciting, complex, and unique as only Diana Wynne Jones can do. The eccentric cast of characters seem real as they add humor and make magic appear to be part of the scientific realm. Anyone who wants something a bit different, should try this novel and hopefully any future Multiverse books.

Harriet Klausner

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of our best author's best books!, March 24, 2000

By	Robert Groover - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I would say this is the first time DWJ has written an adult book which is fully as good as her best juvenile books - which I mean as a very high compliment indeed. The many complications are wonderfully woven together and beautifully resolved, while still keeping to the frantic pace of her best plotting. There is a theme of deep secrets coming to light (life), which gives the plot more-than-causal coherency.