High Wizardry: Amazon.ca: Diane Duane: Books

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Don't take brilliant, shrewd Dairine Callahan for just any bratty younger sibling. Impatient for adventure, knowledge, and recognition, she finds her sister Nita's wizardry manual and reads the Oath aloud. Disappointingly, nothing happens. But when her family's new computer arrives, Dairene discovers more than the standard issue system software on it and launches herself on a reckless, universe-wide, high-voltage magical conflict with the Lone Power. Diane Duane's storytelling is skillfully mythic and wittily referential; Dairine's discovery and shaping of a new form of life is wondrous. For maximum enjoyment, read So You Want To Be A Wizard and Deep Wizardry first. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

"Duane is tops in the high adventure business," said PW in praise of this "rollicking yarn" about the escapades of teenage wizards Nita and Kit. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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HEY, THERE'S SOMEBODY IN the driveway! Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

3.9 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Young Wizards Aloft, Jun 25 2004

By

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: High Wizardry (Paperback)

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.

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4.0 out of 5 stars good! but not excellent, Jan 19 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: High Wizardry (Paperback)

In this book nita and kit have to save dairine from getting in to much trouble w/ the lone power you see dairine has become a wizard and kit and nita have to save her before its too late! i ebjoyed this book but not as much as the others before. it seemws to me that dairine is way to smart! and the book never fully setteled the fact that nita likes kit ? do they eventually realize their feelings for each other? wut is the definition of "like"? kit seems to light on the subject . all in all i thought the book was great and im already on the 4th one hopefully further books will answer my questions!

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3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the others, but still a good read, Jan 17 2004

By

Claude Avary "West Coast Reader" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Wizardry (Paperback)

The next book in the Young Wizards series dips somewhat below the quality of the two previous novels. Duane treads far into the "rational fantasy" territory of Madeline L'Engle here; in fact, the book in places seems to be a direct homage to _A Wrinkle in Time_ with its rapid planet-hopping and planets based on philosophy. I'm tempted to call this science fiction or at least science fantasy.

In a major shift, the hero of the story is Nita's little sister, Dairine, who has a knack for computer wizardry. The humor that was subtle in the previos novel, _Deep Wizardry_, returns in full force here for the first half-Dairine makes for a very humorous heroine. But toward the end the book bogs down in its own half-explained philosophy. This confusing finale keeps the book from obtaining the thrilling heights of the first two.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Odd...
A quick plot summary (note that I haven't read any of the other books): Dairine, Nita's younger sister and a child progidy, took the Oath and is now going to go to her ordeal. Read more

Published on Jan 5 2004 by Tomer Chachamu

5.0 out of 5 stars The second time was better
The first time I ever knew that this series existed was when my mom brought home High Wizardry from the library. Read more

Published on Jan 2 2004