Book reviews

A Wizard Abroad - Young Wizards 4
Diane Duane Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Diane Duane Books
New book search
Diane Duane Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of A Wizard Abroad - Young Wizards 4
"Nita's parents send her to visit her aunt in Ireland to take a break from wizardry and her friend and partner Kit. Nita can't exactly explain to them that her wizardry follows her there too. Home to wizards for centuries, Ireland is more full of magic than America would be in years to come. It is there that Nita fears she and her companions will again face the evil of the death-creating Lone Power."
Beka, Resident Scholar

"Nita and Kit are young wizards who live on Long Island. They work together as partners. Nita's parents think they are spending too much time together, so they send her to live with her Aunt Annie in Ireland for a month and a half. Nita finds herslef in trouble with magical residue and goes to a fellow wizard, Ronan, for help. They need the help of a senior wizard, Johnny, and Nita finds out her aunt is also a wizard.

Nita, Ronan, Kit and Nita's little sister, Darine, need to fight their old enemy, the Lone One. The Lone One is an evil power, who created death and distruction. Nita asks for help from another power, named Biddy in its present form. Nita and the other wizards must reenact a war that happened a long time before, when Ireland was just being created.

They must wake up and use the four treasures of Ireland; a sword of the element air, a stone of earth, a cup of water, and a very powerful spear of fire, each with powerful magic from its element."

Karen Wright, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of A Wizard Abroad - Young Wizards 4
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%




Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - a powerful magician
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Family relations Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - student - mage/magician
Age: - a teen
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - teleportation - can cast many different spells - healing
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being - An "It".
Profession/status: - mastermind
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can change shapes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - throughout most of the book.
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters - Genius (really!)
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Mountains - Domed/Underground City
Earth setting: - dinosaur times - current (early 21st century)
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - big overbuilt futuristic city
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to A Wizard Abroad - Young Wizards 4
The Mystery of Lord Sha by Erik L'Homme
The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches II by Robert Stanek
The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald
Septimus Heap Book Two: Flyte by Angie Sage
Wumpleberries and Gronglenuts by Graham Burchell


Click here for more information about this book


Diane Duane Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Melissa Cookson  

SCHOLARS:
Nancy Louise  Karen Wright  Ashareh  Michael Jung  Rev. Antonio Hernandez  Rad  James  MaryB  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Science Fiction books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us




Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Jean Sasson 6:45:07 AM
David R. Palmer 4:24:35 AM
Anthony Horowitz 3:50:41 AM
Lurlene McDaniel 3:49:08 AM
Suzanne Weyn 10:53:04 PM
Jean M. Auel 10:13:28 PM
Suzanne Collins 10:04:43 PM
Shannon Holmes 8:05:43 PM
R. Garcia Y Robertson 6:56:32 PM
Marlo Morgan 6:30:00 PM
Robert Segarra 5:12:00 PM
Dennis L. McKiernan 4:47:04 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 4:04:51 PM
Margaret Peterson Haddix 3:40:45 PM
Natasha Friend 3:14:44 PM
Deric Longden 3:02:09 PM
Lori Wick 2:04:58 PM
George W. Bush 1:36:15 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 12:53:34 PM
James H. Cobb 10:05:36 AM

More message boards