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The Secrets of Droon: Special Edition #2
The Secrets of Droon Special Edition #2: Wizard or Witch?
The secret is out--DROON is the series that kids, parents, and teachers are talking about!
Keeah, a junior wizard, has always dreamed of the day she would receive her Wizardbook. So when her mother presents her first one, Keeah is overjoyed. But what she doesn't realize is how very powerful and dangerous a Wizardbook can be. If she isn't careful, she might accidentally destroy the entire kingdom of Droon! Keeah will need the help of her friends, Eric, Julie, and Neal, along with Max the Spider Troll, to keep her on the right path...
For the first time ever readers get to hear Keeah's point of view as she tells readers about the exciting adventures and wondrous magic of Droon!
Keeah, a junior wizard, has always dreamed of the day she would receive her Wizardbook. So when her mother presents her first one, Keeah is overjoyed. But what she doesn't realize is how very powerful and dangerous a Wizardbook can be. If she isn't careful, she might accidentally destroy the entire kingdom of Droon! Keeah will need the help of her friends, Eric, Julie, and Neal, along with Max the Spider Troll, to keep her on the right path...
For the first time ever readers get to hear Keeah's point of view as she tells readers about the exciting adventures and wondrous magic of Droon!
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
20 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
About the author
Tony Abbott
210 books406 followersTony Abbott (born 1952) is an American author of children's books. His most popular work is the book series The Secrets of Droon, which includes over 40 books. He has sold over 12 million copies of his books and they have been translated into several other languages, including Italian, Spanish, Korean, French, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. He has also written the bestseller Firegirl.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
Abbott was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. His father was a university professor and had an extensive library of books which became one of Abbott's first sources of literature. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Connecticut where he went through elementary school and high school.
Abbott attended the University of Connecticut, and after studying both music and psychology, decided to study English and graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He attended the workshops of Patricia Reilly Giff to further develop his writing after college.
Abbott currently lives in Trumbull, Connecticut, with his wife, two daughters, and two dogs. Tony had one brother and two sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 5, 2013
Another "special edition" in the Droon series, which in this case means only a slightly longer book told from Princess Keeah's point of view, rather than the usual third-person narrative. The kids from Earth take a back seat in the action, as this story revolves around Keeah and her next steps in coming of age. In this book, several milestones occur: acquiring her WizardBook, becoming Drooma, manifesting her witch powers in addition to her wizard skills, and achieving Elfin Sight. It's a bit like she leveled up and spent some time with her class trainer.
In many ways, this book is a cut above most of the previous Droon books. It still has a lot of the failings - ridiculous onomatopoeia, anachronistic speech patterns - but the first-person writing helps, and the illustrations are improved enough to call some of them good (I was so favorably struck by the picture on page 110 that I remarked on it to my wife). I also found the story hook particularly engaging. As the only book in the series - so far - to start not with the Earth kids doing mundane things in their kitchens, classrooms, or backyards, it may have been engaging just for the novelty. But I think it's more than that. The story starts off with a bang - Keeah wakes up to find her parents imprisoned, Sparr in command, and an army of Ninns arriving to conquer Jaffa City any minute - and twists it even further when Keeah discovers that somehow she has betrayed everyone! Sparr has apparently turned her to the Dark Side in her sleep, and he fully expects her to co-reign the kingdom as his evil queen. How did this happen? What does it mean? We're not usually presented with such questions in Droon, and it generated much more interest from me.
It turns out that some members of Keeah's female line have an affinity for both dark and light magic. Keeah's mother, Queen Relna, managed to defeat her demons and went wholly to the good wizarding magic. Keeah's aunt, Demither, was seduced by Sparr and chose the witch magic. Then he dominated her with an ensorcelled amulet which forces her obedience when Sparr commands it. When the story begins, with Sparr holding out his hand, inviting Keeah to claim her rightful place as his evil consort, Keeah chants a powerful spell and freezes everyone else inside Jaffa City for twelve hours (like I said, she has a powerful affinity for magic). Then she seeks help, traveling quickly all over Droon through a variety of conveyances, including Sparr's own car (which we haven't seen since he used it in the first book, I believe). She summons the Earth kids and all the regular cast of allied characters: Khan, the Oobja, Queen Ortha, and so on. Each group joins her in her quest, and they travel from location to location, seeking wisdom and help. On the way, they repeatedly encounter monsters from the Dark Lands, who are answering a call. It becomes clear that Keeah herself is calling them, and leading them unconsciously. Each time she uses a bit more of her witch magic to command them to leave. Guided at each step by the comic and cryptic comments from the Drooma spirit guide (seemingly inspired by He-Man's sidekick, Orko), eventually they find their way to a jagged spire of rock deep in the desert near the Oobja village. Inside, Keeah is separated from all of her friends, and she must face her dark side alone.
Earlier in the series, Demither used her magic on Keeah to activate the Princess' witch magic. When she did so, a small part of Keeah's magic split off and formed a dark shadow of Keeah, who slowly gathered strength and power in the vile darkness below these crags in the desert. Keeah faces her dark half down and eventually dispels her. Then with her confidence in herself restored - she can choose whether to use the witch magic for good or evil - she retrieves her friends and they all return to Jaffa City. There their combined might easily drives Sparr out of the city, despite his having all three of his dread artifacts, and he limps away, swearing revenge.
Jaffa City celebrates for a full feast day, and then as night falls, the Earth kids ascend the rainbow stairs back home.
This book makes Keeah a more interesting character to me. While Demither's story is still the most compelling of all the characters, Keeah is at least more than an enthusiastic sidekick.
In many ways, this book is a cut above most of the previous Droon books. It still has a lot of the failings - ridiculous onomatopoeia, anachronistic speech patterns - but the first-person writing helps, and the illustrations are improved enough to call some of them good (I was so favorably struck by the picture on page 110 that I remarked on it to my wife). I also found the story hook particularly engaging. As the only book in the series - so far - to start not with the Earth kids doing mundane things in their kitchens, classrooms, or backyards, it may have been engaging just for the novelty. But I think it's more than that. The story starts off with a bang - Keeah wakes up to find her parents imprisoned, Sparr in command, and an army of Ninns arriving to conquer Jaffa City any minute - and twists it even further when Keeah discovers that somehow she has betrayed everyone! Sparr has apparently turned her to the Dark Side in her sleep, and he fully expects her to co-reign the kingdom as his evil queen. How did this happen? What does it mean? We're not usually presented with such questions in Droon, and it generated much more interest from me.
It turns out that some members of Keeah's female line have an affinity for both dark and light magic. Keeah's mother, Queen Relna, managed to defeat her demons and went wholly to the good wizarding magic. Keeah's aunt, Demither, was seduced by Sparr and chose the witch magic. Then he dominated her with an ensorcelled amulet which forces her obedience when Sparr commands it. When the story begins, with Sparr holding out his hand, inviting Keeah to claim her rightful place as his evil consort, Keeah chants a powerful spell and freezes everyone else inside Jaffa City for twelve hours (like I said, she has a powerful affinity for magic). Then she seeks help, traveling quickly all over Droon through a variety of conveyances, including Sparr's own car (which we haven't seen since he used it in the first book, I believe). She summons the Earth kids and all the regular cast of allied characters: Khan, the Oobja, Queen Ortha, and so on. Each group joins her in her quest, and they travel from location to location, seeking wisdom and help. On the way, they repeatedly encounter monsters from the Dark Lands, who are answering a call. It becomes clear that Keeah herself is calling them, and leading them unconsciously. Each time she uses a bit more of her witch magic to command them to leave. Guided at each step by the comic and cryptic comments from the Drooma spirit guide (seemingly inspired by He-Man's sidekick, Orko), eventually they find their way to a jagged spire of rock deep in the desert near the Oobja village. Inside, Keeah is separated from all of her friends, and she must face her dark side alone.
Earlier in the series, Demither used her magic on Keeah to activate the Princess' witch magic. When she did so, a small part of Keeah's magic split off and formed a dark shadow of Keeah, who slowly gathered strength and power in the vile darkness below these crags in the desert. Keeah faces her dark half down and eventually dispels her. Then with her confidence in herself restored - she can choose whether to use the witch magic for good or evil - she retrieves her friends and they all return to Jaffa City. There their combined might easily drives Sparr out of the city, despite his having all three of his dread artifacts, and he limps away, swearing revenge.
Jaffa City celebrates for a full feast day, and then as night falls, the Earth kids ascend the rainbow stairs back home.
This book makes Keeah a more interesting character to me. While Demither's story is still the most compelling of all the characters, Keeah is at least more than an enthusiastic sidekick.
June 18, 2018
I liked this book because it explained al lot of things, for example, how you become a wizard, what a wizardbook is, etc. It also is very exciting.
Read
May 21, 2013it is amazing
October 27, 2018
I haven’t read a Droon book in a while so, as I read this one, I was reminded of why I like them so much. The characters are constantly having to choose between the easy wrong and the difficult right. And they always show that love, family and friendship are paramount, even for the bad guys. This story is no different. I love it.
August 9, 2025
Told in first person from Princess Keeah's perspective, she wakes mysteriously to find Sparr has taken over Jaffa City. She uses a freezing spell to freeze the city for twelve hours, and she, Eric, Julie, Neal, and friends go on an adventure to discover the truth. I always love the recurrence of old characters.
January 7, 2022
Another great story filling in some of the details as to how to become a wizard, I Wonder if Eric will have to do it separately or if Keeah's adventure is for them both. This was a Good read.
October 21, 2022
I loved how the perspective came from the princess this time.
October 26, 2024
**3.5**
I’m a little indifferent to these coming together big casts. It’s fun to see some of these characters again, but sometimes I just don’t remember them.
When I saw this was in first person, i thought it would be a fresh view. But i decided that I don’t like it. I kept thinking I was in Eric’s POV, but it was Keeah’s. Additionally, it didn’t really provide too much of what went on in Keeah’s mind. We pretty much just saw everything that happened.
The concept of Neffu was fun!
- First person keeah pov as we are reading her wizard journal
- Keeah is helping sparr by getting him i to jaffa city and getting him the eye
- Keeah is given the journal by her parents to celebrate a special day. She worries she will take after her aunt
- Eric falls through some kind of portal??
- Ghost tells them to go to a forest for keeah’s long journey
- Meet with monkeys they know while avoiding the wingwolves
- Having a car just seems so out of place
- On a ninn ship. It crashes
- Keeah tells the gang she is telling the creatures everywhere they go
- Dust storm brought them to a rock with and opposite of the throne room
- Witch version of keeah was born when demither gave her powers. Ready to emerge
- Demither gives keeah advice how to defeat neffu. Keeah hopes to one day free demither from sparr’s spell
- Goes back to the normal throne room for the spell to wear off and battle sparr
- Keeah gets her elfin sight
I’m a little indifferent to these coming together big casts. It’s fun to see some of these characters again, but sometimes I just don’t remember them.
When I saw this was in first person, i thought it would be a fresh view. But i decided that I don’t like it. I kept thinking I was in Eric’s POV, but it was Keeah’s. Additionally, it didn’t really provide too much of what went on in Keeah’s mind. We pretty much just saw everything that happened.
The concept of Neffu was fun!
- First person keeah pov as we are reading her wizard journal
- Keeah is helping sparr by getting him i to jaffa city and getting him the eye
- Keeah is given the journal by her parents to celebrate a special day. She worries she will take after her aunt
- Eric falls through some kind of portal??
- Ghost tells them to go to a forest for keeah’s long journey
- Meet with monkeys they know while avoiding the wingwolves
- Having a car just seems so out of place
- On a ninn ship. It crashes
- Keeah tells the gang she is telling the creatures everywhere they go
- Dust storm brought them to a rock with and opposite of the throne room
- Witch version of keeah was born when demither gave her powers. Ready to emerge
- Demither gives keeah advice how to defeat neffu. Keeah hopes to one day free demither from sparr’s spell
- Goes back to the normal throne room for the spell to wear off and battle sparr
- Keeah gets her elfin sight
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2015
Wizard or Witch? (The Secrets of Droon: Special Edition #2) by Tony Abott and illus. by David Merrell, published 2004.
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback, Print.
Plot: The evil wizard Lord Sparr has found a way into Jaffa City, but Keeah casts a spell that temporarily freezes time until she finds a solution. She goes on a quest with her friends and faces monsters and natural disasters as she helps defeat or outsmart Lord Sparr's armies as they try to go to Jaffa city. (Spoilers) She eventually learns that she let Sparr in because she has the ability to be a wizard or a witch and must choose. She eventually has to battle her evil nature and chooses to be a witch and do good. With this knowledge and her friends she goes back to Jaffa and casts Sparr out.
Considerations: There is a great deal of magic and fantastic peril that the characters face that may scare some children and the magical elements may offend those who are more religiously conservative.
Review: Scholastic Year NA.
Selection Source: Christina Jones
Recommended Age: Ages 8 - 10.
Genre: Fiction
Format: Paperback, Print.
Plot: The evil wizard Lord Sparr has found a way into Jaffa City, but Keeah casts a spell that temporarily freezes time until she finds a solution. She goes on a quest with her friends and faces monsters and natural disasters as she helps defeat or outsmart Lord Sparr's armies as they try to go to Jaffa city. (Spoilers) She eventually learns that she let Sparr in because she has the ability to be a wizard or a witch and must choose. She eventually has to battle her evil nature and chooses to be a witch and do good. With this knowledge and her friends she goes back to Jaffa and casts Sparr out.
Considerations: There is a great deal of magic and fantastic peril that the characters face that may scare some children and the magical elements may offend those who are more religiously conservative.
Review: Scholastic Year NA.
Selection Source: Christina Jones
Recommended Age: Ages 8 - 10.
December 27, 2014
I've decided to read The Secrets of Droon series entirely for Christmas since i've been feeling a bit nostalgic. I want to be able to live a bit of the magic of being a kid and what beeter to help than this incredible series. I know that this series is for young kids but i feel it will still be great after all these years.
An interesting and exciting read. This book was told from Keeah's perspective and it centered around her. We traveled to many parts of Droon with many characters. It was full of action, mystery and friendship. We discovered many things in this adventure. I also feel as if the books are maturing a little more and the characters are more developed, which is great as they are getting better and better.
An interesting and exciting read. This book was told from Keeah's perspective and it centered around her. We traveled to many parts of Droon with many characters. It was full of action, mystery and friendship. We discovered many things in this adventure. I also feel as if the books are maturing a little more and the characters are more developed, which is great as they are getting better and better.
January 15, 2009
somebody gets magic in this one i think but i don't remember who
Read
July 12, 2011161 pages
Want to Read
December 14, 2011Need to read this in order to know what happened in the book after it. Read out of order.
November 20, 2012
Cute adventure story for 2nd or 3rd grade level readers.
May 15, 2013
After keeah's opposite kaffoo comes, whish path will keeah take, good or evil?
November 15, 2013
i liked the part when Keeah gets her own wizard book.
Read
May 2, 2016To read after Flight of the Genie and before The Isle of Mists
Guided reading level N
Guided reading level N
June 30, 2016
Nice suspense book.
February 1, 2009
I was afraid she would have dark powers forever, but it ends okay.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews