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Young Wizards #10.5
Interim Errantry: On Ordeal
A wizard's Ordeal is intensely personal, and sometimes (though not always) intensely dangerous. Each Ordeal is tailored to the wizard who may pass it, or fail to pass. Each one is in some ways diagnostic of the innermost nature of the wizard who embraces the challenge offered them by the Powers that Be.
On Ordeal tells the unique tales of the wizardly initiations of three notable wizards of the Young Wizards universe -- Roshaun ke Nelaid, Mamvish fsh Wimsih, and Ronan Nolan Jnr -- revealing how they coped with their Ordeals. Watch as a disaffected alien prince, a lizard who wants to become a wizard (by having one for dinner if necessary), and an ironically emo kid from the Dublin suburbs get to grips, up close and personal, with the Powers that Be... and come into the kind of power only those on errantry can dream of.
Among them, these three epic tales of three very different introductions to the world of wizardry comprise a total of 127,000 words of new, canonical Young Wizards material.
On Ordeal tells the unique tales of the wizardly initiations of three notable wizards of the Young Wizards universe -- Roshaun ke Nelaid, Mamvish fsh Wimsih, and Ronan Nolan Jnr -- revealing how they coped with their Ordeals. Watch as a disaffected alien prince, a lizard who wants to become a wizard (by having one for dinner if necessary), and an ironically emo kid from the Dublin suburbs get to grips, up close and personal, with the Powers that Be... and come into the kind of power only those on errantry can dream of.
Among them, these three epic tales of three very different introductions to the world of wizardry comprise a total of 127,000 words of new, canonical Young Wizards material.
450 pages, ebook
First published June 27, 2017
13 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Diane Duane
167 books2,416 followersDiane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years.
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 5, 2018
Roshaun - 4 stars
When we first met Roshaun, he was an obnoxious prince with very little care about anyone around him. Or so he seemed. While he never really changed much, the more we learned about him and the world he comes from, the easier it was to understand him. And it's kind of hard to hate a guy who loves lollipops that much.
Of the three central characters here, he's the one whose Ordeal we knew nothing about prior to this collection. It was fascinating then to go back to a time prior to when we met him and see what he was like as a kid and how it was like for him to grow up in an environment where daily assassination attempts against the royal family are treated the same as picking up the mail. Unsurprisingly, the Lone Power tempts him with the opportunity to get away from it all, and Roshaun's Ordeal becomes a particularly interesting game of subterfuge.
Mamvish - 2 stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from this, except that Mamvish had been a favorite despite not knowing very much about her. We knew already that the LP never showed up for Mamvish's Ordeal, so I wasn't surprised to see this was the shortest story of the three. I was surprised that instead of telling us the story of Mamvish's Ordeal, we got a mythical telling of Mamvish's birth and youth as she goes on a quest to fix her world after the LP ravaged it.
The world-building here is both extremely imaginative and frustrating. Aside from the gross out factor (the Tuawff are forced into cannibalism to survive the extinction-level event caused by the LP), it just doesn't make a whole lot sense. The mythical style of the tale gets repetitive fast and large chunks of time go by without much of anything happening. Mamvish goes on this epic quest to become the best, strongest, fastest and smartest Tuawff ever so she can fix her planet, and the way the story ends we have no idea if she does or even if she ever attempts it.
Disappointing, disjointed and not very appetizing. I admit, I skimmed quite a bit of this one.
Ronan - 4 stars
In contrast to the other two, we've gotten to know Ronan over several books in this seres and we knew a good deal about his Ordeal already from when he told Nita about it in A Wizard Abroad. This then becomes more about seeing the specific events, including the parts Ronan left out, and how exactly wizardry works differently for Irish wizards. It was a joy to see Ronan have so much fun with the Knowledge as he's first experiencing it, and of course there was the One's Champion and the LP playing an ongoing tug-of-war over Ronan's fate as both tried to influence his choices - and it wasn't always easy to tell who was goading him which way either. ;)
When we first met Roshaun, he was an obnoxious prince with very little care about anyone around him. Or so he seemed. While he never really changed much, the more we learned about him and the world he comes from, the easier it was to understand him. And it's kind of hard to hate a guy who loves lollipops that much.
Of the three central characters here, he's the one whose Ordeal we knew nothing about prior to this collection. It was fascinating then to go back to a time prior to when we met him and see what he was like as a kid and how it was like for him to grow up in an environment where daily assassination attempts against the royal family are treated the same as picking up the mail. Unsurprisingly, the Lone Power tempts him with the opportunity to get away from it all, and Roshaun's Ordeal becomes a particularly interesting game of subterfuge.
Mamvish - 2 stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from this, except that Mamvish had been a favorite despite not knowing very much about her. We knew already that the LP never showed up for Mamvish's Ordeal, so I wasn't surprised to see this was the shortest story of the three. I was surprised that instead of telling us the story of Mamvish's Ordeal, we got a mythical telling of Mamvish's birth and youth as she goes on a quest to fix her world after the LP ravaged it.
The world-building here is both extremely imaginative and frustrating. Aside from the gross out factor (the Tuawff are forced into cannibalism to survive the extinction-level event caused by the LP), it just doesn't make a whole lot sense. The mythical style of the tale gets repetitive fast and large chunks of time go by without much of anything happening. Mamvish goes on this epic quest to become the best, strongest, fastest and smartest Tuawff ever so she can fix her planet, and the way the story ends we have no idea if she does or even if she ever attempts it.
Disappointing, disjointed and not very appetizing. I admit, I skimmed quite a bit of this one.
Ronan - 4 stars
In contrast to the other two, we've gotten to know Ronan over several books in this seres and we knew a good deal about his Ordeal already from when he told Nita about it in A Wizard Abroad. This then becomes more about seeing the specific events, including the parts Ronan left out, and how exactly wizardry works differently for Irish wizards. It was a joy to see Ronan have so much fun with the Knowledge as he's first experiencing it, and of course there was the One's Champion and the LP playing an ongoing tug-of-war over Ronan's fate as both tried to influence his choices - and it wasn't always easy to tell who was goading him which way either. ;)
March 24, 2022
2021 reread: I'm so in love with this sequence and the depth it adds to some of the less central (but deeply important) characters in the 'verse. Rho's standoffishness, Mamvish being herself as firmly as possible, and Ronan's healing - they're such beautiful elaborations and character studies and explorations of how wizardry is experienced and practiced throughout the universe. Adore it.
2022 reread: Only covered Rho and Mam this time around. Still in love.
2022 reread: Only covered Rho and Mam this time around. Still in love.
December 21, 2021
This review contains spoilers for the entire YW main-series chronology/continuity to this point.
There are four stories in here, and while I found the fourth to be a little thin (though also a bit shocking, about which more later), the first three were so true and affecting and profound that I found myself tearing up constantly as I read them. The fundamental moral underpinnings of Diane Duane's wizardry are so noble that just reading about a bunch of newly initiated wizards making the choice to follow the light makes me all teary-eyed.
The first two stories in this volume (which I think are the strongest two of the four) also make a really good case for why DD should write more science fiction. (I know she does licensed Trek novels, but I've never been much of a Trekker. Would that she would write Omnitopia: East Wind!) And the first three stories all emphasize to the reader that, yes, DD knows an awful lot about real science and is in fact not straying very far afield from that science in order to create wizardry. Roshaun's story in particular is full of all kinds of star-related verbiage that I'm confident is all totally on the level, because DD is a huge space nerd who legitimately knows all that stuff.
The fourth story is a little too light on details to really feel fully at home with the first three stories. We're left at the end not really knowing what's happened or why. It's a cute little brush with real life (. . . sort of; DD even changes the sex of the owl in question, perhaps to distance the story further from reality), but the shocking part is that this story appears to be occurring a full decade after the most recent YW novel. So suddenly we have Kit . . . as a doctor or with a doctorate or something?? And Neets is the Planetary's second-in-command?? And they're living together in France?? These aren't even spoilers for the story because they have no bearing on the plot! They're just . . . little incidental revelations that left me with my jaw hanging open.
The YW series occurs in the "eternal now," along the lines of a long-running comic strip where the characters' ages rarely creep up but their environment remains in the "now" of the publication date of the strip. So I've been reading these books since I was 11 and Nita was 14; now I'm 37 and the last I checked (in Games Wizards Play) Nita was maybe . . . 16? But this short story has her as a full adult, and boy, can I just tell you, after a quarter-century (for me) of incredibly slow movement of in-universe time, this leap forward was absolutely discombobulating . . . and incredibly freeing.
It's very cool to see these crazy kids grown up and taking charge, so cool in fact that I'm kind of hoping that DD will just . . . keep writing them this age. Or at least age them up faster. Surely a YA imprint will print books about college kids, right?? Send them off to college and let them juggle school and errantry! Let Nita and Kit progress beyond awkward high school shenanigans! Let Dairine go be, uh, Queen of Wellakh maybe??? How's Ronan handling Brexit? Carmela should run for Senate! Can some of these kids have kids? Can we let these characters ever, ever, ever grow up????
I hope supplementary material such as this is not the only place we'll ever get to see adult versions of the characters I've been rooting for most of my life. But if it is, I hope the supplementary material keeps coming.
There are four stories in here, and while I found the fourth to be a little thin (though also a bit shocking, about which more later), the first three were so true and affecting and profound that I found myself tearing up constantly as I read them. The fundamental moral underpinnings of Diane Duane's wizardry are so noble that just reading about a bunch of newly initiated wizards making the choice to follow the light makes me all teary-eyed.
The first two stories in this volume (which I think are the strongest two of the four) also make a really good case for why DD should write more science fiction. (I know she does licensed Trek novels, but I've never been much of a Trekker. Would that she would write Omnitopia: East Wind!) And the first three stories all emphasize to the reader that, yes, DD knows an awful lot about real science and is in fact not straying very far afield from that science in order to create wizardry. Roshaun's story in particular is full of all kinds of star-related verbiage that I'm confident is all totally on the level, because DD is a huge space nerd who legitimately knows all that stuff.
The fourth story is a little too light on details to really feel fully at home with the first three stories. We're left at the end not really knowing what's happened or why. It's a cute little brush with real life (. . . sort of; DD even changes the sex of the owl in question, perhaps to distance the story further from reality), but the shocking part is that this story appears to be occurring a full decade after the most recent YW novel. So suddenly we have Kit . . . as a doctor or with a doctorate or something?? And Neets is the Planetary's second-in-command?? And they're living together in France?? These aren't even spoilers for the story because they have no bearing on the plot! They're just . . . little incidental revelations that left me with my jaw hanging open.
The YW series occurs in the "eternal now," along the lines of a long-running comic strip where the characters' ages rarely creep up but their environment remains in the "now" of the publication date of the strip. So I've been reading these books since I was 11 and Nita was 14; now I'm 37 and the last I checked (in Games Wizards Play) Nita was maybe . . . 16? But this short story has her as a full adult, and boy, can I just tell you, after a quarter-century (for me) of incredibly slow movement of in-universe time, this leap forward was absolutely discombobulating . . . and incredibly freeing.
It's very cool to see these crazy kids grown up and taking charge, so cool in fact that I'm kind of hoping that DD will just . . . keep writing them this age. Or at least age them up faster. Surely a YA imprint will print books about college kids, right?? Send them off to college and let them juggle school and errantry! Let Nita and Kit progress beyond awkward high school shenanigans! Let Dairine go be, uh, Queen of Wellakh maybe??? How's Ronan handling Brexit? Carmela should run for Senate! Can some of these kids have kids? Can we let these characters ever, ever, ever grow up????
I hope supplementary material such as this is not the only place we'll ever get to see adult versions of the characters I've been rooting for most of my life. But if it is, I hope the supplementary material keeps coming.
June 17, 2018
The writing in this series has been hit or miss for me since Wizards at War. This is the same. Roshaun and Ronan"s Ordeals were quite good, and provided new insight into familiar characters, especially Roshaun and his family. However, I neither needed nor wanted to read about Mamvish's Ordeal.
It wasn't a bad story, per se. Some of the choices were...bold, and I imagine many readers were unsettled by it. I found her society interesting, though I didn't like something so heavy being applied to Mamvish, who has heretofore been a funny dinosaur who loves tomatoes and argues with komodo dragons.
Mostly, though, there's just no way that a actual account of her Ordeal can beat what we already know. Sometimes, an event can be ruined when the writer shows it to us, because nothing that anyone can put into words could surpass reader expectation. Mamvish is so powerful that the Lone Power declined to show up for her Ordeal, claiming that it had a headache. That's *brilliant*! It's all we needed! Now all the magic has been explained away, and that sucks.
It wasn't a bad story, per se. Some of the choices were...bold, and I imagine many readers were unsettled by it. I found her society interesting, though I didn't like something so heavy being applied to Mamvish, who has heretofore been a funny dinosaur who loves tomatoes and argues with komodo dragons.
Mostly, though, there's just no way that a actual account of her Ordeal can beat what we already know. Sometimes, an event can be ruined when the writer shows it to us, because nothing that anyone can put into words could surpass reader expectation. Mamvish is so powerful that the Lone Power declined to show up for her Ordeal, claiming that it had a headache. That's *brilliant*! It's all we needed! Now all the magic has been explained away, and that sucks.
June 13, 2025
As this is a series of short stories, the ratings are individually assigned:
Roshaun's Ordeal: 10/10, no notes. Also knowing that he passed through Crossings during Dairine's Ordeal...the soulmatism of it all...
Mamvish's Ordeal: 6/10; Mamvish isn't one of my favorite characters, but this had some interesting world building and was more an exploration of her species than really about her. People in the reviews were Freaking Out over this one saying it was Gross, but it's literally no bloodier than the rest of the series, and less so than a lot of it.
Ronan's Ordeal: 8/10; always fun to revisit Ordeals we've heard about, and Ronan making the choice to serve Life regardless of how people use that life was a great exploration of his own personal morality. I always like hearing about Ronan, but I have to admit that I missed Mela's presence, as normally the two come hand in hand. Given the timeline, she couldn't have showed up, but still.
Owl Be Home For Christmas: 1/10; not only is it a story where nothing actually happens, the Formal, Removed narration doesn't cast really any of our normal narrators in flattering lights (Nita's snooty, Tom's weirdly got lame dad energy, Kit's there to be made fun of for something that happened nearly 10 years prior), and we mostly deal with new characters (the owl in question) or, once normal cast members show up, they're there so perfunctorily that they might as well not be there at all. And we gotta make sure to drop in the knowledge Kit's pop passes, because we gotta whittle down the "wizards with their families intact" down to literally just Roshaun (somehow!) and Ronan. Also wizards on errantry can't get COVID, apparently, which is as dumb as it sounds, because the series makes a point over and over that wizards aren't exempt from being human and living human lives, they just have different responsibilities and work on top of that.
Roshaun's Ordeal: 10/10, no notes. Also knowing that he passed through Crossings during Dairine's Ordeal...the soulmatism of it all...
Mamvish's Ordeal: 6/10; Mamvish isn't one of my favorite characters, but this had some interesting world building and was more an exploration of her species than really about her. People in the reviews were Freaking Out over this one saying it was Gross, but it's literally no bloodier than the rest of the series, and less so than a lot of it.
Ronan's Ordeal: 8/10; always fun to revisit Ordeals we've heard about, and Ronan making the choice to serve Life regardless of how people use that life was a great exploration of his own personal morality. I always like hearing about Ronan, but I have to admit that I missed Mela's presence, as normally the two come hand in hand. Given the timeline, she couldn't have showed up, but still.
Owl Be Home For Christmas: 1/10; not only is it a story where nothing actually happens, the Formal, Removed narration doesn't cast really any of our normal narrators in flattering lights (Nita's snooty, Tom's weirdly got lame dad energy, Kit's there to be made fun of for something that happened nearly 10 years prior), and we mostly deal with new characters (the owl in question) or, once normal cast members show up, they're there so perfunctorily that they might as well not be there at all. And we gotta make sure to drop in the knowledge Kit's pop passes, because we gotta whittle down the "wizards with their families intact" down to literally just Roshaun (somehow!) and Ronan. Also wizards on errantry can't get COVID, apparently, which is as dumb as it sounds, because the series makes a point over and over that wizards aren't exempt from being human and living human lives, they just have different responsibilities and work on top of that.
May 30, 2023
Here’s my thing about prequels: When done well, a prequel is a story that explains why a character is the way they are at the beginning of their journey in the main story. When done poorly, a prequel tells a story about a character in which they behave as they would at the end of their journey in canon, after they’ve developed and grown, but the story is set in the past. By this viewpoint, Mamvish’s story is done well. Roshaun’s and Ronan’s are not. They’re good stories if viewed as separate from the source material, but as tie-ins, they don’t work well. I don’t want to have to ignore canon in order to enjoy a story.
June 26, 2018
This isn't where you'd want to start with the series, as it covers some characters who don't show up until several books in, but it's a fantastic addition to the story and I'm really glad that it exists.
December 23, 2017
Not sure which was my favorite, but this makes a lot of sense out of some aspects of the main YW story
April 27, 2018
Loved all of these extra little insights!
May 14, 2018
Quite enjoyed these three very different takes on an ordeal in the young wizards universe. Each story had a unique flavor to it, that made reading them each a very different experience.
November 16, 2019
As always, it was fantastic. But I think Ronan’s tale was my favorite.
October 19, 2023
The first two stories were 4/5 and 5/5. The last one was 2.5 or 3/5. Just dull. But it was 2/3 a good book.
January 20, 2024
Loved all 3 stories. Each was unique and worthy. A great addition to the world of Young Wizards.
April 4, 2018
There are three novelettes contained in this book, each telling the story of a wizard's Ordeal. In the Young Wizards universe, when someone is offered wizardry and have spoken the Wizard's Oath (usually at the age that constitutes that species' early teen years, between about 10 and 15 in a human lifespan) they next go on an Ordeal to prove they are worthy of the Art. Usually they go up against the Lone Power, the source of death in the universe, though not always. Wizard lore says that every wizard is the solution to a problem...maybe multiple problems. The three characters here are secondary characters in the main series: Roshaun, Mamvish and Ronan.
I'd recommend reading this at least after Wizards at War if you're working your way through the main series or there will be some references and plot twists that will either be spoiled or you won't understand. Mamvish only appears in A Wizard of Mars but since I didn't even remember her I don't think it will disrupt things if you haven't read that book yet. Though there are things that happen in Games Wizards Play that concern Roshaun, I don't think reading about his Ordeal will spoil it, though there may be a minor hint if you're observant.
Of these, I think I ended up liking Roshaun's the most. I liked getting to know a younger version of him--it gave some greater insight into his character when we first meet him in Wizard's Holiday, and his Ordeal I found the most meaningful and poetic. I also liked getting to see more of his parents and their relationship. It's interesting to see a culture where wizardry is known and accepted, and being part of a family where it's expected you'll one day be offered the Art--and the internal and external tension caused when it starts to look like that might not be the case (Roshaun is a late bloomer in wizard terms).
Mamvish I didn't even remember being a character; I had to look her up and discovered that she is a minor character in A Wizard of Mars, probably my least favorite of the series and one of the few I've read only once. So it's not surprising I didn't recall her. Her Ordeal I found was full of unhappy tension and not really a fun read; her entire species centers around eating each other in order to gain the other's knowledge and skills. This isn't described in graphic detail because Duane doesn't go in for violence porn in her writing but it's still uncomfortable.
Ronan's Ordeal we knew the most about going in; he describes it in general terms in one of the main novels. It's also interesting to see how a wizard begins his craft in Ireland since they don't get a physical version of the Wizard's Manual like American wizards--their wizardry depends on memorizing the Speech (the lingua franca of the universe), which would make it difficult for a new wizard with no prior training to go on Ordeal. Ronan is also a special case even among Irish wizards, and I enjoyed the frame story surrounding his Ordeal.
Duane's boundless creativity in her Young Wizards universe continues to astonish. Fans of the series will likely enjoy the backstories to these three characters.
I'd recommend reading this at least after Wizards at War if you're working your way through the main series or there will be some references and plot twists that will either be spoiled or you won't understand. Mamvish only appears in A Wizard of Mars but since I didn't even remember her I don't think it will disrupt things if you haven't read that book yet. Though there are things that happen in Games Wizards Play that concern Roshaun, I don't think reading about his Ordeal will spoil it, though there may be a minor hint if you're observant.
Of these, I think I ended up liking Roshaun's the most. I liked getting to know a younger version of him--it gave some greater insight into his character when we first meet him in Wizard's Holiday, and his Ordeal I found the most meaningful and poetic. I also liked getting to see more of his parents and their relationship. It's interesting to see a culture where wizardry is known and accepted, and being part of a family where it's expected you'll one day be offered the Art--and the internal and external tension caused when it starts to look like that might not be the case (Roshaun is a late bloomer in wizard terms).
Mamvish I didn't even remember being a character; I had to look her up and discovered that she is a minor character in A Wizard of Mars, probably my least favorite of the series and one of the few I've read only once. So it's not surprising I didn't recall her. Her Ordeal I found was full of unhappy tension and not really a fun read; her entire species centers around eating each other in order to gain the other's knowledge and skills. This isn't described in graphic detail because Duane doesn't go in for violence porn in her writing but it's still uncomfortable.
Ronan's Ordeal we knew the most about going in; he describes it in general terms in one of the main novels. It's also interesting to see how a wizard begins his craft in Ireland since they don't get a physical version of the Wizard's Manual like American wizards--their wizardry depends on memorizing the Speech (the lingua franca of the universe), which would make it difficult for a new wizard with no prior training to go on Ordeal. Ronan is also a special case even among Irish wizards, and I enjoyed the frame story surrounding his Ordeal.
Duane's boundless creativity in her Young Wizards universe continues to astonish. Fans of the series will likely enjoy the backstories to these three characters.
October 20, 2023
"All things are well, indeed everything is well, and all manner of things are well."
Roshaun ke Nelaid: I cant remember if we learned anything about Rho’s Ordeal (“Challenge”) from the book about wizard exchange students, but I vaguely recall getting the impression that it was a huge event. I’m glad to see it was more Nita than Dariane huge though. And I loved getting to see more of his personality here as a child (young adult, really). It makes him a more relatable person. And I LOVED the story about his sun's choice.
Mamvish fsh Wimsih: I had honestly forgotten that this character was a lizard for some reason. I just remembered the tomatoes. Is there a character that's an otter? Because if so, that's who I ws imagining for a mo. Not really any Ordeal to speak of here, since LP “has a headache” ??? But tons of other interesting planetary lore, which was really interesting for some reason. Very Doctor Who-y.
Ronan Nolan Jnr: I LOVE RONAN. I wish there were entire books dedicated to him. I'm SO GLAD his Ordeal in here. When I saw this book, this was the ONLY one I was really looking forward to seeing. I love it. He's bad ass.
Other take aways:
1. I hate e-books. I'm so annoyed that to complete this series I had to gave and buy an e-book. Ugh.
2. Honestly? I would love some lore and Ordeals from the Lone Power' POV. I imagine him like Death in Tanya Huff's The Wizard of the Grove. And I love him.
Roshaun ke Nelaid: I cant remember if we learned anything about Rho’s Ordeal (“Challenge”) from the book about wizard exchange students, but I vaguely recall getting the impression that it was a huge event. I’m glad to see it was more Nita than Dariane huge though. And I loved getting to see more of his personality here as a child (young adult, really). It makes him a more relatable person. And I LOVED the story about his sun's choice.
Mamvish fsh Wimsih: I had honestly forgotten that this character was a lizard for some reason. I just remembered the tomatoes. Is there a character that's an otter? Because if so, that's who I ws imagining for a mo. Not really any Ordeal to speak of here, since LP “has a headache” ??? But tons of other interesting planetary lore, which was really interesting for some reason. Very Doctor Who-y.
Ronan Nolan Jnr: I LOVE RONAN. I wish there were entire books dedicated to him. I'm SO GLAD his Ordeal in here. When I saw this book, this was the ONLY one I was really looking forward to seeing. I love it. He's bad ass.
Other take aways:
1. I hate e-books. I'm so annoyed that to complete this series I had to gave and buy an e-book. Ugh.
2. Honestly? I would love some lore and Ordeals from the Lone Power' POV. I imagine him like Death in Tanya Huff's The Wizard of the Grove. And I love him.
August 11, 2022
Another intellectually stimulating and emotionally satisfying addition to the Young Wizards saga, as usual. Adds interesting insights for both Roshaun and Ronan, making me want to reread their appearances throughout the novels for the umpteenth time; and Mamvish is the best
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews