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Diadem Worlds of Magic #1
Book of Names
Three teenagers from very different world — Score, a streetwise New Yorker; Renald, who prepares for a medieval battle; and Pixel, who is confined to the one-room world of Virtual Reality — are kidnapped and plunged into a perilous odyssey as they seek to unlock the secrets of the Diadem.
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
19 people are currently reading
801 people want to read
About the author
John Peel
444 books167 followersJohn Peel is the author of Doctor Who books and comic strips. Notably, he wrote the first original Doctor Who novel, Timewyrm: Genesys, to launch the Virgin New Adventures line. In the early 1990s he was commissioned by Target Books to write novelisations of several key Terry Nation Dalek stories of the 1960s after the rights were finally worked out. He later wrote several more original Daleks novels.
He has the distinction of being one of only three authors credited on a Target novelisation who had not either written a story for the TV series or been a part of the production team (the others were Nigel Robinson and Alison Bingeman).
Outside of Doctor Who, Peel has also written novels for the Star Trek franchise. Under the pseudonym "John Vincent", he wrote novelisations based upon episodes of the 1990s TV series James Bond Jr..
He has the distinction of being one of only three authors credited on a Target novelisation who had not either written a story for the TV series or been a part of the production team (the others were Nigel Robinson and Alison Bingeman).
Outside of Doctor Who, Peel has also written novels for the Star Trek franchise. Under the pseudonym "John Vincent", he wrote novelisations based upon episodes of the 1990s TV series James Bond Jr..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
March 12, 2012
I absolutely loved this series when I was a kid, so when I recently rediscovered this book at a thrift store I had to read it again.
As an adult, the book isn't exactly the best story ever. But a child reading this would LOVE it (I did)! It has mythical creatures and magicians, it has pages and pages of secret codes and drawings to decipher, it's packed full of action and much more. It's the kind of magical fast-paced story kids will love.
My only big issue with it is the length, it is VERY short and very little is revealed. It's clear in this first book that this series is one giant mystery surrounded by many little mysteries, and while discovering new truths and unraveling the codes is part of the fun, it would have been nice if more was shared. However, I do realize this book is meant for 8-year-olds, so I can't really complain about the length.
If you have young kids looking for a quick magical and mysterious read, I definitely recommend the Diadem series. You may even like it yourself. Finding the books new is nearly impossible, but there are many used shops online that sell them, and for cheap, which is aweeesome.
As an adult, the book isn't exactly the best story ever. But a child reading this would LOVE it (I did)! It has mythical creatures and magicians, it has pages and pages of secret codes and drawings to decipher, it's packed full of action and much more. It's the kind of magical fast-paced story kids will love.
My only big issue with it is the length, it is VERY short and very little is revealed. It's clear in this first book that this series is one giant mystery surrounded by many little mysteries, and while discovering new truths and unraveling the codes is part of the fun, it would have been nice if more was shared. However, I do realize this book is meant for 8-year-olds, so I can't really complain about the length.
If you have young kids looking for a quick magical and mysterious read, I definitely recommend the Diadem series. You may even like it yourself. Finding the books new is nearly impossible, but there are many used shops online that sell them, and for cheap, which is aweeesome.
September 12, 2012
So i remember reading this book when i was in about fifth grade, what i truly loved was that this was one of those books that i just couldn't get enough of, i read the entire series in the borders book store with my legs crossed because it was just so entertaining for a huge imagination like my own. One thing i truly loved about this author was that as these characters grew in friendship and support you tend to grow with them. I love the intelligence in the personalities, how each intelligence is unique and brought out to the best of their abilities. I felt like this series was remarkable and even as i search through the amazon store i scream to the top of my lungs WHY ISN'T THIS AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK????? because i would definitely buy the entire collection. These are keepsake books that free your mind from stress whether your a child or an adult and build your mind to different segments, I truly enjoyed these and I pray someone makes them eBooks soon so i can enjoy them for the umpteenth time. Definitely recommend for both kids and adults. Score, Pixel, and Helaine took me through my world and theirs and prepared me for reality before i got there. I really hope you give these books a shot. You will be amazed.
August 5, 2018
I loved the puzzles in this story! Watching Score, Renald and Pixel solve them. It was interesting seeing 3 people from very different woulds interact with each other. Took them awhile but the y came around. Pixel seemed to be the middle binding between Score and Renald. I wish I could have visualized the tower better. Scenes are not well described but the action is fast paced. I think they grasped concepts too quickly as well but still I really enjoyed this.
March 31, 2017
I loved this book. I feel bad for Helaine, since her father expects her to be a whiny little girl. I like how she runs, and how she comes to be at the Diadem. I like how Score is smart and uses his wits to stay alive. I am glad that he was saved from the angry guy and the gang. I like how Pixel finally discovered his life of ease. I like how they all team up, even though they hate each other in the beginning. I like how they are able to defeat Anarack.
January 30, 2026
A New York street kid is summoned to a mystical tower where he and some other kids learn to do magic to fight evil.
Abecederian.
Abecederian.
March 13, 2017
Fairly good for what it is, though I doubt I'll be reading the rest of the series.
October 20, 2014
Book of Names wasn't a totally bad book to me. There were some parts that I did like but overall it was just okay and nothing more.
Most of the time I was weirdest out by the story. Some really strange things happen in it, like a killer whale jumping out of a river and changing into a man. That was just a little too weird for me. I didn't think the writing was all that good, either. This book is obviously more for younger readers but usually I can find books like this entertaining. So it's too bad that it wasn't the case with this one.
As I said before, some part I did like. One of those parts were the three main characters: Score, Renald and Pixel. They were a great set of characters, with each their own story and world they lived in. Personally, I liked Pixel's story the most because he came from a virtual reality world. Pretty cool. I also liked the fact that Renald kept her identity as a girl hidden for everyone for a little while. She was definitely a feisty character!
If it wasn't for the writing style that was only so-so and the mediocre dialogue, I think I would've liked this book a lot more. Also, the villain wasn't as hateful as I like my bad guys to be. He, also was so-so.
There is talk about a more mysterious villain, but although there was some talk about him, he didn't make a real appearance. I'm guessing that will be for the next book, with how the story ended.
All in all, Book of Names was tolerable. I didn't completely hate it but I obviously didn't love it either. It definitely had some promise but to me it wasn't enough.
Most of the time I was weirdest out by the story. Some really strange things happen in it, like a killer whale jumping out of a river and changing into a man. That was just a little too weird for me. I didn't think the writing was all that good, either. This book is obviously more for younger readers but usually I can find books like this entertaining. So it's too bad that it wasn't the case with this one.
As I said before, some part I did like. One of those parts were the three main characters: Score, Renald and Pixel. They were a great set of characters, with each their own story and world they lived in. Personally, I liked Pixel's story the most because he came from a virtual reality world. Pretty cool. I also liked the fact that Renald kept her identity as a girl hidden for everyone for a little while. She was definitely a feisty character!
If it wasn't for the writing style that was only so-so and the mediocre dialogue, I think I would've liked this book a lot more. Also, the villain wasn't as hateful as I like my bad guys to be. He, also was so-so.
There is talk about a more mysterious villain, but although there was some talk about him, he didn't make a real appearance. I'm guessing that will be for the next book, with how the story ended.
All in all, Book of Names was tolerable. I didn't completely hate it but I obviously didn't love it either. It definitely had some promise but to me it wasn't enough.
December 7, 2012
I *adored* this series when I was in middle school, so much so that I bought the whole set as an adult. However, If memory serves, I think the series was never completed, so the last book ends on a terrible cliffhanger. Aside from that, though, I loved it. Of course, now that I'm older, it's not quite as special as it was when I was younger, but I'm no longer in the target demographic, so that's okay. My future children will definitely be reading these.
May 12, 2011
A friend suggested that I read this series and after the first book I am excited to see where the series goes. Fun characters and interesting worlds are just some of the things you will find in this book. The series is intended for young readers, but fans of fantasy and adventure will like this read.
August 10, 2016
I loved this series when I was younger and it still holds a special place in my heart. I had so much fun trying to figure out the clues in the pages the kids kept discovering and, with my versions I had, if I put the books in a line, the covers made one long picture. I thought that was very creative.
September 2, 2010
As a kid, this is the book that caused me to fall in love with reading forevermore.
November 21, 2013
i loved it i wish i had the others to continue my journey through diadem and recommend it to all readers.
January 23, 2024
A solid launch to a fun middle-grade fantasy series about a trio of kids drawn from separate worlds into a magical mystery linking them together. The worst thing about this first title is that it burns through so many of its ideas so quickly -- there are revelations that should sting, like Pixel discovering that his pampered existence is predicated on unseen slave labor, but are instead brushed aside in service to the needs of an overly-propulsive plot. This book has to introduce the three 12/13-year-old protagonists and their home lives, disrupt those to get them to their initial adventure off-planet, school them in the basics of their powers and the premise of the setting, and then squeeze in a betrayal and climactic final duel, all while laying breadcrumb clues in the larger storyline for the sequels to take up in turn.
I also don't have much patience for the sequence of puzzles that the heroes have to solve in these early books, which feel more like a videogame challenge than a grounded element of the narrative. (I'll grant that I'm far outside the target age range at this point, but even when I read these back in the 1990s, I thought it was silly for the teens' mysterious benefactor(s) to be communicating important information to them as rebuses, codes, and rhymes that anyone could find and decipher.) Author John Peel thankfully falls away from that device as the saga goes on, but it's pretty heavy-handed here and now.
Luckily the characters are interesting, both in their own right and in the relationships of trust that they're starting to build as a team. Score is a mouthy New Yorker whose sarcasm masks his insecurities, 'Renald' is a girl from a medieval society disguised as a boy in order to defy their repressive gender roles and train as a warrior, and Pixel is a blue-skinned youth who's lived most of his life in a virtual reality program, unsure if his closest friends are even real. They're somewhat archetypal at this stage -- present, past, and future; rogue, paladin, and wizard; etc. -- but already showing welcome signs of growth as they interact. It's nice that this isn't primarily a Score-led novel too, despite him taking the first chapter and being the only one shown (albeit at a hilariously-inaccurate age) on the original cover. Instead we trade off equally among the three perspectives, which allows for greater shading of each.
None of the young wizards know about magic when the story begins, because earth and the other homeworlds are apparently out on the rim of the interdimensional landscape, where such things are notoriously weak. The closer you get to the center, the more your sorcery grows, and that's the direction our travelers are heading, leveling up with new spells and mystical artifacts as they go. This volume is a good introduction and proof of concept for that, but I'm not blown away on this reread quite yet.
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I also don't have much patience for the sequence of puzzles that the heroes have to solve in these early books, which feel more like a videogame challenge than a grounded element of the narrative. (I'll grant that I'm far outside the target age range at this point, but even when I read these back in the 1990s, I thought it was silly for the teens' mysterious benefactor(s) to be communicating important information to them as rebuses, codes, and rhymes that anyone could find and decipher.) Author John Peel thankfully falls away from that device as the saga goes on, but it's pretty heavy-handed here and now.
Luckily the characters are interesting, both in their own right and in the relationships of trust that they're starting to build as a team. Score is a mouthy New Yorker whose sarcasm masks his insecurities, 'Renald' is a girl from a medieval society disguised as a boy in order to defy their repressive gender roles and train as a warrior, and Pixel is a blue-skinned youth who's lived most of his life in a virtual reality program, unsure if his closest friends are even real. They're somewhat archetypal at this stage -- present, past, and future; rogue, paladin, and wizard; etc. -- but already showing welcome signs of growth as they interact. It's nice that this isn't primarily a Score-led novel too, despite him taking the first chapter and being the only one shown (albeit at a hilariously-inaccurate age) on the original cover. Instead we trade off equally among the three perspectives, which allows for greater shading of each.
None of the young wizards know about magic when the story begins, because earth and the other homeworlds are apparently out on the rim of the interdimensional landscape, where such things are notoriously weak. The closer you get to the center, the more your sorcery grows, and that's the direction our travelers are heading, leveling up with new spells and mystical artifacts as they go. This volume is a good introduction and proof of concept for that, but I'm not blown away on this reread quite yet.
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6...
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
March 6, 2024
In my opinion this book is a three out of five stars.. I found this book to be very adventurous and mysterious. I love how the main characters have their own unique personality that seems to work well with each other. I also enjoy the display of teamwork shown in this book, no matter what happened Score, Pixel, and Helaine always had each other’s backs. Overall, this was an entertaining novel, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys adventure mystery novels.
However, I do have a few dislikes for the novel. I feel as if the author could’ve given more of us a closer look into Score’s character given his backstory and personality. Although we do learn a great amount of information on his character, I feel that a lot more could’ve been added. Despite this, this is still a good book, and I would recommend it.
However, I do have a few dislikes for the novel. I feel as if the author could’ve given more of us a closer look into Score’s character given his backstory and personality. Although we do learn a great amount of information on his character, I feel that a lot more could’ve been added. Despite this, this is still a good book, and I would recommend it.
May 28, 2020
J'ai trouvé ce livre parmis mes choses d'enfance chez mes parents et je l'ai revisité avant de m'en débarrasser.
J'avoue que c'est évidemment un livre de jeunesse/ado lors de la lecture mais l'histoire elle-même est très originale et intéressante et j'ai bien aimé les casse-têtes et défis auxquels nos héros ont dû faire face.
Je ne crois pas avoir lu les autres livres de la série dans ma jeunesse mais même s'il sont sous mon niveau, je ne me gênerais pas de les lires!
Mon seul critique pour la version française : c'était *très* évident que c'était une traduction. Je lirai les prochains en anglais, vu la chance.
J'avoue que c'est évidemment un livre de jeunesse/ado lors de la lecture mais l'histoire elle-même est très originale et intéressante et j'ai bien aimé les casse-têtes et défis auxquels nos héros ont dû faire face.
Je ne crois pas avoir lu les autres livres de la série dans ma jeunesse mais même s'il sont sous mon niveau, je ne me gênerais pas de les lires!
Mon seul critique pour la version française : c'était *très* évident que c'était une traduction. Je lirai les prochains en anglais, vu la chance.
September 17, 2019
I read this book for the first time when I was in 5th or 6th grade and I loved it. Absolutely enamored. Unfortunately, as an adult, it doesn't hold up.
The concept is interesting and I'm curious to read the second book to see where it goes but I'm only reading out of curiosity.
Two of three main characters fall into obvious tropes (the street-smart city kid and girl playing boy warrior) and the third doesn't have a strong voice which may be because he is the "quiet observer" type but he mostly just reads as convenient.
I wanted to love this again. :(
The concept is interesting and I'm curious to read the second book to see where it goes but I'm only reading out of curiosity.
Two of three main characters fall into obvious tropes (the street-smart city kid and girl playing boy warrior) and the third doesn't have a strong voice which may be because he is the "quiet observer" type but he mostly just reads as convenient.
I wanted to love this again. :(
September 18, 2018
I really wanted to like this series, re-reading them as an adult. There are a lot of proofreading errors and inconsistencies. It's unnecessary for Score to constantly be sexist about a woman in their group. I love the concept of the Pages, wish they played a larger role in the mystery and the group worked more to figure out all the pieces instead of just ~1 thing per page and then putting all the text together at the end.
August 16, 2022
When I was in middle school, I loved this book. It's no Harry Potter. It's absolutely not terrifically written. In fact, the plot was pretty plain. I know, I'm really selling this book. But it has these silly little word puzzles that are important to the plot, and everybody is just so stupid that I find it more entertaining than maybe I should. I want to read this series in its entirety before I decide to keep it or not. For now, I'm traveling down nostalgia lane!
April 17, 2019
I think the book was actually amazing because this is my first time reading dystopian and now I'm actually happy to read more it's about a kid named Score who starts off as A street punk and then he gets kidnapped. Then he meets two other characters named Renald, And pixel. And they are all in this virtual world trying to defeat the person who kidnapped them. I recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2018
It was an okay book. Pixel confused me. Score was decent and Helaine was horrible. With a mediocre cast I struggled to properly digest this. Not much happens. Fast to read. Deceptive cover. I doubt any of them are that age. They are middle grade age!
April 28, 2021
Read this as a kid. Read it again for the memories. It's clearly written for kids but the story is entertaining. If you're an adult prepare for some very light, fairly cheesy writing but an entertaining story.
June 25, 2022
I read this as a kid & honestly believe if it was adapted (properly) to film it would be at least as good if not better than Harry Potter.
April 13, 2024
Decided to re-read a book I remembered from when I was a kid. Very short but still enjoyable.
February 18, 2010
Diadem #1: Book of Names, by John Peel
"Book of Names" introduces readers to the three heroes of Peel's Diadem series: Score, Helaine, and Pixel. Score's from Earth, a street kid raised in New York. Helaine masquerades as Renald, a warrior boy from the medieval Ordin. Pixel's from futuristic Calomir, where people live in Virtual Reality and don't have real lives.
Each of these three kids is unique on their own worlds in that they are magic users, only they don't know it. They join forces on the world of Treen, after escaping dangerous situations on their home worlds. The three form an uneasy partnership as they try to navigate learning magic.
Peel creates a unique universe where the planets are in rings, and the closer a planet is to the inner ring, the stronger the magic on the planet is. He mixes puzzles into the text, as a form of mysterious help for the trio, which would be great for kids reading with their parents.
I first discovered the Diadem series back when it was first published in 1997, and enjoyed them very much. Now rereading them in my 20s, I see a few niggling problems, but for the most part I enjoyed them just as much as I did when I was younger. I think these are the perfect books for parents who want to get their kids into reading, due to the puzzles and language tricks that are part of the magic.
4/5.
"Book of Names" introduces readers to the three heroes of Peel's Diadem series: Score, Helaine, and Pixel. Score's from Earth, a street kid raised in New York. Helaine masquerades as Renald, a warrior boy from the medieval Ordin. Pixel's from futuristic Calomir, where people live in Virtual Reality and don't have real lives.
Each of these three kids is unique on their own worlds in that they are magic users, only they don't know it. They join forces on the world of Treen, after escaping dangerous situations on their home worlds. The three form an uneasy partnership as they try to navigate learning magic.
Peel creates a unique universe where the planets are in rings, and the closer a planet is to the inner ring, the stronger the magic on the planet is. He mixes puzzles into the text, as a form of mysterious help for the trio, which would be great for kids reading with their parents.
I first discovered the Diadem series back when it was first published in 1997, and enjoyed them very much. Now rereading them in my 20s, I see a few niggling problems, but for the most part I enjoyed them just as much as I did when I was younger. I think these are the perfect books for parents who want to get their kids into reading, due to the puzzles and language tricks that are part of the magic.
4/5.
April 19, 2016
1st Read: February 2, 2014 - February 6, 2014
I am not one to normally read young adult or preteen stories and books, however, this was not too bad. It is intended reading for those in the age group of nine to twelve years old.
What's not to appreciate and love about this story? Judging through my eyes as an adult, and looking at it from a young persons perspective, the story has interesting characters, is written well and easy to follow. There is magic, an element of mystery, battle scenes in strange new worlds and of course, time travel. I would have owned all of these books, or at least read them, if they were around in the late 1970's.
I am actually curious to know how the story continues to unfold as each new book was written. I may possibly seek them all out. With any luck, perhaps there is a complete book on all twelve of the Diadem Series. If not, makes for one hell of a marketing project!
I will be keeping this one as it is the first in the series and has the original cover artwork, as far as I can tell!
June 23, 2015
I am not in the target age group for this series, and I knew that going into it. However, I am usually able to keep that in mind when reading books intended for younger audiences, and typically manage to select titles that are enjoyable for adults as well as children.
Overall this wasn't a bad read. It just wasn't really spectacular either. It lacked a level of substance that I want in my reading material. At least in the stuff I'm going to buy. I think even when I was in the intended age group for this book (and the sequels) I would have had some issues with the worldbuilding (or rather, general lack thereof).
Overall this wasn't a bad read. It just wasn't really spectacular either. It lacked a level of substance that I want in my reading material. At least in the stuff I'm going to buy. I think even when I was in the intended age group for this book (and the sequels) I would have had some issues with the worldbuilding (or rather, general lack thereof).
January 9, 2013
Fun little YA series. I was told it would be like Animorphs, but I can't vouch for that since I've never read that series. In book 1, three kids from different worlds are pulled together onto the world of Treen and learn they have magical abilities that make them targets for the Big Bads of the universe- the Shadows.
The puzzles that the kids have to solve are printed in the book, which is pretty cool for younger readers - gives them the chance to solve things right along with the characters. Reminds me a bit of Encyclopedia Brown. :)
The puzzles that the kids have to solve are printed in the book, which is pretty cool for younger readers - gives them the chance to solve things right along with the characters. Reminds me a bit of Encyclopedia Brown. :)
October 23, 2009
John Peel is great at making everything and everyone tie together. Helaine is the tough one in the book, Score is the street rat, and Pixel is the computer nerd. Their differences do not get in the way of their relationships, however, especially when the strength of those relationships is tested by Alastor. This book is quite simple but interesting to read, and would be a brilliant book to read on a rainy day.
March 29, 2025
I remember when I first picked up The Diadem series when I was a kid. As soon as I saw that it involved a system of magic I had never seen before I knew it was going to be good, and it did not disappoint. There are more than the first six books I've read, but if 7+ are as good as the first six I will be happy. The imagination and surprises in this series are very interesting and has stuck this series firmly in my top 10 that I re-read over and over.
March 3, 2012
These books rocked my world when I was in middle school. I reread them several times and spent hours thinking about them. I still have the set, but if I read them now they seem pretty juvenile (which they are). Still, I very much recommend them for younger teens. If you're lucky they will spark your imagination like they did mine.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews