In the second half of the third chapter of Wizards at War, I am continuously not ready. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Young Wizards.
This is both overwhelming and over joyous to read, and I love that I’m feeling both at the same time. At the start of this section, I was stressed out because Duane wasted no time in demonstrating just how much responsibility all of these young Wizards will having over the next two weeks. That section of Kit’s manual – where he learned of the need for wizards in SE Asia – was a LOT, wasn’t it? And it’s just one bit of an entire world’s worth of wizardry. How many other requests were there??? How many of them have Tom and Carl been fielding in their capacity as Senior wizards? Again, this is how Duane conveyed this reality to us, and I found it beautifully effective, even if it was anxiety-inducing. This struggle was bad enough all on it’s own, but they’ve also got to manage all of this at the same time? H E L P.
This is also why I adore the transition that Duane makes in the text. Once Nita arrives, this all felt dire and impossible. The scope of their investigation changed, too, since both wizards agreed that stopping the expanding plots of space was not a good solution. They had to track down the culprit who started his all, who might be a new power or force instead of the usual suspect. THIS IS SO MUCH TO DEAL WITH ALL AT ONCE. So it ended up being a lot of fun to read this chapter once the action moved to Kit’s living room. First of all: I ADORE CARMELA. Sometimes, she’s the comic relief, but Duane doesn’t force her to be the kind of character who only had one purpose within the story. I’m fascinated with how immersed she is within the world of wizardry without being a wizard herself, and this chapter provided me with even more to be intrigued by. I know I’m dancing around it, so I’ll be direct: CARMELA SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF ALIEN ABDUCTIONS AND UFO SIGHTINGS. IT WAS CHOCOLATE THE WHOLE TIME. ALIENS JUST REALLY LOVE CHOCOLATE. I can’t???? It’s so simple and yet so believable???? Carmela, Queen of Solving Epic Mysteries!
Somehow, this book tops that. How? With two things:
- The arrival of Ronan. Look, I really wanted to see wizards from past books, and this was granted to me, and that makes me even more excited for the possibility that DARRYL might also make an appearance.
- RONAN BRINGING WITH HIM ONE OF MY FAVORITE TROPES EVER: THE QUEST FOR A MAGICAL WEAPON.
Now, there’s got to be a reason why this trope and others like it entertain me so much. I like heists, too. I like most things where a characters or a group have to find or locate or steal something impossible or challenging. Perhaps it’s the journey that I find so rewarding. Who cares, I AM SO INTO THIS TROPE. I have no idea what the Instrumentality might be or how it would stop the expansion of space, it I am 100% willing to take this wacky journey. I cannot wait to learn more about it! I’m thrilled Ronan is here, and I’m bouncing up and down because the next chapter is likely A GIANT CONFERENCE OF YOUNG WIZARDS ON THE MOON
Help me.
https://youtu.be/jU78rjMLvbI
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