In the first part of the second chapter of A Wizard of Mars, WE LEARN A LOT IN VERY LITTLE SPACE. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Young Wizards.
Oh, cousins, this is just too much. For just shy of twenty pages worth of text, this sure does pack in the information, and I AM EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF IT. Here are the things that thrilled me JUST IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THIS CHAPTER. (Third!!! There are over forty pages left!!!)
- Futurity: All those hints that Nita was able to glimpse future timelines are now coming to fruition. Y’all, you know I’m gonna say I love serialization, so you also know just how much this makes me eternally satisfied that Duane keeps doing this. This specific skill, however, is like all wizardry: it must be practiced. Focused on. Part of a routine! Unlike how magic systems work in other fantasy novels, a person isn’t just granted an ability and then they just have to learn how to access it. Nothing comes easy to wizards, and I respect that. Hard work and discipline is rewarded, and I’m eager to see how Nita will grow.
- The koi: KOI FISH WHO EGG NITA ON AND GIVE HER VAGUE ADVICE AND CONDESCEND TO HER ALL THE TIME y’all i love everything about this.
- Tom’s war with the slugs. I don’t feel like I need to add to this because it’s so good all on its own.
- Point of view: I’m lucky in that I’m getting to read two series concurrently that play with point of view in fun ways. Over in The Truth, I’m getting a view of the Watch from characters who don’t necessarily view them as the reader does. Here, Nita provides her own emotional context on Kit. After the first chapter, we got a sense for his emotional state after the events of the last book, but it’s also interesting to see him through Nita’s eyes. Specifically, it’s his absence that is so important. He’s spent less time around Nita, and he seems preoccupied with Mars. (More on Mars in a second.) From this side of things, you could see why Nita and Tom might think that Kit’s grieving through distraction and obsession.
- Carmela: Broken record time. Again! Duane’s choice to bring Carmela into the action was brilliant, and I am so endlessly impressed with the way she balances characters without making it feel like she’s taking shit away from other people in order to give new people time. Carmela might be a late-blooming wizard, but she might not be? Regardless of her journey, Carmela now feels like her own character rather than a supporting character to Kit. She has her own life, her own desire, and her own ambitions. And as this section shows, she is starting to affect the main characters in intriguing ways. UGH, I REALLY LIKE ANALYZING GOOD WRITING OKAY.
- Roshaun: Just want to state in this review that I don’t think he’s dead. Maybe he ascended like Ponch did???
- Mamvish: What on earth does a Species Archivist do? Study different wizards in different species? Why is everyone so thrilled that she’s coming to Earth? I WANT TO KNOW MORE.
- Mars: Why Mars, of all planets? I don’t recall Kit having a Mars interest before. That’s not an insult to the writing, as I fully believe that this is a new thing for Kit. But there’s got to be a reason he’s so excited about that planet, right?
- WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VAMPIRES IN 1652??? Don’t tease me about this!!!
I am thrilled to confirm that I will be a Guest at CrossingsCon 2017! Badges are now available, so COME HANG OUT WITH ME THIS SUMMER.
http://youtu.be/qGKTnv6SY8o?a
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