In the second half of the first chapter of A Wizard Alone, I AM SO EXCITED. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Young Wizards.Â
I think this section contains the record for the quickest amount of time that passes from the beginning to the first instance of emotional devastation:
For his own family’s sake, he’d done his best to act as if he was, but his heart hadn’t been in the celebrations, or the presents. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the one present Nita most desperately wanted, one that not even the Powers That Be could give her.
Don’t. Just don’t.
See, I thought it was fairly obvious that this book would be about Nita’s struggle with grief and loss; everything about this chapter pushed me in that direction. However, Kit’s meeting with Tom has provided me with a new theory: what if the wizard who is “alone†is also Darryl? Look, I’ve been wanting to meet more fellow wizards on Earth since A Wizard Abroad, and it looks like I’m about to get my chance. Darryl McAllister is missing, and it’s Kit’s job to figure out what happened to him.
And yet that doesn’t even touch on how weird this is. It’s not that no one knows where he is; he’s not missing in a traditional sense. (Well, as far as I know; it’s possible he’s missing in that context, too!) See, Darryl is on his Ordeal, which has lasted NINETY DAYS. Ninety! I have experienced only three Ordeals in this series, and yet even I knew that this seemed utterly wrong. How could someone’s Ordeal last over three months? That just seems cruel.
Truthfully, though, there’s so many things that could have gone wrong, and Duane has Tom outline what those are. What if Darryl’s Ordeal got corrupted? What if he isn’t even really sure that he’s on one? What if it’s gotten sidetracked? What if there’s some external factor preventing him from moving forward? WHAT IF IT’S THE LONE ONE? Oh my god, the possibilities here are endless, and they’re all frightening. But I do love that we’re thrown right into the conflict of this novel in the first chapter. I’ve barely started it, and I’m already excited.
Plus, I’m just happy that Kit is at the focus of this. It’s nice to get him as the protagonist this time around, at least when it comes to this conflict. I still don’t know if Duane is going to alternate between Kit and Nita. But the responsibility he’s been given here is a big deal. Investigating another wizard on their Ordeal? Yo, that’s important. He can’t interfere in a way that would alter Darryl’s Ordeal, but he’s also got to get enough information to actually help put Darryl back on track.
Ah, I can’t wait, y’all. This first chapter is a real treat. We get a conflict, and we get to see how awesome Kit’s family is. I loved the conversation he had with his father about safety. Plus, intergalactic cable channels!!! HUMAN COOKING SHOWS OH MY GOD. Please stay weird, Young Wizards. STAY WEIRD FOREVER.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO6K-QUV6js
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