The Wizard's Dilemma: The Fifth Book in the Young Wizards Series

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Summary: Learning tough lessons, making hard choices, & growing up
Review: For the first time in the Young Wizards series, Nita Callahan and partner Kit Rodriguez take a break from world-saving in favor of a much more personal mission. The story begins a bit slowly as Duane sets up the conflict between them and the problems Nita (in particular) is having dealing with the Herd Instinct of most of her schoolmates; but just about a quarter of the way through, Mrs. Callahan collapses in her husband's florist's shop, and the family learns she has an insidious kind of brain tumor. Quite naturally, Nita resolves to use her wizardly powers to fight the cancer--but this leads not only to a course of exhausting "practice" tests but to some difficult choices. Cancer cells, like everything else wizards deal with, are alive in their fashion, and the Wizards' Oath enjoins her to "defend life where it is right to do so." Is it right to destroy the lives of the cancer cells to save her mother's? Or is the cancer--an invention of the renegade Lone Power--a legitimate target for wizardry, which exists to fight that Power in all its manifestations?

Kit, meanwhile, discovers that his mixbreed dog, Ponch, can literally create Universes--and, with a bit of practice, so can he. And both partners encounter the enigmatic Transcendent Pig, whose existence and nature not even the Powers That Be can fully explain, and their old adversary the Lone Power, whose nature is more clearly delineated for us than in the previous books; what Kit says of It, especially, makes it more obvious than ever that this series is, or can be read as, a Christian allegory. It's notable, as well, that since the events of "A Wizard Abroad," Nita's parents seem to have fully accepted what their daughters are, and even to have learned quite a bit about how wizardry operates (I'd like to have been a fly on the wall during *those* conversations!) But this book is, most of all, about how Nita, particularly, has to learn how to make some difficult choices. Can she apologize to Kit and seek his help in her time of greatest need, or will her hurt pride break up their partnership? Can she sacrifice her life or her wizardry to save her mother? (And would her mother want her to?) Most affecting is the moment when she asks herself, "Does there come a time when you *stop* growing? And when you and the universe *agree* that you're going to stop?...Was there the slightest possibility, here and now, that it *wasn't* right? How could you tell, without being one of the Powers? And if people can't tell, then the game just isn't fair!" Though Nita has abilities denied to most young people, she still has to find her way to the same kinds of ethical conclusions that bedevil all of us, and in that, wizardry notwithstanding, she is Everygirl.

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Summary: Magical Tastes
Review: For those of us who are novel fiends, and worship the authors like J. Rowling, T. Pierce, J. Bauer, P. Beatty, E. Eager, C. Pike, D. Duane, ect., these novels are wonderful. I have been patiently waiting and constantly rereading these wizardry masterpieces, and am tickled to death that the series will be continued. Good for you Ms. Duane, and great for me.

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Summary: Wow!
Review: Having read all of Duane's previous wizard books, I found the fifth to be just as engrossing as the others. Nita and Kit are growing up, and it shows. When Nita's mother gets the news that she has cancer, the story begins to get complicated. Nita is faced with a horrible decision - after being tricked by the Lone One, she has a choice. Is she willing to save her mother's life by giving up all of her wizardly powers? Just when she has made her decision, Kit, along with Nita's mother, intercede to make a heart-felt ending that will move readers of all ages. Diane Duane is a fantastic author and The Wizard's Delimma is a great read!

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Summary: Too confusing...
Review: Having read most of her other books, I was dissapointed it Diane Duane's latest wizardy book. Though it was written beautifully, (what book of hers ISN'T?) I found some parts a little confusing. If you've read & loved the rest of the series, you should read this one, though. Just be prepared to read some paragraphs more than once to get their true meaning!

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Summary: Best one yet!
Review: I am so irritated with my son for stealing this one - I wanted to read it yet again. This is the best one yet. Kit and Nita are growing up and increasing their responsibilities. This particular book had more depth to it than the others and really gives you something to think AND talk about with your kids. How and when do you let nature take it's course and how do you deal with the results. Great book, get it.

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Summary: How DOES she keep coming up with this stuff?
Review: I don't know how she manages it, but Diane Duane consistently comes up with completely new and involving concepts. We've gotten a look at an undersea Passion Play, an enormous "worldgating" airport the size of New Jersey managed by centipedes, and a vast, underground New York run by dinosaurs. Now Ms. Duane treats us to entirely new universes created by a dog (he's fond of squirrels), "practice" arenas where wizards can adjust the laws of physics, and a brief excursion through the core of a planet. What is truly amazing in all of this invention is the way the author keeps her characters completely true and real. Teenagers Kit and Nita are never overshadowed by the wild places the plot takes them--the core of the book still revolves around their thoughts and emotions as they make their way through adolescence and face the challenges of the "real" world. It's a wonderful book, and I'm already pining for the next one.

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Summary: Sigh- such a let down
Review: I loved the first four in this series, especially Wizard Abroad but I found Wizaeds Dillema dreary, I hated when nita was wrong it was sad when kit and nita where no longer the famous duo they'd become. Although Kits obviously a genius I didn't like him surpassing nita, And I found the ending unsatisfying, and unless theres going to be a sixth it left a lot of loose ends.

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Summary: A 14 Year-Old Reader!
Review: I must say I love all the Wizardry books and spent weeks in agony waiting for the book to arrive. I was not dissapointed. It had all the elements I looked forward to and was a definetly a Diane Duane book. Her writing is unique and the story is always interesting and believeable. I did miss seeing Kit and Nita together so much in this book. The book over all is worth every penny. I highly recommend it!

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Summary: I'm glad I went back!
Review: I read the first four books in this series in 6th (7th?) grade, and they were some of my favorite books at the time. I didn't reread them for several years, afraid they wouldn't be as good as I remembered them being. ...P> This is one of the best books--not children's or young adult books, but books, period--I've read in a long time. Few books make me enthusiastic enough to read them in one day, but that's what I did with this one. Duane's magic is very technical, but it also manages to be very magical, if you know what I mean, and no one else writes other universes quite the same way. I stayed involved throughout the book, and the climactic scene was spectacular. Perhaps I have not been very informative yet, but I honestly can't think of much else to say. I would recommend that you buy the book, but you know that already. One caveat--avoid reading the back cover. It gives away some things that don't happen until more than halfway through.

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Summary: Great, but ther was an element lacking
Review: I was so glad to hear that there was going to be another in the wizardry series, after reading A Wizard Abroad I still had some questions that weren't answered in the end. When I read this I was wishing that there had been more of the character Ronan. Dispite that he wasn't in the novel I was extreamly pleased with the it, it was well written and it constantly kept me turing the pages!! For anyone who is a die hard wizardy fan to someone who's never read the series this is a great pick!!