@dduane was a bit vague about presents...

...but I remembered she'd been muttering about a plushie she'd seen on Tumblr.

She knew about - in fact the courier gave her - the smaller one, but I managed to intercept the bigger and hide it until Christmas Morning.

Then she and me and Ed and Eddie all had a nice cup of tea and some bikkies.

As you do.

Not really an ask, but I just wanted you to know that I finally read Deep Wizardry at the age of 26 and the ending hit me like a truck and it took me multiple days to recover.

Thank you for letting me know.

It wasn't easy at this end, either. ...Which is possibly one reason why so many people feel this is the best of the YW books; and why I'm not going to argue with them.

Title: Deep Wizardry | Author: Diane Duane | Publisher: Clarion Books (2003)

Sometimes when you walk on water, there are sharks. Sometimes when you're saving lives, you lose them. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.

They swam away through the darkening water. S'reee set the pace; it was a quick one. “Why did we have to leave in such a hurry?” Kit said.

“There aren't many wizardries more powerful than a Calling,” S'reee said as she led them away. “He'll weave those whales' names into his spell, and if they agree to be part of the Song, the wizardry will lead them to the place appointed, at the proper time.”

“Just by singing their names?”

“K!t, that's plenty. Don't you pay attention when someone calls you by your name? Your name is part of you. There's power in it, tied up with the way you secretly think of yourself, the truth of the way you are. Know what a person's name means to him, know who he feels he is – and you have power over him. That's what Aroooon is using.”

That was a bit of information that started Nita's thoughts going in nervous circles. How do I think of myself? And does this mean that the people who know what I think can control me? I'm not sure I like this...

  —  Deep Wizardry (Diane Duane)

*through gritted teeth* must i accept this barren gift? -learn death and lose my mastery? then let them know whos blood and breath will take the gift and set them free: whose is the voice and whose the mind to set at naught the well sung game- when finned finality arrives and calls me by my secret name.

*clenches fist* not old enough to love as yet, but old enough to die, indeed. the death-fear bites my throat and heart, fanged cousin to the pale ones breed. but past the fear lies life for all- perhaps for me: and, past my dread, past loss of mastery and life, the sea shall yet give up her dead!

I have to say, with an adult perspective I sort of side-eye S'reee (and I think Hotshot was there?) When a person casually, blithely offers to take on a role that's going to end in their death, you should check and make sure they know that - with more detail than "Are you sure?" - before you let them do anything binding. S'reee is a wizard; she should have known better.

Re-reading Deep Wizardry for the first time in 20ish years and for the life of me I could not say when or why I memorized the Silent One's sacrifice poem but y'all the way those lines called to something deep in my mind and soul

Anyway, I've read 2.5 Young Wizards books in so far this week and cried about a dozen times, so it definitely still holds up. Good work @dduane 👍🏾

Cheese wizard!

I don't know why a cheese wizard would need to exist, but I do know that some wizards exist just to fuck around.

Y'all ever reread a series out of order and just get decked in the face by the characters aging?? I'm rereading Young Wizards, which is a fairly regular occurrence, but I read Deep Wizardry then dove right into A Wizard of Mars and they're so old now. My babies are growing up 😭😭😭

Just revisiting this shot from a slightly different angle. Because after all, it's Shark Week...

rereading deep wizardry again and. i am forever grateful that diane duane hadn't started writing kit pov into the series yet. it's painful enough from nita's pov, i don't think i could TAKE kit's.

"The only reason it works for you is that you know wizardry works and are willing to have it so. Belief is no good either; belief as such always has doubt at the bottom. It's knowing that makes wizardry work. Only knowing can banish doubt, and while doubt remains, no spell, however powerful, will function. 'Wizardry does not live in the unwiling heart,' the Sea says. There'd be lots more wizards if more people were able to give up doubt – and belief. Like any other habit, though, they're hard to break...”

  —  Deep Wizardry (Diane Duane)

IN WHICH I EXPLAIN WHY EVERYTHING IS SO UNBELIEVABLY F*CKED UP