A Wizard Abroad

Not one of my favorite books in the series. Didn't shed a single tear during it. Wasn't even tempted. I think that's partly because I was annoyed by the love triangle nonsense, and the way that the heroine both insulted and thought she was in love with the Irish guy. Oh, and the part where the Irish guy faced the same choice that Nita did in Deep Wizardry, and she didn't give him the same speech she got (which was a very good speech and quite moving) and indeed, he almost didn't make his choice [...]

A good book, but a bit dense. I understand that Duane wanted to use Ireland as the backdrop of one of her novels, she lives there afterall. But if I, as a history major, had trouble following all the Irish lore that she throws into the story, what would a 10-14 year old feel? It's a bit like wading through Beowulf or Tolkien. That might be what she was going for, but I found it dense and not well integrated into the story. As a result the characterization suffered as compared to the first 2 book [...]

I had totally forgotten what happened in this book in the ten years since I last read it but it seemed a lot more action packed then I remembered. I guess that's probably the reason it was one of my favorites back then and still one of my favorites of the series today!

Didn't love this one as much, and I'm not entirely sure why. I know the ending was extraordinarily abrupt, but also: CAT BARD. Still enjoying the series as a whole, of course, and looking greatly forward to the next one. =D

A trip into Irish mythology and faerie - all with Diane Duane's beautifully realized magic. This is an excellent series.

Nita is shipped off to Ireland to stay with her Aunt Annie for a few weeks. The barriers between Ireland and the Old World of Tir na nOg are thin, and Nita must help the Irish wizards to ward off nightmare creatures from the past. Legends and monsters from Irish legend come into the realm of reality, and only Nita and her friends have the magical power and the connections to stop them.As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Dia [...]

This was an exceptional book. It was action-packed, funny, and serious all packed into a 300 paged book. I definitely would recommend it. My favorite part was when the one of the friends of the main characters sacrificed his life for them. I attempted to read this book in 5th grade, but thought it was too hard to understand. I am now glad that I chose to read this book. Definitely would recommend it. :)

As much as I've enjoyed the first three books in the Young Wizard series, there were two things I was hoping this book would do differently from the previous books: (view spoiler)[not kill off a sidekick, (hide spoiler)] and make the main conflict something other than the Lone Power. And while I'm happy to say that (view spoiler)[no sidekicks were harmed during the making of this book - though a lot of fourth-tier, unnamed filler characters were killed off, (hide spoiler)] I'm still disappointed [...]

No book in this series ever covers the same ground twice. This time, having returned from fighting the lone power in the far reaches of the galaxy, we're going someone a little closer to home. Not too close, of course, as Nita's parents are suddenly struck by a strange desire to give Nita a break that she doesn't feel she needs from her best friend, Kit, as apparently they're 'getting too close', so they send her to visit her aunt in Ireland.Prepared for a rather miserable and lonely summer with [...]

A Wizard Abroad is a unique entry to the Young Wizards series, because it overlays over its own, already complex internal mythology and narrative another challenge -- a thick layer of Irish myth. The two gel amazingly well (in no small part because both embrace hard truths and non-fairy-tale endings: anyone can and will die in a good Irish story, and Duane is renowned for killing off someone, and demanding hard choices of everyone, in each of her books.) Duane's natural good humor goes down well [...]

Yet another brilliantly executed novel in the Young Wizards series, this is another of the series that makes my "top" list.After having saved the world several times, and following her little sister's harrowing but triumphment Ordeal, Nita Callahan is looking forward to a quiet summer hanging out with her wizard partner and best friend Kit. But her parents upset her plans: misunderstanding her relationship with Kit, they've arranged for her to spend the summer with her aunt in Ireland and take s [...]

Slightly less good than its predecessors (in my opinion), A Wizard Abroad is a great book in itself and very nice when read as part of a series. Diane Duane creates an intrusive/portal/quest fantasy that presents both a believable world and a believable magical system (something I appreciate). Overall, the focus of the books has skewed sideways from traditional themes, partially owing to the fact that most good source material for intrusive and magical fantasies has already been exploited by pre [...]

I agree with a friend of mine who said that this was probably the title she liked least in this wonderful series. I still like the first one the best, although the second is close to a tie for that. But this 4th one is rather disappointing. I think some of it was the lack of concern when Biddy did die. Another was the disconnect when the kitten bard discovers she is the queen of the cats. That came out of nowhere and just seemed to confuse the story. I realize she was trying for some humor but i [...]

There was only one thing that bugged me about this book: Nita's parents want her to get some distance from Kit and learn how to interact with people other than him, which is really a good thing to learn! But he just pops in and takes over midway through the book, and Nita doesn't get a chance to show herself that she can take care of herself without him. That was disappointing, and now that the next book is how their partnership is not working as well as it once did, and Nita not knowing how to [...]

This was another car trip re-listen to an audiobook series that I have loved since I was a kid. The Young Wizards series is about eight books long now, some which are stronger than others. The first four books are my favorites. The first three are the strongest, and this one sets the stage for the more personal tone of the rest of the series. This book takes Nita to Ireland, so it is particularly appealing for its Irish legends, creatures, and characters. It may have been written as an excuse to [...]

This is a little self-indulgent really - it's more of an excuse to romp through Irish mythos than anything else.Not that she doesn't do it well; it's nice to finally have a story which is larger than our heroes can handle, even if they have to provide the critical input at the right moment.

It started off a little slower than some of the other books, but it was still rather enjoyable. Kind of interesting learning about some of the Irish mythology. I looked it up, and a lot of what was used in this book was based on the actual legends.I am finding this series quite enjoyable.

By far, this was my favorite of the series, set in Ireland it was more magical than anything and was beautiful in everyway.

Catching up on my childhood and didn't realize there were continuations beyond the first 3. Nostalgia does not for great book recommendations make.

This is my second favorite in the series. The two young wizards are sent to Ireland to help some new friendscluding a cat who's a bard.

Y'all, that finale was intense .

So, I generally liked this book a lot. A bit moreI mean it wasn't as good as High Wizardry in MY opinion, but it is still a solid instalment in the series. There were however, two factors that made thus book so fun though.One was the setting!A Wizard Abroad takes us to Ireland and I loved the descriptions. I'm normally not one for heavy description, and I still wouldn't call this overtly descriptive. However, I rarely have the experience of listing descriptions as one of the things I loved in a [...]

I don't much appreciate being introduced to blood-soaked scenes so early in a book. The excuse that Nita didn't find the time to pack a 'less-lethal' and less grotesque spell than one which bursts cell membranes is not reasonable. Why DIDN'T she? Whatever she expected to encounter, she shouldn't have felt the need for such a vile, abhorrent thing. She makes no attempt at ALL to negotiate. The Wild Hunt is a fearsome thing, no doubt. But even authors with a potent commitment to violence have mana [...]

I was thinking until partway through hthat this would be three stars for me, as it wasn't catching and holding my attention in the way of the first two. But there were moments which shone through so brightly that I would love to paint them, if I had the skill in me - the faeries' sweeping ride down the street against the Formori while the guard stands in befuddled wonder, the look of the cup shining through when it was first ensouled, Ronan slumped against the spear and the great windy shadow of [...]

Book 4 of the "Young Wizards" series.Nita Callahan, wizard, has a problem. Her parents have decided that she is spending too much time with her best friend and wizarding partner Christopher "Kit" Rodriguez, so they are going to send her to Ireland for the rest of the summer, where she will stay with her father's sister Annie. Worse, she has been forbidden to teleport home to visit Kit.Naturally, she quickly finds herself in a wizardly muddle. The locals have secrets, her aunt has a secret, and I [...]

Ireland and WizardsI have read the first three books, and they had a fun atmosphere. This one does as well, though it seemed far more serious. Nita is out of her depth as she visits her Aunt in Ireland, only to have to use wizardry-the very thing she was supposed to take a break from-to help stop the Lone Power. It was a fascinating readRonan is a new favorite character, as was the cat and I liked all the new wizards as well. I found that even though this was a bit more of a serious read, it sti [...]

Nita Callahan is a wizard and her parents think she is spending far too much time with her friend Kit Rodrigiz who is also a wizard. So they decide to send her to Ireland to spend time with her father's sister Annie. Who turns out to also be a wizard. And Ireland is in trouble with magic and things from the past crossing into the real world more and more. Something has to be done.

This was hard to read - Nita dealing with isolation when her parents sent her abroad struck an unpleasant chord for me, personally. But watching her reach out to new friends and reconnect with old ones was really good and satisfying once I was in a place I could read it.

Best yet! And I'm only just starting #5!