A review by kailey_luminouslibro
A Wizard Alone by Diane Duane

5.0

Kit and Nita are trying to find out why an initiate has been on Ordeal for over three months. They know something must be wrong, but they are having a hard time finding out what is going on. Darryl McAllister is not an ordinary wizard, and the fact that his Ordeal has continued for such a lengthy time shows that the Lone Power must be up to something.

This assignment is especially difficult for Kit and Nita, because Nita is grieving for the loss of a loved one. She has been retreating into herself and shutting Kit out, so Kit feels like he has to take on the assignment alone and he gets himself into trouble without Nita there to watch his back. This theme is mirrored in the way that Darryl retreats into himself as well. Both Nita and Darryl have to find the courage to face the world again.

As always, it is utterly impossible to describe the wonder, the grandeur, the sheer enchantment of a book by Diane Duane. There's something so indescribably foreign and deliciously familiar in all her characters. They possess great magical power; they encounter mystic beings; and they get embarrassed when their socks don't match. Those little down-to-earth moments, like drinking a cup of tea and finding your favorite tennis shoes before going off to fight in a magical war, are what make her stories so special.

There's always a current of awareness running under her stories that glances out through little things, showing the dark and brightness in every human heart with a startling clarity. I love the way that each wizard responds to and experiences the magical powers they harness, and there is a reflection of struggle and understanding inside themselves. It makes the magic system so deep and wide and omnipresent in each aspect of the story, because of its complexity and actuality.
(I'm trying so hard to explain the particular enchantment of this magical setting, but I'm failing miserably. It won't make sense unless you've read the magic yourself.)

As always, I adore Nita and Kit's friendship! They are so comfortable together, and there is such a depth of understanding between them. Every scene with them is so carefully and beautifully written. In this book, they have some awkwardness in their friendship because of Nita's grief. She is embarrassed by her intense feelings and it's difficult for her to share her thoughts with Kit the way they normally would. They work through it in the end, but it takes some serious introspection to restore their trust.

I love that this author always deals with heavy subjects - sacrifice, and honor, and the meaning of truth- but there's also much light-hearted fun in her books.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series!