Wizards at War (Young Wizards, #8)
by Diane Duane (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Kit and Nita return home from vacation to discover that the very fabric of wizardry is unraveling. As dark matter expands in the universe, reality begins to bend and the older wizards start to lose their wizardry. It’s up to the younger wizards to find a way to combat the growing darkness. Kit and Nita find some clues which suggest that the evil Lone One is creating the dark matter in order to distract them from something it wants to keep secret – a special weapon that could win the war.

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 the planetary wars, 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 are adjusting to working with a much larger team of wizards, and the tension of battle and the diverse personalities of the group bring some awkwardness into their relationships.

The plot in this one kept me reading and wondering and enjoying every page! All the aliens are so imaginative and different. One is basically a sentient tree, and another one has a lot of legs and can eat almost anything. He eats metal and wood and glass. They meet a new race of aliens that are basically giant bugs that live in a hive, and their culture and cruel society are the main focus of a big part of the story as the wizards have to infiltrate their city and find the secret weapon.

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!