Magids, Book 1
Synopsis: All over the multiverse the Magids, powerful magicians, are at work to maintain the balance between positive and negative magic, for the good of all.
Rupert Venables is the junior Magid assigned to Earth and to the troublesome planets of the Koyrfonic Empire. When the Emperor dies without a known heir, Rupert is called into serviceĀ toĀ help prevent the descent of the Empire into chaos.Ā At the same time, the senior Magid on Earth dies, making Rupert a new senior desperately in need of a junior. Rupert thinks his problems are partially solved when he discovers he can meet all five of the potential Magids on Earth by attending one SF convention in England. However, the convention hotel sits on a node, a nexus of the universes.Ā Rupert soon finds that other forces, some of them completely out of control, are there too….
Review: Charmed LifeĀ by Diana Wynne Jones is one of my all time favorite books, so when I was asked if I wanted to read and reviewĀ Deep SecretĀ I jumped at the chance.
Rupert is a relatively new Magid. He has the knowledge, but not the experience. He tries to make the best out of a difficult situation, but soon gets in over his head. He’s a bit of a nerd, so I immediately connected with him and wanted him to succeed.
There’s also parts of the book written from the point of view of another character: Maree. I had more difficulty connecting with Maree, I will confess. Part of it was how she was introduced from Rupert’s point of view, part was her actual personality, which is a bit flaky. Luckily she grew on me. I very much liked her younger cousin Nick though.
The story is complex, and seemingly unrelated events later turn out to be connected, making this a read where you have to keep paying attention to what’s going on. It’s suspenseful, funny and full of action.
If there’s one thing I can say against this book, is that a lot of stereotypes are being dragged out. Now of course this book is set largely at a SF convention, but in my opinion a SF convention is more than all the stereotypes that are paraded around here.
But it’s a small grumble: overall I very much enjoyed this book, and can recommend it to everyone who likes a fun and good Fantasy read.
Ā
blodeuedd
Never read it—there I said it. I am a horrid fantasy fan
Sullivan McPig
@blodeuedd: absolutely horrid! š
Faye M.
Thank you for highlighting this! I love Fantasy and wouldn’t turn down something that has multiple universes. Like you, I find it fascinating to have many dimensions of the same place, because even if it’s the same on the outside, there are tiny details that would make it different still, and I always am in awe when I find out details like that. Hopefully I’ll enjoy this one myself!
Faye at The Social Potato
Jennifer Bielman @ Bad Bird Reads
Hells yeah, I love this concept. Now this one sounds fun!
kindlemom1
Books about multi-universes can be so hard to understand and have them be done well. I am glad this wasn’t one of them and the author pulled it off nicely.
Les femmes qui lisent sont dangereuses
La couverture est super jolie, le rĆ©sumĆ© me plait, et l’avis me donne envie: je note!!
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
As someone who loves attending conventions, I really should check this out – even with all the stereotypes notwithstanding š
Joy // Joyousreads
I’m familiar with the author, not her work though. This sounds great. š
Braine Talk Supe
I’ve only read one multiverse book and it was okay, sci-fi isn’t my best genre, I get lost in the hum and rattle of the explanations. SOrry to hear about stereotypes, I dislike that on my reads too. I mean surely the characters can give us something different than whats expected right?
kimbacaffeinate
I love that your reviews are as eclectic as mine..I discover so many new things. This does sound interesting and I love how the events all connect
Sullivan McPig
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Deep Secret is aimed at adults/older teens, but the Chrestomanci series that also explores multiverses is for younger readers.
I can also recommend Howl’s Moving Castle by D. Wynne Jones
Stephanie Faris
I’m not a big fan of fantasy, but this one sounds interesting.
Melissa (Books and Things)
Not a fan of stereotypes, but I do like the sound of the world and the plot. Looks like something I need to take a look at!
LilyElement
This sounds like a fun read, minus the stereotypes. I think I can probably look past that though and still enjoy it š Great review.
La tĆŖte dans les livres
J’avais adorĆ© Howl’s moving castle du mĆŖme auteure, du coup je lirais bien d’autres livres d’elle!! š
Molly Mortensen
I like the multiverse thing too and I especially like when all the little things come together in the end. I think I’d really like this one even with the stereotypes and flaky character. Thanks for sharing! š