Edward's Library
Diane Duane's Books are among the finest I have ever read. Though her Wizadry series is recommended for ages 10 -- 16, I think they are worth reading at any age, especially if you love magic, heroes you can root for, and the endless battle between good and evil.
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'In Life's name, and for Life's sake, I say that I will use the Art for nothing but the service of that Life. I will guard growth and ease pain. I will fight to preserve what grows and lives well in its own way; and I will change no object or creature unless its growth and life, or that of the system of which it is part, are threatened. To these ends, in the practice of my Art, I will put aside fear for courage, and death for life, when it is right to do so--till Universe's end.'
The Wizard's Oath |
| Nita and Kit, two young wizards, are swept into an alternate Manhattan inhabited by bloodthirsty heliocopters, carnivorous fire hydrants, and predatory cars. In order to save their world, Nita and Kit must find The Book of Night with Moon, which has been stolen by the inventor of entropy himself, the Lone Power. | |
 Deep Wizardry
| Nita and Kit are on vacation at the beach with Nita's family when they are called upon to rescue an injured whale. The whale turns out to be S'ree, a wizard of the sea, who needs Nita's help in completing an ancient ritual to keep the Lone Power from rising. **My favorite book of the series.** |
 High Wizardry
| It's Nita's kid sister, Dairine, who now must discover her own wizadry in order to save the universe. Aided by the latest technology; the entire wizard's manual on laptop computer, Dairine evades the henchmen of the Lone Power, hiding in the farthest corner of the universe, where she unwittingly begins a cycle as old as life itself that lead to the ultimate showdown between the strongest wizard in history and the darkest power in existance. |
 A Wizard Abroad
| Concerned that Nita is spending too much time with her wizadry and her wizarding partner, Kit, Nita's parents ship her off to her aunt's farm in Ireland to give her a break. Little do they know that Aunt Annie is also a wizard and that Ireland is heading into one of the greatest battles since time began. Balor, yet another aspect of the Lone Power, is waking, and it will take an army of wizards from across the globe to lay him back in his slumber. |
 The Wizard's Dilemma
| When Nit's mother falls ill and her life is threatened by a brain tumor, Nita must seek out the power and wizadry to save her. As her friendship with Kit falls apart, she seeks help from other wizards, but only One person can help -- the One she's devoted her life to fighting. |
The Catwizard books are written more for mature readers than young adult, as the stories and language are more complex, but they are, again, superb books for anyone who loves magic, adventure, and cats.
 The Book of Night with Moon
| Rhiow, the feline heroine in the first of Diane Duane's catwizard books, is one of the many cat wizards who guard and maintain the worldgates that all wizards use for quick travel. When an ancient evil takes control of the Gate beneath Grand Central Station, Rhiow and her team must journey between worlds to the very origin of the gate's power, where a race of enslaved saurians waits to stop them. |
 To Visit the Queen
| When an encyclopedia of modern technology falls into the past, Rhiow and company must journey to England to prevent the assassination of the Queen and the destruction of the world. |