Books › So you want to be a wizard
So you want to be a wizard
First published 1983 · 400 pages
A grounded, deeply empathetic urban fantasy where magic is a science, words have cosmic weight, and saving the world requires choosing compassion over cruelty.
What it feels like
Reading this feels like discovering a secret layer of reality hidden just beneath the concrete of a city street. It moves at a steady, deliberate pace, grounding its cosmic, high-stakes magic in the gritty, everyday struggles of adolescence. The tone is remarkably earnest and intelligent, treating magic not as a whimsical shortcut, but as a rigorous, language-based science that demands deep moral responsibility. There is a profound sense of empathy woven into the prose, creating an atmosphere that is both perilous and deeply hopeful. It delights readers who crave fantasy where the universe feels vast and interconnected, and where the ultimate weapon against encroaching darkness isn't a sword, but the courage to understand and preserve life.
- Mood
- wondrous
- perilous
- grounded
- hopeful
- Tone
- earnest
- pragmatic
- compassionate
- philosophical
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the power of language · choosing compassion over cruelty · the burden of responsibility · cosmic interconnectedness · finding agency in a vast universe
- The writing
- Clear, intelligent, and surprisingly philosophical, blending everyday urban realism with lyrical descriptions of cosmic forces.
- The arc
- Moves from feelings of powerlessness and isolation to a profound sense of agency, cosmic responsibility, and hard-won courage.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love magic systems that feel like rigorous science and stories where doing the right thing is difficult but necessary.
Content notes
- bullying
- child endangerment
- existential dread
About the book
Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.
Description from Open Library.
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