DEEP SECRET by Diana Wynne Jones, 1997

Rupert Venables is a Magid. It's a Magid's job to oversee what goes on in the vast Multiverse. Actually, Rupert is really only a junior Magid. But he's got a king-sized problem. Rupert's territory includes Earth and the Empire of Korfyros. When his mentor dies Rupert must find a replacement. But there are hundreds of candidates. How is he supposed to choose? And interviewing each one could take forever. Unless...What if he could round them all up in one place? Simple!  (Goodreads)

Reviewed by Emily, bibliophile and eternal student

DEEP SECRET is a tangled tale. Of course, it's told by Diana Wynne Jones, and that is a pretty normal state for her stories to be in, which is part of why I love them so much.

Besides all the crazy magical stuff happening behind the scenes, so to speak, this story is essentially about a convention at which half of the participants or so are there for reasons entirely related to the crazy magical stuff - and they don't even know it. Still, a fan convention is probably about the only place that you would be able to walk a wounded centaur down the hall without any comments other than how real he looked, and not have people calling security.

I think my very favorite part of the book, though, is the description of Nick, who is not a morning person. When I read it, I was shrieking with laughter. I laughed so hard that I couldn't breathe. It's not so much what he does and says as people's reactions to his state of shambling zombie activity.

In any case, I highly recommend Diana Wynne Jones's books, and Deep Secret in particular.

Market: Young Adult Fantasy

Language: Mild

Sensuality: Mild

Violence: Mild to moderate

Mature Themes: War, responsibility