The Wizard's Dilemma (Young Wizards #5)

The Barnes & Noble Review
It's the wonderful world of wizardry, and adolescent spell casters Kit and Nita are about to face their biggest challenges yet in The Wizard's Dilemma, the fifth book in Diane Duane's magical Young Wizards series. Things between Kit and Nita are unusually tense these days, and they find themselves going their separate ways. Neither of them is happy about it, but they plug along as best they can, each of them exploring new realms of wizardly wonder. Then Nita's mother is diagnosed with cancer, throwing Nita's life into a total tailspin. For it seems that neither modern medicine nor ancient magic can cure this deadly disease...unless Nita makes a deal with the devil.

Kit and Nita both bide their time apart by exploring intriguing new alternate universes where things aren't always what they seem and the laws of physics and nature are often askew. In one such universe Nita must wage the ultimate battle for her mother's life, but her longtime nemesis, the Lone Power, is determined to see her fail. The Lone Power, who is in charge of all death throughout the universe, tempts Nita with the promise of a cure for her mother, though it comes at a horrible price. Nita considers making the sacrifice, but she hesitates because she has no guarantee that the Lone Power will hold up its side of the bargain. It turns out she is wise to be suspicious, for the Lone Power is planning a terrible double-cross that could cost Nita everything she values in life. The only person who suspects the truth is Kit, but will he and his faithful canine sidekick, Ponch, be able to find Nita in time to save them all from the Lone Power's revenge?

Duane crafts a wonderfully magical world -- several of them, in fact -- with enough teenage angst afflicting her characters to create strong appeal for readers 12 and older. Younger readers may be drawn to this world of wizardry as well, but several mature themes make parental discretion advisable. (Beth Amos)