A Wizard Abroad

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A Wizard Abroad is the fourth book in the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. It is the sequel to High Wizardry.

A Wizard Abroad

Cover art for A Wizard Abroad
Author Diane Duane
Cover artist Cliff Nielsen
Country United States
Language English
Series Young Wizards
Genre(s) Fantasy novel
Publisher Harcourt Trade Publishers
Publication date 1993 (first printing by Corgi Books, reprinted 1997 by Harcourt)
Media type Print (Mass market paperback)
Pages 368 pp
ISBN ISBN 0-15-216238-0
Preceded by High Wizardry
Followed by The Wizard's Dilemma

[edit] Synopsis

Nita and Kit's parents have never been fully behind their children's practices and in this book Nita's parents reveal that by sending her to live with her aunt in Ireland over the summer to get away from the wizardry. This is particularly unfortunate for Nita and Kit as they are currently settling a land dispute between trees.

When Nita gets to Ireland she begins to go "sideways" between different times and worlds of the location of Ireland. Ireland seems to be having a problem with wizardly overlays, making "sideways" transit much more frequent and the usage of spells very perilous. This is dangerous for wizards and non-wizards alike, as non-wizards would not know how to return to their own time and place. Nita alerts the local Senior, who happens to be a relative of a boy, Ronan Nolan, whom she met in a restaurant and has a crush on.

While in her aunt's kitchen, she overhears them talk about a fox problem they've been having and have scheduled a hunt. Nita, being the ever-diligent wizard, goes that night and tells a fox of this. After the hunt, the fox thanks her for the warning by informing her that one of the Powers That Be is near, though as is tradition he cannot say where or who.

Things get hectic from there on as wizards must gather to fight an Ancient Evil, a form of the Lone Power. Four ancient relics must be reawakened to fight this evil, even though they're quite weak after the ages. Nita, aided by Ronan and her old ally Kit, is able to find the relics, at which point they go "sideways" with many other wizards to the site of a massive battlefield. At the height of the battle, Balor, a Fomorian king, is slain by the Spear of Light. The Lone Power, who was trying to change the past, is narrowly defeated again.

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