kyonshi reviewed Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones
Review: Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones
5 stars
This, truly, is one of my favorite books. It is perfect in so many ways.
For one, it is a fantasy novel set on a fantasy convention. I would say this is a winning formula, but I also read "Bimbos of the Death Sun" and was less than happy with that. Deep Secret is different because it is actually well written, with a keen insight into the world of fantasy fandom.
Rupert Venables is a Magid. Not a magician, but something very similar. He is tasked with watching over Earth and other worlds in the multiverse, including, to his disgust, the Inter-dimensional Koryfonic Empire. The plot kicks off when 1. his mentor dies and he is tasks with finding a replacement, and 2. the emperor of the Koryfonic Empire is assassinated, along with much of his court. For reasons of his own making he now needs to juggle running a …
This, truly, is one of my favorite books. It is perfect in so many ways.
For one, it is a fantasy novel set on a fantasy convention. I would say this is a winning formula, but I also read "Bimbos of the Death Sun" and was less than happy with that. Deep Secret is different because it is actually well written, with a keen insight into the world of fantasy fandom.
Rupert Venables is a Magid. Not a magician, but something very similar. He is tasked with watching over Earth and other worlds in the multiverse, including, to his disgust, the Inter-dimensional Koryfonic Empire. The plot kicks off when 1. his mentor dies and he is tasks with finding a replacement, and 2. the emperor of the Koryfonic Empire is assassinated, along with much of his court. For reasons of his own making he now needs to juggle running a complicated reality altering spell while searching for the hidden heir of the Empire, all the while attending a fantasy convention that just happens to take place in a place of high dimensional volability. It all makes more sense once one actually read it. The charming part is that the convention is not just a backdrop, it is the actual place stuff happens. It has all the bustling charm of a convention where all kinds of people from all over the world (and it turns out other worlds) just roll up and do their thing.