Scan barcode
cmbohn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
possibilityleft's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elkreil's review against another edition
3.0
Interim Errantry It's hard to write a compelling story in a shorter format. Diane Duane is one of those authors who struggles with a limited word count, and this is most evident when working through this collection.
Not On My Patch: This is the shortest work in the collection. It's frankly too short and pages that should have been spent building up to the end, is wasted on Nita getting ready to go Trick or Treating. When the fight starts at the end, there is no real sense of urgency or any investment in the outcome. 1 star
How Lovely Are Thy Branches: The second longest work in this collection fairs much better. There's still not enough time spent building up to the ending, but it's better than the previous story. 2 1/2 stars
Lifeboats: This is the longest work in the collection and where Duane really shines. It has all the elements I enjoy in the Young Wizards series, a conflict with a not so obvious solution and characters that really care, the ending was well worth the journey. 4 stars
Not On My Patch: This is the shortest work in the collection. It's frankly too short and pages that should have been spent building up to the end, is wasted on Nita getting ready to go Trick or Treating. When the fight starts at the end, there is no real sense of urgency or any investment in the outcome. 1 star
How Lovely Are Thy Branches: The second longest work in this collection fairs much better. There's still not enough time spent building up to the ending, but it's better than the previous story. 2 1/2 stars
Lifeboats: This is the longest work in the collection and where Duane really shines. It has all the elements I enjoy in the Young Wizards series, a conflict with a not so obvious solution and characters that really care, the ending was well worth the journey. 4 stars
valhecka's review
5.0
Oh help I'm crying. Lifeboats is gorgeous. I only saw TFA a week ago. Kit is beautiful. Seeing Nita is beautiful. I am undone.
2021 reread: I only hit up Not On My Patch and Lifeboats this time, but they're both so absolutely fantastic - Lifeboats might be my favorite, stealthily, among the YW canon. It's so very Duane, but it also lets loose a bit: Kit and Ronan and Nita's conversations are so perfectly teenaged, with breathing room for absurdity and a little crudeness. Sex jokes and innuendo of the kind that reaches max amusement around age fifteen, crossed with the kind of fluttery excitement-silliness that comes of being in like (reciprocated) with someone, and it's just - yes, look, a world is ending, but life goes on, and it's as surprising and silly and funny and absurd and beautiful as you can imagine. Or more.
2021 reread: I only hit up Not On My Patch and Lifeboats this time, but they're both so absolutely fantastic - Lifeboats might be my favorite, stealthily, among the YW canon. It's so very Duane, but it also lets loose a bit: Kit and Ronan and Nita's conversations are so perfectly teenaged, with breathing room for absurdity and a little crudeness. Sex jokes and innuendo of the kind that reaches max amusement around age fifteen, crossed with the kind of fluttery excitement-silliness that comes of being in like (reciprocated) with someone, and it's just - yes, look, a world is ending, but life goes on, and it's as surprising and silly and funny and absurd and beautiful as you can imagine. Or more.
verity__'s review
As usual, amazing. Star Wars, romance, helping alien refugees, precious holiday stories....what more could you want?
jmhdutro's review
3.0
These short stories were nowhere near her best work, but enjoyable nonetheless. Seeing everyone involved with Halloween and Christmas was a treat, but at the same time, it is obvious why such things do not make up their own books. However, I would have loved to see how these characters handled these holidays, without some sort of token wizardly conflict seemingly shoehorned in, as part of one of her mainstream books.
Lifeboats, on the other hand, I think was simultaneously fascinating and lacking. The ending didn't feel particularly earned, and the resolution, so simple, that it wasn't particularly compelling. I know that not all wizardry in this world is supposed to be fraught conflict, and sometimes even just the smallest accidental solutions do solve things in real life, but stories, to me, shouldn't be like that. I was also bothered by the sex focused storylines as I don't feel like it fit in with Diane's wizard books, despite the new status of the main two characters. I have always loved that this series focused far more on adventure and friendship than awkward sexually related situations, so this addition disappointed me.
In terms of the text itself, it could have done with some better editing. There were many times I felt pulled out of the story simply because a word was missing that should have been there to have the sentence make sense. I have noticed this trend with most of her digital books (though this was a print one, I believe it came out digitally first?), and would really like to see the quality improve in the future.
Lifeboats, on the other hand, I think was simultaneously fascinating and lacking. The ending didn't feel particularly earned, and the resolution, so simple, that it wasn't particularly compelling. I know that not all wizardry in this world is supposed to be fraught conflict, and sometimes even just the smallest accidental solutions do solve things in real life, but stories, to me, shouldn't be like that. I was also bothered by the sex focused storylines as I don't feel like it fit in with Diane's wizard books, despite the new status of the main two characters. I have always loved that this series focused far more on adventure and friendship than awkward sexually related situations, so this addition disappointed me.
In terms of the text itself, it could have done with some better editing. There were many times I felt pulled out of the story simply because a word was missing that should have been there to have the sentence make sense. I have noticed this trend with most of her digital books (though this was a print one, I believe it came out digitally first?), and would really like to see the quality improve in the future.
jefrang's review
4.0
All really great stories. Not on my Patch and How Lovely are Thy Branches are both really fun holiday themed stories and Lifeboats is an excellent nearly full length novel. It was a little slow and clunky in a few spots but mostly I just highly enjoyed its poignant rather than exploitatively action packed apocalypse and the time spent with the characters, who feel like old friends after 15 or so years with them.
chameleonhound's review
4.0
First two short stories were pretty cheesey, but the last was excellent. maybe my favorite of the series.