BELL, Hilari. The wizard test. HarperCollins, Eos. 176p. c2005.0-06-059940-5. $15.99. (Library bdg: 0-06-059941-3. $16.89.) J *

Dayven knows he has wizard blood, but he's ashamed of it. His ambition is to become a Guardian, a skilled warrior, and serve the Lordowner, but the rule is that at 14 he must undergo the Wizard Test and see if he has the gift--or as Dayven sees it, the curse. Of course, he does, but unexpectedly he is asked to serve the Lordowner by spying on the wizards, as it is feared that they are allied with the enemy, the Cenzar. Dayven is apprenticed to a wizard named Reddick, who he considers at first to be a "scruffy sot," and they head off to spy on the Cenzar. On the way Dayven learns magic from Reddick and acquires respect for his talents. Then he joins a Cenzar school for warriors to learn about their fighting methods and makes friends with a mischievous Cenzar boy named Vadeen. As he learns more about the Cenzar, Dayven wrestles with issues of honor and betrayal, and starts to understand that there is more than one way to look at a problem. In the end, he sees that winning the battle with the Cenzar might not be the best outcome for his people after all, and comes to realize that being a wizard, with the ability to heal people, is the right path for him. Bell is the author of other YA fantasies--The Goblin Wood, A Matter of Profit, and Fall of a Kingdom (formerly titled Flame)--but politics and intrigue, honor and friendship, are her real subjects, and her novels are thought provoking as well as exciting reads, with sympathetic young protagonists. The Wizard Test, set in a vaguely medieval world, again asks readers to consider issues from different viewpoints, and this gives the story added depth and appeal. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.

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