Published in 1985, Deep Wizardry is a fantasy novel written by American author Diane Duane. It is the second book in the Young Wizards fantasy series following the novel So You Want to be a Wizard (1983). It was followed by High Wizardry (1993) and seven more books with the latest novel being published in 2016.
The novel continues with the story of Nita and Kit during a family summer vacation on Long Island. They make a discovery that not only humans can be wizards, but also non-humans such as whales and sharks. One night they find a humpback whale being attacked by sharks that turn out to be a wizard named S’reee. Through the Song of the Twelve, Nita and Kit learn that a dozen cetacean wizards were under the spell of the Lone Power, but only three succumbed. One of the whales offered herself as a sacrifice and was eaten by the Master Shark during the first song. Now that the song keeps the Lone Power bound, they have to create it with help of Nita. When it is revealed that Nita will have to die in the process, she becomes hesitant to participate. After the Kraken and the Lone Power attack, Master Shark offers to fulfill Nita’s debt by sacrificing himself instead.
The narrative proceeds to incorporate the same themes from the first novel that define the entire series. School Library Journal reviewed it as “A powerful tale of sacrifice and redemption.” The follow-up books explore the journey of the young protagonists as they make sacrifices in different realms and universes.
