The book Wizards at
War by Diane Duane is about a group of young wizards and two friends from
the “Wizard Exchange Program” who have to save the universe from a surge of
dark matter called “the Pullulus”, which has disabled senior wizards from
performing wizardries. When I read it, it made me think of a show on the
television called “Wizards of Waverly Place”, shown on Disney Channel. It
features three young wizards who are being taught wizardry by their father, a
former wizard. They then have to use their knowledge to save both the real
world and the “Wizard World”. The two have some things that are the same, but a
few things that are different.
For
example, one of the most obvious relations that can be made is the fact that
they are both about wizards, but the way that who will be a wizard is decided
is extremely different. In Wizards at War,
wizardry is almost never in the family and is completely random. Then they are
taken under the wing (sometimes literally) of a senior wizard to be trained,
and all wizards will become seniors at some point. Meanwhile, In “Wizards of
Waverly Place”, Wizardry does run in the family, and you are taught by your
wizard parents. When the young wizards in the family are ready, a “Wizard
Competition” is held and only the best wizard will become a full wizard.
Another
difference between the two is the method used to cast spells. In Wizards at War, it is done by saying
phrases in “the Speech” to command the universe to bend to the will of the
wizard. These spells can range from a single word to complex phrases that
require multiple wizards to perform. If a single wizard were to take on one of
these spells, it could kill them. In “Wizards of Waverly Place”, Spells are
cast by saying a few words and waving your finger or wand, depending on the
power of the spell. Spell casting ability is almost solely based on your
knowledge of spells. However, some spells are so powerful that you must be a
full wizard to cast them, and some things are impossible to do.
Alternatively,
the themes of the show and book are the same. It’s all about teamwork. In
almost every situation, the young wizards have to work together to win the day.
Whether you’re reading Wizards at War,
or watching “Wizards of Waverly Place”, it’s all the same. In fact, near the
end of Wizards at War, hundreds of
wizards had to channel their power to almost
defeat the Pullulus. And in one episode of “Wizards of Waverly Place”, all
three of the wizards in the show had to team up to stop a robber.
All in all,
the two may have a lot in common, but they are different in many ways, they
have the same sort of theme, and even the same kind of plot at times. However,
they have some serious differences. Which one you’d prefer is really matter of
opinion. Take your pick, because despite their differences, they’re the same at
the core.
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