APPRENTICE NEEDED

Fifteen-year-old Ozzy Toffy is still settling into his new life beyond the solitary house in the woods when a series of events puts everything and everyone he loves in jeopardy in this sequel to Wizard for Hire (2018).

Life is never dull for Ozzy, his friend Sigi, and his mechanical bird, Clark. Wizard Rin phones, saying simply that “things are happening.” Indeed: Ozzy sleepwalks into the ocean, guided by his buzzing finger, and a mysterious man delivers a zip drive containing a plane ticket for travel to New York City. Believing Rin is behind the subterfuge, Sigi, Ozzy, and Clark board a plane only to find themselves confronted by Ray Dench, an evil and powerful man, who is determined to use and then dispose of Ozzy. Even though they manage to escape Ray’s henchmen, Ozzy is still troubled by his buzzing finger, and Sigi continues to struggle to trust Rin, who is also her estranged father. It’s the characters that (mostly) make the book work. Clark is an amusing diversion with his dry humor and obsession with mechanical objects. While Rin’s suspicious lack of magical ability throws his wizardry into question, Ozzy’s continuing wonder with the world is the real magic. The book adheres to the white default, brown-skinned Sigi a notable exception. Ozzy’s fascination with her skin and her devotion to Ozzy make her characterization troubling.

A sequel that (mostly) continues to deliver mystery, humor, and real-life magic