Gertrude Perkins posted:

3 - Deep Secret, by Diana Wynne Jones. A really fun fantasy-meets-the-mundane story about worlds-spanning intrigue, mystery and betrayal. Finding an imperial heir, finding someone worthy of inheriting great magical power - a lot of the book seems to centre around characters living up to or rejecting the expectations of others. It's mostly set in and around a late-90s nerd convention, as Jones mines her own con experiences for plenty of observational comedy and familiar character archetypes. The whimsical tone means that when nasty things do happen it's quite shocking, and sometimes I felt a little puzzled as to exactly what the objectives were, but I had a good time with this book overall and want to read more from her.