I was curious about whether this was a NME change, so I went and looked at a PDF of the original - it definitely is. Good on Duane for keeping up with the times!

Huzzah! I'm sure Duane's descriptions of Ireland will be perfectly evocative and magical, just like all her more fanciful world-building.

Note: I feel real silly right about now, because... I thought Nita was also Hispanic or Spanish up til now. Isn't her first name Juanita? Perhaps I'm just not familiar with Irish names, but I had thought that at least her mother was Latina for some reason, and had appreciated that both wizards were non-white but that it wasn't brought up very much. Oh well!

(Followup note: if somehow I have misread aggressively and Kit is ALSO not Latino, please don't tell me. I live in pleasant denial if that is the case.)

I definitely thought of Ursula LeGuin's work (especially her A Wizard of Earthsea series) - she knows the power of a true name. One of my favourite tropes in speculative fiction.

Aand I'm finally caught up with new MR Young Wizards! So happy to be back in this lovely community.

It's interesting to see such a thoughtful exploration of something (the concept of "Intelligent Design") that's usually given so little thought by those who invoke it. How smart WOULD you have to be to create something so complex? As smart as Dairine Callahan, I guess.

Theories Abound: Mark is worried that the Lone Power's going to come shooting out of the sky and eat the turtles, but in Deep Wizardry, the LP manifested as a member of the tribe making a different decision... and Dair just gave these little dudes free will. I'd be more worried about a turtle deciding maybe it wants to Go Its Own Way than a meteorite.

What a delightful Vimes! The new recruits seem to think so too.

Aw to the tumblr post! That gal's gotta be my new visual headcanon for Agnes. What a badass.

You angel! Thank you so much, I grabbed 16-20.

These are all lovely, but I especially adore this Sandry. So quietly sassy and self-assured. I never knew how to picture her veils before and now I have a clear image!

V jnf va pbzcyrgr fubpx gbjneqf gur raq bs Pbyq Sver jura V ernyvmrq vg jnf Oraargg. V guvax vg znl or orpnhfr bs fbzrguvat gung tbg zragvbarq va gur ynfg obbx - Cvrepr'f ivyynvaf graq gb or, jryy, cerggl boivbhf. Gurl znl or ynlrerq be vagrerfgvat be rivy gb inelvat qrterrf, ohg gur bayl bgure punenpgre V pna guvax bs jub trahvaryl zbirf nybat gur ybir/ungr nkvf vf Jlyqba sebz CbgF - gubhtu va gur bgure qverpgvba, boivbhfyl.

Ybbx ng fbzr bs gur ivyynvaf sebz gur Pvepyr obbxf (guvf vf whfg bss gur gbc bs zl urnq, cyrnfr yrg zr xabj bs bgure rkprcgvbaf) :

Lneeha Svergnzre - juvyr ur'f abg na rkcyvpvg zheqrere, uvf vqrnf ner cerfragrq nf orvat sbbyvfu ng orfg naq qnatrebhf ng jbefg sebz gur ortvaavat. Lbh arire gehfg uvz.

Gur Qvunanef - boivbhfyl pbzcyrgryl rivy sebz gur trg-tb, juvyr gur zntr gheaf bhg gb or na nohfrq puvyq.

Mranqvn - puvyq-zheqrevat, n snibhevgr ivyynva cnfgvzr bs Cvrepr'f.

[WOTE Spoilers] Orerarar: Ntnva, arire cerfragrq nf n gehfgjbegul be trahvar punenpgre, naq (xrl va guvf vafgnapr) gur tbngf qba'g gehfg ure rvgure. [/WOTE spoilers]

Ohg guvf svefg rapbhagre jvgu Oraargg, ur frrzf trahvaryl xvaq. Gur crbcyr bs Anzbea yvxr uvz. Qnwn yvxrf uvz. Naq gur ernqre yvxrf uvz. Vg vf n erpvcr sbe nhgubevny orgenlny bs gur uvturfg beqre. PHHHHEEEFFRRR LBBHHHHHH CVRRRREPPPRRRR!

This may be a bit of a stretch, but there is historical precedent for 'closeting' women during their period (and werewolf mythos is often tied to menstruation, what with the moon cycle/one week a month deal). Of course, women are no more danger to anyone on their period than off it, but try telling that to the Red Tent brigade.

Honestly, I doubt PTerry had it in mind, but it is a possible jumping-off point?