Description: At age fourteen, every Tharn must take the Wizard Test to determine whether they have any talent for magic. Dayven wants to fail the test very badly. He wants to continue his service as a Watcherlad, eventually becoming a Guardian, like his father. Wizards are deceitful and alter men's destinies, tempting them away from their true path. When Dayven is proven to have an aptitude for magic, he's horrified, but when his lord instructs him to spy on the wizards, he's given an opportunity to redeem himself. Apprenticed to an unconventional wizard named Reddick, Dayven journeys to the Cenzar enemy city, where an army prepares to march on Dayven's home, the Town-within-the-Walls, which the Tharns invaded three generations ago. There Dayven learns that there are multiple sides to every story, and wizards aren't as evil as he thought. Dayven will be faced with an impossible decision, and his choice will alter the fates of two entire peoples.
Review: "The Wizard Test" is an entertaining, if short, fantasy that contains a valuable message about seeing things from other points of view. Bell's fantasy world is a little simplistic, but still believable and interesting enough. Dayven is sometimes bad-tempered and petulant, but he's a decent character who faces tough decisions and changes throughout the story. His interactions with the other characters are real enough, if a little stilted. The other characters can be a little distant; I would've liked to have gotten to know them better. "The Wizard Test" has its shortcomings, but none of them are enough to detract from its overall entertainment value as an interesting fantasy with a moral that transcends genre.