Magids
#3644.02 in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 1997–2003 Reading commitment Low Diana Wynne Jones Last reviewed 2026-08-19
Overview
Magids is Diana Wynne Jones's fifth universe credited in this canon, a complete two-book duology built around the Magids, secret magical caretakers who watch over and protect a web of related worlds, and the young people drawn into their ranks. Deep Secret (1997) follows Rupert Venables, a junior Magid tasked with finding and training a successor while juggling a chaotic science-fiction convention and interdimensional crisis; The Merlin Conspiracy (2003), set in the same magical framework but following new protagonists, Roddy and Nick, expands the setting to further worlds under threat from a conspiracy at a magical royal court. Both novels combine Jones's characteristic blend of contemporary-feeling young characters, dry humor, and elaborate multiverse worldbuilding, distinguishing Magids from her more famous Chrestomanci and Howl's Moving Castle sequences even as it shares her recurring interest in linked, parallel worlds and apprenticeship narratives.
Portal fantasy · For YA
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Magids Diana Wynne Jones
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Deep Secret | 1997 | 1 | core | 4.11 (6,874 ratings) |
 | The Merlin Conspiracy | 2003 | 2 | core | 3.93 (6,596 ratings) |
A complete 2-book duology sharing the Magids/Related Worlds premise; Diana Wynne Jones's 5th universe in this canon, confirmed distinct from Howl's Moving Castle, Chrestomanci, The Dalemark Quartet, and Fire and Hemlock.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Magids? Magids's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Magids? Publication order, starting with Deep Secret. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Magids finished? Complete (1997–2003).
- How much reading does Magids take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books · ~864 pages).
- How is Magids ranked? #364 in this site's official ranking, based on 13,470 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #364?
Ranked #364 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.02 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (13,470 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #363, The Dark Is Rising (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 2 books · Complete · 13k ratings · Ranks #364 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment portal fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Deep Secret (1997)
- The Merlin Conspiracy (2003)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best Young Adult Book), 2004: nominated: The Merlin Conspiracy; Locus young-adult-book poll placement (3rd place); registered per this canon's no-cutoff rule for Locus poll results.
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Suggestions computed from what Magids and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Abarat Portal fantasy / Dark fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.14
- Shades of Magic Portal fantasy / Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.13
- Caraval Portal fantasy / Romantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.04
- The Iron Fey Urban fantasy / Portal fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.03
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.02 across 13,470 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Magids (Diana Wynne Jones) as a new universe accepted 2026-08-19
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Diana Wynne Jones Wiki (Fandom) Tier 3
- Wikipedia (English) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-08-19
Rule: Core Canon = both novels: Deep Secret (1997) and The Merlin Conspiracy (2003).