Each novel pits Nita and Kit against the "Lone Power", an entity ultimately bent on the destruction of the entire universe.

[8] A special extra Young Wizards novella was released by Duane on December 2, 2020, entitled Owl Be Home for Christmas, telling the story of a magical owl that wants to reclaim its home tree that was chopped down to become the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic happening that year.

[9] Three other books are not strictly in the Young Wizards series, but take place in the same setting: All three were released as eBooks available from Diane Duane's web store[12] in December 2017.

This rebellious (or at least extremely self-willed) being became known as the Lone Power, and as a result of Its destructive behavior was cast out of the creative order by the One.

Humanity's Choice appears to have ties to the Biblical story of creation involving Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, with the Lone Power being "behind" the purported actions of the serpent.

When involved in a Choice, the Lone Power tends to work subtly, controlling minds or events to result in its "gift" being accepted.

One of the central themes of the series, however, is the idea that the Lone Power truly wants to return to the light, and in some senses already has due to events in the third book, "High Wizardry".

Even if the Ordeal is successful, it may involve the new Wizard giving their life to stop the Lone Power, saving a species or planet.

Juanita Louise "Nita" Callahan begins the series in junior high school as a typical "book-nerd" who is often bullied by stronger girls.

Her wizardly specialty initially seems to be the art of dealing with plants and the living world (sometimes referred to as organic wizardry), but later on shifts more toward wizardly theory and manipulation of kernels—cores of energy found at the center of every person, planet and universe that act as replicable centers for major wizardries.

Recent events have suggested that Nita may be switching specialties again, this time into precognition and oracular dreaming, also developing a connection with water.

Christopher Kellen "Kit" Rodriguez also starts the series in junior high school, dealing with the issue of becoming a responsible adult.

Kit also lives at his home in Nita's neighborhood with his parents, his older sister Carmela, and his dog Ponch.

This occurs after he finds himself strangely attracted to the Martian princess Aurilelde, who reminds Kit slightly of Nita when he meets her.

Her Ordeal is a pivotal moment in the history of the universe, as she not only temporarily becomes the Manual, but helps to redeem the Lone Power.

Throughout the series, the Lone Power, as a result of Its actions, deeds, and history, is often equated to Satan, an entity considered evil in Christian and Muslim traditions.

For example, in the second book of the series, Nita is asked if she attained her wizardry through a deal with the Devil, to which she responds "Kit and I are the last people that One wants anything to do with."

Tom and Carl are wise, tolerant, and funny; Nita frequently refers to them as examples of adult wizardry.

Darryl continues to be autistic for the remainder of the series (in the revised editions) although he regains his coping abilities.

S'reee helps Kit implement a 'cleanup' wizardry to clean the waters surrounding Manhattan at the beginning of The Wizard's Dilemma.

His favorite discoveries so far are baseball hats and bright colors, even if his fashion sense is, to put it politely, nonexistent.

She bought a laser dissociator off the Mizarthu shopping network, which she uses to help Nita and Sker'ret defend The Crossings.

Once Carmela learns The Speech, she spends most of her time watching TV from across the galaxy, and talking to her new alien friends.

Robert Millman is the school therapist; he first appears in A Wizard Alone to help Nita and, later, Dairine, with their mother's death.

In High Wizardry she accompanies Nita and Kit to find Dairine, and they discover that Peach is actually an avatar of the Winged Defender, or The One's Champion, one of the Powers that Be.

Khairelikoblepharehglukumeilichephreidosd'enagouni, nicknamed Fred by Kit from the syllable phreid in his name, is a white hole who features in So You Want to Be a Wizard.

At the end of SYWTBAW, he sacrifices himself by converting his mass to light, relighting the moon and allowing Nita and Kit to save Manhattan from an incursion by the Lone Power.

ed'Rashtekeresket t'k Gh'shestaesteh, the Master Shark and the Pale Slayer, appears in Deep Wizardry to play the appropriate role in the Song of the Twelve.

In the same book, Nita thinks about the Manhattan skyline when someone refers to recent troubles, signifying that it takes place after 9/11.

The New Millennium Editions are intended to repair the "very broken, inconsistent and frankly dysfunctional timeline" which was making it hard for the series to find new readers.