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Posts tagged ‘Tamora Pierce’

Lioness Rampant

By: Tamora Pierce

Song of the Lioness bk 4

Alanna has moved on from her shaman duties with her adoptive tribe and is feeling a bit restless. It is a good thing then that a new challenge comes her way. A message from a dying woman sends Alanna on the path of the  Legendary Dominion Jewel. This is a gem of enormous power, the stuff or heroes and songs. It can be a thing of great good – in the right hands. With it in Prince Jonathon’s hands Alanna fells Tortall will prosper.

All is not well though, her beloved kingdom is in great danger from Duke Roger, the man she has already defeated once. Roger is back from the dead and she knows he is up to something. Prince Jonathon isn’t the only one in danger, George the Rogue is under threat from a mysterious foe known only as Claw.

Alanna thrives on challenging herself and I identify with this, maybe that is why I love Pierce’s characters, they set goals and do what they need to to achieve them. We can never have too many characters modeling that kind of behaviour. Liam the Shang Dragon is a welcome addition and adds yet another texture to the fabric of the world Pierce has given us. He challenges Alanna, teaches her and brings what ultimately becomes a beautiful friendship.

I realise that through these reviews I haven’t mentioned Pounce, Alanna’s pet companion (if you have read the Beka Cooper books Pounce will be familiar to you). This cat is a mysterious and wonderful addition to these stories, he is his own character, with his own style and brings a wonderful layer of humour.

This book, like the series, is full of action, adventure and plotting. Strands that were background in other books are pulled forward and masterfully woven to a final climactic conclusion. Characters you’ve missed are back and you can’t help but sigh in satisfaction at the end and a feeling of sadness that the series has finished. The story is complete but you just don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 19 April 2011

Format: Paperback 368 pages

Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Action

ISBN 13: 9781442427662

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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The Woman Who Rides Like a Man

By: Tamora Pierce

Song of the Lioness series bk 3

Alanna has her brand new knighthood, the very thing she toiled so long and hard for. With her big secret revealed she sets out for adventure, knowing she can’t stay at court because her being a woman makes many uncomfortable. Travelling with trusted companion,Corum, they are captured by a tribe of desert dwellers.

Alanna is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death and this is just the beginning of a whole new set of trials. Facing people who have trouble accepting female warriors, Alanna unwittingly becomes the first female shaman and sets about making changes in her adoptive tribe. These changes she enacts have wide reaching consequences, not only for herself and those she trains but for her Prince and the kingdom of Tortall. All is not business though as Alanna’s suitors take things to the next level.

This is a well balanced follow on to The Hand of the Goddess. This sees Alanna focus more on the magic aspect of her skills and goes a long way to Alanna becoming all she can, fully knowledgable about all her gifts. The other nice thing here is Alanna moves from student to teacher, there is a lovely scene where her students actually teach her something new.

Her relationship with Sir Myles is given a beautiful few moments and adds a lovely facet to Alanna’s story. It is also good to see Alanna the woman, having to evaluate relationship and professional desires and make some hard decisions.

The Voice and other new characters add another layer to Alanna an the complexity of the kingdom. They all bring something to the story and our heroine.

The first two books finish one chapter of Alanna’s life and this is the first of another two book chapter, yet Pierce manages to bring strands across the divide and weaves an engrossing story that leaves you wanting more.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 19 April 2011

Format: Paperback 260 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Magic

ISBN 13: 9781442427655

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

 

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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In the Hand of the Goddess

By: Tamora Pierce

Song of the Lioness series bk 2

Alanna, still known to those she has lived, studied and trained with as Alan, has now become a squire to Prince Jonathon. He is her liege lord, best friend and keeps the secret of her true identity. Things around them aren’t peaceful, Tortall is at war and someone seems out to get Alanna. She is also the only one who seems to sense the danger at court, where a sorcerer threatens not only the prince’s life but the stability of the entire kingdom. It is going to take everything Alanna has to ensure things don’t fall apart. Is Alanna willing to  risk everything, even the possibility of revealing her biggest secret?

Alanna keeps pushing herself, it is one of the things I love about her. This story smoothly follows on from the first book, wrapping up the dangling threads as Alanna completes her training and fully comes into her own as a mage and a warrior. Her focus remains and her faults still cause her to stumble. Alanna pushes herself and is a great role model for girls. It is particularly nice to see Alanna trying to get touch with her feminine side, often strong female characters have to be men with breasts. Alanna starts to celebrate being a woman as well as a fighter and we simply don’t have enough characters who embrace all aspects of who they are.

Highly Recommended.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 19 April 2011

Format: Paperback 241 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Magic

ISBN 13: 9781442427648

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Alanna – The First Adventure

By: Tamora Pierce

Song of the Lioness series book 1

Alanna of Trebond really wants to be a knight of the realm. Girls aren’t allowed to be knights, but that is a small inconvenience. It isn’t hard to convince her brother to switch places with her, after all Thom really wants to be a sorcerer not a knight.

Disguised as a boy Alanna becomes Alan and begins her training as a page. The training is much tougher than she expected. There is plenty of book work as well as the need to master weapons and combat magic. To succeed at this she is going to have to be dedicated and manage her temper. Throughout it all she makes some tight friends amongst others at the palace and also in some rather unexpected places.

This is the first of the Song of the Lioness books and is the first place we meet the remarkable Alanna, as well as Prince Jonathon, Raoul of Goldenlake, Gareth of Naven and the cheeky Rogue George. These are characters we will come to love.

You can’t help but adore a character as focussed and determined to achieve everything she puts her mind to. Alanna is great, not just her strengths but also her weaknesses – the blending of these traits is what makes her so believable. She struggles, things don’t always come easy for her and that is one of the things that keeps the reader engaged.

Pierce creates a wonderful world, populated with amazing characters. As soon as I put this book down I picked up the second, I just couldn’t help myself.

Highly recommended.

Age : 11 + certainly don’t let that put you off if you are looking for something for a YA who likes fantasy and great female characters.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 07 December 2010

Format: Paperback 249 pages

Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Adventure, Friendship

ISBN 13: 9781442426412

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page

 

Category:

Fiction 8-12, Young Adult Fiction

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Shatterglass

By: Tamora Pierce

Circle Opens series bk 3

Tris is visiting the city of Tharios with her mentor Niklaren. This is another opportunity for learning and Tris loves knowledge. There are things happening in Tharios though and when Tris feels the pull of power by a glass mage Keth she is furious until she realises he is untrained and didn’t realise what he was doing. Keth isn’t her only concern though as it appears a killer is out to unbalance the peace and it seems that somehow Keth’s power may be the key to finding this criminal. First though they need to figure out his powers.

Tris is feisty, a perfect foil for the reluctant, older Keth. She is headstrong which means his impatience and age are less likely to sway her than if he had a more normal mentor. Tris brings a certain stubornness and determination to the senario. She is out of place in her surroundings and while she tries to adapt she refuses to lose her own identity. Keth’s character is well developed and he comes across so very real, you absolutely feel for his past and the place he finds himself in.

The double storyline, teaching and crime, is woven together wonderfully and it makes for a highly entertaining story. The city of Tharios is realised with great detail and texture. The moments of sadness and tension are offset by well placed humour. I adore Pierce’s works and read this twice through when I got it, but then if you have read many of my reviews you may already know I love Tamora Pierce’s works.

Highly recommended for readers age 10 up.

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: 01 March 2004

Format: Paperback 357 pages

Categories: Fantasy, Crime

ISBN 13: 9780590396967

Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Top Titles 2011

As I’m going to not be posting between now and the new year I thought I would put my top picks of this year down now.

These aren’t the only ones I loved and there is no order to them, they are simply some of the ones released this year as far as I know that stand out in my mind.

Picture Books

The Flying Orchestra – Clare McFadden

The Last Viking – Norman Jorgensen/James Foley

The Jewelfish of Karnak – Graeme Base

Fiction 4-9

Violet Mackeral’s Natural Habitat – Anna Branford

Mystery in Paris – Thea Stilton (As with the rest of the series)

The Amazing Voyage – Geronimo Stilton (really I love the whole series)

Fiction 8 – 12

Eight Keys – Suzanne LaFleur

The Medusa Plot – Gordon Korman

Wonderstruck – Brain Selznick

Young Adult Fiction

Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor

The Extraordinaires – Michael Pryor

Mastiff – Tamora Pierce

Category:

Topics and Recommendations

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Mastiff

By: Tamora Pierce

Book 3 of the Beka Cooper series

It has been several years and Beka and her partner Tunstall have been working hard bringing justice to the coves and mots of the lower city. Beka was engaged but her fiancee has just died but the job goes on and a big hunt has come up. Big enough that Lord Gershom – the Lord Provost, interrupts her mourning and confused feelings to send her, the faithful Achoo and Tunstall on the most secret of missions. They are told nothing until they get to there destination where they discover something of the most vilest nature has occurred. It is only the start of a devious plot designed to bring drastic change to the whole kingdom.

Never has a hunt counted for so much. The more they uncover, the wider the conspiracy seems to expand, out to people of wealth, privilege and power. These people have the means to hire sorcerers most skilled in dark arts, who are more than willing to use those skills. Joining Beka on the hunt are Lady Sabine and Master Farmer, a mage selected by the Lord Provost. This is a hunt that will test Beka to the very limits of her Dog abilities, as well as her ability to judge which of those around her to trust.

This was a review where I found myself unsure where to start and what to write. The biggest test is how to do this, to say what I want to say without resorting to spoilers. I think the only way to really do that is to keep it brief.

The world of Tortall is a comfortable fit for those who have read her previous books, it is an old friend and a well worn path you tread as you enter these pages. It is so easy to fall back into the ebb and flow of the locations even though this hunt takes our characters away from the more familiar city environs. The fiancee was a surprise to me and added an interesting layer to the story Pierce proceeds to weave.

It is interesting to see a relationship several years down the track, or in this case several relationships. It is also nice to have Lady Sabine more deeply involved in this storyline, it shows her relationships to both Beka and Tunstall as well as giving us the chance to see her really for the first time as a noble.

Master Farmer is a masterful addition to the team, a new player in various old dynamics. His facade, and personas add wonderful fun and depth as well as more than a few of the more intriguing moments. Pierce reveals the layers and machinations in this plot with a deft hand.

I really looked forward to this book and it wasn’t a let down. There were a few surprises and that is all I will say on the matter.

Loved it and highly recommend it.

Publisher: Omnibus Books

Published: 01 December 2011

Format: Paperback 592 pages

Categories: Fantasy

ISBN 13: 9781862918986

Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of page

Category:

Young Adult Fiction

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Tamora Pierce

Well let’s hear from one of my fave authors.

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Writers

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Lady Knight

By: Tamora Pierce

Protector of the Small series bk 4

Keladry of Mindelan has done it, she survived as a page, a squire and made it through her Ordeal. Now she faces war. Tortall is at war with the Scanrans and her first commission is to oversee the refugee camp. Not a posting she thought to have after all her years of training. Her way of viewing others makes her uniquely suited to this command, even if she is untried. Kel chaffs at the task though because before she sets out for war she has a vision in the Chamber – she was shown the man behind the creation of the horrific battle machines and what he does to animate them. The Chamber told her their paths would cross and it would be up to her to stop him. Kel is torn between her duty to her commander and crown and to the quest she believes will save lives and change the course of the war. (Vague spoiler alert!) Then her command is attacked and she risks everything to do what she knows she has to do.

This is the final book of the Protector of the Small series and as such has a grander scope. Kel faces her own doubts as well as those of others. She struggles between duty and what she believes to be right. She abhors injustice and deals with the challenges her command hands her, in her own unique way. Kel’s way wins people over, she is smart, strong and very determined.

Added to the familiar characters is Tobe, another of Kel’s rescued strays. Tobe is an orphan with a smart mouth and a drive for self preservation, Kel also recognises the horse mage that is hidden under his beaten exterior. Pierce has put together an incredible and varied ensemble cast to surround and support Keladry, they are so well drawn that they appear so clearly in my imagination, part of me wants to follow them through the years. The world of Tortall is well travelled, well developed and this story is narrowly focussed as it sits comfortably in the bigger picture. There are elements of humour in some of the darkest situations adding to the wonderful texture. Tightly written and wonderfully told, Kel comes into her own here as she takes the steps than earn her the title ‘The Protector of the Small’.

Kel is one of my favourite characters of all time and I am so glad there are still stories flowing from the pen of Tamora Pierce.

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books

Published: 01 August 2003

Format: Paperback 431 pages

Categories: Fantasy Adventure War Courage

ISBN 13: 9780375814716

Purchase: here or use link to Booktopia on side of page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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Squire

By: Tamora Pierce

Protector of the Small series bk 3

Keladry made it through her first four years due to her incredible determination, only to fins she is worried that no knight will take her on as a squire. After waiting so long she is surprised when Lord Raoul Knight Commander of the King’s Own asks. She is thrilled but knows many will think she is not up to the task. Being away from the palace doesn’t take her away from the prejudices she has dealt with the while being a page.

Out in the field though Kel quickly proves she can hold her own; as a warrior, a jouster and guardian of a young griffin. Time and again she is able to show Raoul didn’t make a mistake in choosing her. Throughout this time she discovers new romance, becomes reacquainted with old friends and makes many new ones. Her determination, intelligence and strong moral code gain her valuable experience and respect not only among the King’s Own but those in power and in those who will look to follow in her footsteps.

There are still those who want to see her fail or dead before she can claim her shield, but Kel has no time to think on them as she prepares for the squire’s final challenge ‘The Ordeal’.

‘Commanders are as rare as heroes…You’ve shown flashes of being a commander Keladry. It’s my job to see if you will do more than flash…’ Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie’s Peak.

Kel’s training amps up as she is put thoroughly through her paces and once again proves she’s got what it takes. Kel is talented, flawed, uncertain and determined. She has a goal and works hard to attain it. Pierce allows Kel to grow further now she is out of the castle and it is a wonderful journey. Her detailed descriptions of life on the Progress, training and battle bring it all to technicolour life.

Raoul is a perfect counter point and trainer for Kel, totally opposite of Lord Wyldon, yet just as hard a task master. It is a treat to get out to the castle and spend time with other characters like Raoul, Dom and Buri. It is also a joy to read the scenes that blend the Tortallan way of life and the Yamani way as the Prince and Princess’ wedding approach. It is also interesting to watch Kel try to balance her dreams with new love.

Kel’s world and Kel herself are textured and shaded by a master creator. I am always happy to sink myself into the realm of Tortall, even to the point that when I finally got my own copies of this series I read it twice in a row while knowing I have a huge pile of other books waiting for my attention.

A word of note, sex is mentioned though not actioned in this book, however the way it is dealt with in no way makes this book something unsuitable for a 10 year old. Kel and her mother discuss safe sex.

Publisher: Random House USA Children’s Books

Published: 01 September 2002

Format: Paperback 409 pages

Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Family

ISBN 13: 9780679889199

Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of the page

Category:

Fiction 8-12

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