Battle Magic

Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fans of Pierce's "Circle of Magic" and "Circle Opens" quartets will probably like the latest installment of the "Circle Reforged" series. This time, Briar, Evvy, and Rosethorn have been invited to meet the emperor of Yanjing and tour his famous gardens. Their stay is not always a comfortable one, as the emperor shows off not only his gardens but his vast armies, lightning-fast mood swings, and absolute control over his subjects. While there, the trio befriend Parahan, heir to a nearby kingdom, sold into slavery by his uncle. When Parahan escapes...with a little help...on the eve of their departure, the emperor goes ballistic, ordering a vast manhunt to recapture his prized possession. Soon Briar, Evvy, and Rosethorn are dodging Yanjingyi soldiers as they flee to the border with news of an impending invasion, joining the fray as battle mages for their friend, the Gyongxin God-King.

As always, Tamora Pierce's world-building is outstanding, her stories exciting, and her characters well-developed. My main reason for the relatively low 3-star rating is the inexplicable decision to have Rosethorn cheat on Lark with Parahan. The affair comes completely out of the blue and is utterly gratuitous (albeit occurring offscreen, thankfully). It in no way moves the story along or has any other redeeming purpose. Removing it would not impact the sequence of events in the slightest. I'm sorry, Ms. Pierce, but what were you thinking?! Just because someone is bisexual does not automatically mean she's also adulterous! And if you ARE going to include infidelity, there better be a literary reason for it. I am still flabbergasted by this pointless artistic choice. Flabbergasted and disappointed. I lost so much respect for those two characters...and the author...the moment I read the first scene where Briar sees them embracing.

For readers' advisors: setting, story, and character doorways. Despite the adultery, it's a clean read, since none of that is actually described. This book is shelved with juvenile fiction in my library, but that is an error, in my opinion. Evvy is, I believe, twelve, Briar is sixteen or so, and Rosethorn is an adult, as are all the other characters, apart from the God-King. I would definitely consider this to be young adult fiction.

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Mastiff

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Tamora Pierce weaves a masterful tale of treachery and treason, magic and mayhem in this final episode to the Beka Cooper trilogy. The four-year-old prince has been kidnapped and made a slave in a violent attempt to overthrow the king. Beka, her scent hound Achoo, and her partner Tunstall are assigned the secret (and dangerous) task of finding and rescuing the prince. They and their companions set off across the country, tracking the slavers and their deadly mages. Traitors are everywhere, though, making it difficult for Beka to know whom to trust.

I was so glad this book was longer than the others. The length gave Pierce time to really develop the characters and the story. She kept me guessing until the end as to who the traitor was. I was, however, a bit sad that most of Beka's friends from the first two books only made brief appearances, although that made sense for the story.

For readers' advisors: story, character, and setting doorways. There is a lot of slang (and made up slang) in the Beka Cooper books, so it's nice that Pierce includes a glossary at the end.


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Magic Steps

Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


Four stars for the book. Minus 10 stars for the audiobook. AUGH!!! I was so excited when I put the first CD into my car stereo this morning. A full-cast audiobook of book one of a series I've read and loved by one of my all-time favorite authors--what's not to love??

This audiobook, that's what. Oh. My. Goodness. Tamora Pierce may be an outstanding author, but she simply cannot read out loud! It was like listening to a female Forrest Gump. Every syllable was given equal emphasis, even the articles and prepositions. Every word was overly enunciated. AUGH!!!

Then the rest of the cast started speaking, and it was as though I'd been transported to the worst amateur theatre production EVER. The language didn't flow like natural language, and everything was exaggerated and--like Pierce's narration--overly enunciated.

Awful awful awful. I couldn't even listen to the whole first CD. I tried to make myself, but I just couldn't stand it any more and ejected it as soon as I got to the parking lot.

Next time, I'll find an audiobook read by professional actors. Oy.



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Lady Knight

Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Newly minted Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan is assigned to the difficult task of organizing, supplying, and defending the refugee camp she christens "Haven." Few soldiers can be spared to help her defend her refugees from the raiding Scanrans and their metal killing devices powered by the spirits of murdered children, so she begins training "her people" to defend themselves. Kel itches to get outside the walls and search for the mage responsible for the devices, as she has been tasked to do by the Chamber of the Ordeal, but she knows her duty. Then one day, Kel must make a choice between conflicting duties.

Yet again, listening to Bernadette Dunne read about Kel's adventures made me glad to be driving and sad to arrive at my destinations. I'm only sorry this is the fourth and final book of this series.

For readers' advisors: story and character doorways with setting doorway also



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Squire

Squire by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Listening to Bernadette Dunne read this book was so exciting I hated to get out of my car. In fact, I sat in my driveway a couple of times just to hear "a little bit more" before I shut off my engine and went inside. It's a longer book than First Test and Page because it encompasses all four years of Kel's time as Raoul's squire, including some very exciting battle scenes and tournaments.

I appreciated the realism of Kel's crushes on Cleon and Dom and how she struggled to figure out how to handle herself around them. Brought back some wince-inducing memories from my own teen years, that's for sure. I also appreciated how Pierce handled the whole "sex talk" scene between Kel and her mother. Lots of girls would never talk to their parents about sex, and it was great how calm and perceptive Kel's mom was, allowing Kel to decide for herself whether she was or was not ready. Likewise, I appreciated that Kel chose to wait...and so did Cleon.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways primarily and setting doorway because of the magical, made-up world



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Page

Page by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Volume #2 in the quartet is as entertaining as volume one. In fact, at one point I stopped at a flashing red light at a 3-way intersection and was so absorbed in listening to the story, I forgot to go when it was my turn (waiting for the light to turn green??). Oops!

Page covers the final three years of Kel's page training--i.e. puberty. Pierce does a great job addressing Kel's dismay at growing breasts and starting her "monthlies," but this may be a deterrent for boys reading/listening to the story. (Or possibly an education??) Most of the story, however, is about Kel's leadership and growth over the course of three years and her sense of responsibility for her skittish new maid. Kel has a very strong sense of right and wrong and is incensed to learn how Lalasa has been abused, so she teaches the reluctant older girl to fight back. Kel's quick thinking and cool head also save the day when the group of pages she's with is attacked by bandits.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways, and it's fantasy so also setting doorway



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First Test

First Test by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It was interesting to listen to a book I'd previously read in graduate school. Bernadette Dunne occasionally placed emphasis on different words or read sentences differently than I would have. She did a good job, but it was just...odd. Still, listening to the story made me actually wish my commute were longer (!!), and I sometimes sat in my car for a few minutes after I arrived so I could hear just a little bit more.

This is a book about a 10-year-old girl who wants to become the second female knight (see: the Alanna the Lioness quartet by Pierce) even though most all the boys and the training master do not want her at the school and don't think she can succeed.



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Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales by Tamora Pierce

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love Tamora Pierce! I'm usually not a big short story fan, but these are great--perfect for reading on lunch breaks. She ranges all over, telling stories involving past characters, to a couple of modern-day real-world tales (one magical and one not). I had no idea Pierce was once a housemother at a group home for teenage girls and that she has a background in psychology. That totally explains how she gets her characters to feel so real and to grow and develop.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, with setting and story secondary



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Bloodhound

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 2 in the Beka Cooper series picks up a few months after book 1 leaves off. This time, Beka is no longer a trainee "puppy" but a real "Dog" (i.e. police officer) in the middle of unraveling where all the counterfeit money is coming from and halting the spread of it. It's a pretty good read, as with all of Pierce's books.

If you're recommending it to teenagers, be aware that there is some sexual content (more than the first book). Nothing graphic, but definitely some hormones happening, and Beka does actually have sex a couple of times. (Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed with the guy she chose, but for a teenager, she handled it maturely.)

According to the Find a Book website, Bloodhound is categorized as "High/Low," meaning that it's high interest but low reading level (for vocabulary). I don't think I agree with that because so much of the story is told in what Pierce--via Beka--calls "street cant." Think: fictionalized fantasy version of Cockney. It's fun to read, and Pierce does include a glossary at the end of the book, but someone who struggles with reading in general may have trouble with the made-up words and phonetic spelling.

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Melting Stones

Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

Melting Stones is a continuation of the "Circle" series--the Circle of Magic quartet and The Circle Opens quartet. This one tells the story of Evvy, a 14-year-old mage-in-training whom we first met in the Circle Opens quartet as a stone mage discovered by Briar. In this book, she is traveling with Rosethorn and Myrrhtide, two full-fledged mages who have been summoned to an island in the middle of the ocean where trees and other plants have been spontaneously dying in random locations. Evvy is a girl emotionally damaged by slavery and war, and this story is really more about her learning to trust more than the six people she lives and trains with at Winding Circle.

Tamora Pierce once again does her usual excellent job of depicting teenagers with all their talents and flaws. And I loved how she anthropomorphized the magma "spirits"--I thought it an excellent way to describe what happens before an eruption.

This book was originally written as a full-cast audio book, which I didn't realize when I put it on hold all those months ago. I'm very curious now to listen to it.


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