Lioness Rampant

The final book in the "Song of the Lioness Series" by Tamora Pierce is the Lioness Rampant. It starts with a quest. No wondering in this book. There are dedicated journeyings here. Alanna and Coram, her man-at-arms, are on a quest given by a witch at the end of book three and given a map. They take the map to a friend of Myles who tells them that at the end is the Dominion Jewel, a stone of the Gods with awesome magics that can build or tear down kingdoms depending on the intentions of the one who is commanding it. Awesome right?

On their journeying, they meet Liam Ironarm, a Shang (ninja/kung fu master equivalent), who tags along on her quest. She is really good with the sword, but because of her size she fails miserably at hand-to-hand. He starts teaching her martial arts to keep her better on her feet and have the upper hand. They also start romancing, even though he hates magic--which she has, and she knows that it won't go very far. More into their journey to the Roof of the World they meet the exiled Princess Thayet, and her guard Buri, who is feeling her waring country after her father dies. They also follow Alanna, who thinks Thayet will be a good match for Jon who is in need of a wife, and retrieve the Jewel. However when they finally get home to Tortall, everything has been thrown off kilter and Roger is back from the dead. Who is he back and how powerful is he now that he is here?

This one was great. It is my favorite of the series because an adventure happens. There is no massive time skips where you have to fit four years in two hundred pages. There is adventure and purpose to their actions. The characters truly have grown and are actually learning things as they progress through the story. Liam has faults which makes him seem more human. And I've realized why I liked George so much: he is there for Alanna through everything. His loyalty is boundless when it comes to her because he truly loves her above everything.

There is a lot more killing in this book, though not graphic. Many named characters die and some will even make you cry when they are gone. I know I teared up. This is a good book. Some that makes the reader cry, or is frustrated (good frustrated not bad writing frustrated), or so happen when good things happen to them. That is good writing. Tamora reached a much better writing height here than in her other ones. It is her first series she'd written and did so back in the 1980's. But you can tell how she progressed from her first line in Alanna: The First Adventure to now in the Lioness Rampant. She progressed greatly. I do enjoy her other books as well. The next for Tamora Pierce's books I'll be reading is Wild Magic, though it will be at a later date. I'm giving Tortall a rest for now. But the nastagia has struck, and Daine and Numair will be up shorty.