Tortall: A Spy's Guide

This book is a compilation of guides and letters with relevancies to all of the series that Tamora Pierce has published set in Tortall. There are letters from George to Myles, reports from other members of the Tortallian spy network, guides on how to be spies, notes on immortals and killing devices, and more. Pretty basic.

For those who are initiated into the series already, pick it up from a library and check it out. If you want to go on a nostalgia trail without wanting to read all of the series again (which, why wouldn't you want that awesome journey?) this would be a good one to pick up. It's a really quick read.

 If you aren't initiated yet, there are technically no spoilers so it's safe to then go back, but I'd suggest starting out with Alanna: The First Adventure before you think of picking up anything else and start out the right way.

It was good for what it was. We got a little after story for Alanna and a few things about her kids, but there wasn't much gained in the story or plot of any previous series. In general there was no plot here at all. Mainly it was a recap of events that happened previously which you would have gotten if you read through the series in general. Part of it is supposed to be the "Cooper files" where I was expecting bits on Beka or more on Aly, but there was little to no information at all. Very much a put down.

I was hoping this would be "George's story" or some of the like while Alanna is out doing her daring dos. But there were only a few letters, mainly too him, instead of a story that he gives. *sigh*

The setting is obviously Tortall, but there are no land descriptions, only setting ones. The plot is pretty much non-existent on its own. The characters, while they are people we love, you have to really know them before stepping into this book. While new readers could probably guess-timate who they are and what is going on, I don't think they would enjoy this on its own just picking it up from the library or bookstore shelf. This is a series for the initiated as a work of nostalgia.

Part of me is also sad that it isn't just a Tamora Pierce book, but that there are three other writers that got in on it (it feels like they might have done a hardy portion of the work here). I could tell a difference, subtle though it was, between writing styles, which I could chalk up to "different people are writing different letters/guides, so it's okay." It was kind of a let down though.

For what it was, it was good. The set up and pros in it was cohesive and interesting to read. The guide to actual spying was pretty cool, but there were some parts what I willingly skipped because I knew about them well enough already. I very much like the overall timeline at the end of the book as well as young Thom's list of Tortallian Royalty, he's got humor that boy. The way it was presented was probably one of its biggest assets. Letter can be hard to write in a story, especially when that is all that the book compiled. There are little side comments on many of the documents from the Whisper Man or evidences of where wines were spilled or children got to important documents. Also, on documents from important people it has each of their seals, which is a fun little tidbits. The font is not the typical font style either, it has more of a cursive feel to it which makes the feel of the letters more authentic and letter-esque.

Would this be a book that I would buy for my collection? Probably not. (I'm kind of picky.) Does it add very much to the world? A little, but nothing I'd rave about.

Tempest and Slaughter

Tempest and Slaughter is Tamora Pierce's newest book (as of so far). This is the story of Numair before he became Numair, when he was a simple student in Carthak City studying to become a great wizard, back when he was known as Arram Draper.

Tempest and Slaughter follows him as he is growing and studying at the Mage's school and shows more promise than many of the other students. He is the youngest student training to become a Master and flies through the ranks of his fellow students. He is often board and that gets him in trouble. One of these incidents leads him to become friends with Ozorne ("the forgotten prince") and Varice (a beautiful girl from the north). Between plagues, school, and the gladiator arenas there is a lot for the future Numair to do especially when death comes to call and conspiracy looms in the shadows.

Numair is one of my favorite characters. In the The Immortals series and Protector of the Small, I light up every time he's in a scene. I think I enjoyed this more because I knew where many of the characters were going to be later and what they would become, more than I enjoyed the actual book. I loved the little unexpected blip toward the end when I figured out who a particular character was. It was awesome!

Getting to know the environment and setting of Carthak was interesting and intriguing. It explained a lot of where Orzone came from and why he acts the way he does in future novels.

I feel like this is really only half of the story. There is a book two that will be coming out in 2019, but without it seems like we only have half a plot. The "climax" at the end was lacking even though it kind of rounded out the story, but it just wasn't enough for me. I think Tamora Pierce could have done more than just a timeline plotline. He grew older and advanced through the ranks... There is an underlying plot with the Princes and hints of conspiracy, but we only get a nibble. It was almost as if Tamora had too much she wanted to put in the story that the plot almost vanishes. There isn't enough of it to be considered a great book, in my opinions. I still enjoyed the book, just not as much as I was hoping for.

If I would suggest this book, I'd suggest it to someone who's already read Daine and Numair's story, at least until The Exile's Gift comes out. Before then though, make sure you read at least the four books in the Immortal's series. You'd enjoy it so much more then reading this alone.

Lady Knight

Lady Knight, the last book (#4) in the Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce.

Squire Kel has overcome her Ordeal and has become the second Lady Knight Tortall has seen in centuries. Just as she's become a knight, war breaks out in the north against the normally clannish Scandarans. They have joined together under one dangerous man and has assaulted Tortall with killing machines that no one has seen before.

Kel is given the unwanted task of commanding and housing refugees from the war stricken borderlands. She is to keep them safe from raiders and occasional assaults from people Scandarans who make it past the border patrols. This happens far more often than it should. Kel trains the nearly 500 refugees to fight so then the 50 or so soldiers aren't the only line of defence against the enemy and their killing machines. Nothing ever goes smoothly for Kel, and this is no exception.

I didn't feel I could give this full points because the beginning dragged a lot for me. It was very slow going at the start up until Kel leaves for Fort Mastiff the second time. Once Tobe finds her again things picked up for me a lot, but that seemed to be about half way through the book. I wish it would have gone faster or been more engaging for me throughout the first part.

The characters were different enough in this book that it was easier to tell them apart. I remember the first time I read this that the "Cast of Characters" at the end helped me keep them where they were supposed to be in my head. Very helpful. But their names were different enough and personalities real enough that they seemed just that, more real. I think I enjoyed the variety new and consistency of old characters that were given here.

Setting was better than in previous books, which made me happier and we were even given more maps to follow along with.

My only other complain is that *spoilers* at the end when Kel goes after the bad guys and gets the refugees back, that the death of the magician was so quick. Hardly a fight with him. The "dog" has a pretty good fight, but the mastermind behind it all... it fell flat for me. I get that it could be a writerly thing to do because the mage was such a pansy in the first place that Kel could have dispatched him in literally a paragraph besides the dialog. But there was a really big build up for it, since Squire, that I just wanted a bit more.

Other readers might complain that the travel time into Scandar was long and could feel like it dragged, but I thought it was pretty good. Her trying to get others to go away is what took forever for me. Travel time is hard to write and keep engaging, but for this particular journey I think Tamora did pretty good.

A good book and a good way to end the series. I'd probably go through and reread it again in a while.

Squire

Squire is the third book of the Protector of the Small series and is probably my favorite one so far. It has been years since I've read it and didn't remember a lot about it, so it was fun to read it almost as if for the first time.

Kel has survived being a page and has nearly mastered one of her greatest fears. She's been accepted by good old Raoul of Goldenlake (and something else). Lord Raoul is commander of the King's Own who go and assist everyone around the realm. They fight bandits, pirates, rogue immortals, and, when forced, show up for parties when the King demands it. Kel gets to do what she has always wanted, fight and help those around her who cannot help themselves. Through these fights and battles she starts to prove herself and when the Royal Progress occurs (letting the whole kingdom see the prince and his soon-to-be bride from the Yamani Isles) she gets to show off her skills in jousting as well. (I kept having flashbacks to A Knight's Tale and had a great time watching it again.)





Kel gets first hand experience of what it will be like to be a knight while following Raoul and those under his command. The glory and the woes. Kel has started to have feelings for a particular boy and there are complications with the match--the separation that comes with squirehood/knighthood and her trying to decide which she wants more, her shield and the knight life or to be at home the matriarch of her husband's estate which would eventually need looking after.

There are many things that are brought up in this series. Women's place in a "man's world." The need for reformed laws. Politics and how tippy-toe it has to be sometimes to get things accomplished. Accomplishing goals when the odds are against you. Gender and class equality. Fighting for those who can't do so for themselves, obviously. Having bad people, finally, get what's coming to them--which I forgot had happened. There is a lot that was said in this book toward cultural reform in many different avenues. I find this book very relevant for today and its debates as well as discussions of the past. It is a good series to start a discussion with the younger generations (and older) about many things, not only how Tamora Pierce presents it as ideals--as Kel is reminded through the books--but also on why it was a certain way in ages past as wells as how things can change for the better for all people.

Setting is a thing Tamora struggles with in these first three series, I've accepted that. I also know she does get better with her next group of books. So I'm content enough. Sad it wasn't fixed her, but I guess it worked.

The plot, though, was great. It was engaging and constantly moving. In The Song of the Lioness series, we didn't get much from Raoul. He and Gary always seemed so much alike, it was sometimes hard to tell them apart. As they grew older their differences became more apparent which is fantastic. I've learned to love him so much more. I was also so glad to get to know Buri more instead of having it just focus on Queen Thayet. These unappreciated characters got more love and attention here, which was fantastic. I also really enjoyed the way the story flowed. Adventures and love complications throughout the story, not too much love to bog us down, but enough to make it feel like they were real teenagers. Tamora Pierce does have a way with the characters she creates when she gives them enough time on the page, sadly there are some who do seem to fall by the wayside and get muddled amongst themselves and it's hard to remember who is who. For Raoul, she definitely redeemed herself.

This series, I'd recommend for older youth, at least fourteen or fifteen. There is a bit more gore and sex is talked about more thoroughly than I'd want my thirteen year old to read. In Alanna's books, it happened, but when I was younger I didn't know what was going on because they weren't getting as handsy like Kel does. This may be over shooting it and my opinions are different than others, but take my recommendation as you will, as you always have.

Page

The second book in the Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce was okay.

Keladry has become a Page and is no longer on probation. This is the story of the next three years and the trials of being a page. Still dealing with bullies, going on the summer camping trips that result in adventures, get a new animal to follow her, and training to become a knight of the realm. The big thing that are different is that Kel hires a maid to work for her, Lalasa. Lalasa is a girl who has been abused by men all her life and is scared of most everything. Kel takes her under her wing and starts teaching her to defend herself against unwanted attentions. Along side her regular training, as the older boys become squires and new boys come in to be pages, Kel starts gaining feelings for a boy (though I won't tell you which).

It has very much the same feeling as In the Hands of the Goddess from the Lioness Rampant series. The fighting of bandits or wars against another country, kidnappings, training, and the "joys" of developing into a woman. There isn't even the joy of George being there, though. Cleon is okay with his flowery words to Kel and Neal is sarcastic, but I haven't grown any feelings for either of them. Not that they are bad characters, but they seem to be lacking something that is supposed to make me like them.

Out of the series, this book seems to be the one that is too similar to other books for me. It's alright, and it needs to be there for the progression of the story; it's just not one that I would pick to read on its own.

When I was younger and read this, I didn't know what was going to happen throughout the story. I wasn't well enough versed in storytelling to catch onto the very heavy foreshadowing that is laid out throughout the story. For an older audience you could definitely tell what was going to happen and how she is "protecting the small" in this segment of Kel's story. It was good, but for an older audience it would give no surprise as to what would happen.

The ending of the book on Balor's Needle was well done enough and I was glad she accomplished what she did. It gives that sense of fulfillment in the climax of the story.

For a younger audience it would be a good story. It is a young adult novel with a good purpose behind it. It would be one that I'd suggest for a young to mid-teen.

P.S. I really like her mother. I wish there was more about her mom then there is. Fix that Tamora. Fix it.

Wolf Speaker

Book number two of the "Immortals" by Tamora Pierce was always a quick read for me.

Daine returns to her wolf pack that helped her when she was younger, but now they need her help to stop the humans who are ruining the water, woods, and scaring off the game. With Numair at her side they confront the Lord and Lady of Dunlath but find there is more going on with them and their guests, whom Numair has a history with, than they origionally thought. When Numair and Daine get separated by a magical barrier, Daine is on her own with her animal friends to figure out how to stop these traitors to the crown. Not only does she get help from her Pack and the other animals that reside in the woods, but from Immortals and humans alike. Basilisks, Coldfangs, Horraks, Ogers, and Stormwings make their appearances though not all are Daine's friends.

As I said, it always seemed to go quickly--maybe through simplicity or the fact that I got engrossed into it or a combination of the two. This is for a younger YA audience who is stepping into fantasy, as I was when I first read it. It explains very thoroughly how her magic is used and applied and how Daine grows and experiments with her powers that she discovers.

It is a very simple and straightforward novel that is very plot driven. Daine is really the only one who develops throughout the novel because we don't necessarily see any of the other human characters and their actions. Numair throws lightning at the barricade and they come up with plans, but that is about it. It is very centered on Daine and her relations with the animals around her. All of the animals are very willing to help her out without any saying they won't, even if it was against their nature or something. They all were curious which simplified things too much for me. No need to persuade or beg or say "okay, I'll try somewhere else." It was all too easy for me.

I'd reread this if I was going through the series again or if I was looking for something that was very plot or quest based, but I don't know if I'd read it again simply to read it.

Wild Magic

Another revisit to an old friend. Wild Magic is the first book in Tamora Pierce's second Tortallian Series "The Immortals." Daine is probably my favorite lead character in the Tortallian Universe with Numair being a close tie with George for the lovely side kick. I love the chemistry that evolves with them as they grow as characters and as people.

It starts out with Daine (though it always comes out Diane in my head) meeting up with Onua, a horse-mistress for the Queen's Riders, and becomes her assistant. They are traveling south to the capital, Corus, when they come upon the steel-winged, harpy-looking-things they name Stormwings, that are attacking a very large hawk. They distract the Stormwings, killing some and making vengeful enemies of others, letting the hawk get away. Daine finds the hawk through mysterious ways, she tries to heal the hawk through traditional means, but nothing seems to work. Alanna, the Lioness, shows up to help and the hawk turns into a man who had shapeshifted to flee traitors he was spying on. Alanna and her company leave and let Numair (the man/hawk), Daine, and Onua make their way, more slowly, to the capital again. They become closer friends on their travels, but Daine has things in her past that are haunting her. She also finds, through Numair's help that she has a strange type of magic that makes her "knack with animals" more than just a knack. With suddenly fantastic--heavy on the fantasy part of the word--creatures suddenly appearing and attacking, Daine has to learn to use her Wild Magic to help save her new friends and find a home among them.

It's a very simple book. One that has a taste of the beginning Alanna: The First Adventure books where it starts explaining the mundane works of life, but Pierce incorporates the plot into it. There isn't an entire chapter of "this is what they did in everyday life because I guess I should explain that." Instead there is plot woven through it as well as the excitement you expect from a fantasy novel. Pierce definitely progressed in her store writing abilities with this one.

Setting was much better in this book than in previous books and it flowed better.It didn't bog us down, but gave us an idea of what this somewhat cliched fantasy world was actually like.

Of course there was the reappearance of George, Jon, Alanna, Thayet, Buri, and a few others, which is awesome. And it incorporated them into the story, not just letting them hover in the background like they do in "The Protector of the Small" series that I didn't really care for, but will be reading again anyway. They brought their wit and charm and experience into the story which filled it. I think Daine and Numair do a great job in the later books in the series of standing on their own two feet to make the story, but this one made it more relatable and lovable to the first series. It expanded the circle that is the Tortallian Universe and incorporated the pieces we were already given.

I love Daine and Numair. They are amazing and I love them as they grow and... spoilers. Won't say it. They are amazing. I very much enjoy these books.

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.

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce is the third book in the "Song of the Lioness" series. This one is probably the most "sequal" like book in the series where it feels like not a lot is going on plot wise. Or that the things going on aren't necessarily around Alanna. Things happen, but it would have been nice to see them happen instead of simply Alanna vague "what is happening" moments.

Alanna starts going on adventures at the beginning of the story, but the only one that Pierce presents is Alanna's assimilation into the Bazhir (in my head it always ended up coming out brazier instead, oops), a desert people. Very stereotypical Middle Eastern, much like how many other peoples in these stories. She becomes part of them and starts changing some of the ideas that the older folk believe, namely that women can be warriors, they should have their faces veiled at all times, and the shaman of the Bloody Hawk tribe thinks she's a demon and acts accordingly.

Her love life is what expands in this story. Jonathan, because of their adventures in the first book of the series, is offered a prominent part of the Bazhir culture and spends a lot of time with Alanna, even going so far as to propose. Things become complicated, she finds George who has Rogue complications of his own and things become stagnant.

I would not suggest reading this book during the high of summer because it takes place mostly in the desert. I constantly just felt hot and pretty miserable what with it being June.

This book lacked greatly in my opinion. But you need to read it, if not skim it, for context of the fourth book which is much better. I felt as though Tamora Pierce didn't quite know where to go when it came to book three though she knew where she needed to be for four.

The characters do grow up in this book, though it is only a little. While Alanna obviously has her faults, many of the boys do not. Jon gets kind of snobbery, "because he's a prince" so he's spoiled. George doesn't really have any faults except he likes to collect ears for those who have betrayed him or done him wrong and is a thief--though we don't get much on the side of his thieving. Many of the other side characters feel flat to me still.

Pierce's writing did get better. Her dialogue isn't as childish as it was in the first book. She's been able to get different characters do act differently instead of having the filler characters of Gary and Raoul (at one point when I was first reading I couldn't tell them apart). I do wish she would do better on settings. Yes, it is the desert, but i felt the same as I did for Under A Painted Sky and the lack of setting and description thereof. People have made so many poems of nature over the centuries, why can' they think of something pretty amongst the sand dunes and dried rock? I don't know if they were covered in sand all the time or if they were near a mountain or what. It was almost like <insert "dessert" here> at times. It's okay to let the make up some of the setting in their mind, but descriptions are good too. This is the writer's world we are stepping into, don't let us do all the work (some, yes, but not all). I like to know where I stand.

In the Hand of the Goddess

In the Hand of the Goddess is the second book in the "Song of the Lioness" books by Tamora Pierce. It continues Alanna's story as she pretends to be a boy to become a knight. But now that she is Jonathan's squire, things become more complicated. Love ensues between Alanna and two of our heroes--sappy love triangle without being overly awful. But now that she has saved her prince from demons, more things are coming after her. She doesn't know where from though Roger is constantly on her thoughts. War also ensues and she is finally set out to battle with her prince. Someone doesn't like her and betrayals are inevitable. She goes through the Ordeal of Knighthood and not long after she is found out, as she was planning on doing anyway after she was knighted.

It's a fun adventure that has something constantly happening to Alanna. From duels gone wrong to hunting parties where sorcery  is involved. If you aren't a fan of the love triangle, which is here in the book, this one is still okay to read. It's not heavy in the love and cheesy scenes, I always thought they were cute anyway so long as George was in the picture.

It jumped around a lot. It's a small book with less than 300 easy to read pages. But those pages held four years. I felt like most of the time we were skipping months at a time. I'm used to having books take their time and having things maybe take a few months. This felt kind of bumpy to me and I wanted more.

As I said in my previous post, it is a younger YA novel. A series that got me into reading that would be appropriate for a younger audience.

I feel rather redundant in this post as my last one. The characters are the same in basics.... I guess they haven't changed much, as one would assume they would have in four/eight years and going to war. The boys became more girl crazy at ball dances, but there wasn't much progression for them. Supposedly Alanna was learning how to love and be loved, but that wasn't as prominent as the beginning was leading it to be.

The next book is "The Woman Who Rides Like A Man."

Alanna: The First Adventure

It has been so long since I have read anything about Alanna, Jon, Gary, and George. When I first read it years ago, I disliked reading. I was on the verge of hating it. Whenever I was called on in class to read aloud, my stomach would fall through the floor. I had very little practice and found nothing of interest in the fiction books we were forced to read in school. But these simple books, for they are simple, helped me find a joy I didn't know. 

Reading through it a second time, I realized just how blunt these books were. It is, in the end, a short book. It moves very quickly to keep the attention of the youth. The point of view was third person omniscient, and jumped from a person's head to another. I didn't remember this when I read it on 2005. This can be a difficult way to write without it appearing odd or obvious. But, the fact that it's quick makes it very appropriate. There is very little subtlety so then the junior high kids don't miss the important things--which was super helpful to me when I was in junior high. 

The setting is cliched, your typical fantasy world with magic and knights. But when you got youth how don't know it's a cliche, it works. 

But really its the the characters that I loved and they still have a special place in my heart . George is the one who introduced me to thieves and romanticized them for me. I wouldn't have loved Six of Crows if it hadn't been for George. Some of my favorite characters where probably basses on him. George. *sigh* The other characters are good, too, they are rounded and individuals without over doing it. Their attributes are simple and Tamora Pierce is good at reminding us who is who and that they are individuals. 

This is a good story for young girls who want to be unpowered, I think. But it also shows that boys are good too. It is about embracing who you are while not criminalizing others. 

The second book in the series is In the Hands of the Goddess.


P.S. I feel as though I have to add the 2002, Atheneum Books hardcover edition because it was the one that I originally read and enjoyed so much. I had to because my heart demanded it.