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.

First Test

First Test is the first book in the Protector of the Small quartet by Tamora Pierce. Taking place just a few years after the ending of The Immortals series, Keladry of Mindelan wants to be a lady knight just like Alanna the Lioness.

However there are problems, the training master doesn't want girls to be knights and convinces King Jonathan to have the girl go on probation, unlike any of the boys that train to be knights of the realm. This, obviously, rubs Kel the wrong way but she is persistent and determined to become a knight like her hero. Many of the boys in the castle don't think she should be there and there are many times she is beat up in fights she goes looking for. Her own code of chivalry outshines many of the older boys she is around.

This is a book that any feminist would love. I wouldn't classify myself as such, but I enjoy it anyway. Kel is a very bound and determined girl who won't take no crap from any of the boys. She is willing to stand up for anyone who can't/won't stand up for themselves. She's pretty cool.

I will say for the first time I read this, about a decade ago, I didn't like Kel. This series reminded me too much of the Song of the Lioness with dealing with bullies, going through the same things that Alanna did as a page, etc. But in this reread, I've started to like her more. There are differences between Alanna and Kel that I'm content. Kel was trained when she was young by the Yamani (Oriental stereotype equivalent) to be stone faced and show no emotion. She has plenty of emotion, just that she doesn't show it outwardly. Whereas Alanna had emotion burst at the seams as she punched people. This book also has immortals in it and Daine and Numair make appearances, alongside Alanna. So I've changed my original opinion and rather enjoy Kel.

Tamora Pierce still has the same problem in this series though as she did in her earlier two series: her setting. It always seems to be lacking. She says hall or forest or mess hall or classroom and most of the time gives us nothing else. Is it dark, are there torches lighting the way, firs or quaking aspens or pine trees, etc.? There are some many things that can make the world more lively that she loses because there is such a lack of setting. If we were to make a world out of just her descriptions a lot of it would be blank and empty. I know she gets better, but I, myself, really enjoy a lively world.

Read it and enjoy though. It's pretty good.

Oathbringer

Oathbringer was a fantastic book. A big book, but (like all of Brandon Sanderson's books I've read) amazing.

The Everstorm is here and the Voidbringers have returned, and the lost city of Urithiru has been found. Urithiru is so large that it would take at least a decade to explore most of the rooms and life times trying to figure out how contraptions work. But being a few weeks into the lost city has brought about unexpected things: Oathgates, new fabrials, murder, and creepy shadows that haunt the halls. Dalinar and the high princes from the Shattered Planes aren't the only people to come to Urithiru, but the Ghostblade's had also made their appearance.

In Oathbringer we get not only the point of view of Kaladin (who has now learned to fly on the winds of the Stormfather), Shallan (who now has to find a way to deal with all the things she's so successfully kept down and out of her mind), Dalinar (who still needs to "unite them," defend Urithiru and Kholinar from the parishmen who are now taking over), and Wit (doing who knows what) every once in a while. But we get bits of point of view from many  members of Bridge Four! Teft and Rock and the Lopen and others. Aiya! I love them all. But there are many others you get to see, including Moash. I understand the hatred many people have for him and I agree. Stupid Moash. I gained a deeper love for Jasnah and Adolin. His sword is really cool. I like her.

This book is Dalinar's. We get to see his memories and we get to know his wife. Dalinar was not a very good person in his younger years. Like, I started getting sick because of the crap he did. Ugh. The "moral of the story" that each character learns, each learning something a bit different through the same experience, was very well thought out and well presented. Brandon Sanderson is really good as his character decision making moments. In Well of Ascension, where Vin has a decision to make with Zane is one of my favorite such moments. But Sanderson does this for multiple people here which was fantastic and again well done.

I really enjoyed this book. It did take me a long time, competitively, to read it and there were times, especially at the beginning, that went really slow. But if you can be through it, it's very, very much worth it. Read it and enjoy it. Reread it along with the others and find all the "awesomeness" that is inside.

I did find Shallan and her multiple personality thing very weird and I didn't much care for when many of her, especially early, sections. I enjoyed Kaladin's point of view. There actually seemed far fewer chapters for him, which made me sad. It is Dalinar's book so he can have a large part of it, which I was okay with. I just would have liked more from him.

This ends up being the problem with I don't want to say too much, but I feel like I'm not giving enough. So I'll just say, get through the first part and you'll love the book.