Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce

Cold Fire was honestly a bit hard to reread in the sense that I definitely remembered who the antagonist was and found him really gross. I was especially put off when it literally says in the text that he was in love with Daja and worshiped her. She's 14 and he's 30-something. Nothing actually comes of it, but it's still gross.

I liked Jory and Nia, though they were less fleshed out than Pasco or Evvy. It's interesting to see how varied magic is as are the ways to learn and control it. I also enjoyed getting more about Frostpine. He wasn't really as fleshed out as Lark or Rosethorn in the The Circle of Magic quartet so it was fun getting to know him better.

Daja ended up with the most cerebral of the antagonists in the series so far. It's rather Criminal Minds-esque, though of course not as in-depth or even nuanced. Pretty much a hurt people, hurt people thing going on. Not bad as motivations go, really. Ben was definitely the most fleshed out of the antagonists, too. I kind of wish I weren't so icked-out by him, but that's probably for the best. His mother was definitely a piece of work, that's for sure. She doesn't really have much of a personality and pretty much all people say about her is repeated again and again, which makes sense for such a Scrooge-like character.

So, yeah... Cold Fire had a lot of fleshing-out of characters and not a whole lot else. I really feel like I know less about Namorn culture than any of the others, which is neither here nor there, really. They're vaguely Scandanavian and build things from wood because it's cheap. Cold Fire definitely isn't my favorite of this quartet or the overall series so far, but it's fairly solid.

In Other News

I'm cackling over the big ol' Blue Tsunami that happened/is happening with the US Mid-Term Elections. Can't wait to see what transpires over the next couple of years, hopefully good things. 🤞 

Street Magic by Tamora Pierce

I know I've said this before, possibly in every Circle review so far, but I really, really appreciate Tamora Pierce's ability to write some really dark stuff without it feeling super dark or getting utterly graphic with it. Holy crap does Street Magic exemplify this in spades. Briar just seems to end up in some really gross and violent situations. Definitely makes sense for an aspiring healer with his background, but still...

I did remember some of the violence that Briar wreaks at the end of the book from the last time I read it. I did not, however, remember exactly how certain aspects were described. The moments are definitely glossed over pretty quickly and I definitely think years of watching things like CSI and True Crime shows definitely heightened the images in my now adult mind. I did appreciate the PTSD Briar admits to at the very end of the book. I doubt many would have looked upon the horrors and not come away with bad dreams at the very least. As much as I was horrified by the deaths at the end of Magic Steps, I was very grossed out by what Briar encountered in Lady Zenadia's gardens.

And now that I've discussed the end of the book, I'll backtrack. I really like Evvy, pretty much from the start. Anyone who is as attached to her cats as Evvy is, is good people in my book. She's also spunky and opinionated, which I always enjoy in my female protagonists. That said, I also like Lady Zenadia as an antagonist. She's cartoonishly evil but also way more realistic than I think most would like to admit. Some very rich people seem to be getting away with an awful lot these days... same with pahan Jebilu.

Thinking about it, I'm also in awe of how Tamora Pierce escalates through story beats. Starts off small with Briar doing his healing thing with the Camelguts, their journey into Lady Zenadia's clutches, and finally with Briar's assault on her house. There's also some focus on the psychological aspects of what Lady Zenadia is doing to "her" Vipers. I do kind of wonder what would have happened if the Vipers had refused her wholesale before the end... but that's definitely going into speculation on my part.

Street Magic is another very solid addition to the Circle series overall. It's fantastical while at the same time feeling visceral and real. It helps that the fantastical parts are firmly rooted (pardon the pun) in some realities we just can't seem to escape.
 

Favorite Lines

"Stabbing isn't an answer."  Briar Moss

"All you can do is learn good to balance the bad," Rosethorn told him. "Learn and do all the good within your reach. Then, if you wake in a sweat, you have something to set against the dream." 

Another Plea to VOTE

Election Day for the US Midterm elections fast approaches. Get out and vote if you haven't already. It's damned important. 

Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce

A 2026 Reread Review. There are no spoilers for further books in the series, but there will be spoilers for this one.

Magic Steps, being the first of The Circle Opens quartet has a few jobs to do and I think they're handled pretty well. First, to open a new series, setting the tone and whatnot; second, to continue a universe by handling a time-jump within that universe and keeping the characters recognizable within that time-jump; and third, to tell its own story without rehashing the ones that came before it.

I honestly feel like, though following their adventures in their first year as mages, we didn't quite get enough time with Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar. Breaking them apart to deal with them as individuals, while necessary for this quartet, feels a little sad. I would have enjoyed getting more adventures with them together. But alas, in Magic Steps we just get Sandry, largely outside of Winding Circle. I like Sandry and her journey throughout this book is an interesting one. Not something I would have ever wished on a 14 year old, but honestly, she doesn't feel 14. I don't know if that's a consequence of the "time period" in which she's growing up or the fact that she takes basically doing police work in stride or what... I think it's actually somewhat horrifying that Sandry's thrown into basically running her uncle's household at such a young age, even if she is a noble. It's just a weird mix.

I enjoyed the introduction of Pasco. I like that his magic works through dance. That's been a thing in many of our cultures for thousands of years, even if more modern religions tend to look down on that kind of thing. He's also a bit of fresh air alongside the more serious Sandry and the crap she has to deal with. I also very much like Yazmin. Probably one of my favorite side characters introduced here. Pasco's grandfather can take a hike, honestly. I very much get that he's a very realistic character, but I've always hated close-minded people like him, magic involved or not.

I also liked the general concept of unmagic. Everything has an equal and opposite, so why should magic be any different? It's just another form of physics, after all. It is interesting that, due to the nothingness that surrounds it, unmagic basically acts like Depression. Those who haven't been cleansed or have to work with it definitely start suffering from depressive symptoms. Dragonsalt acts as an anti-depressant, pretty much... though it sounds (to my admittedly sheltered mind anyway) like it's meth. So... ya know... fun times all around. I do feel very sorry for the poor, unnamed mage.

I sort of vaguely remembered what happened to the Dihanurs but... uh... yeah... I had forgotten just how horrifying their end was. So, so gross and bad and just... I'm very glad my brain doesn't conjure up images when I read most of the time. And in a Young Adult book, too... just... wow. It is not explicitly gory at all, but the violence, like all violence in Tamora Pierce's books, is not shied away from.

So anyway... Magic Steps was quite good. A very good start to a new quartet.

In Other News

I just wanted to remind anyone in Texas that early voting for the mid-terms has started and you should get out and vote. Anywhere else, please check your local voting procedures and act accordingly. I think it should honestly go without saying that if you can, you should vote. I personally subscribe to the "Vote Blue, No Matter Who" way of thinking at the present time, but I can't tell ya'll what to do so... yup.

Go vote. It's fucking important.

Shadow Gate by Kate Elliott

I quite enjoyed Shadow Gate. It suffered a little from middle-book-itus, but not too much. There was a lot going on and new characters to keep track of, along with the ones we got to know in Spirit Gate. I am very interested to see where the story goes next.

So… Keshad wasn’t super likable in the last book, but he’s even worse now. Bai’s a goddamn adult at this point, no longer the child you were attempting to rescue. Grow the fuck up, my dude. And then the plan to “rescue” Miravia after a single look at her and not even knowing her name… my dude. Keshad is just so very caught up in his own shit and apparently too serious to understand how a friendlier demeanor could be helpful.

I kind of like the world-building of “unknown thing/person/race = demons.” It amuses me, even if it kind of kills the curiosity of some characters and some discussions altogether. It does feel very human, though, which is part of why I like it. It also crosses pretty much all the cultures, which is, again, very human.

We finally officially meet the main antagonist. Such fun, one of those “order through oppression” types. Technically, I guess the logic is sound, but oppression is never the right answer when humans are involved. Definitely gonna speculate the dagger is Marit’s “staff.” I seriously doubt anything that comes out of that woman’s mouth so Marit’s staff being lost… gonna call bullshit on that one. I was wrong.

It was very nice getting Marit back. I enjoyed her character in the first part of Spirit Gate and was very glad to see her return here. Her journey from Reeve to Guardian has been an interesting one. Joss’ journey has also been interesting. Who would’ve known he was destined for such leadership.

I initially thought Kirit’s story was a rather long detour, as we know where she ends up. However, I think getting her backstory serves to explain her motivations and the reason her staff takes the form it does. Moving (being shoved violently, really) from a mostly peaceful, matriarchal society to a patriarchal one sown with violence of the worst kind was clearly traumatic… plus her treatment at Girish’s hands… this world really is quite small for all it feels so large.

So yeah… I mostly enjoyed Shadow Gate. It moved well and was decently entertaining. I can’t wait to see how this ends in the next one.

Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce

I really thought Briar’s Book was going to hit differently because of COVID. I’m not sure if it did because of that, really. I am going to say I was probably more emotionally invested this time, which made certain bits hit harder, but… yeah. Briar’s Book is quite good. I feel like the science-y bits are very true-to-life (which I get into later) and parts were definitely heart-breaking.

Tris getting upset about The Mire had me tearing up. Poor girl’s worried as fuck and doesn’t know how to deal with it… not to mention how her personality is. Woof. Honestly, Tris’ reactions to things in this book had me tearing up this read-through. She’s so caring and prickly at the same time. I love it.

I think this book is where I learned about how disease is tracked and how cures are devised. I mean, it was a very general knowledge, but it’s where I learned it first, even if I didn’t fully internalize that information until later. I think it’s a rather good primer, actually… for the general public. Again, this is one of the spots where Tamora Pierce excels at writing realistically for her audience, even with the magic involved.

I am forever grateful to Tamora Pierce for writing truthfully and not dumbing things down for younger readers. In this one especially, the importance of quarantine and disease tracing are well written and as true to life as they can be. What happens in the quarantine is also written realistically, though not going beat-by-beat but still managing to convey just how horrible having, dying, and caring for those with the disease is. Oh, and having at least one person with tuberculosis in there… that’s some fun (not really) icing on the disease cake right there. Having now learned a lot about tuberculosis (thank you, John Green of Vlogbrothers) it uh… yeah… icing on disease cake.

I think Moonstream’s reaction to the climax was both funny and sobering. These kids just broke one of the cardinal RULES and definitely don’t need to be bandying about that they could technically do it again… Plus there definitely should be limits on what magic can do.

So yes, I thought Briar’s Book was excellent. It’s honestly probably my favorite of this quartet.

Favorite Line

"You needn't adore humanity to feel bad for someone in this fix," - Rosethorn

In Other News

I completed another OviPets project. This is Cherubimon (Vice), based on the Digimon. Took me about 7 months to complete. Part of my Mega Digimon Project line.

 

Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce

I quite enjoyed Daja’s Book. I always enjoy world-building and this book has it in spades. We get a good look at differing parts of the physical world and the Trader culture.

Speaking of, something I didn’t talk about while reviewing Sandry’s Book was my feelings about how the Traders treated Daja. What do you mean you’re literally kicking a child out of society for surviving a ship wreck? The fuck is wrong with you people. Niko was mad about it, too. It’s also lucky he was there to take her. That whole thing was just fucked up and still is. Polyam admits as much, during the forest fire crisis.

I also enjoyed the expansion and subsequent calling back of the Circle’s power sets. I always think it’s nice when there are actual consequences that have to be dealt with rather than just hand-waved away. There’s also a lot of mental/magical traveling happening that was neat. The interconnectedness of the Circle’s powers versus the more rigid academic style magic was also interesting. I felt like Yarrun’s issues were somewhat on par with Climate Change deniers. The experts in an area other than your own are telling you there are going to be issues, but you ignore them because your own hubris and singular experiences are telling you otherwise… it’s rather prescient.

So yeah, Daja’s Book is a very solid entry. I very much enjoyed it. 

Tris's Book by Tamora Pierce

Ah yes, Tris's Book, the one with the pirates. That and Tris's cousin Aymery were the only things I really remembered before my reread. Upon reread, I realized why. Not a lot happens here, aside from the kiddos dealing with pirates and learning a bit about hooking up their magic to other mages'. That's not exactly a bad thing, but Tris's Book really does feel filler-esque.

Really, Aymery was the most obvious antagonist adjacent character. He's shifty from the start and extremely unsubtle in his single attempt to get Tris to leave Winding Circle.

All that aside, I do kind of like the slow-burn of Tris and the others learning their powers. They'd barely had any time in the last book to do much more than start training. Hardly any time has passed between Sandry's Book and Tris's Book, so the fact they're still slowly feeling out exactly what it is they can do makes sense. I also very much appreciate that, again, Tamora Pierce doesn't shy away from the realities of things like pirate-attack-aftermath. People are going to get hurt and rather brutally at that.

Overall, I think Tris's Book is a solid entry in the Circle of Magic series, despite not really being super memorable.