Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

I honestly found Mastiff to be both better and worse than the previous Beka Cooper books. Beka’s more grown up now, but since we missed those years of growing, she’s also more distant, I felt. There’s also a bit of semi-interesting world-building around mages here… honestly, I was more interested in what Farmer was doing half the time than what Beka was up to. But since we’re following Beka and not Farmer, my curiosity was not sated.

So, I know we’re supposed to feel something for Beka in the beginning of this book. However, with a two year time jump and her stoicism about losing her betrothed, who we as readers know nothing about, I’m just not feeling anything about him or them as a couple. I have no idea who Holburn is and I honestly don’t care about him in the slightest. Probably for the best, as Beka’s actual feelings about him were close to the same. I do appreciate that we didn’t actually get a lot of detail about their relationship through this, as Beka wouldn’t need to write about it to remind herself. But yeah… I feel like the whole thing with Holburn was unnecessary, really.

There’s just so. Much. Detail. Too much, honestly, at times. Other times, seems like too little. Those times are rare, but… yeah. Mastiff just feels tedious for a good portion of it. It’s understandable, given the circumstances of the book, really, but it’s still not great. I really didn’t need to know how many times Achoo stopped to sniff at spots along their route.

I would like to body slam whoever came up with that nonsense “Gentle Mother Goddess” crap off a cliff. Please and thank you. I hate it with every fiber of my being. Anything that attempts to keep people in narrowly defined boxes is shit on a stick.

All of that said, the ending of Mastiff did make me cry a bit. Not rolling tears, but tears nonetheless. It’s probably all that togetherness and triumph and recognition that did it. I won’t spoil it, exactly, but yes, Beka does triumph in the end. That was nice. Really should have just ended there, in my opinion. The epilogue I guess was necessary for the framing narrative of the whole Beka Cooper series, but… yeah. I wasn’t really a fan of it.

Much hand-waving at this point. Mastiff felt better than either Terrier or Bloodhound, but that’s not saying a lot. I’m already super ready to jump into Song of the Lioness, so I’ll bid Beka Cooper adieu and be on my way.

Favorite Lines

"That time together was still worth some grief," Rosto said. "And the guilt is still heavy, even if your love has turned to hate or dislike."

"There, you see? A cat understands how to be pleasant in the morning. He doesn't talk." - Farmer Cape

In Other News

Third time I've smashed my reading goals. Might get easier for the rest of the year as I'm increasing the goals by 5 each time.