Page by Tamora Pierce

A reread review, for which there are some slight spoilers. However, if you know this is the second book of four and have read the titles, I don’t really think it’s that much of a spoiler, but there we go. You’ve been warned.

During the winter banquets, Kel is assigned to her sisters at one point. Orie explains that they can’t be seen on friendly terms with her. So I’m thinking… okay, don’t? Treat her like you would any other servant or page and get on with life. Just… ugh. The whole thing. Poor Kel being shunted around tables that first Midwinter. People are so stupid.

I absolutely despise Lord Wyldon for jumping to the conclusion that Kel could not handle the combat situation she and her team of pages found themselves in. What. The. Actual. Fuck. Sir. And why is that your initial reaction upon rescuing your pages? On a slightly separate note, I do think the group of pages getting ambushed like they were put a bit of perspective into Wyldon’s training style. Like Kel at the tilting, he realized he’d gotten complacent with his training style and needed to mix it up and increase the difficulty. While I know the pages find it off-putting, I feel like this sort of training escalation should have been a thing from the beginning. And as usual, I wrote all that before someone (Lord Raoul) said as much in the text.

In contrast, I like that it is mentioned that the bandits are actually largely impoverished people. It’s not really discussed, in the way a lot of things about impoverished people aren’t discussed ever, but I do appreciate that it was noted. Definitely a minor note in the grand scheme of things, but I feel like this bit of world-building outside the palace is needed.

There’s a lot of adolescent… I’m really not sure how to put this, but… flirting? Noticing? Going on in Page. Kel is noticing Neal. Cleon is really noticing Kel and she’s oblivious. It’s all very hetero-normative, non-asexual stuff that I just did not vibe with when I read it the first time. It does make sense and the pages are getting older and they’re pretty much all sexual beings rather than asexual plants (a term I very much identified with as a teenager when I heard it). It’s very there. As are, of course, actual mentions of Kel getting her first period and breast bands. Top notch handling of that whole mess. Glad she apparently gets mild period symptoms, which I infer based on them never being mentioned again…

Kel gets to show off her skills as a natural leader and teacher here. First the bandit fight and mock-battle later for the leadership and then with Warric and Iden and Lalasa for the teaching. It’s fun to see her fit into those roles. Kel and Lalasa have an interesting relationship. They’re such contrasts to each other, but fit really well into the dynamic they end up developing. I do not remember if they continue to have a relationship after Page ends, but I hope so.

I do not remember being in tears at the end of Page the last few times I read it. But here I am, being a sucker for the relief of the happy ending and everyone being happy for Kel and the other new Squires. Go figure. Of course the last straw was <name redacted> buying Peachblossom for Kel… which I knew was going to happen, but here I am, tearing up anyway.

Page was good. Condensed those four years quite well and at the same time didn’t feel at all rushed. I enjoyed the new characters, liked the growth of those that remained, and am just all over pleased with how Page worked out.

Favorite Line

"You may want anything you like," her mother would have said. "That doesn't mean you'll get it."

In Other News

I finished another OviPets project! This one is just a Pink Spaniel. Nothing special, really, but I like them. They took me approximately six months to complete.