Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales by Tamora Pierce

Full transparency, I only read certain stories from this book and reviewed them in the order they were read. I’m not generally a fan of anthologies, so I read what’s relevant to the series I’m reading and leave the rest.

“Student of Ostriches”
      Kinda cute story of Kylaia and her essentially teaching herself to fight. I thought it was pretty obvious she was going to meet a Shang warrior at some stage and be brought on as a student.

“Elder Brother”
      Happy to see some follow up to Numair turning Tristan into a tree. I thought it was both kinda cute and kind of annoying… I hate, hate, hate when religions get involved in such hateful ways toward women. Qiom having to deal with learning to be a man was semi-interesting.

“Hidden Girl”
      A semi-continuation of the Qiom/ Fadal storyline. Follows a different girl, Tedry, who becomes an avatar for a non-binary god trying to bring balance to their religion. It was alright. I’m not a big fan of religion in general and especially not ones that demonize women, as I said earlier. Having someone try to fix that is better in my book.

“Nawat”
      I feel like Nawat’s character development has been walked back, but as we didn’t actually get to spend time with him outside of battles, perhaps not. I also know he’s a crow, but… yeah. I dunno. Not a super fan of Nawat anyway, though I am glad he decided against infanticide and continuing to be “crow enough” for the Rajmuat flock.
      Babies and the reality of their existence are shown here. I kind of like that it’s represented. It’s neat that Nawat can tell how Ochobai will grow. Seems like a marketable skill for the crows in Nawat’s band.

“Lost”
      Well Adria’s father’s a piece of work, that’s for sure. I really don’t have any other feelings about this one. Darkings are everywhere, which is kind of cool. Much shrugging.

“The Dragon’s Tale”
      This story is from Kitten’s POV. It was vaguely interesting, if kind of confusing at times. I liked getting to know Spots a bit, and Kitten a lot more.

Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce

A Mostly Spoiler Free Reread Review

I really, really love Trickster’s Queen. It has a great mix of intrigue and action. The main characters really leap off the page and even the background ones are fairly fleshed out for background characters. I definitely cried a few times, too, at different points throughout. So yeah, so good.

The foreshadowing around Dove is palpable. It is utterly clear with how she’s invested in the people and not just the court. Sarai is obviously too hot-headed for the role she’s meant to take, honestly. I didn’t say anything during my review of Trickster’s Choice because I knew what was coming… and I won’t say much here, but Sarai’s character arc makes sense for her, just not for the plans of those around her. Dove, on the other hand, is more perfect for her eventual role.

The thing between Aly and Nawat has escalated to a plot-relevant annoying place. I dislike romantic drama for the sake of drama… and the only thing that keeps this from tipping over the edge if Ulasim’s assertion that Nawat essentially needs to figure himself out. Most of Nawat’s character development is off-screen… and the relationship when he gets back is suddenly one of equals… it honestly stinks of something like a Life Bond. Much meh.

Darkings! I love them so, so much. They’re excellent as Aly’s spies and also for the ending battle, getting differing views of said battle than just Aly’s. Darkings are fun.

This is a little out of left field, but I really need to address this: Lovemaking doesn’t “often” hurt the first time. There doesn’t have to be blood involved at all. I’m pretty sure this nonsense came about because of a) the patriarchy, b) purity culture, and c) men/boys not realizing that their partners need more foreplay than they want to give. Seriously. Stop. Perpetuating. This. Myth.

I can’t really talk about much of the plot here, as what I might have to say is probably spoilery. Trickster’s Queen has a lot of stuff happening, including character deaths. It is very good and quite well plotted. 

Favorite Lines

"I will be a good girl and try not to get gutted in the market." - Junai

     "She has nothing to throw unless she picks up chair," said Trick. "Uh-oh."

     "She picked up chair," Secret explained

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

Honestly, I have really, really enjoyed Trickster's Choice all three times I've read it. I'm pretty sure it spoiled me for YA spy novels. Or at least those set in a medieval-ish time frame... as I have read no others, the jury's still technically out on that but anyway... Trickster's Choice is up there in my favorites of Tamora Pierce's Tortall novels, possibly even my favorite.

So firstly, I feel like Aly's relationship with Alanna is quite realistic. Alanna doesn't understand Aly because Aly's interests lie somewhere far different than Alanna's own. Aly finds Alanna's disdain for her chosen profession off-putting, to say the least. However, when push comes to shove, Alanna gets very protective and worried for Aly and Aly will leap to defend Alanna's honor if she feels like it's being even a little bit besmirched. It reads realistically to me, even if it isn't a huge part of the book.

Secondly, I've always envisioned Kyprioth as resembling Bruce Campbell's character Autolycus from Xena: Warrior Princess. This definitely isn't a big thing, but there it is. Kyprioth is an interesting portrayal of a trickster god, I think. He's depicted as being very set on his goal, even if he tries not to seem serious about it. I like it and him.

Thirdly, that thing I said in my intro about Trickster's Choice spoiling me for YA spy novels... yeah... looking at Collegium Chronicles and The Herald Spy by Mercedes Lackey here. I feel like Aly's story is just more realistic than Mags', for all Aly's got mages and humanoid crows and gods running about. Aly's background for spying actually makes more sense than Mags basically getting his assassin skills downloaded into his brain by his cousin or whatever. Pierce also fleshes out Aly's spying a lot better than Lackey ever did with Mags. Trickster's Choice is just so much better by far.

Fourth, this is probably where my personal biases color my review the most: The Nawat/Aly romance subplot. Not a fan this time. Not sure about my thoughts on it before, because I didn't write it down, but this time around I'm not so into it. Now I will admit, this is probably because romance is just rubbing me the wrong way lately and I'm embracing it or something, but yeah... I guess it's kinda cute, but... ehhhhhh. I really don't have any real explanation as to why this is, but I'm just not enamored with them as a pair. Now Nawat on his own is amusing. I kind of love the idea of a animal running around in human shape and corvids are way more intelligent than people give them credit for... so yeah. Nawat's fine. He and Aly as a couple... meh.

Dispensing with the numbering thing now, dunno why I even started that... but anyway... I feel like I also need to address the "white savior"-ness that is technically inherent here. Aly is a white girl coming into a largely black people situation in order to help them out through her wager with Kyprioth. That really stood out to me this time. The slavery aspect of the raka's situation was definitely not lost on me and that Aly came into the entire thing also as a slave... it scquicked. Now, Aly is also not actually being a "white savior," really, I don't think... and the half-laurin/half-raka girls she's trying to protect along with the raka servants and all are half-laurin... It's complicated and I'm not really sure I want to comment on it too much as a white girl myself so... yeah. I noticed all that and wanted to make sure it's clear. Aly is just one cog in the largely raka rebellion happening and I do feel like she's really only super prominent because of the whole thing with Kyprioth... but... yeah. That's it on that. Promise.

Little add-on cuz I forgot: Aly's is 16! She's told by both her parents that her chosen profession is too dangerous, but at the same time, they both want her to be doing something with her life... just not the spying. And she's 16! I think this sort of shit is unfair from parents today and Aly's supposedly "a woman grown" because medieval-ish time frame and all. Just... ugh.

But yeah... Trickster's Choice is a really good read. My final note is the foreshadowing around Sarai and Dove was also kind of obvious to me this time, but I have read this duology three times at this point so... yeah. Awesome book. Definitely my favorite in my Tortall reread so far.

Favorite Lines

"I do not like interesting things," she said, amusement in her eyes even though her tone was one of reproof. "They tend to bite painfully." - Duchess Winnamine Balitang

"Too much information is bad for you mortals. Just loook at your history if you want proof." - Kyprioth

"We build up pretty pictures of men, when we want to be in love. We hate to have them ruined." - Duchess Winnamine Balitang

Tortall: A Spy's Guide by Tamora Pierce

This book is gorgeous. The cover has raised portions and metallic portions and it just really pretty. The inside is quite well designed, as well. I like it when stuff like this has internal design instead of just boring white-on-black pages. There are illustrations every so often, they're also quite well done. I really appreciated being able to see what one of Blayce's "Killing Machines" (from Lady Knight ) looked like, because I wasn't able to properly visualize that before.

A Spy's Guide was mostly interesting. I'm not entirely sure the cook's diary was needed, but otherwise it was a fun look behind the scenes of the Tortall books. I especially liked Daine's notes on the Immortals and Thom's timeline. Speaking of timeline, A Spy's Guide covers bits and pieces between Song of the Lioness and Tricksters and even a tiny bit beyond that. The timeline at the very end of the book is really quite exhaustive.

Really a nice addition to the Tortall series. I liked it a lot.

Favorite Excerpt

The shukusen speaks plainly:

You amuse me, sir.

Please stay. Please go.

Bleed.    ~ Nealan of Queenscove

Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce

Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce

2020 Review:

I had honestly forgotten a majority of this book since I read it last. Might do again, given how much I read, but that’s just my brain.

Pretty awesome, altogether. Kel’s well suited to taking care of people, which is what she does throughout. Part of the ending made me choke up, which is good. I rarely get choked up at book these days.

2024 Review:

So, as my review from 4 years ago states, I had forgotten, like, 99% of what happens in Lady Knight. That's definitely not a bad thing, just a thing that I apparently do with books I haven't read in a while. Lady Knight is worth remembering, though, as I feel it shows off Kel's skills and tendencies in a really fun way.

I feel like Lord Wyldon definitely picked Kel's first knightly assignment well, even if it did end up having unforeseen consequences. As young as she is, it's really impressive that she manages to keep her refugee camp well under control. This is partially from her learning from Lord Raoul and just Kel's own tendency to take control in a manner more befitting a "commoner." I also feel like Kel has more empathy toward pretty much everyone, so that definitely helped.

Lady Knight is interesting in that it takes place over 7 months, instead of the 4 years of Page and Squire and the year of First Test. Much of that time is spent in Haven, Kel's refugee camp, where we get ourselves invested in Kel's refugee charges. I didn't really realize this until later, but it's actually really important, because otherwise, I'm not sure we as readers would be all gung-ho about Kel hauling off to go rescue them later. It's totally within Kel's nature, but we needed attachment to them and there's only one book to do so and not even the whole book... anyway... it wasn't boring and Tobe and Meech are the kiddos I'd lay my life down for.

There's a paragraph in my personal notes where I wax poetical about Kel, Neal, and Merric being babies. Like, seriously, they're 18 in this book and 18 year olds are just... ahhhh. I could not imagine being one of those refugees faced with literal teenagers... I get that they're adults in the medieval-y fantasy world Pierce has concocted, but still... 18 is so young.

I was, again, moved to tears by all the coming together in support of Kel. First Raoul sending Dom and his squad out, then Neal, Merric, and them, then Owen and Tobe... just... tears. Many of them. And again at the very end... Lord Wyldon, my dude, has apparently completely come around.

Uh... yeah. Pretty much all I have to say on the subject. I really liked Lady Knight and I think it's a fitting end to Kel's quartet.

Squire by Tamora Pierce

I quite enjoyed Squire. It was well paced and well written. I enjoyed getting to know Lord Raoul and the King’s Own. I feel like Kel grew into more of her own person with them. Not that she wasn’t before, but Raoul gave her permission to grow into her sense of humor along with her serious streak.

Oh yeah, and this book has a lot of Kel crushing on Dom and having a relationship with Cleon later… the joys of reading adolescent romance… however, I do like that Kel’s affections don’t center on any one person for long. I think it’s definitely more realistic to the average girl’s experience. That is, any non-ace girl, which is the only experience I can actually speak to. Although honestly… my first few kisses with my boyfriend almost exactly mirror Kel and Cleon’s, so that’s fun. I love Kel’s mother. Ilane of Mindelan is a gift to her children. I truly believe all parents should be as frank about sex as Ilane is. It’s awesome.

I find it interesting that there’s this thing here about bought magic not being as good as magic you’ve done yourself. But like… not everyone can be a mage and a majority of the people talking about this aren’t mages so… it’s just a little weird. Kind of reminds me of the arguments about crafty things or kids even… not as good if you didn’t make them, apparently. It’s not ultimately that big of a thing throughout the book, just an interesting note.

I feel the conclusion to the Lalasa kidnapping was interesting, to say the least. It puts actual ruling in perspective for Kel and the reader. We’re reminded that the rulers or rule at the behest of their people, be they monarchs like Jonathan and Thayet or not. At least, that was my takeaway.

On a related note, I’m not going to discuss what happened to Joren and Vinson during their Ordeals in this review. However, I will say: I wish we had something like The Chamber of Ordeal for our lawmakers and presidential candidates.

At this point, I don’t really know what else to say about Squire. Kel’s journey from Page to Knight feels both conventional and unconventional at the same time. Raoul was right when he said times were changing and knights needed to be more flexible. I feel like Kel’s squire-dom reflects that.

Favorite Line

"Haven't you ever noticed that people who win say it's because the gods know they are in the right, but if they lose, it wasn't the gods who declared them wrong?" - Lord Raoul of Goldenlake

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.

First Test by Tamora Pierce

A Reread Review, Possible Spoilers

I've read First Test a few times and, during this reread, it really struck me how much more detail there is in Keladry's story than there was in Alanna or Daine's. I can much more easily visualize life as a page during Kel's time. We also get a good chunk of Kel's inner dialogue, which makes her character feel much more like a person.

We know from the start that Lord Wyldon doesn't think women have any business being knights or even fighters. However, it really, really struck me this time around just how ridiculous his views on that are. The standout among his views was this:

"My experience with females is that they begin early."

Pertaining to flirting and relationships. Kel is 10 in this book. 10. And Wyldon believes she's going to start being all flirty and distracting the boys in a sexual manner. I really wanted to punch him upon reading that this time. While he does allow Kel to stay at the end (that's not a spoiler, this is a tetralogy after all), his views haven't exactly changed and he believes that her feelings growing up might be an issue. I heartily rolled my eyes. Wyldon does, however, treat Kel fairly, in my opinion. Do I wish he'd insisted that, starting that year, everyone would be given a probationary year before becoming a page? Yes. Yes, I do. But since that doesn't happen and given what does and how he reacts to it, I'd say he actually does treat Kel fairly despite his obviously messed up views on girls.

There is a scene between Duke Baird and Kel after one of her fights with Joren and his crew that reminded me very much of a semi-similar scene in Stephanie Meyer's New Moon. This scene was far superior to the New Moon scene. Neal's ranting both to Kel and himself made me chuckle.

Speaking of Neal... He's my favorite side character. He's just the right kind of snarky BFF Kel needs to balance out her very Yamani-esque affectations. On a side note, I do really like that Kel had some experience with fighting training in her past, even if it wasn't precisely what she needed for Tortallan knighthood. That Kel's experiences in the Yamani court before the age of ten were helpful at all was honestly kind of surprising, but... yeah, apparently they start them young on the Yamani Islands.

I had fun rereading First Test, though I don't really have any more thoughts on it. Definitely an excellent start to the Protector of the Small tetralogy.

A Side Note

While rereading this, I kept thinking back to how, when I first read Protector of the Small, I thought it was really neat that Tamora Pierce had a Japanese analog culture in her writing. I remember voicing this thought to my best friend and she was very dismissive and semi-angry about it, as though having another culture represented in a fantasy novel was a bad thing or something. I don't quite remember. We were 12.

The Immortals Series Overview

The Immortals by Tamora Pierce

This post will contain spoilers for Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, and The Realms of the Gods. There will also probably be spoilers for any books earlier or later in the Tortall chronology.

So, I have a little confession to make: I really don't think I actually read The Immortals before. But I also kind of remember at least listening to at least one of the books on a long and trauma-blocked car trip so... yeah. This was an interesting experience, especially as there were little details about The Immortals that I know based on reading Protector of the Small and Daughter of the Lioness... like the existence of Darkings, for example. But yeah, if I read/listened to The Immortals before, I have zero memory of it. So that's fun.

All that said... I feel like The Immortals hangs together a lot better as a series than Song of the Lioness did. There were time-skips and bits of things that happened between the books, but it feels like a much more cohesive whole. Daine's journey from orphaned wild-child to a formidable mage in her own right was pretty smooth and we got to learn how her powers worked along with her. I like knowing the how of magic systems and we definitely got the how.

As I'm thinking back on the series now, Wild Magic mostly fades into the background when thinking of the story as a whole. Daine got accepted into the upper eschelons of Tortallan court? (I'm really not sure what to call it. Jonothan and Thayet's inner circle? Dunno, it's weird) pretty quickly. It was honestly blind luck that landed her there. Not that I can picture her in any other part of Tortall, but yeah... that was hella convenient.

The introduction of Numair was interesting. He fit right in with Alanna, Jonothan, and the rest so quickly I could almost forget he wasn't in Song of the Lioness. I don't really know how well his origin in the currently still-being-written Numair Chronicles is going to fit in, but that's not really a discussion for right now...

It was nice seeing Alanna and Jon again, even if it's from an entirely different perspective. Jon seems to have settled nicely into his role as King. Thayet clearly had a steadying influence on him. Alanna is ever Alanna. It was interesting to see her interact with her kids for the brief amount of time we got. My main experience in that arena is the Daughter of the Lioness duology, where that relationship is strained... but again, this is supposed to be an Immortals Overview.

I think Wolf-Speaker was probably the weakest of the quartet. It did introduce Tkaa and the Immortals who might want to stay peacefully in Tortall as well as cementing Ozorne as the overall Big Bad. I didn't really enjoy it, though Daine's growing abilities were fun to experience with her.

Emperor Mage actually introduced us to Ozorne and politics, though the politics weren't really that strong in Daine's case. She had more to contend with, what with The Graveyard Hag looming in the background. I liked seeing what a more active goddess was capable of. A lot of what actually happens in Emperor Mage happens in the background while Daine's running around with Prince Kaddar.

Finally, The Realms of the Gods. Basically a camping book... without the grueling camping or active warfare that's going on at the same time. We do get a big ol' battle at the end, but most of the book is Daine and Numair traveling mostly unimpeded through the Realms of the gods. It was kind of fun, once they actually landed places... like the Dragonlands. Dragons are always fun and getting independent ones is even more fun. Alas, this was for a brief moment before the last battle, where Ozorne is finally defeated.

I mostly did not feel like Ozorne was much of a threat in either of the books where he actually appears. I mean, sure, he is ultimately the channel for the Goddess of Chaos, but he doesn't actually do much. As Daine rightly points out to him. He schemes behind the scenes and ultimately brings his own downfall upon himself.

Also, The Immortals feels like a bad title for this quartet. There are Immortals in the books and this is where they ostensibly return to Tortall but... it's not really about them. It's about Daine and Daine's journey to at least find the true extent of her powers. Also, a good chunk of the "Immortals" aren't actually immortal so... yeah. Not a great name.

I did enjoy reading The Immortals and hopefully it'll stick itself in my brain this time. I don't really have a whole lot to say about the series as a whole. For all it's hanging together well, it was also very much four different stories about the same person in slightly different parts of her life. It's not bad, just... not very thought provoking, as it were.

Editing Me: I just realized I did not mention Kitten. Like, at all, pretty much ever in any of my reviews for this series or this Overview. Kitten is awesome. I love me a little dragon. It's like having a scaled cat, only... ya know, not as awesome, because cats. Kitten is adorable and magical and I love her.

The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce

I quite enjoyed The Realms of the Gods even if it did feel long at times. I do feel like The Realms of the Gods is supposed to be more epic feeling than it is. That might just be a me thing, but Daine and Numair’s encounters and travel through the Realms are just over really quickly. There’s no time to dwell on even descriptions of the places they’re traveling through, unless you’re an old rickety bridge. That said, it was a rather convenient way to skirt around writing a whole war. That last battle, though, was a proper epic battle. I’ll have to read it again to catch all the details.

I really did not remember the Darkings origins were in this book. It is both interesting and scary that Ozorne created them. As I definitely remember reading the Daughter of the Lioness, I remember the Darkings, but I do not remember them being nearly as active as Leaf and Jelly. They’re stirring pots! Definitely not a skill Aly’s Darkings display later in the continuity.

I should probably mind the Daine/Numair romance… but I don’t. Probably because I’m use to it. My second and most-read of Tamora Pierce’s books was The Protector of the Small quartet in which Daine and Numair were already a couple. Seeing the beginning of that relationship is kind of fun, even if it does bring the age difference into it… which also doesn’t bother me. Like, at all. Genuine love and affection can happen between people of disparate ages, which is fine if they’re adults. I think Daine’s either an adult or close to at this point so… zero issues.

Honestly never thought I’d see the day when a main character uses their own poo as a weapon. Wow.

I did quite like the representations of the gods there at the end. The Cat putting in an appearance was a nice little wink to the audience. I did think, as I said before, that the actual Realms could have done with more description, though I did like what we got. I only wish there was a map.

In Other News

I finished an OviPets project! This is Tyrannomon, based on the Digimon of the same name. Tyrannomon took me approximately 5 months to complete.

Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

A Mostly Spoiler Free Reread Review

Emperor Mage is another one I have zero memory of reading. I think perhaps because I was listening to an audiobook and my brain just doesn’t get along with them… ah well. Made this reread more interesting. Emperor Mage was definitely a lot of fun, if a bit winding.

I find it refreshing that Ozorne didn’t come across as slimy, as the big bad evil emperor types often do. He was honestly fairly likable. Just goes to show that abusers can be as angelic as you please in one arena and absolute terrors in others.

I definitely liked Kaddar and Zek. The scheming of the Stormwings was interesting and definitely gave more depth to their culture. I always have fun reading of other cultures and having Carthak opened up was fun. Daine schooling the boys in archery was a highlight. I feel like Kaddar showing Daine around the palace and university was a nice compromise to having her sit through the negotiations. It was definitely far more interesting, in my opinion.

I’m not sure how I feel about “flesh eating unicorns” or “killer unicorns.” Like, on the one hand, kind of a badass image for my favorite mythological beast, on the other hand… why?? Unicorns are so graceful and pretty and mostly made of herbivore parts, why you gotta make carnivorous versions? Just too boring or something? And if they are carnivorous, do they look different from their horse-like cousins? Because again, herbivores. Prey animals have different builds than predators. I’m probably over-thinking this, but I’d really like to know.

A reason to read the Tortall books in order: Numair’s death at the hands of Ozorne would probably have more impact than it does. I snorted and rolled my eyes as Kaddar announced it to Daine. Numair’s more crafty than that.

But yeah… I don’t really have any deep thoughts on this one. The conclusion was satisfying and it was a nice way to try to minimize the life-damage that definitely would have resulted from a rampage of the sort Daine caused.

Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce

Technically a ReRead Review, though I remember nothing from my first read.

I honestly don't have a lot to say about Wolf-Speaker. It was kinda fun and took me a lot longer to read than even I was expecting... which is more a function of the holidays and a new Pokemon game coming out while I was reading than anything else... but yeah.

Daine learns a lot more about her powers in this book. She's got to learn and use them on the fly, as there's not really any time for her to rest while dealing with the whole Yolane/Tristan situation. It's interesting and I'm kind of glad Daine didn't have someone actively teaching her how to use her powers. The organic way she figures them out just makes sense for her.

I feel like all the human characters here were rather flat, even Maura, who we spent the most time with. Tristan and Yolane were just kind of there in the background doing all their planning and scheming for most of the book. Tait turned out to be an alright human. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, most of the characters were pretty flat. The animals were just doing animal things and finding Daine's intervention in their lives fun. Tkaa was a fun new addition, but he mostly served as a way to get Numair the info Daine was collecting. Even Kitten didn't really do much aside from break into parts of the castle toward the end. I'm kind of glad Daine has less of an issue with Stormwings now, but Stormwings are altogether not the best "people" as it were so... yeah. Much shrugging in the character department.

I had a big issue with the way the animals speaking was written. I feel like the speech should have been in italics or bracketed in some manner that made it clear a character was speaking as opposed to it just being more narration.

So yeah, Wolf-Speaker was just alright. Other than Daine's "power up," I feel like the story was fairly flat, though not filler. 

Favorite Lines

"I am a riding horse, not a god, was Spot's answer." - Spot

"Magelet, one thing I have learned is that humans cling to their first knowledge of you, particularly if they have no experience of you once you've changed." - Numair Salamin

"There's no such thing as a being who's pure evil, retorted the mare. Just as no creature is al good. They live according to their natures, just like you." - Cloud

Wishing Everyone A Very Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Wild Magic was honestly a lot more fun that I was expecting. I feel like Tamora Pierce was trying to recapture some of this book when she wrote Tempests and Slaughter. Daine’s schooling in her magic definitely had a better feel than Numair’s did. I also like Daine a lot more than I liked Arram/Numair. I also feel like Daine in terms of being introduced to Tortall’s “elite.” They are all really welcoming and open, which makes a change from other “elite” groups from other series.

So yeah, Tortall is a weird place. The palace is super informal apparently. Kind of makes sense given that it’s a home and a training ground and a royal palace all wrapped up in one. Pretty sure Tortall ruined all the more formal royals for me.

I started this review talking about how Arram/Numair’s magical schooling was a lot different from Daine’s. Part of that is Numair being in charge of Daine’s schooling and part of it is Carthak’s mage-training school. I felt a lot more involved in Daine’s “schooling” and actually understood what was going on when Numair explained it to her. I really enjoy that sort of nerdy-in-the-weeds kind of thing involving magic systems. It’s fun.

I also enjoyed the way Daine interacted with her animal friends. She is both of them and yet not, which makes for some interesting dynamics. Cloud, especially, is a stand out.

I sweat I’ve read the Daine series before, but I can’t really remember much, if anything. That makes a lot of the introduction of the “immortal” characters/creatures interesting. I definitely ran into some of them during the Kel series, but I’d plum forgotten how they ended up coming back into the Tortallan world. I kind of missed them during the Beka and Alanna series… but then, I’m a sucker for my mythological elements.

Wild Magic is honestly a really good jumping on point for anyone interested in reading the Tortall books. I feel like there’s enough detail to bother hook readers and keep them interested while at the same time not info-dumping too hard. 

Favorite Line

"The person who commits an action is the one responsible for it, not the people he commits the action upon." - Numair

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Tempests and Slaughter is fairly chill, really. It’s a school book, in that Arram and his friends are going through their schooling and that’s pretty much it. There is a lot of stuff going on in the background as far as Carthaki political machinations, but those are really in the background. Arram doesn’t have much to do with them and so doesn’t pay a lot of attention to them.

So, for some reason, I always had it in my head that Carthak was a more China-style country. The opening of Tempest and Slaughter takes me right to Ancient Rome, which is interesting given Tortall is a Europeon-style Medieval society and has been that way for over 300 years at this point… well… excepting the southern deserts and the Bazhir culture, which are Muslim based. Maybe I’m mixing things up with something from Pierce’s Circle of Magic series-es. I have no idea, but it’s interesting. Pierce has always borrowed from other cultures than just European, and the world around Tortall is fairly Asian-based so I’m also not sure that’s not an assumption I just made about Carthak… eh. Guess we’ll find out.

The place descriptions around Carthak University are definitely Northern Africa. Like, Nile delta, almost. Especially with crocodiles and hippos being a concern.

Jumping from Song of the Lioness to this is like night and day as far as descriptions and characterization goes. Also internal dialogue is more prevalent. I know that’s all because time is a great teacher and all, but I still thought I’d mention it. It’s also loads better than the way Beka would describe things in her books.

Preet reminds me of Kel’s gryphon baby in Protector of the Small. Just the whole setup of a mortal teenager given a mythic pet to care for is really very similar. Gives Arram something more to do other than just attend classes.

Honestly, if you’re expecting a story with a conflict and a resolution, this is not it. Tempests and Slaughter really just focuses on some of the things Arram learns and notices and leave the rest up to the reader to either keep in the back of their head or discard. It’s not bad at all, it’s just… not driven by any sort of conflict. Even the conflicts in the book are resolved rather quickly. I’m honestly feeling a little drifty after reading this.

Favorite Lines

"Don't make me regret taking you on. If I get irritated, I might drown you a little bit." - Master Sebo

"Because you're a boy, and daft by nature," - Master Sebo

Song of the Lioness Series Overview

Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

Contains spoilers for: Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, and Lioness Rampant, possibly other Tortall books previous and later in the chronology

Boy, does Song of the Lioness not want to stick around in my brain. I mentioned in my Lioness Rampant review that I had read that book at least three times and I am basically rediscovering it each time. I find that's largely true of the rest of the series as well. It's not that I didn't really enjoy the series or that is a bad series. I'm really not sure what it is. Maybe the Alanna in my brain is just as restless as the one in the books and she just drags her story out with her when she leaves my head. We may never know.

I did have Alanna in my head, as well as Kel from Protector of the Small, when I was reading the Beka Cooper series. Apparently in the years between Beka and Alanna, female knights just fell so completely out of fashion that they weren't even though of as a thing anymore. I guess this is a little justified given Beka encounters that religious sect of "The Gentle Mother" that I hated. Guess their doctrine spread and we just didn't get anymore female knights after that. That Alanna didn't even think she could try for her shield as herself rather than "Alan" says so much... though it is definitely unclear as to whether or not girls trying for their shields was outlawed or just... ya know, died out eventually due to societal pressure. I'm pretty sure it was just societal pressure because Kel encounters some of the same issues but no one, in the government at least, tries to stop her from earning her shield.

A lot of things about Alanna's world are very male-centric, even outside of Tortall. Thayet couldn't inherit her father's kingdom because she was a girl. Kara and Kourrem were outcast because of their magic before Alanna came along - this may have just been Akhnan ibn Nazzir being the backward jerk that he was, but... the other shamans appear to be male so... not real sure on that one. It's not super clear what's done with girls with The Gift in Bazhir culture. Apparently women can inherit land in Tortall, but not necessarily the titles that come along with it, unless you're Alanna apparently. I get that all of this has to do with both our own history and the landscape Tamora Pierce was writing in, it's just a little interesting to look at. Or at least take note of, I guess. I kind of feel like this is an instance of trying to make this world seem pretty similar to our own instead of going "Oh hey, let's just make gender equality a thing in these societies because we can." Many shrugs.

I've kind of been mentioning and also skirting around Pierce's writing style in these books. I was so annoyed with Beka's blow-by-blow of her journeys that Song of the Lioness was a breath of fresh air but also kind of odd, to me. Pierce does a lot of telling and not showing, but also doesn't describe things in a lot of detail. A lot of Song of the Lioness does rely on the reader to imagine the settings and clothing and all that. Great swathes of time are just skipped over here, where they later won't be in other books. The characterization is also pretty sparse. We get a character description and then some instances of dialogue and actions from characters, but not enough that I'd be able to tell you "Oh, so-and-so definitely wouldn't do that" at any given moment because it's just not real clear. This does make sense as it's Pierce's first novel series and was originally a single novel before she chopped it up... a thing I did not know until reading the 2014 afterwords included in my copies. It's definitely not a bad thing as Pierce's writing is engaging in other ways, but it was definitely something I noticed. Might be part of why I have such a hard time keeping Song of the Lioness in my head.

I honestly feel like Alanna herself is pretty steady as a character throughout the series. She does grow up, but the changes are more subtle than in-your-face. Jonathan is actually the one who has the most in-your-face growth and that's mostly because he was an ass in The Woman Who Rides Like a Man... but I ranted a bit about that in that review so I won't do it here. Alanna is very goal-driven, but blossoms into a whole person when she's allowed to just wallow in parts of herself she'd neglected through her quest of her shield.

Although Alanna was written in the 1970s, I feel like she's a pretty modern character. Like modern to now, even if she did and does have to deal with that medieval male-centric nonsense. Alanna herself feels very modern. She doesn't take crap from people and has the freedom to do as she likes. I know part of that is that she's a knight and a noble on top of that, but... yeah. She just doesn't feel stuck in the societal expectations of what a woman of that relative time period "should" be.

Not that the Tortall universe should be taken as historical record of anything given that it is fantasy and does not take place in our world, but Tortall did ruin my perception of how the Knight system actually worked. I was forever ruined by Tortall's system for training Knights. It definitely did not work like that in real life, but it's a semi-neat fantasy system. Reminds me of boarding schools... which I also have very little actual experience with. Actual knights were granted knighthoods basically as a reward for service and were considered lower nobility. So, like, Jon would not have been a knight because he was the prince. Actual formal training like we see in Tortall wasn't exactly a thing, and, of course, there wasn't a magical Ordeal that made sure you could handle becoming a knight. The Wikipedia article is fascinating and goes into much more depth than I'm even going to try for here.

I really do enjoy Song of the Lioness while I'm reading it, even if I can't really remember a lot of details after the fact. The first two books are fairly quick in their progression, getting Alanna from Page to Knight. The second two are a bit more fleshed out, actually taking some time to explore Alanna's life in a slightly more day-to-day fashion without actually ending up doing exactly that. Song of the Lioness is definitely a much better introduction to Tortall than the Beka Cooper series, in my opinion. I did originally enter Tortall through Alanna and Tortall remains one of my favorite fantasy lands to visit.

Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce

A Semi-Spoilery Reread Review

So, I have read Lioness Rampant three times at this point. I will tell you that I did not remember what the hell happened through 90% of the book at any given moment between the last time I read it and the present. I feel like that's probably because there was actually a lot that happened. Lioness Rampant is a "quest book" -- as Pierce puts it in the 2014 afterword -- but the quest isn't the main focus of the end, which is arguably more jam packed than the rest of the book. I barely remembered what happened during that last 90% as well. There's just so much and it honestly made me tear up this time around.

So, the things I remembered are technically spoilers, so... you've been warned. I promise not to spoil the end, though.

Thayet and Buri eventually ending up in Tortall. I have read and remember more of Protector of the Small and so had it hammered into my brain that Thayet eventually becomes queen and Buri sticks around. I remembered Thayet was a warlord's daughter, but not much beyond that. I did not remember how they ended up in Tortall, like, at all. I think I vaguely remembered Alanna introducing Thayet to Jonathan... I mean, her court entrance was amazeballs in my mind. Big Beauty and the Beast style staircase and the dress was super vivid in my brain. How could I forget that?

I knew Alanna got the Dominion Jewel, but the method by which she got it totally left my brain and still wants to. I think the concept of more eldritch being tied to certain places is a cool concept, though not one I think is explored again... I swear I read Immortals at some stage but I literally remember nothing except Daine so I cannot say for sure. I assume that's where the eldritch beings might come into play... but yeah. Alanna fights a big ol' ape in the cold. Cool. *shrug* moving on.

I did not remember Liam at all. He exists aaaaand then poof, gone from my brain. I guess that's kind of amusing for the Shang Dragon being as they're supposed to be the best of the best and I just plum forget him every time. Liam kind of struck me as Scottish or whatever the Tortallan-y version of that is. I really don't have much to say about him.

The ending part of the book is just so much court stuff piled in on top of itself. So much to remember and keep straight for as long as it's happening, I guess. I was really touched on Alanna's behalf when people were welcoming her home and accepting her as The Lioness. Made me tear up. I guess I was more attached to these guys than I thought.

I did remember the whole scene where Jon gives George his pardon and makes him a Baron. That scene lives rent free in my head for some reason. I did forget that it was a bit later than all the other stuff, like Alanna becoming Champion and whatnot. Thought those scenes were one... I was wrong. Go figure.

Alanna shows in Lioness Rampant that she really has grown from even the end of The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. Her growth isn't exactly super obvious, but sneaks up on you. It's definitely a factor in how she eventually deals with the resurrected Roger. Actually uses her head instead of just rushing in all reckless and whatnot. Not that she was super prone to that in the beginning, but... I dunno. It felt significant.

The last thing I remembered was the whole thing around Roger. I won't talk about it here, but his machinations were definitely something to remember. I didn't quite get the setting in my head right or all the details, but it was largely correct and present in my head as I was reading. Every time Alanna awoke from one of her vision-dreams, I was like, "nope, girl, that wasn't just a dream."

So yeah, I liked Lioness Rampant. It's very likely a good portion of it is going to slip my mind again until my next reread, but I feel like that's okay. Rediscovering Alanna's story is part of what makes my disparate rereads fun.

Favorite Line

"Fairy stories are important," Jendrai told Alanna. "Legends teach us and guide scholars in searching out the truth of history." - Nahom Jendrai

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man is largely a book of Alanna finding herself outside of the concerns of earning her shield. She becomes comfortable with her magic, is adopted to a loving family and people, and ultimately learns to fully be herself. It might not be as detailed as I would like, but it’s a mostly fun tale.

I have noticed that Pierce doesn’t really describe settings or clothing very much at this point in her writing. I guess that makes errors in borrowing cultures a little easier to hide or just, not make. Dunno. Strikes me as a little odd this time around. It’s especially thrown into sharp relief as I begin another reread of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Pierce simply does not set scenes with as much skill as Rowling. We get more feelings from Alanna, but even those are relatively scarce. It’s not bad, exactly, just not as immersive as I remember it being when I first read The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. Many shrugs.

I do enjoy the magic system. We knew a little about it before, but since Alanna is teaching now, we get to learn more about it. I like that there’s a general knowledge base magic users need to know, but also that they have specialties that are more innate and unique.

So, this whole thing with Jonathan wanting Alanna to marry him. I don’t remember how I felt the first time, but I think I want to punch him this time. He’s so sure she’ll eventually give in, he’s smiling, probably more smugly that we’re told, about her “Let me think about it” answer. I very much think Alanna saw right through to Jonathan’s actual reasons for wanting to marry her at this stage. But he’s a dude and she’s said she loves him to obviously means she’ll marry him. Barf. No. Not how that works, my dude. You can love someone, sleep with someone, and not want to marry them. I am glad Jonathan’s a bit self-aware about his behavior outside of this moment, but it’s definitely not enough. Pierce talks about it more in the 2014 afterward, apparently Jonathan got so used to court ladies he assumed Alanna would be like them, forgetting she isn’t. Still not great on his part.

So, it’s interesting that each of the cities doesn’t have their own Rogue at this point in time. In Beka Cooper’s day, I doubt George would have set foot in Port Caynn for fear the Port Caynn Rogue would have his head. Just fun to see how times have changed… or canon. As so often happens with prequels written after the fact.

The break from Alanna’s story to George’s was honestly a shock, this time around. I did not remember it at all, though I vaguely remember who Claw actually is… or was. Again, not a bad turn of events, as I believe this break was important to the overall story, like, will be more important in Lioness Rampant. George forming an alliance with Sir Myles is definitely important down the line.

Anyway, I blew through The Woman Who Rides Like a Man in a day, more or less. I am enjoying Song of the Lioness thus far, though it is definitely different this time around. I think maybe when I was younger, I was more likely to fill in details with my imagination than I am today. The world just doesn’t seem as vivid now. Still a good read, just not as immersive as it used to be.

Just A Little Update

I know I said the last time I mentioned my GoodReads reading goal that I was going to start upping the goal by 5 books at a time, given the time of year and change in my schedule. However, given the speed at which I'm blowing through The Song of the Lioness, I went ahead and put the goal back to where it would have been would I have added 10. I know this probably has little interest to anyone but me... but yeah. Figured I'd be honest about my "Goal Smashing" tally.

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce

A Spoiler Free Reread Review

I wrote my notes for In the Hand of the Goddess as more inserts for my review, so that’s pretty much what you’ll get here. In the Hand of the Goddess was pretty good and a fairly quick read. It does largely feel like filler, to be completely honest, but it’s good filler.

“Fencing” is not actual fencing. It’s just a sword battle. Actual fencing uses foils and not just whatever the fuck swords. Fencing is closer to that scene in The Princess Bride between Westley and Inigo, not whatever this swordplay is between Alanna and Dain.

Here we get absolute confirmation that Duke Roger of Conte is a bad guy. I’m just gonna roll my eyes and sigh heavily because “DUH.” His conversation with Alanna during the Drell Valley thing wasn’t really that unsettling, though I have a feeling it was supposed to be.

So, the whole thing in the Drell Valley had zero sense of urgency. The one battle was quickly over with and that’s really where the bulk of the urgency was. Everything else was just… bleh. Nothing. I didn’t even feel any sense of dread while Alanna was kidnapped and not even vaguely tortured.

I remember feeling like Delia of Eldorne was very much Vanessa from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, when I read this last. Vanessa being Ursla’s human form. I don’t know exactly where that thought came from, but she’s definitely a pretty lure for Jonathan so… yeah. She’s also a mere blip in Alanna’s story, all things considered.

I don’t know if the speed at which I’m blowing through these books is affecting my immersion, but I really suspect it might be. I remember when I first read these, this book actually felt like it was taking up the time it takes up on Alanna’s timeline. It also felt a lot more atmospheric than it does now. Part of that might be the speed I’m reading and part might be that I’m just not as into this style of Young Adult book as I used to be. Who knows.

Favorite Lines

"Myles let the kitten watch from the start, saying cats had the right to learn history as well as anyone." - Narrator

"Just because he behaved badly is no excuse for me to behave badly." - Alanna Trebond

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

A Spoiler Free Reread Review

So, Alanna: The First Adventure is actually quite a quick novel. It’s really easy to read and breezes through three years worth of Page training. Like, really breezes through it. I noticed there was rarely time to actually sit with any of Alanna’s issues, aside from the notable exception of the Ralon thing.

Speaking of, this whole “we don’t report our bullies” thing is some bullshit… carries on into the next generation, too. So dumb. I know this well because, I was honestly far more invested in Protector of the Small than I ever was in Song of the Lioness. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, but I guess I just didn’t find it as satisfying. That’s actually exemplified in Alanna. Aside from Alanna herself, there’s not really much to get invested in, I don’t think.

The random swapping of POVs gives me a bit of whiplash. The entire lack of detail here versus the Beka Cooper books also is giving me a bit of whiplash, though it is very welcome. I do not need super detailed accounts of Alanna’s day to day. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have enjoyed more detail… Alanna’s story thus far is just not memorable. Like, I literally did not remember anything from it aside from Jon, Gary, and George being Alanna’s friends. I’d still be a little hard pressed to come up with even an outline of what happened despite having just finished the book.

Roger of Conte suffers from a bad case of “obviously the bad guy.” He’s not even super subtle about it himself, Alanna’s feelings about him notwithstanding. “I am not often kind, Alan.” Really, dude? I also very much agree with Alanna’s assessment of his motives at the end. I don’t remember any details at all about Roger from my past reads, but he definitely has “super obvious bad guy” vibes, even without Alanna’s feelings about him.

I’m pretty sure I’ve only revisited Alanna once since my first reading. Having her entire four years or whatever as a Page all compressed into one book is interesting. Seems as thought the time just flew by, which is probably part of the realism, really. If you’re so consumed with work or schooling or whatever, the time just flies by. I honestly don’t know if it really works in the book’s favor, though. Like I’ve said, I literally remembered nothing about Alanna so… yeah. It was a fun, breezy read that didn’t leave anything stuck in my brain for later.

An After-Thought

In the 2014 Afterword, Tamora Pierce notes that she originally wrote Alanna's story as an adult novel. I think that is probably why Alanna is the way it is. The teenage years of a protagonist's life wouldn't really be that interesting to an adult audience and so aren't super fleshed out.

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.