Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce  463 pages

Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm's most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness--and for attracting trouble. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the "leftover prince" with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram's heart, Arram realizes that one day--soon--he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

Tempest and Slaughter

Tempest and Slaughter
 by Tamora Pierce
 464 pages

 Set between her Lioness and Immortals series' from Tortall, Pierce gives us the story of three promising young mages and their journey to become the adults we meet in her other works.A very excellent start to answering questions that we have from her previously published works, I am sure all of her fans will be on pins and needles waiting for the second book as well.

Heather's June Books

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce
 First Test 240 pages
 Page 268 pages
 Squire 399 pages
 Lady Knight 431 pages
 This series follows Keladry of Mindelan's journey to become the first Lady Knight since Lady Alanna won her shield 15 years before.

Daughter of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce
 Trickster's Choice 422 pages
 Trickster's Queen 467 pages
 Alianne of Pirates Swoop is trying to convince her parents of her true calling and when she least expects it is given the chance to show them her talents.

Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
 The Goddess Test 293 pages
 Goddess Interrupted 296 pages
 A re-telling of old Greek tales in a modern world.

The Selection by Kiera Cass 327 pages
 Like the Bachelor, but the winner gets to be a princess after almost being killed and having her heart broken.

Pandora Hearts Vol. 1 192 pages
 by Jun Mochizuki
 I can't tell if this is supposed to be based on Alice in Wonderland or something else entirely. I found it to be a convoluted story with very little background information. I'm not particularly inclined to finish the series.

My Little Monster Vol. 1 169 pages
 by Robico
 Chock full of socially awkward people doing weird things, I can't wait for volume two!

Red Queen 383 pages
 by Victoria Aveyard
 I really don't know what to say about this book. I liked the story, but there are so many characters that didn't have enough background. She wants you to feel for them but they are no more than mannequins without thoughts and feelings of their own, just pose-able space holders to keep the dialogue going.

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce  560 pages

Beka and her friends will face their greatest and most important challenge ever when the young heir to the kingdom vanishes. They will be sent out of Corus on a trail that appears and disappears, following a twisting road throughout Tortall. It will be her greatest Hunt--if she can survive the very powerful people who do not want her to succeed in her goal.

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog - a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus's streets. But there's unrest in Tortall's capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won't let anything - or anyone - jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won't be enough for Beka be her usual 'terrier' self. She'll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals - to be a Bloodhound. . . .

Terrier by Tamora Pierce

Terrier by Tamora Pierce  581 pages

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, and she's been assigned to the Lower City. It's a tough beat that's about to get tougher, as Beka's limited ability to communicate with the dead clues her in to an underworld conspiracy. Someone close to Beka is using dark magic to profit from the Lower City's criminal enterprises--and the result is a crime wave the likes of which the Provost's Guard has never seen before.

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce - 309 pages
The Immortals - book 1

Daine finds a job as an assistant to the horse master, Onua, of the Queen's Riders of Tortall.  She's thankful for the job since she left her village after being attacked by the men for being too wild.  What nobody knows is that she communicates with the animals and sometimes she becomes so much like them that she basically becomes an animal herself.

This is the first book of The Immortals series.  It was an interesting story although I thought people were very accepting of Daine and her wild magic too quickly.

The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce - 226 pages
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce - 288 pages
Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce - 353 pages
(The Song of the Lioness Quartet - books 2-4)

These books continue the adventures of Alanna, the girl who hides her identity to become a knight.
In the Hand of the Goddess tells her of years as a squire and her battle with Roger of Conte.
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man tells of her immediate adventures after receiving her knighthood and revealing her gender.  She visits the desert people the Bazhir.
Lioness Rampant tells of her quest for the Dominion Jewel.

Overall, these books held up well over time.  I enjoyed reading them again.  I think the only things that kind of bothered me was that everybody seemed to take Alanna's deceit extremely well and immediately forgave her and that it seemed every guy she met fell in love with her.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce - 241 pages
The Song of the Lioness Quartet - book 1

Alanna has always wanted to be a knight.  So when her father decrees that she should be sent to the convent she switches place with her twin.  He goes to the convent to learn magic while she goes to court to learn to be a knight.  It will be difficult hiding her identity and learning to keep up physically with the other male pages, but she is determined to make her dream a reality.

I first read this book back in high school when it was first published.  It was considered one of the first girl empowering fantasy series for teens.  I wanted to see if it held up to today's books.  The story was still as good and engrossing as I remember.  And for the most part, the girl power was fairly well done.  There were only a few times that I thought it was a tad dated in its views.

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce - 592 p.

   In the third and final book in the Bekah Cooper series, Pierce's heroine keeps making a name for herself on the streets of Corus in Tortall.
   5 years have past since we were last with Beka in Bloodhound. A lot has happened in her personal life, and Bekah isn't in the best place emotionally. She needs a hunt. And a hunt is what she gets.
   When she is brought in under a veil of secrecy to the castle, it's revealed that the King and Queen's own son, the 4-year-old heir to the throne, has been kidnapped. Bekah, Achoo, Tunstall, and Sabine, with the help of newcomer Mage Farmer are on the greatest hunt of their lives. Trekking through the most god-forsaken places in all of Tortall, scent-hound Achoo leads the cavalry high and low on the scent of the little Prince. Along the way, Bekah finds friends, love, but also betrayal.
   Great closing book to a wonderful fantasy trilogy. Bekah is a very empowered character and will be missed.