The Immortals Quartet
by Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors; her books are fantasy with feminist overtones with the main characters being strong, capable girls. It is possible to read the different series of books out of order but this is the line-up:
Song of the Lioness Quartet
The Immortals Quartet
Protector of the Small Quartet
Tricksters Duology
The Immortals is my favorite series because it focuses on animals, specifically a magic where the person can speak to animals. Hasn't everybody wondered what their pets are thinking?
Book 1: Wild Magic
Daine is thirteen years old and running away from her village after the inhabitants run her out. Daine is aware that she has a connection with animals but is unaware that it is a form of magic. Daine's mother has just been killed by bandits and she doesn't know who her father is. Daine hires onto a pony run with a woman named Onua, Mistress of Horses for the Queen's Riders, a military group for the kingdom of Tortall.
Along the way, Onua and Daine are attacked by various immortals, spidrens (spiders with a human head) and Stormwings (birds with a human torso and head and wings made of steel feathers). They rescue the mage Numair from Stormwings, Numair is trapped in the body of a hawk. Numair is the most powerful mage in Tortall. Daine becomes his student when he realizes she possesses wild magic, the connection to animals and immortals that allows her to speak to them. After rescuing him, Onua and Daine meet Alanna, the King's Champion (and protaginist of the Song of the Lioness Quartet).
When the group arrives in Corus, the capital of Tortall, Daine decides to stay with her new friends as assistant to Onua for the Queen's Riders.
The group of young people training for the Riders travel to the summer training at Pirate's Swoop, the home of Alanna and her husband. Along the way, Daine and Numair continue Daine's training and learn that she can heal animals. At Pirate's Swoop Daine must call on all her power when Carthaki raiders surround the castle and threaten to kill everyone within. Daine must try to stop the enemy and keep a grip on her humanity.
Book 2: Wolf Speaker
Daine is now fourteen, she and Numair are full fledged student and teacher. Daine receives a summons from the wolf pack that took her in when her mother died about two years before. The wolves now live in Dunlath Valley, they summon Daine because the nobles who inhabit the valley are polluting the valley by cutting down trees, polluting the lake, and scaring off game.
Numair and Daine, along with the young dragon Kit, travel to Dunlath only to find that the nobles are plotting against King Jonathon. They are illegally mining black opals, a very rare and highly prized gem that is valued for its magical abilities. The nobles are sending the stones to the emperor of Carthak, Ozorne who may be responsible for the Cathaki pirates previously fought against.
While in the valley, Daine learns that she has the ability to not only place her mind inside the body of an animal, she can also turn into an animal. Numair and Daine must find a way to fight off deadly immortals and foil the nobles' plan before they can overthrow the king.
Book 3: Emperor Mage
Fifteen year old Daine is sent with a delegation from Tortall to Carthak to discuss a peace treaty with Emperor Ozorne, who is suspected to be the one who destroyed the barrier between the Divine Realms and the world allowing the immortals to come through. Some immortals are peaceful, like griffins and friendly centaurs. Others, like Stormwings, hurroks, Coldfangs, and spidrens, are deadly.
Daine is asked for because the Emperor's prize birds are ill, the world knows about Daine's wild magic and she is asked to heal the birds. Numair is not safe while in Carthak, he escaped from the Emperor's dungeons when he was twenty-one after being falsely imprisioned for treason.
While in Carthak, Daine makes friends with Ozorne's nephew and heir, Kaddar. Through Kaddar and many others Daine learns that the Carthaki empire and it's Emperor are cursed by the gods and a storm is coming, a storm that could destroy the empire. Daine's friend and mentor, the badger god gives Daine a new ability, she can bring dead animals back to life. Ozorne will do anything to keep his empire, including harming Daine and Numair.
Daine must find a way to defeat the Emperor Mage while keeping war from breaking out; meanwhile the gods are planning something, something big that could determine the fate of an empire.
Book 4: The Realms of the Gods
Daine is now sixteen, she and Numair are preparing to fight their war against Ozorne and his allies, both immortals and humans. But, when she and Numair are fighting an unusual group of deadly beings they are transported to the Divine Realms, home of the gods, by none other then Daine's mother. There Daine learns that her father is actually a minor god of the hunt and that is why her mother now resides with him.
In the Realms Numair and Daine learn that Ozorne is allied with the Queen of Chaos.
Numair and Daine must find a way out of the Divine Realms so that they can rejoin their friends for the momentous battle against Ozorne. During their journey Daine discovers that Numair has strong feelings for her, but they must overcome their doubts about their age difference.
When Numair and Daine finally make it back home they must battle Ozorne and his army in the final battle that will determine everyone's fate.
Tamora Pierce has many other books like the Beka Cooper trilogy (also set in Tortall) and the Circle Universe books. As of now, the first two books have been released in the Beka Cooper trilogy, with the final to be released in 2011. A Circle book is slated for release in 2012 with another in the works.
Some common occurrences in Pierce's medieval-themed books are violence and premarital sex (although this does not occur in the Immortals or Protector Quartets), but the sex is not a dominant force in the books, the stories focus more on the characters and their happenings. Pierce says that the books closely follow the past where girls married young. Pierce also states that ignoring violence is irresponsible and that, "We need to face [cruelty and violence], even in books. Even in fantasy." While no sex or violent scenes are graphic, violence is a predominant force. I think this just makes the stories more realistic but if this not for you, it may be in your best interest to find a different book.
by Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors; her books are fantasy with feminist overtones with the main characters being strong, capable girls. It is possible to read the different series of books out of order but this is the line-up:
Song of the Lioness Quartet
The Immortals Quartet
Protector of the Small Quartet
Tricksters Duology
The Immortals is my favorite series because it focuses on animals, specifically a magic where the person can speak to animals. Hasn't everybody wondered what their pets are thinking?
Daine is thirteen years old and running away from her village after the inhabitants run her out. Daine is aware that she has a connection with animals but is unaware that it is a form of magic. Daine's mother has just been killed by bandits and she doesn't know who her father is. Daine hires onto a pony run with a woman named Onua, Mistress of Horses for the Queen's Riders, a military group for the kingdom of Tortall.
Along the way, Onua and Daine are attacked by various immortals, spidrens (spiders with a human head) and Stormwings (birds with a human torso and head and wings made of steel feathers). They rescue the mage Numair from Stormwings, Numair is trapped in the body of a hawk. Numair is the most powerful mage in Tortall. Daine becomes his student when he realizes she possesses wild magic, the connection to animals and immortals that allows her to speak to them. After rescuing him, Onua and Daine meet Alanna, the King's Champion (and protaginist of the Song of the Lioness Quartet).
When the group arrives in Corus, the capital of Tortall, Daine decides to stay with her new friends as assistant to Onua for the Queen's Riders.
The group of young people training for the Riders travel to the summer training at Pirate's Swoop, the home of Alanna and her husband. Along the way, Daine and Numair continue Daine's training and learn that she can heal animals. At Pirate's Swoop Daine must call on all her power when Carthaki raiders surround the castle and threaten to kill everyone within. Daine must try to stop the enemy and keep a grip on her humanity.
Daine is now fourteen, she and Numair are full fledged student and teacher. Daine receives a summons from the wolf pack that took her in when her mother died about two years before. The wolves now live in Dunlath Valley, they summon Daine because the nobles who inhabit the valley are polluting the valley by cutting down trees, polluting the lake, and scaring off game.
Numair and Daine, along with the young dragon Kit, travel to Dunlath only to find that the nobles are plotting against King Jonathon. They are illegally mining black opals, a very rare and highly prized gem that is valued for its magical abilities. The nobles are sending the stones to the emperor of Carthak, Ozorne who may be responsible for the Cathaki pirates previously fought against.
While in the valley, Daine learns that she has the ability to not only place her mind inside the body of an animal, she can also turn into an animal. Numair and Daine must find a way to fight off deadly immortals and foil the nobles' plan before they can overthrow the king.
Fifteen year old Daine is sent with a delegation from Tortall to Carthak to discuss a peace treaty with Emperor Ozorne, who is suspected to be the one who destroyed the barrier between the Divine Realms and the world allowing the immortals to come through. Some immortals are peaceful, like griffins and friendly centaurs. Others, like Stormwings, hurroks, Coldfangs, and spidrens, are deadly.
Daine is asked for because the Emperor's prize birds are ill, the world knows about Daine's wild magic and she is asked to heal the birds. Numair is not safe while in Carthak, he escaped from the Emperor's dungeons when he was twenty-one after being falsely imprisioned for treason.
While in Carthak, Daine makes friends with Ozorne's nephew and heir, Kaddar. Through Kaddar and many others Daine learns that the Carthaki empire and it's Emperor are cursed by the gods and a storm is coming, a storm that could destroy the empire. Daine's friend and mentor, the badger god gives Daine a new ability, she can bring dead animals back to life. Ozorne will do anything to keep his empire, including harming Daine and Numair.
Daine must find a way to defeat the Emperor Mage while keeping war from breaking out; meanwhile the gods are planning something, something big that could determine the fate of an empire.
Daine is now sixteen, she and Numair are preparing to fight their war against Ozorne and his allies, both immortals and humans. But, when she and Numair are fighting an unusual group of deadly beings they are transported to the Divine Realms, home of the gods, by none other then Daine's mother. There Daine learns that her father is actually a minor god of the hunt and that is why her mother now resides with him.
In the Realms Numair and Daine learn that Ozorne is allied with the Queen of Chaos.
Numair and Daine must find a way out of the Divine Realms so that they can rejoin their friends for the momentous battle against Ozorne. During their journey Daine discovers that Numair has strong feelings for her, but they must overcome their doubts about their age difference.
When Numair and Daine finally make it back home they must battle Ozorne and his army in the final battle that will determine everyone's fate.
Tamora Pierce has many other books like the Beka Cooper trilogy (also set in Tortall) and the Circle Universe books. As of now, the first two books have been released in the Beka Cooper trilogy, with the final to be released in 2011. A Circle book is slated for release in 2012 with another in the works.
Some common occurrences in Pierce's medieval-themed books are violence and premarital sex (although this does not occur in the Immortals or Protector Quartets), but the sex is not a dominant force in the books, the stories focus more on the characters and their happenings. Pierce says that the books closely follow the past where girls married young. Pierce also states that ignoring violence is irresponsible and that, "We need to face [cruelty and violence], even in books. Even in fantasy." While no sex or violent scenes are graphic, violence is a predominant force. I think this just makes the stories more realistic but if this not for you, it may be in your best interest to find a different book.
No comments:
Post a Comment