Sandry's Book
(Circle of Magic quartet, Book 1)
Tamora Pierce
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Sandry is the last of her noble family left alive after a plague, left in a hidden room by a dying servant. Daja, the sole survivor of the shipwreck that claimed the rest of her Trader kin, has been cast out of her kind as bad luck. Briar, a thief, has lived his life in squalor, destined for a life of cruel imprisonment. Tris is a stubborn girl whom none of her relatives want, bounced from one to the other until nobody is left to take her in. All four share one thing: a rare yet powerful gift for magic that has gone undetected by traditional mages. The strange wanderer Master Niklaren gathers them all from where Fate has washed them and brings them to the famed Winding Circle temple. Here, among some of the greatest mages the world has ever known, they must learn to accept and control their unusual powers... but first, they must learn to trust each other.
REVIEW: The title of this story is inaccurate. This book is about all four children, not just Sandry. In fact, I didn't consider her to even have a prominent role in the story. Her character doesn't undergo as severe a transformation as the others, so, aside from er assistance at the story's climax, I have no idea why this book was named for her specifically, except to create symmetry in the series. Seemingly random title aside, however, this is well-written and interesting story set in a different world than her Tortall books. The protagonists are different than Pierce's previous heroes and heroines, and their adventures have a more introspective and subtle feel. This isn't so much a book about strong-willed girls blazing trails in male-dominated circles (like the Tortall books) as it is about learning to accept one's gifts and the gifts of others, and to carry on despite great losses. I enjoyed this new world, and look forward to future adventures here.
You might also enjoy:
Bright Shadow (Avi, YA Fiction - A dying wizard gives a girl power and responsibilities she never wanted when he hands over five wishes that work)
Hatching Magic and The Dragon of Never-Was (Ann Downer, YA Fiction - An encounter with a medieval wizard's pet wyvern wakens the latent powers of a modern Boston girl)
The Lives of Christopher Chant (Diana Wynne Jones, YA Fiction - A boy enjoys traveling to other worlds through his dreams, but resents the responsibilities other insists he must shoulder with his gift)
The Fire Rose (Mercedes Lackey, Fiction - A turn-of-the-century Chicago girl accepts a job with a reclusive California rail baron and discovers the hidden world of elemental mages)
Magic or Madness (Justine Larabalestier, YA Fiction - A girl learns of the dark family secret behind her mother's mental breakdown)
The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley, YA Fiction - A girl comes to a desert realm and finds herself entangled with its fading yet potent magic)
Sabriel (Garth Nix, YA Fiction - A girl sets out to find her missing necromancer father after receiving an urgent message from beyond the gates of Death)
Witch & Wizard (James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet, YA Fiction - Two teens in a modern dictatorship are imprisoned for powers they don't know they have)
The Harry Potter series (J. K. Rowling, YA Fiction - An orphaned boy learns of his powers when he receives an invitation to a school of wizardry)
A School for Sorcery (E. Rose Sabin, YA Fiction - A farmgirl gets a rare chance to explore her talents at a prestigious boarding school for mages)
The Septimus Heap series (Angie Sage, YA Fiction - In a magical land, a corrupted leader is trying to dissolve the power of wizards)
A College of Magics (Caroline Stevermer, YA Fiction - The heiress to a small duchy reluctantly attends a school of magic, where a family rival awaits)
Sweep: Book of Shadows (Cate Tiernan, YA Fiction - A Catholic teen girl is captivated by a boy witch and the world of magic)
Mairelon the Magician (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - A street girl in elder-day London falls in with a fugitive mage)
Wizard's Hall (Jane Yolen, YA Fiction - A boy of dubious talent goes to a school of wizardry)
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Tris's Book
(Circle of Magic quartet, Book 2)
Tamora Pierce
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: After the devastating quake that rocked Winding Circle Temple, the countryside is still struggling to pull itself from the rubble when a new danger arrives: pirates. Pirates are nothing new to the lands around Summersea Harbor, but they are usually scattered ships preying on isolated ships and settlements. A new pirate queen has risen to unite a great fleet, and with her stands a great mage. That alone makes them a force to be reckoned with, but they also bear a new weapon, one that blasts and destroys whatever it touches. These pirates may do what no other invaders have: throw down the walls and magical defenses of Winding Circle. Tris and the young mages of the House Discipline must again test their untrained talents against a great enemy... but Tris herself has personal troubles to tend to, as a relative's arrival brings back dark memories of the days when she was an unwanted family burden.
REVIEW: This actually centered around Tris more than Sandry's book centered around Sandry, but I wound up docking it a point for being more predictable. Pierce isn't usually so predictable. I also get a bit tired of the old gunpowder cliché - no spoiler here, as it's no real surprise to most fantasy readers what this "new" weapon is. I'm sure that the arrival of gunpowder on the scene of battle was a traumatic thing for those who didn't know of it, but as a reader I'm very much aware of the stuff, just as I'm aware that the introduction of gunpowder to a quasi-medieval society (usually from a source outside the local timeline, but in this case simply from a distant land) is a very old plot device. The characters handled it more realistically than many authors have their locals handle gunpowder, and that helped make up for it, but I still find it wearisome. This is a magical world, after all. Couldn't Pierce have come up with an equally devastating magical gunpowder substitute? Other than that, it's a good book, and I enjoyed reading it.
You might also enjoy:
Bright Shadow (Avi, YA Fiction - A dying wizard gives a girl power and responsibilities she never wanted when he hands over five wishes that work)
Hatching Magic and The Dragon of Never-Was (Ann Downer, YA Fiction - An encounter with a medieval wizard's pet wyvern wakens the latent powers of a modern Boston girl)
The Lives of Christopher Chant (Diana Wynne Jones, YA Fiction - A boy enjoys traveling to other worlds through his dreams, but resents the responsibilities other insists he must shoulder with his gift)
The Fire Rose (Mercedes Lackey, Fiction - A turn-of-the-century Chicago girl accepts a job with a reclusive California rail baron and discovers the hidden world of elemental mages)
Magic or Madness (Justine Larabalestier, YA Fiction - A girl learns of the dark family secret behind her mother's mental breakdown)
The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley, YA Fiction - A girl comes to a desert realm and finds herself entangled with its fading yet potent magic)
Sabriel (Garth Nix, YA Fiction - A girl sets out to find her missing necromancer father after receiving an urgent message from beyond the gates of Death)
Witch & Wizard (James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet, YA Fiction - Two teens in a modern dictatorship are imprisoned for powers they don't know they have)
The Harry Potter series (J. K. Rowling, YA Fiction - An orphaned boy learns of his powers when he receives an invitation to a school of wizardry)
A School for Sorcery (E. Rose Sabin, YA Fiction - A farmgirl gets a rare chance to explore her talents at a prestigious boarding school for mages)
The Septimus Heap series (Angie Sage, YA Fiction - In a magical land, a corrupted leader is trying to dissolve the power of wizards)
A College of Magics (Caroline Stevermer, YA Fiction - The heiress to a small duchy reluctantly attends a school of magic, where a family rival awaits)
Sweep: Book of Shadows (Cate Tiernan, YA Fiction - A Catholic teen girl is captivated by a boy witch and the world of magic)
Mairelon the Magician (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - A street girl in elder-day London falls in with a fugitive mage)
Wizard's Hall (Jane Yolen, YA Fiction - A boy of dubious talent goes to a school of wizardry)
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Daja's Book
(Circle of Magic quartet, Book 3)
Tamora Pierce
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Daja was cast out of the Trader kind as the worst kind of bad luck, invisible to her former people, after being the sole survivor of the shipwreck that claimed her clan. Though she has found a new life at Winding Circle with her friends and teachers, finally able to explore her gifts and interests in metalwork that Trader folk considered beneath them, Daja has never truly lost her longing to redeem herself to the Traders. Now, on a journey to the drought- and wildfire-plagued Gold Valley, Daja finds herself once again sharply reminded of her status as outcast when a Trader caravan comes to the castle where she is staying. An accident of magic may provide her with a chance to reclaim her status as a Trader; but first, she and her friends must survive their inexplicably melding powers and the wildfires that ravage the land.
REVIEW: This wasn't as obvious as Tris's story, and I liked it better as a result. Daja really struggles with her life, and her magic, here. On a side note, I have to wonder if the artist who did the cover for this edition had ever seen an actual horse, or if, like their predecessors in history, they merely rendered the animal based on descriptions passed through multiple mouths and languages.
You might also enjoy:
Bright Shadow (Avi, YA Fiction - A dying wizard gives a girl power and responsibilities she never wanted when he hands over five wishes that work)
Hatching Magic and The Dragon of Never-Was (Ann Downer, YA Fiction - An encounter with a medieval wizard's pet wyvern wakens the latent powers of a modern Boston girl)
The Lives of Christopher Chant (Diana Wynne Jones, YA Fiction - A boy enjoys traveling to other worlds through his dreams, but resents the responsibilities other insists he must shoulder with his gift)
The Fire Rose (Mercedes Lackey, Fiction - A turn-of-the-century Chicago girl accepts a job with a reclusive California rail baron and discovers the hidden world of elemental mages)
Magic or Madness (Justine Larabalestier, YA Fiction - A girl learns of the dark family secret behind her mother's mental breakdown)
The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley, YA Fiction - A girl comes to a desert realm and finds herself entangled with its fading yet potent magic)
Sabriel (Garth Nix, YA Fiction - A girl sets out to find her missing necromancer father after receiving an urgent message from beyond the gates of Death)
Witch & Wizard (James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet, YA Fiction - Two teens in a modern dictatorship are imprisoned for powers they don't know they have)
The Harry Potter series (J. K. Rowling, YA Fiction - An orphaned boy learns of his powers when he receives an invitation to a school of wizardry)
A School for Sorcery (E. Rose Sabin, YA Fiction - A farmgirl gets a rare chance to explore her talents at a prestigious boarding school for mages)
The Septimus Heap series (Angie Sage, YA Fiction - In a magical land, a corrupted leader is trying to dissolve the power of wizards)
A College of Magics (Caroline Stevermer, YA Fiction - The heiress to a small duchy reluctantly attends a school of magic, where a family rival awaits)
Sweep: Book of Shadows (Cate Tiernan, YA Fiction - A Catholic teen girl is captivated by a boy witch and the world of magic)
Mairelon the Magician (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - A street girl in elder-day London falls in with a fugitive mage)
Wizard's Hall (Jane Yolen, YA Fiction - A boy of dubious talent goes to a school of wizardry)
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Briar's Book
(Circle of Magic quartet, Book 4)
Tamora Pierce
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: It has been nearly a year since his old life as the thief Roach ended, and Briar Moss of Winding Circle temple has come to love his new life. Working with the strict teacher Rosethorn and learning plant lore, living in Discipline House with his mage-friends Sandry, Daja, and Tris, it seems as if his old life on the streets was just a dream. Then, in the town of Summersea, an old associate calls on Briar to help an ailing friend. Suddenly, the town is engulfed by a mysterious plague that defies even the wizards of Winding Circle. From noble to street rat, nobody is immune. It will take all the resources of Briar and his friends to find a cure and be sure all their loved ones survive.
REVIEW: Another great book from Pierce, reading like a conclusion to the quartet. Briar's transformation from untrusting street rat to respectable plant mage completes the transformation of all of the students of Discipline House. There is a second set of books with the same characters, The Circle Opens, but with my extremely limited budget and extensive reading backlog it may be a while before I can get to them.
You might also enjoy:
Bright Shadow (Avi, YA Fiction - A dying wizard gives a girl power and responsibilities she never wanted when he hands over five wishes that work)
Hatching Magic and The Dragon of Never-Was (Ann Downer, YA Fiction - An encounter with a medieval wizard's pet wyvern wakens the latent powers of a modern Boston girl)
The Lives of Christopher Chant (Diana Wynne Jones, YA Fiction - A boy enjoys traveling to other worlds through his dreams, but resents the responsibilities other insists he must shoulder with his gift)
The Fire Rose (Mercedes Lackey, Fiction - A turn-of-the-century Chicago girl accepts a job with a reclusive California rail baron and discovers the hidden world of elemental mages)
Magic or Madness (Justine Larabalestier, YA Fiction - A girl learns of the dark family secret behind her mother's mental breakdown)
The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley, YA Fiction - A girl comes to a desert realm and finds herself entangled with its fading yet potent magic)
Sabriel (Garth Nix, YA Fiction - A girl sets out to find her missing necromancer father after receiving an urgent message from beyond the gates of Death)
Witch & Wizard (James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet, YA Fiction - Two teens in a modern dictatorship are imprisoned for powers they don't know they have)
The Harry Potter series (J. K. Rowling, YA Fiction - An orphaned boy learns of his powers when he receives an invitation to a school of wizardry)
A School for Sorcery (E. Rose Sabin, YA Fiction - A farmgirl gets a rare chance to explore her talents at a prestigious boarding school for mages)
The Septimus Heap series (Angie Sage, YA Fiction - In a magical land, a corrupted leader is trying to dissolve the power of wizards)
A College of Magics (Caroline Stevermer, YA Fiction - The heiress to a small duchy reluctantly attends a school of magic, where a family rival awaits)
Sweep: Book of Shadows (Cate Tiernan, YA Fiction - A Catholic teen girl is captivated by a boy witch and the world of magic)
Mairelon the Magician (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - A street girl in elder-day London falls in with a fugitive mage)
Wizard's Hall (Jane Yolen, YA Fiction - A boy of dubious talent goes to a school of wizardry)
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Magic Steps
(The Circle Opens quartet, Book 1)
Tamora Pierce
Scholastic
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Four years ago, Sandry's unusual talent for weaving magic like cloth was discovered. Since then, she has learned from the great mages of Winding Circle
temple, and from three young mage friends with equally unusual talents, how to use her peculiar magic. Though her friends and their teachers have departed for their own lessons,
she thought she would always live in the little cottage called Discipline at the temple, under the eye of her kindly teacher Lark... until the day her beloved great uncle, Duke
Vedris, suffered a heart attack. Now living in the duke's castle and helping him run his lands as he recovers, she needs no more complications in her young life. Then, she spies
a most unusual new talent, on the very day a dangerous assassin force marks its first kill in the city.
Pasco's family has been Provost Guards for generations, but his nature is quite unlike the disciplined soldiers of the guard. Always a daydreamer and clearly the least adept in
his family at guard training, he has a gift for dance. Though he tries to deny it, the gift runs far deeper than a mere physical talent. Like Sandry, who works magic with woven
thread, Pasco works power with his body as he dances. An untrained talent is a danger to himself and others, and, as the one who found him, fourteen-year-old Sandry must teach
the reluctant mage Pasco to use his skills, though he is only two years her junior. She may have found him not a moment too soon, for it will take a combination of their gifts to
bring the assassins to justice.
REVIEW: This quartet is a followup to Pierce's Circle of Magic books, following Sandry, Briar, Daja, and Tris as they leave Winding Circle and begin to make their own ways in the world beyond Discipline House and the Winding Circle temple. Since so much of the earlier books focused on the bonds of magic and friendship among Sandry and her fellow mages, this book seems lonely and empty by comparison, as Tris, Briar, and Daja were only mentioned in passing. Unlike the previous quartet, where more was made of how the children learned to meld craft and magic, the bonds of dance and power are only touched on now and again. I felt a distinct struggle for story time, as part of the book wanted to follow Sandry's growth and another part wanted to follow Pasco's struggles to deal with his gift. Since I already knew Sandry from the earlier books, I found myself paying more attention to her and less to Pasco, which didn't seem like the author's intent. (If it was, Pierce might want to consider a break from writing. Pasco seemed short-changed here, and would have been better used in a story without ties to previous books.) The story itself was more predictable than I have come to expect from Pierce, and the climax had one character acting with what pushed dangerously close to plot-extending stupidity; that is, doing something that the character really should know better than doing just to further the action. It's not a completely disappointing followup, but I think I preferred the earlier books. Unlike her Tortall series, each quartet of which may be read without ever having heard of the ones before or after, I doubt that The Circle Opens will be able to stand alone from its preceding quartet. That said, I wouldn't rule out reading the next books in this quartet someday; if nothing else, I'd like to catch up with Sandry's friends.
You might also enjoy:
Bright Shadow (Avi, YA Fiction - A dying wizard gives a girl power and responsibilities she never wanted when he hands over five wishes that work)
Hatching Magic and The Dragon of Never-Was (Ann Downer, YA Fiction - An encounter with a medieval wizard's pet wyvern wakens the latent powers of a modern Boston girl)
The Lives of Christopher Chant (Diana Wynne Jones, YA Fiction - A boy enjoys traveling to other worlds through his dreams, but resents the responsibilities other insists he must shoulder with his gift)
The Fire Rose (Mercedes Lackey, Fiction - A turn-of-the-century Chicago girl accepts a job with a reclusive California rail baron and discovers the hidden world of elemental mages)
Magic or Madness (Justine Larabalestier, YA Fiction - A girl learns of the dark family secret behind her mother's mental breakdown)
The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley, YA Fiction - A girl comes to a desert realm and finds herself entangled with its fading yet potent magic)
Sabriel (Garth Nix, YA Fiction - A girl sets out to find her missing necromancer father after receiving an urgent message from beyond the gates of Death)
Witch & Wizard (James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet, YA Fiction - Two teens in a modern dictatorship are imprisoned for powers they don't know they have)
The Harry Potter series (J. K. Rowling, YA Fiction - An orphaned boy learns of his powers when he receives an invitation to a school of wizardry)
A School for Sorcery (E. Rose Sabin, YA Fiction - A farmgirl gets a rare chance to explore her talents at a prestigious boarding school for mages)
The Septimus Heap series (Angie Sage, YA Fiction - In a magical land, a corrupted leader is trying to dissolve the power of wizards)
A College of Magics (Caroline Stevermer, YA Fiction - The heiress to a small duchy reluctantly attends a school of magic, where a family rival awaits)
Sweep: Book of Shadows (Cate Tiernan, YA Fiction - A Catholic teen girl is captivated by a boy witch and the world of magic)
Mairelon the Magician (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - A street girl in elder-day London falls in with a fugitive mage)
Wizard's Hall (Jane Yolen, YA Fiction - A boy of dubious talent goes to a school of wizardry)
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Alanna: The First Adventure
(Song of the Lioness quartet, Book 1)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Alanna and her twin brother Thom are about to be shipped away from home for training in the fields chosen by their father, a man more enamored with his books than his barely-noted children. Alanna is destined to learn the art of magic in a convent, while Thom is to go to the royal court and become a knight of Tortall. Neither is happy with their destinies. Thom dreams of becoming a master wizard, while Alanna fears her magical gifts, longing instead for the glory of knighthood that her gender deprives her of. Just before leaving, the twins decide to switch places. Thom goes to the convent and Alanna, pretending to be the boy Alain, goes to court to fulfill her dream of being a knight. Keeping her gender a secret is but one of the challenges she faces in the capital, as she has encounters with dark magic, the King of Thieves, and ancient powers harnessed by a greedy noble out to seize the throne.
REVIEW: A fun, fast read for older children and adults, the first installment of the Song of the Lioness quartet establishes a magical yet real fantasy world of Tortall, populates it with interesting characters both good and bad, and fills it with adventure and intrigue. Alanna is a great protagonist, being neither perfect nor pathetic in her efforts to compete with the other boys. A very promising start to a series.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
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In the Hand of the Goddess
(Song of the Lioness quartet, Book 2)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Now a squire to Prince Jonathan, one of a select few who knows her secret, Alanna is visited by the Goddess herself, who tells her that she has three fears to face: the scheming Duke Roger, the Chamber of the Ordeal, and love. She knows she must face the Duke's plans to take over the crown, and the Chamber must be endured by all squires in order to become a full knight, but can she conquer the third and greatest challenge set before her?
REVIEW: A worthy sequel, this book continues events started in the first book and weaves its own adventures for the young lady knight-to-be. Great fun and great action. Alanna's relationship with Jonathan grows more complicated than she intended - but, then, the same could be said for her whole life since she made the decision to pursue her forbidden dream of knighthood.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
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The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
(Song of the Lioness quartet, Book 3)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Prince Jonathan and his champion, Alanna, travel to the hostile deserts that cover the southern portion of Tortall. Here, they encounter more dark magic and threats as they attempt to make peace with the wild tribes of this unforgiving region. The Bahzir tribe of the Bloody Hawk, whom they end up living with for some time, is almost as much of a threat to Alanna and her companions as the tribe's enemies, with many an ancient tradition and rule set up against the outsiders.
REVIEW: I felt that this book lacked something. It wasn't quite as involving as the previous two installments, but maybe it was simply a victim of "middle book syndrome," that somewhat listless and incomplete feeling a book gets when it's in the middle of a series. Still, it had plenty of action and character development, and was pretty good overall. It certainly didn't discourage me from finishing off the quartet.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Lioness Rampant
(Song of the Lioness quartet, Book 4)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: In the final installment of the Song of the Lioness quartet, the knight Alanna and a select group of companions set out in search of the lost Dominion Jewel, a powerful gemstone which could help save Tortall from the dark forces that are tearing at its foundation. With Prince Jonathan's coronation looming, she races to procure the jewel before it falls into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, her brother Thom is ailing from corrupted magic, and an old enemy returns from the grave to exact revenge on the Lioness Alanna.
REVIEW: A fantastic conclusion to a fantastic series. Almost everything is wrapped up in a great climax, where everyone pulls their weight and wins their own battles. We are left wanting more of Tortall - and we get it, in the form of another series set in this wonderful realm, The Immortals (not read/reviewed yet) and the Protector of the Small series.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
First Test
(Protector of the Small quartet, Book 1)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Eleven years ago, the kingdom of Tortall officially declared that girls could train for knighthood. Aside from Alanna the Lioness, King's Champion and the first-ever female to sneak through the ranks and train as a "boy," however, no girl has shown any interest in taking up arms as a knight...until now. Keladry, or Kel, has lived six of her eleven years on the island nation of Yamani, where it is common for noblewomen to learn combat skills. Now, she wants to be a knight, but first she must prove to the trainers and other boys that she's capable.
REVIEW: This is Tamora Pierce's third series set in Tortall, taking place after Song of the Lioness and The Immortals (not reviewed here), but it's not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. Characters and events from the previous two series are mentioned, but you won't miss anything integral to the plot if you haven't read them. Kel is more than just a young Alanna revisited, facing entirely different challenges and tackling them with a different attitude. I'm looking forward to the day my budget allows me to purchase the next books in the quartet.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Page
(Protector of the Small quartet, Book 2)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Keladry of Mindalen has endured her first year of probation, and is now an official page, training to be a knight for the kingdom of Tortall. There are still those who, despite the successes of the famed Alanna the Lioness, believe that knighthood is not a woman's occupation. They still believe they can break Kel's determination, and do their level best to discourage her through increasingly cruel words and tricks. She thought she had seen the worst of it last year, but as a page she will face greater troubles from her peers and outsiders alike. In addition to her old allies, she picks up a homely mutt named Jump and a new servant girl who needs protection as much as she needs wages. Even as Kel struggles to become a knight, she must also deal with her own inevitable growth from girl to woman, and its attendant complications.
REVIEW: Another great installment in what looks to be another great quartet by Pierce. I'm waiting eagerly for my budget to recover sufficiently to allow me to purchase the next book... and the last one, if it's out in paperback yet.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Squire
(Protector of the Small quartet, Book 3)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Keladry has beaten the naysayers and the odds, and is now a squire. Now, she must contend with continued prejudice and opposition without her page friends to help. Many are surprised when Lord Raoul, Knight Commander of the King's Own, selects the only female squire in Tortall as his own, but she is determined to prove herself worthy of the honor. Bandits, raiders, a stolen griffin hatchling, and other dangers - not to mention the treacheries of her own heart - await her in her quest to earn her own shield.
REVIEW: Another excellent installment in the quartet, this serves also as a setup for what promised to be a spectacular conclusion. Like Alanna before her, Kel must learn to balance the demands of her profession with the demands of her heart, in addition to her other challenges. Once more, she handles her problems in her own fashion, avoiding a simple retread of the Lioness's footprints.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Lady Knight
(Protector of the Small quartet, Book 4)
Tamora Pierce
Random House
Fiction, YA Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: After eight years as page and squire and a passage through the perilous Chamber of the Ordeal, Keladry of Mindelan has at last earned her own shield and the rank of Lady Knight. Tortall is in great need of knights, as the northern barbarian clans of Scanran have been united for war. Raiders alone the soldiers can handle, but the Scanrans have a devastating new weapon: great metal-boned killing machines, powered by black necromantic arts. Before leaving the Chamber of the Ordeal, the force within that room told young Keladry that she would face down the foe that created these monstrosities... but her king has ordered her to a place away from the front lines of battle, as head of a camp for war refugees. Torn between duty to the crown and duty to the Chamber, Keladry must risk everything to fulfill her destiny.
REVIEW: I couldn't wait for the paperback version, so I broke down and got the hardcover book. This is an excellent, spellbinding conclusion to Kel's story. Plenty of action and conflict, both internal and external, await the lady knight on her journey.
You might also enjoy:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi, YA Fiction - A proper upper-class girl of the 19th century is accused of murder during a transAtlantic voyage)
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A merchant's daughter promises to finish a dying messenger's final message lands her in dark danger)
The Sisters Grimm series (Michael Buckley, YA Fiction - Two sisters learn that they're descended from the famed Brothers Grimm, whose fairy tales were actually case files documenting the activities of immortal "Everafters")
The Throwaway Princess (Elinor Busby, YA Fiction - Passed over for the crown because of a lame foot, a princess is called upon to save her land)
The Dragonslayer's Apprentice (David Calder, YA Fiction - A girl is determined to become a dragonslayer)
Dragon's Keep (Janet Lee Carey, YA Fiction - Born with a dragon-claw finger, a princess must confront malevolent dragons to save her land)
Dragonsdale (Salamanda Drake, YA Fiction - Born and raised at a dragon stable but forbidden to fly, a girl must prove herself worthy of a dragon to her fearful, strict father)
Fly by Night (Frances Hardinge, YA Fiction - An orphaned girl becomes involved in a plot that may save or destroy a land already on the brink of civil war)
Rhapsody (Elizabeth Haydon, Fiction - In an excellently-realized fantasy world, a young woman and two unlikely companions may be the only ones capable fo saving a fractured realm)
Knights (Andrea Hopkins, Nonfiction - The truth about medieval knights and their world)
The Halfblood Chronicles (Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton, Fiction - A half-elven girl raised by dragons may fulfill a prophecy that will topple the tyrannical elf lords and free their human slaves)
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - On the world of Pern, a girl forbidden to become a harper by her old-fashioned father runs away from home and stumbles across a nest of legendary fire lizards, ancestors fo Pern's great Thread-burning dragons)
The Piratica books (Tanith Lee, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history world, a teen girl sets out to become an honorable pirate queen)
The Bloody Jack adventures (L. A. Meyer, YA Fiction - To escape near-certain death on the streets of 18th-century London, a scrappy homeless girl hides her gender to become a "ship's boy" aboard an English warship)
Un Lun Dun (China Miéville, YA Fiction - A girl and her best friend from everyday London travel to the bizarre "abcity" UnLondon, where their arrival fulfills a prophecy)
The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman, YA Fiction - In an alternate-history Oxford, a girl finds herself entangled in a theocratic conspiracy that may doom her world)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy finds himself sent on a quest to save his land from an undead evil)
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia Wrede, YA Fiction - Tired of being a proper princess in a fairy tale kingdom, a headstrong girl runs off to live with dragons)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
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