Tortall Series: Protector of the Small Quartet

Author:Tamora Pierce

Books in Series: First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight

Tortall Series: Protector of the Small is the last quartet in a larger series of books called the Tortall Series. Each quartet is related in that they take place in the same land and the charcters often know each other or are inter-related, however, each quartet is about a different person. Song of the Lioness comes first, the next quartet is called The Immortals Series, and it's about a girl named Daine. Protector of the Small involves the characters in the other two quartets, but you don't have to read them in order to understand this set.

Rating: PG-13. Although none of the battle scenes in these books are particularly graphic, there are still a LOT of them, and some of the techniques of the enemy are not exactly.....mild, to say the least. There's no sex though. Kel does consider it, and it is vaguely hinted at that the notion of staying a virgin till marriage is old-fashioned and ridiculous, but Kel is more focused on her duties as a knight than she is in romance.

Pages:
Book 1: 228
Book 2: 253
Book 3: 390
Book 4: 411

Summary:
First Test: In the medieval and fantastic realm of Tortall, Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that permits females to train for knighthood.


Page: Kel fights to maintain the rigorous regimen of a page while confronting the prejudices that come with being a female in a man's world and coping with a crush on her closest friend, Neal.

Squire: When Kel is chosen by the legendary Lord Raoul to be his squire, the conservatives of the realm hardly think she’s up to the job. Kel earns respect and admiration among the men, as well as the affection of a fellow squire.

Lady Knight: Keladry of Mindelan has finally achieved her life-long dream of being a knight. But it’s not turning out as she imagined at all. With the land of Tortall at war with the Scanrans, she has been assigned to oversee a refugee camp. But Kel has had a vision in the Chamber—a vision of the man behind the horrific battle machines that her fellow knights and friends are now fighting without her. She is torn between a duty she has sworn and a quest that she feels could turn the tide of the war. . .

My Thoughts: Of all the Tortall Books, Protector of the Small is my very favorite. Kel seriously just kicks butt. She doesn't let stupid people with prejudices against women get her down. At every seeming setback, she just works harder to prove herself, and manages to make quite a few friends in the process. The title of "Protector of the Small" is very apt because from the beginning Kel takes it upon herself to protect many of the other pages from severe bullying. She forms a habit of roaming the halls at night and starting fights with older boys who are in the process of bullying younger ones. She really looks out for the little guy throughout the entire series, especially anyone who is normally overlooked by people of her station, such as peasants, servants, and children. Another reason I love Kel is that unlike Alanna, everyone knows she is a girl, so she's got it really rough, but she also doesn't have any magic. She does it all on her own power, with no real help.

This is part of the reason it's so difficult for her to gain acceptance. Since Alanna made it through to Knighthood by tricking everyone into thinking she was a boy, and she also had magic, there were speculations that she basically cheated. Even though the king officially declared that girls would be allowed to try for knighthood, Kel is the first to take advantage of it. The training master, Lord Wyldon, is very against the idea, and so insists that Kel be put on one year of probation. If she survives the year acceptably, she will be allowed to stay and train for knighthood. Another restriction is that Alanna will not be able to have any interaction with Kel, on suspicion that she will try to help her. Kel is extremely determined, and does not let any of the formidable obstacles in her way stop her from trying her absolute best.

Another reason I love this quartet is that it's more about the process of becoming a knight and what a knight does. The Alanna series is almost more about her personal relationships and how she uses her magic in her life. Kel sees much more battle, and the exciting scenes are much more drawn out, since these books are longer. Still almost impossible to put down though. I could barely stop reading the last book. There's a lot of suspense and almost non-stop action as Kel races to stop the horrific magic of a man named Blayce.

I just think Kel is a great role-model because she is brave, she keeps her head in tough situations, she's fair, she's always looking out for those less fortunate, she's humble, and she never falters in the face of adversity. She just keeps plowing forward, even when the odds seem to be heavily against her. I love this quartet the best out of all the Tortall books, so if you are unsure, start with these. Love them!

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb: A Novel

Author: Melanie Benjamin
Pages: 413
Rating: PG - there is one scene where she almost gets raped, but it's not graphic or anything

Summary: She was only two feet, eight inches tall, but more than a century later, her legend reaches out to us. As a child, Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Warren Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and became the world’s most unexpected celebrity. Vinnie’s wedding captivated the nation, preempted coverage of the Civil War, and even ushered her into the White House. But her fame also endangered the person she prized most: her similarly sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie’s spotlight.

My Thoughts: This book is my favorite type of historical fiction. ALL the characters and events are real, it's just the details that are filled in by the author's imagination. All of Vinnie's inner thoughts and feelings, her specific conversations, and her impressions of those she meets are mostly fictional, but who she meets and where she goes and what she does are all real events. I had never even heard of General Tom Thumb until I read this book, and it was definitely fascinating. If you are interested in reading up a little on Vinnie and her life, go here. There are also several pictures you can find by searching "Lavinia Warren Stratton" on the internet.

I love the way the author chose to portray Vinnie as someone with huge ambition and drive, but also not willing to allow her small size to hold her back from achieving anything. Vinnie is a very proper lady and she never lets anyone forget it, even when she is being displayed early on in her career on a crude traveling showboat. She wants to be remembered for how cordial and perfectly ladylike she is, not by how small she is. It was absolutely fascinating following her life story, especially as she became a very close friend of the famous P.T. Barnum, which is still a household name even in the 21st century. There was so much history in the book as well. She starts out her career as the Civil War is breaking out, and her marriage to Tom Thumb actually manages to push news of the war into the back pages of the newspapers. Each chapter begins with a few short newspaper excerpts relating the news of the time period, such as the new discovery of electricity and how it can be used to power lights. I loved it.

The only complaint I would have about this book is that when Vinnie goes to Utah and meets the Mormons, she has an extremely disfavorable view of them, because of polygamy. The book says that she felt like the Mormon women were more like background slaves and that they were downcast and depressing in appearance. This was obviously something that was mostly up to the author's personal discretion. In the Author's Note at the end, she says that she never found much of anything that Vinnie shared personal feelings about. I was a bit disappointed that the author made something like that up. Yes, they were practicing polygamy at the time, but I highly doubt that Mormon women were actually background characters, there to just serve their husbands meekly and not to be seen or heard. That doesn't mesh with what I know of Mormon history. So that was really the only part that I was unhappy with in the book. Otherwise, it was an absolutely fascinating read that I highly recommend!

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park

Author: Cindy Jones
Pages: 319

Rating: Sadly, R. There are two sex scenes. The first one is not a problem because it's pretty vauge, but the second one is pretty descriptive. I had to skip it. If you still want to read the book, then skip the first three pages of Chapter 20. All you need to know is that she regrets it.

Summary: Lily has squeezed herself into undersized relationships all her life, hoping one might grow as large as those found in the Jane Austen novels she loves. But lately her world is running out of places for her to fit. So when her bookish friend invites her to spend the summer at a Jane Austen literary festival in England, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself.

There, among the rich, promising world of Mansfield Park reenactments, Lily finds people whose longing to live in a novel equals her own. But real-life problems have a way of following you wherever you go, and Lily's accompany her to England. Unless she can change her ways, she could face the fate of so many of Miss Austen's characters, destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

My Thoughts: I often have a hard time with adult novels because they often have too much sex, and they are SOO dramatic! Lilly is such a ridiculous character. She has serious problems. It makes sense, and you feel her pain, but it's almost depressing. I felt depressed when I was done with reading the book for the day. Here's the situation. Lilly has just lost her mother after a brief bout with cancer. Only a few weeks later, her father already has a new girlfriend, who moves into the house and begins to erase Lilly's mother from existence. Lilly's boyfriend of over a year dumps her, she gets fired from her job, and then she finds out that her father is getting married to this new woman, who happens to be quite a bit younger. Life is really sucking for Lilly. So, when an opportunity opens for her to go to England and participate in a Literature Event that reenacts Jane Austen novels, she is all over it. However, life just keeps getting more complicated.

The book would probably be better if you are more familiar with Jane Austen novels, especially Mansfield Park. There is a brief synopsis of Mansfield Park at the beginning, so I wasn't totally lost, but I felt like some of the arguments presented in the book were over my head. It wasn't really that great of a book in my opinion. It was well written. I felt for Lilly, that is for sure, but I didn't really like how I felt at the end or while I was reading. It was just so depressing and confusing. And I'm not sure if the ending was exactly happy either. If you're a die-hard Jane Austen fan, go ahead and read this one, but like I said, skip the sex scene in the first three pages of Chapter 20.

Series: 1-800-Where-R-U

Author: Meg Cabot

Books in Series: When Lightning Strikes, Code Name Cassandra, Safe House, Sanctuary, Missing You

Rating: PG-13 for some mild language and frightening scenes

Pages: Book 1 -272
Book 2- 272
Book 3- 272
Book 4- 231 (thank goodness, I was beginning to think the author made them ALL 272 pages.)
Book 5- 288

Summary:
 Book 1 -When lightning strikes there can only be trouble - as Jessica Mastriani finds out when she and best friend Ruth get caught in a thunderstorm. Not that Jess has ever really avoided trouble before. Instead of cheerleading there are fistfights with the football team and month-long stints in detention - not that detention doesn't have its good points - like sitting next to Rob - the cutest senior around! But this is trouble with a capital T - this trouble is serious. Because somehow, on that long walk home in the thunderstorm, Jess acquired a newfound talent. An amazing power that can be used for good...or for evil.

Book 2-  Jess Mastriani was dubbed "Lightning Girl" by the press when she developed a psychic ability to find missing children after she was struck by lightning during a huge storm. Now Jess has lost her miraculous powers...or at least she would like the media and the government to think so. All she wants is to be left alone.

But it doesn't look like Jess is going to get her wish -- especially not while working at a summer camp for musically gifted kids. When the father of a missing girl shows up to beg Jess to find his daughter, Jess can't say no. Now the Feds are on her tail again, as is one ornery stepdad, who'd like to see Lightning Girl...well, dead.

Book 3- When cheerleader Amber Mackey goes missing and is later found dead, many blame Lightning Girl, Jess Mastriani, for not stopping the brutal killing. But when Amber went missing Jess was on holiday. It wasn't her fault! How could Jess have found her when she didn't know that she was missing in the first place? When another cheerleader disappears, Jess has a chance to redeem herself. But just how is she supposed to keep her psychic powers secret from the feds, while at the same time tracking down a murderer - especially when the number one suspect turns out to be living in Jess's own house?

Book 4- Jess knew she wasn't going to be able to hide her psychic powers from the U.S. government forever. But she never thought that she and Dr. Krantz, the special agent brought in to convince Jess to join his elite team of "specially gifted" crime solvers, would have something in common.
When a local boy's disappearance is attributed to a backwoods militia group, it turns out that Jess and Dr. Krantz have the same goal. Suddenly Jess finds herself collaborating with one enemy in order to stop a far worse one. In an atmosphere of hate and fear, Jess and Dr. Krantz must work together to unite a community and save a life...without loosing their own.

Book 5-  Ever since a walk home on a particularly stormy day, Jessica Mastriani has had an ability like no other. She became known worldwide as Lightning Girl—a psychic who could find the location of anyone, dead or alive. Jess finally had no choice but to embrace her newfound talent, and ended up lending her skills to the U.S. government.
But her work for them has taken a terrible toll, and Jess resurfaces months later a shadow of her former self, her powers gone, Lightning Girl no more. Her only hope is starting over in a new place, a big city where nobody knows her. It's only when Rob Wilkins unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep that she's forced to face her past. Rob, all the way from back home, needs her help. But how can Jess, her powers gone, find anyone, let alone the sister of a man she once loved . . . when she can't even find herself?

My Thoughts: If you've ever read anything by Meg Cabot (Princess Diaries...) you know she's a fantastic author with a sharp wit. I always end up laughing when I read her books, and they're hard to put down. These are no different. I loved them because they aren't terribly long, but they are almost thrillers, since they deal with disappearances and sometimes murders. And they aren't really THAT creepy. I'm a huge wuss when it comes to anything frightening and I was able to get through these without having nightmares, but there was still PLENTY of suspense. There are really no good stopping places.

Just a brief rundown...Jess is not a very popular person and she has a tendency to lose her temper and get in fights pretty often. Usually with football players three times her size. But then one day when walking home from school, she gets hit by lightning, and ends up being able to find missing people. All she has to do is see their picture and know they are missing, and their location just pops into her head. However, she runs into some trouble when she finds out that some people went missing for good reason and aren't very pleased to be found. This new talent also makes her famous with the press AND the US government, who basically want to use her as a secret weapon. It's very entertaining.

If you're not interested in reading the whole series, the first book stands on its own pretty well, and the last one does too. The background from the other books is nice, but since the setting is several years past book 4, it's not super important.

The only problem you may have with these books is that they are hard to find. My sister ended up buying them online because she couldn't find more than the first book anywhere else. But if you do come across them, they are fantastic! I don't know why they are so hard to find, because I liked them better than the Princess Diaries.

Are We There Yet?

Author: David Levithan (a side note about this author, all of his other books have strong homosexual themes and are usually about gay teens. If that is something you are interested in, he's an author for you. If not, then this is really the only book by him that I can recommend.)

Pages: 215
Rating: PG-13, for several drug references, slight language, and vague references to sex.

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Elijah is completely mellow and his 23-year-old brother Danny is completely not, so it’s no wonder they can barely tolerate one another. So what better way to repair their broken relationship than to trick them into taking a trip to Italy together? Soon, though, their parents’ perfect solution has become Danny and Elijah’s nightmare as they’re forced to spend countless hours together. But then Elijah meets Julia, and soon the brothers aren’t together nearly as much. And then Julia meets Danny and soon all three of them are in a mixed-up, turned-around, never-what-you-expect world of brothers, Italy, and love.

My Thoughts: I have read this book at least three times, not because the story itself is particularly moving, but because Levithan is a master of words and language. The sentences he strings together never cease to amaze me. Here's an example. "He feels the antithesis of alone, because he is in the company of circumstance." Or "The buildings line the canals like sentences—each house a word, each window a letter, each gap a punctuation." It's just....deep the way he writes. And the story really isn't bad either. Two brothers, so far apart, sent on this random trip to Italy together, somehow manage to come to terms with each other by the end. It's a good one. And I love it.

The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck--101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers

Author: Ron Clark
Pages: 317
Rating: G

Summary:
I often say I am a schoolteacher with the heart of a parent. I’ve made it my mission to make a difference in the lives of all of our children. I have traveled throughout our country, visiting schools in all 50 states, seeking out remarkable teachers who inspire our children to greatness.

 Sadly, I have also witnessed classrooms that seemed sapped of all energy, filled with students struggling to stay awake and teachers in desperate need of inspiration. These “Molasses Classes” broke my heart.
I had to do something! I decided to leave my classroom in East Harlem, New York, and devote my time to this audacious dream: to create a revolution in our country, starting from the ground up. The heart of this change would be a school, unlike any in the world. It would be full of passion, creativity, energy, and an unparalleled freedom to do whatever it took to lead every child to success. The parents and teachers of this school would forge a true partnership with the intent of providing the best learning environment possible.

I am proud to say that dream—the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, is now a reality. We welcome educators from all over the world to visit and learn from our methods and techniques so that they may take them back to their schools. I am still teaching, every day, and I feel honored to have hosted more than 10,000 educators in my classroom. This book is filled with the magic, the successes, the heartbreaks, the mistakes, and the triumphs that are the Ron Clark Academy. These are the 101 most successful strategies we have used to help uplift our children and enliven our classrooms. My hope is that you will find ideas here that will help you ignite a passion for learning in your children—and together we can get the molasses out of all our children’s classes.

My Thoughts: This book was awesome. I honestly want to gift-wrap this book and give it to every teacher and administrator and parent in the world. Even though it's a book mostly about a school, there are some awesome ideas in there for parents as well. In fact, there's an entire section of the book full of tips that are specifically about "The Role of the Parent in the Success of the Child" and all the tips are about how you personally can help your child succeed. It also raises a lot of important points about how busted the education system in this country is, and I feel like it inspired me to push for changes in the schools around me, even if they are just small changes. When I have my own children I'm sending to school, I will keep in mind a lot of the ideas in this book, and try not to send them somewhere where their creativity and confidence will be squashed.

Some of my favorite tips from the book are:
-Teach children to believe in themselves and don't destroy the dream
-Not every child deserves a cookie
-Uplift other adults who play a role in the lives of our children
-See the potential in every child.
-Accept the fact that if kids like you all the time, then you're doing something wrong.

I actually have some hope in the fact that my middle school had a few things in place that the book suggests. My middle school had a mural on every wall. It was awesome. My band director had pictures pretty much wallpapering the back wall of the bandroom. Pictures from years past, trips, students, everything. It was every kid's hope to eventually have their picture on the wall. So...there are schools out there that are better than others. Just knowing what to look for helps. 

I recommend this book to EVERYONE who ever plans to have a child in their life at some point. It's really thought-provoking, even if you don't think all of the ideas will work for you, some of them definitely will.

What A Song Can Do: 12 Riffs on the Power of Music

Author: Various
Pages: 193
Rating: PG-13, but only because one story drops the F-bomb twice. But other than that, it's extremely clean. If you don't want the F-bomb, just skip the story entitled, "Riffs"

Summary: This compelling collection of stories explores the powerful impact that music has in our lives—especially in the lives of teens. Each story strikes a new note: Ron Koertge introduces us to the boys in the band—the marching band; Joseph Bruchac contributes a Native American boy with no rhythm whatsoever; Jennifer Armstrong writes about what was perhaps the first battle of the bands—during the American Civil War; and David Levithan offers up a love song that speaks powerfully to an unintended audience. But while each story is different, they combine into a harmonic song of praise—for the depths music can reach in us, and the power it has to bind us together.

My Thoughts: I'm not normally one for short stories, but I'm a sucker for anything musical, so I picked this one up. I actually really enjoyed each story in this book. They were all very well written and were touching in their own way. One reason I don't usually like short stories is because I want them all to be longer stories. I don't like how they end so quickly. I want them to be full books so I can really get to know the characters and read their ENTIRE story, not just a segment of it. But I liked each of the stories. Like I said in the rating, avoid the story called "Riffs" if you're not comfortable with the fact that it drops the F-bomb twice. I think my favorite story was probably the first one, "Variations on a Theme" which is basically a collection of one pages little bios from each instrument in a band. I loved that. I also liked "Tangled Notes in Watermelon" about a girl who has something called synesthesia, which causes her to see shapes and colors when she hears music. It's pretty interesting. The book wasn't life-changing or anything, but then, I'm not a short-story person, so give it a read anyway. It's nice and short, so you won't be wasting time, I can promise that.

The Poisonwood Bible

Author: Barbara Kingsolver
Pages: 543
Rating: PG

Summary: In 1959, Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist, takes his four young daughters, his wife, and his mission to the Belgian Congo -- a place, he is sure, where he can save needy souls. But the seeds they plant bloom in tragic ways within this complex culture. Set against one of the most dramatic political events of the twentieth century -- the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium and its devastating consequences -- here is New York Times-bestselling author Barbara Kingslover's beautiful, heartbreaking, and unforgettable epic that chronicles the disintegration of family and a nation.

My Thoughts: If you have not yet read this life-changing book, drop everything, go get it, and read it NOW. This is my second time reading this book, and I'm telling you, it completely changes the way you see the world, the United States in particular. Kingsolver is an amazing writer, and she just sweeps you right in to the lives of her characters. You change and grow right along with them. Just as the the Price family is utterly different at the end of the book from what they were at the beginning, you will be too. I'm serious when I say that this book can totally rearrange the way you think about just about everything. It's that good.

There's quite a commentary about how sometimes we think that the way we live and do things is the right way, and anyone doing it differently must be wrong. But really, it all depends on the circumstances and the lifestyle. In particular, "civilized" countries such as the US, made a habit of going around and trying to civilize all these other nations who were really doing just fine the way they were. And then when we didn't like the way they were running things, we changed it, because to us it didn't make sense or seem like it would work. We cannot judge someone else's actions based on only our own experiences.

This book is on my favorite book list. I absolutely love it. It takes forever to read cuz it's really long, but it's so worth it. It's so deep and thoughtful. The book also helped me to be grateful for all the blessings I have. We really don't have that much to complain about when you think about it. Here in the United States, we've got it pretty good. And, you can't just believe everything you hear about other places. The people there might tell you a different story.

As far as my rating, I gave it a PG because there's no real inappropriateness. It's a very clean book, it's just really intense and the subject matter is pretty mature. I don't think, say, a middle schooler would be able to process the book as well as an older teen or an adult could. It's just a book that seeps into you better when you've had more life experiences. For that reason, I feel like it's a book I can read over and over again at different stages in my life, and I will feel completely different about it. I'll never read it the same way twice. I can't wait to read it again in five or six years and see how it changes for me.

Go read it. NOW!!!! You won't regret it, I promise.

Series: The Wakefield Dynasty

This is only the first book. I couldn't find a picture of the entire series. Sorry.

STOP! DO NOT FREAK OUT THAT THIS IS A GIANT SERIES!!! See My Thoughts below before you rule out these books!

Author: Gilbert Morris

Books in Series: The Sword of Truth, The Winds of God, The Shield of Honor, The Fields of Glory, The Ramparts of Heaven, The Song of Princes, A Gathering of Eagles

Rating: PG I think. There is a bit of violence, and each book has an underlying love story, but since the books are religious-themed, there's nothing more than mushy words and some kissing.

Pages: Book 1 - 409
Book 2- 380
Book 3- 394
Book 4- 376
Book 5- 361
Book 6- 386
Book 7- 320

Summary:
Two families--the Wakefields of nobility and the lower-class Morgans--are the focus of this sweeping generational saga, joined by intriguing personalities such as Elizabeth I, William Tyndale, and John Bunyan. Linking the people and events through the ages is the struggle of men and women who sought God as the answer to their difficulties.
#1: The Sword of Truth
Myles Morgan's discovery of his noble heritage introduces him to a fascinating new life in the English court and to the political conflict surrounding the translation of the Bible into English.
#2 The Winds of God
The sweeping saga of the noble Wakefields and the lower-class Morgans continues with this compelling account of the Spanish Armada during the reign of Elizabeth I.
#3 The Shield of Honor
This third book of the series depicts the English civil war, Charles I, and Cromwell as it continues the story of the Wakefield and Morgan families.
#4 The Fields of Glory
Evan, Amos, and Jenny form a triangle of romance and adventure that takes them to the limits of their faith. With the help of an outspoken minister named John Bunyan they are drawn closer to God.
#5 The Ramparts of Heaven
Follow the quest of Andrew Wakefield, a ministerial student at Oxford University, as he joins these shakers and movers in their attempts to advance the Methodist movement--and bring the realities of the gospel of Christ to a needy world.
#6 The Song of Princes
Twin brothers Paul and David Wakefield are born rivals and opposites in many things, yet only one can be master of Wakefield. Set in England during the reigns of George II and George III, The Song of Princes spans English history from the Methodist movement to the initial rumblings of the American Revolution. 

#7 A Gathering of Eagles 
Despite his conversion to Christ, Cathan must courageously prove his newfound faith to those he betrayed--Shayna and Sir Honor Wakefield. 

My Thoughts: Ok, first of all DO NOT get thrown off by the fact that this is such an enormous series. Since each book follows a new generation of the family, it's not completely necessary to read all the books or even to read them in order. Each book is its own story, and stands pretty much on its own. I don't remember reading all of these (I read them in high school) but I did read at least the first two and they were phenomenal. I think historical fiction is the best way to learn history. The first book is mainly concerned with the translation of the Bible into English. William Tyndale is of course a big character. I learned more about him and his involvement with translating the Bible from these books than I ever did from any history class.

As with most historical fiction, the Wakefield and Morgan families are entirely fictional, but nearly ever other character and event that transpires are historically accurate. The history is the main part of each book, but as the covers suggest, there's a love story subplot in each book. And it's a typical Christian romance. Lots of mushy gushy words and a little kissing and that's about it.

Anyway, this is an amazing historical fiction series that I HIGHLY recommend, even if you just choose a random book that you think looks most interesting to you. I only really remember the happenings of Book one, so start there, I can guarantee that one is worth your while.

Tortall Series: The Immortals Quartet

Author: Tamora Pierce

Books in Quartet: Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, Emperor Mage, Realms of the Gods

Tortall Series: The Immortals quartet is the second quartet in a larger series of books called the Tortall Series. Each quartet is related in that they take place in the same land and the charcters often know each other or are inter-related, however, each quartet is about a different person. The first Quartet is Song of the Lioness, which I have reviewed also on this blog, then the Immortals. After that is Protector of the Small, about a girl named Kel, and then you have Trickster's Queen,  and Trickster's Choice.The Beka Cooper trilogy technically is set years and years before Song of the Lioness, but from what I've heard, it stands on its own without much need of reading the others, so you can go for those at whatever point. Just a bit of information in case you wanted to make sure you're reading them all in the right order.


Pages: Book 1 - 362
Book 2 -368
Book 3 -358
Book 4 - 338

Rating: .PG (There's some violence and war, but nothing terribly graphic. The love part only comes in the very last book, and all they do is kiss, so it's clean in that sense too.)

Summary: Book One -Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a knack with animals, but it's not until she's forced to leave home that she realizes it's more than a knack -- it's magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but also she can make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen's Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student.
Under Numair's guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she begins to sense other beings too: immortals. These bloodthirsty monsters have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years, but now someone has broken the barrier. It's up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an immortal attack.

Book Two - When Daine is summoned by the wolf pack that saved her life a year earlier, she knows she has to go. She and Numair travel to Dunlath Valley to answer the call. But when they arrive, Daine realizes with a shock that it's not just the animals whose lives are threatened; people are in danger too. Dunlath's rulers have discovered black opals in their valley and are dead set on mining the magic these stones embody. Daine learns that Dunlath's lord and lady plan to use this power to overthrow King Jonathan -- even if it means irreversibly damaging the land and killing their workers.
On a mission to save both her animal friends and her human ones, Daine has to master her wild magic in order to fight for the kingdom and triumph over the would-be usurpers.

Book Three - Sent to Carthak as part of the Tortallan peace delegation, Daine finds herself in the middle of a sticky political situation. She doesn't like the Carthaki practice of keeping slaves, but it's not her place to say anything -- she's just there to heal the emperor's birds. It's extremely frustrating! What's more, her power has grown in a mysterious way.
As the peace talks stall, Daine puzzles over Carthak's two-faced Emperor Ozorne. How can he be so caring with his birds and so cruel to his people? Daine is sure he's planning something. Daine must fight the powerful Emperor Mage, knowing that the safety and peace of the realm depend on stopping Ozorne's power-hungry schemes.


Book Four - During a dire battle against the fearsome Skinners, Daine and her mage teacher Numair are swept into the Divine Realms. Though happy to be alive, they are not where they want to be. They are desperately needed back home, where their old enemy, Ozorne, and his army of strange creatures are waging war against Tortall.

Trapped in the mystical realms Daine discovers her mysterious parentage. And as these secrets of her past are revealed so is the treacherous way back to Tortall. So they embark on an extraordinary journey home, where the fate of all Tortall rests with Daine and her wild magic.

My Thoughts: I like the Alanna books and the Protector of the Small books better than the Immortals, but that didn't stop me from being engrossed in these. It was again hard to stop reading them, because they move at a very fast pace. Daine's magic is different from most people's. Some people in the fictional land have magic called the Gift, but it is easier to control, and most people with the gift can do simple things like light fires with it. Daine's magic is specific to animals. She can heal, but only animals, not people, and she can speak to animals and control them basically. Outside of the animal realm, Daine's powers do basically nothing. Her wild magic is so strong, that at one point, she got so absorbed in connecting with a pack of wolves that she forgot she was human for a time.

By the end of the first book, Daine has figured out how to talk to the animals around her and call to them with just her mind, from great distances. She is no longer in danger of forgetting she is human. In the second book, Daine learns how to basically inhabit other animals for brief amounts of time. She goes into meditation and for a set time, she can see, taste, and feel everything that animal does. By the end of the book, she is learning how to shapeshift and actually become other animals for a while, although this is quite difficult. Each book has a different disaster that Daine helps divert because of her ability to talk and work through her animal friends. She also can talk to Immortals, and there are some good ones. Griffins, dragons, basilisks, and others are all friendly and kind Immortals. But there are plenty of bad ones too. Every disaster that almost befalls Tortall is part of a giant scheme by Ozorne, and that doesn't reach a climax until the last book.

The last book is by far the most violent and magical and crazy. New creatures are surfacing all the time, and things are really developing. I started to get overwhelmed with all the magical stuff and the crazy stories with their gods and whatnot. The gods have a huge role to play in the last book, and it gets a little far-fetched. Overall, the Immortals series is not my favorite of the Tortall books, but they are still good.