This was a solid collection of stories. I enjoyed them all, with one rather shocking exception which I am afraid that I will go on at length about in a bit. None of them became instant favorites, but I am glad I read them.

As is par for the course with Tamora Pierce, there is a preponderance of strong female characters, many of whom are of the old-school Alanna the Lioness kick-ass warrior lady variety. I enjoyed seeing a few old friends and just the general tone of most of the stories. Elder Brother and The Hidden Girl were especially intriguing--I'd like to see more of this part of the world.

And then there was Nawat.

I was really excited when I saw the title--the Daughter of the Lioness duology might be my favorite Tortall books, and I couldn't wait to see what would be done with these characters that I had grown to love so much.

I wish I had not read this story.

There is this moment in Rilla of Ingleside where

It hit me with such horror that when I think back on that book, that is almost all I remember. I have read worse things in terms of horror, perhaps, but this hit me right in the gut, hard, and still makes me sick to think about. I have never and will never re-read that book, and that scene is a large portion of the reason why. 

Chunks of Nawat hit me the same way. It changed the ways I saw those characters, and not for the better. I don't think I will be re-reading this, and honestly I think I am going to pretend to myself I didn't read it in hopes of being able to continue to re-read the duology without having to think about any of the horrors apparently being carried around in the thoughts of some of these characters. The severity of the problems I had with the story are probably due to personal circumstances, but I defy anyone to believe that the concepts presented are fluffy, happy things that make you think better of the characters.

If you're looking to pick up Tamora Pierce for the first time, this is not the place to start. This is not just because it is darker in tone than much of the rest of her work, but also because the Tortall-related stories in here would majorly spoil the ending of at least two of her series, possibly three depending how carefully you read.  Taken together, though, they are a pretty good example of Tamora Pierce's primary driving theme, which is that women can be awesome in pretty much any way they want.

Aly's adventures, first started in Tamora Pierce's Trickster's Choice, continue in this spectacular sequel. After having survived their exile to Tanair, the treachery of Prince Bronau, and the dead of winter, the Balitang family is now back in Rajmuat at the behest of the current regents. With the raka conspiracy in the background trying to put a Queen on the throne, Aly and her spies must walk carefully to ensure that the family is kept safe while the current government falls into shambles.

I really love Trickster's Queen for multiple reasons. The first is that this novel deals a lot more with the politics of an uprising, and how a bad government can effectively destroy itself with just a little bit of help. There is plenty of action, but there is also a lot of sneaking around, surprises, and undercover occupations. It is different than a lot of Pierce's Tortall books in that there isn't as much fighting in the beginning, but that shouldn't concern any fans: with prison breakouts, soldiers going missing in the jungles, fires in the city, and two simultaneous conspiracies all wanting to remove the current regents, there is plenty of excitement!

The Trickster books remain one of my favorite "comfort" series to read - I love Aly, Nawat, Dove, Kyprioth, and all of the other characters who weave their stories into this tale. Like Aly, nothing in this book is straight forward, and just when you think you know what will happen a surprise whisks the rug out from under you. I read these books almost every year, and I catch something new every time!

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Set roughly a year and a half after Terrier, Beka Cooper's adventures continue in Bloodhound: The Legend of Beka Cooper #2. Beka is now a full Dog but she has problems keeping her partners -- unfortunately, no one can quite meet the standards that Beka keeps to in patrolling the Lower City and keeping the law. After arresting one partner and having another one drop her because she was too enthusiastic (while he was too lazy) Beka finds herself partnered with Tunstall and Goodwin once again.

Life in the Lower City is never routine, but things become rougher than normal when coles (counterfeit silver coins with a brass center) are found and the bread prices rise. After a riot leaves Tunstall with two broken legs, Cooper and Goodwin are sent to Port Caynn to hunt down the source of the coles... hopefully before people starve in the hard winter to come.

While I didn't enjoy Bloodhound as much as I loved Terrier, it is a great book written in Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe. I would have loved to have seen more of Rosto, Kora, and the other Corus Rogues, but it was interesting to see how Dogs and Rogues worked together in another city. Beka really comes into her own in this tale: Still impatient and spontaneous, she must rely on her own wits -- with the company of Slapper and Achoo -- while trying to keep one step ahead of both the local dogs and the Court of the Rogue. Full of danger, romance, corruption, and mystery, this is another must read book for anyone who loves Pierce's writing and the stories she creates.

Terrier is the first book in Tamora Pierce's "Beka Cooper" trilogy. Telling the story of George Cooper's illustrious ancestor, Terrior is equal parts mystery and pure fun. Pierce has a talent of writing likeable characters that you can related to, no matter your age, and Beka Cooper is no exception to that. As the tale starts, we learn Beka's backstory through the eyes of her mother and two members of the Provost's Guard and the Lord Provost himself. Beka is not only a stubborn an intelligent girl, but she also has the magic of her father's blood, which allows her to speak with the dead. She is a strong female, as are many of Pierce's characters, but she is capable without losing herself and her sense of adventure.

The bulk of Terrier takes place over just a few months, with Beka now a trainee Guardswoman (a Puppy in the Provost's Guard) who is assigned to work in the Cesspool, one of the worst and poorest areas in the city. Beka soon finds out that while growing up in the Cesspool gives her the advantage of knowing how that part of the city works, there is more hidden in the darkness than she would have ever expected. With bribery, murder, and kidnapping lurking for the unwary, there are also unlikely friendships to be made. Beka must learn everything that she can about being a Dog, and quickly... Before the Shadow Snake comes for her.

I almost burst into tears when I finished this book. My reaction took me by surprise because I've read First Test at least four or five times. It shouldn't still affect me like this, but it does. It's a fairly simple story, but I love it so very much, and I adore Kel.

The only thing I can recall being interested in when I was younger that was "for boys only" was comics. There was this comic shop right near my high school that I used to go to during my lunch period. It had a fabulous bargain section, perfect for someone just starting out and still trying to figure out their tastes. I'd buy something every week or two and put up with the grumpy guy who owned the place. Except I eventually figured out he wasn't grumpy with everyone, just me. He was nice and helpful towards adults and teenage boys, while I got lectured about the way I touched the comics, or about being in the store too long without buying something. After a while, I stopped buying individual comics and just read graphic novels, which I could get at bookstores or libraries. No more grumpy comic shop guy.

Kel dealt with a lot more than just lectures. After Alanna the Lioness became the first female knight (by spending several years pretending to be a boy), it was proclaimed that girls could become pages. Ten years later, Keladry of Mindelan became the first girl to request to become a page. Her request was granted, but, to satisfy Lord Wyldon, the hidebound training master, she was put on probation for a year.

Like I said, this story was pretty simple. There were no “dark political intrigue” subplots, just “can Kel make it through her training and be accepted back next year?” She had an uphill battle. The boys wrecked her room, hardly anyone wanted to be her sponsor, and bullies picked on her whenever the teachers weren't looking. No one expected her to be around next year.

Kel was quite possibly the most mature 10-year-old ever, stoically putting up with a certain level of treatment and fighting back when her sense of justice demanded it and the rules permitted it (sort of). She had spent six years of her life living in the Yamani Islands (the fantasy equivalent of Japan?) with her parents and had picked up the Yamani custom of hiding her feelings and controlling her emotions. She had also had a little bit of weapons training, because even the most timid of Yamani court ladies got such training.

Kel was probably the most perfect possible first official female page, but she wasn't disgustingly so. She'd get frustrated from time to time, and her brutal schedule and the bullying she had to endure meant she couldn't always finish all her coursework. Her prior weapons training sometimes meant she had habits she needed to unlearn when learning to use similar but differently handled weapons.

I enjoyed Kel's growing friendships with the various other pages, and I liked Neal, her sponsor. As a fan of fantasy animal companions, Kel's little flock of sparrows and grumpy Peachblossom made me happy. Kel wasn't magically gifted herself (which I actually kind of liked), but some of the other characters were. Bonedancer, a living archaeopteryx skeleton, Numair, a mage, and Daine, a Wildmage, all made appearances.

The only way my copy of this book is ever leaving my possession is if I one day gift it to one of my nieces or it falls apart.

Extras:

A map of the kingdom of Tortall, a "cast of characters" section, and a glossary.

(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)