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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book picks up a few months after the events of [b:Emperor Mage|13833|Emperor Mage (Immortals, #3)|Tamora Pierce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1166573612s/13833.jpg|3094151]. In the past few months, former emperor Ozorne, now a stormwing, has collapsed the barrier between the mortal and immortal realms. The immortal monsters are now plaguing the mortal world and there is a great war going on. Numair and Daine are essential to this war effort and are sent from place to place to try and contain the immortal threat. At one such place they are in mortal danger and whisked away to the immortal realm by Daine's parents. Daine finally gets to meet her father and see her mother again. The only problem is they can't leave the immortal realm. The parents don't have the power to send them back and the high gods are waging their own war against Chaos. The only hope is the dragons. So Daine and Numair have to travel across the immortal realm to reach the dragons with only their god friends to help them. Meanwhile they keep getting glimpses of what is going on in the mortal realm through dreams and visions. They also discover the Darklings, who were created by Ozorne as spies.
I loved the introduction of the Darklings as they are some of my favorite creatures in future novels of this series. I liked finding out their creation story and how they turned against Ozorne. The immortal realm was interesting, but it did take Daine and Numair away from Tortall and all the human characters there. I found the trek across the realm to be mostly a way to make Daine and Numair realize their feelings for each other and while I like that relationship I do find it a bit icky that Daine is 16 and Numair is 30. I kind of wish Pierce would have aged her up just a bit to decrease the ick factor. They have always had a student/teacher relationship and to see that grow into a romantic one is a bit off-putting.
I loved the introduction of the Darklings as they are some of my favorite creatures in future novels of this series. I liked finding out their creation story and how they turned against Ozorne. The immortal realm was interesting, but it did take Daine and Numair away from Tortall and all the human characters there. I found the trek across the realm to be mostly a way to make Daine and Numair realize their feelings for each other and while I like that relationship I do find it a bit icky that Daine is 16 and Numair is 30. I kind of wish Pierce would have aged her up just a bit to decrease the ick factor. They have always had a student/teacher relationship and to see that grow into a romantic one is a bit off-putting.
In this final book of the The Immortals series, Daine, a girl with animal-based magic, travels to the land of the gods. Here she meets her mysterious father, who she has always wondered about, and becomes embroiled in the schemes of warring gods. It’s entertaining, but has less focus on animals than previous books, which made it less interesting for me. I did enjoy the dragons, though.
I really enjoyed the last book about Daine. Even though it was a little creepy that she and Numair got together, I was able to stomach it because Daine seemed so much older based on her life experiences. And, I suppose we are assuming that during the time the book takes place it is not uncommon for such a young girl to be wed off to a older man. It's just kind of creepy and I wish Pierce had made either Daine older or Numair younger. Either way I don't think it would have ruined their characters.
All in all I think anyone who enjoys [a:Garth Nix|8347|Garth Nix|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207583754p2/8347.jpg] would like this series a lot.
All in all I think anyone who enjoys [a:Garth Nix|8347|Garth Nix|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207583754p2/8347.jpg] would like this series a lot.
A satisfying conclusion to the quartet. I forgot that darkings made an appearance here and we learn how they were made. (I know I read another Pierce book or short story where they befriended a girl architect(?).) Things also heat up and look promising for Daine and Numair.
3.5 stars
This was a fitting ending for this series, which I greatly enjoyed, but it didn't get as high a rating because there was a lot of discussion about the politics of the realm of the Gods and no matter what the context, I start to get lost when they talk about all the ins and outs of politics. That said, I really like the characters in this series, and I particularly like Numair. I also enjoyed watching Daine learn about her parents, and how that story ends. I also love the imagination this author has for all the various creatures, and the darklings were really cool. This series is perfect for a full-cast production and after finishing this series, I really want to read the other series in this universe, and will probably go back to the beginning of this universe with Alanna.
This was a fitting ending for this series, which I greatly enjoyed, but it didn't get as high a rating because there was a lot of discussion about the politics of the realm of the Gods and no matter what the context, I start to get lost when they talk about all the ins and outs of politics. That said, I really like the characters in this series, and I particularly like Numair. I also enjoyed watching Daine learn about her parents, and how that story ends. I also love the imagination this author has for all the various creatures, and the darklings were really cool. This series is perfect for a full-cast production and after finishing this series, I really want to read the other series in this universe, and will probably go back to the beginning of this universe with Alanna.
Series number 4 in the Tortall series by Tamora Pierce (the prequel series to this isn't done so when The Exile's Gift is finished I'll do that and Tempests and Slaughter) The Immortals quartet!
Wild Magic
Wolf Speaker
Emperor Mage
The Realms of the Gods
So... I REALLY enjoyed books 1-3 about Daine (DAYNE not Diane for my fellow dyslexics). This takes places after the Alanna series by a good many years, the Alanna cast and crew are all grown up, in charge, and married with kids when Daine shows up in town with the trainer for the Riders (not knights, more like horseback police). Daine has some peculiar qualities though like she can speak with animals and also sense Immortals when they are nearby.
Immortals in this book are several "known" species: dragons, unicorns, centaurs, trolls, ogres. There are several that I've never heard of or Pierce made up, but they are all pretty neat. I love her image of basilisks.
Daine has this "wild magic" with animals so Numair (early on to be revealed to be the boy now man that Tempests and Slaughter was about), the super powerful wizard, starts to train her.
The first 3 are fun adventures of a VERY YOUNG Daine, 13 at the start and 16 by the last, learning her magic, her heritage, and that true friendships come in all shapes and sizes and critters.
Enter The Realms of the Gods. UGHHHH TAMORA PIERCE! I was so happy these books were less romancy (cuz she's 13) with less awkward paragraphs about what it's like going through puberty and wanted to have sex with peers AND THEN SHE RUINED IT!
You have all this build up about 27 YEAR OLD NUMAIR and his ex fling from his home in Carthak, but noooooo. Now in the last book not only are we in the realms of the gods doing ridiculous stuff like hanging with dead parents and trying to get home for 4 of the 6 hours of audiobook, you've got this "ohmygosh Daine, my student I've known since you were 13, I'm so in love with you!" and "Ohmygosh Numair, my adult teacher, I've also been in love with you!"
Halt. No. Stop. What the hell Pierce! I cringed all through book 4. Sadness to me.
Shortly I will begin the Protector of the Small Quartet then all that's left of the Tortall series are 2 books about Alanna's daughter... until she finishes her other books she's interspersing throughout the series.
Wild Magic
Wolf Speaker
Emperor Mage
The Realms of the Gods
So... I REALLY enjoyed books 1-3 about Daine (DAYNE not Diane for my fellow dyslexics). This takes places after the Alanna series by a good many years, the Alanna cast and crew are all grown up, in charge, and married with kids when Daine shows up in town with the trainer for the Riders (not knights, more like horseback police). Daine has some peculiar qualities though like she can speak with animals and also sense Immortals when they are nearby.
Immortals in this book are several "known" species: dragons, unicorns, centaurs, trolls, ogres. There are several that I've never heard of or Pierce made up, but they are all pretty neat. I love her image of basilisks.
Daine has this "wild magic" with animals so Numair (early on to be revealed to be the boy now man that Tempests and Slaughter was about), the super powerful wizard, starts to train her.
The first 3 are fun adventures of a VERY YOUNG Daine, 13 at the start and 16 by the last, learning her magic, her heritage, and that true friendships come in all shapes and sizes and critters.
Enter The Realms of the Gods. UGHHHH TAMORA PIERCE! I was so happy these books were less romancy (cuz she's 13) with less awkward paragraphs about what it's like going through puberty and wanted to have sex with peers AND THEN SHE RUINED IT!
You have all this build up about 27 YEAR OLD NUMAIR and his ex fling from his home in Carthak, but noooooo. Now in the last book not only are we in the realms of the gods doing ridiculous stuff like hanging with dead parents and trying to get home for 4 of the 6 hours of audiobook, you've got this "ohmygosh Daine, my student I've known since you were 13, I'm so in love with you!" and "Ohmygosh Numair, my adult teacher, I've also been in love with you!"
Halt. No. Stop. What the hell Pierce! I cringed all through book 4. Sadness to me.
Shortly I will begin the Protector of the Small Quartet then all that's left of the Tortall series are 2 books about Alanna's daughter... until she finishes her other books she's interspersing throughout the series.
This was my least favorite of the series, but I think that was just because I didn't want it to end.
i would give the series 5 stars overall!! a very enjoyable read with a likeable and strong protagonist! i’m also a sucker for animal related/centric stories and this was a perfect example of one. the romance subplot in this book is