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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
This is one of my favorite series, I love the characters and all of their adventures.
I just adore this series. You can see my series review on the blog!
It was a nice finish for the quartet Circle of Magic series.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I could give infinite stars to this book, I would. While the connections between the quartet and their teachers are emphasized throughout, the bond between Briar and Rosethorn is consistently highlighted as unique and necessary to both characters. While the magical take on epidemiology hits different in The During Times (writing this review at the dawning of 2021), the incorporation of known scientific method rather than an easy magical cure heightens this story above an easier Quest for the Cure (i.e. 40% of the Redwall books). Ultimately, this story roots (eh? ehhhhh?) itself in humanity, the best of it and the worst of it and the great equalizer of death and disease. But the centerpiece is always, always the love between Rosethorn and her boy. I thought I would read this aloud to my wife and took an extra 10 minutes to make it through the final chapter because I simply cannot read it without crying . A fitting, cathartic end to the series founding the first family of all found families.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief
As this is a plot about a mysterious epidemic coming on a community, forced quarantine and a frustrating hunt for a cure, there are definite triggering aspects when living/hopefully one day having lived through a global pandemic.
A fantastic conclusion to a great quartet; we follow Briar into danger with a new enemy. Plague has come and Briar and Rosethorn have to fight it. It can be hard to make illness exciting to read about but Briar is such an engaging character that you Want to keep reading through to the end.
I feel like I really got to know Rosethorn in this book. I've been her fan since 75% through book 1, but I loved the interactions she had with the kids and seeing more of her magic in a real life situation so to speak. The funniest part of this book was when Crane tells the kids their masters are great mages and their reaction is
I think the kids have definitely grown a lot since book 1, even if they are still immature at times. I mean they're like 14 max at this point. I liked that Briar picked his birthday by the end of this. Definitely will check out the continuation series of this at some point.
ALSO THESE AUDIOBOOKS HAVE BEEN NARRATED BY TAMORA PIERCE THE WHOLE TIME AND I WAS NOT AWARE!!!!
I think the kids have definitely grown a lot since book 1, even if they are still immature at times. I mean they're like 14 max at this point. I liked that Briar picked his birthday by the end of this. Definitely will check out the continuation series of this at some point.
ALSO THESE AUDIOBOOKS HAVE BEEN NARRATED BY TAMORA PIERCE THE WHOLE TIME AND I WAS NOT AWARE!!!!
I really wasn't expecting to love this one as much as I did, but I adore Rosethorn and I adore Briar and it's a plague story, so I really couldn't have asked for anything more.
This was BY FAR the best book in the series. I find this surprising as it focused much more on Briar, who has honestly not been my favorite character *I am partial to Tris and Daja*. Regardless the character development was yet again much more in depth, probably because it relied heavily on past knowledge from the other three books. The plot was much more coherent and the ending was neither as anticlimatic, nor as self serving as I felt the other books to be.
I am convinced that the plot became better because the scope became so narrow. This novel focuses on an outbreak of a new plague. By not having to constantly navigate and explain several settings *forge, mountains, sea,cottage. . .etc* because the main characters were trapped in a small quarantined area, more time was spent on the plot. Don't get me wrong I love world building, but I like substance, not just setting description.
I was also taken by how much more REAL the relationship between Rosethorn and Briar seemed. Rosethorn, Tris, and Daja may be the best concepts for characters in the whole series. They are well balanced enough in good and bad traits to feel believable. I really enjoyed getting so much of her. There was also a great moment with Tris and Niko in the sewers that I found very satisfying.
All in all I would say that this book manages to show a lot of growth from the first novel and I think I enjoyed it more because it felt a little more grown up. I like young adult literature that is accessible to larger groups of people, I didn't feel like the first books of this series managed that. They felt too young and like books suited to older children instead of adults youthful though they may be.
I am convinced that the plot became better because the scope became so narrow. This novel focuses on an outbreak of a new plague. By not having to constantly navigate and explain several settings *forge, mountains, sea,cottage. . .etc* because the main characters were trapped in a small quarantined area, more time was spent on the plot. Don't get me wrong I love world building, but I like substance, not just setting description.
I was also taken by how much more REAL the relationship between Rosethorn and Briar seemed. Rosethorn, Tris, and Daja may be the best concepts for characters in the whole series. They are well balanced enough in good and bad traits to feel believable. I really enjoyed getting so much of her. There was also a great moment with Tris and Niko in the sewers that I found very satisfying.
All in all I would say that this book manages to show a lot of growth from the first novel and I think I enjoyed it more because it felt a little more grown up. I like young adult literature that is accessible to larger groups of people, I didn't feel like the first books of this series managed that. They felt too young and like books suited to older children instead of adults youthful though they may be.
A fascinating look at disease and the steps taken towards finding a cure, Briar's Book serves as a staggering reminder of the mortality of even the strongest among us. Even being the longest story of the quartet, it's amazing how much is packed in. Besides plague and cure-working, there's quarantine, reflections on poverty, man-made diseases, and even a small bit on death and the afterlife.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, Briar's Book is a fascinating and emotional finish to an incredible series. Fantasy lovers, those interested in medicine, strong-character enthusiasts, YA readers, and Pierce stalkers fans can all find something to enjoy in this book. If you've waited this long to pick up these books I don't know what more I can say to convince you to do so. So...what are you waiting for?!
Approximate Reading Time: 3.5 hours
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, Briar's Book is a fascinating and emotional finish to an incredible series. Fantasy lovers, those interested in medicine, strong-character enthusiasts, YA readers, and Pierce stalkers fans can all find something to enjoy in this book. If you've waited this long to pick up these books I don't know what more I can say to convince you to do so. So...what are you waiting for?!
Approximate Reading Time: 3.5 hours