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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Okay so. On a regular book scale this gets five stars. Tamora Pierce hasn't written a bad book yet, and I don't expect her to do so any time soon.
On a Tamora Pierce scale, though...
I love Sandry. I love her a lot. I think she's my favorite Circle kid. That being said, in comparison to the rest of the books in Circle of Magic AND Circle Opens, this one is the weakest. It could just be that I miss all the kids hanging out and helping each other, or it could be that I miss the element of learning that comes from the first quartet. I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I think we know more about all the other players in the other books, and in this, even though we get Alzena and Nurhar's PoV, I felt less connected to the whole enterprise.
I don't know. I still love this book, but I think it, Battle Magic, and Melting Stones remain my low three of Tamora Pierce's works. That still puts them head and shoulders above most books, to be clear.
On a Tamora Pierce scale, though...
I love Sandry. I love her a lot. I think she's my favorite Circle kid. That being said, in comparison to the rest of the books in Circle of Magic AND Circle Opens, this one is the weakest. It could just be that I miss all the kids hanging out and helping each other, or it could be that I miss the element of learning that comes from the first quartet. I'm not sure. Maybe it's because I think we know more about all the other players in the other books, and in this, even though we get Alzena and Nurhar's PoV, I felt less connected to the whole enterprise.
I don't know. I still love this book, but I think it, Battle Magic, and Melting Stones remain my low three of Tamora Pierce's works. That still puts them head and shoulders above most books, to be clear.
Four years after the magical plague swept their city in [b:Briar's Story|11105647|Briar Rose; The Story of the Sleeping Beauty|Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nocover/60x80.png|16027836], the magical students of Winding Circle have separated to pursue further training. Sandry, whose gift lies in weaving magic as though it were thread, discovers a boy with a strange ability. Unlike ordinary mages, he has to dance to do magic. Everyone else in his family is a harrier (the city's version of police), but Sandry convinces them to let him train with her.
Meanwhile, a feud between merchant clans leads to murder, as assassins descend upon the city. The assassins are using a terrifying form of un-magic, and even Sandry's weaving magic is hard-pressed to deal with it.
Sandry isn't 10 years old any longer, and her inner voice is more mature. The portions of this book that deal with her and her magic are wonderful reads. The parts concerning Pasco are less so. Pasco is trained in investigation and law-enforcement, but when the mysterious murders begin, he has nothing to do with the plot. He mostly trains off-page, and does nothing at the climax of the action. I think this would have been a much better book if it was told from his perspective. His training with the dancers and struggle between family expectations and personal dreams would have come across a lot more strongly. Plus, seeing familiar characters through the eyes of a stranger always adds a zing to the narrative.
Meanwhile, a feud between merchant clans leads to murder, as assassins descend upon the city. The assassins are using a terrifying form of un-magic, and even Sandry's weaving magic is hard-pressed to deal with it.
Sandry isn't 10 years old any longer, and her inner voice is more mature. The portions of this book that deal with her and her magic are wonderful reads. The parts concerning Pasco are less so. Pasco is trained in investigation and law-enforcement, but when the mysterious murders begin, he has nothing to do with the plot. He mostly trains off-page, and does nothing at the climax of the action. I think this would have been a much better book if it was told from his perspective. His training with the dancers and struggle between family expectations and personal dreams would have come across a lot more strongly. Plus, seeing familiar characters through the eyes of a stranger always adds a zing to the narrative.
Sandry's my least favorite - which isn't to say I don't like her character; I just find her less interesting than Briar, Tris, and Daja. So I liked this book, but didn't love it.
My biggest criticism is that Sandry often does not read as 14. Granted, she's seen kind of a lot, but even old-for-their-age 14 reads differently from, say, old-for-their-age 18. This isn't a problem exclusive to this book - it also cropped in the original Circle of Magic books, and in some of Tamora Pierce's other books (I think I mentioned it in my Protector of Small quartet reviews, too). Most of the time it's not egregious enough to fully detract from the story, but it's noticeable enough in spots and that kept me from fully getting into it.
My biggest criticism is that Sandry often does not read as 14. Granted, she's seen kind of a lot, but even old-for-their-age 14 reads differently from, say, old-for-their-age 18. This isn't a problem exclusive to this book - it also cropped in the original Circle of Magic books, and in some of Tamora Pierce's other books (I think I mentioned it in my Protector of Small quartet reviews, too). Most of the time it's not egregious enough to fully detract from the story, but it's noticeable enough in spots and that kept me from fully getting into it.
After the conclusion of the first arc of the Circle series, I was really worried I wouldn't like this book as much. While it was definitely very different in many ways, it also kept much of the same feeling, and "felt" familiar to me.
This series focuses in much more on just one character from the quartet we got to know in the Circle of Magic series. The four have gone their separate ways, for a time, to train with their teachers in their different arts. Or rather, in Sandry's case, to spend time with her uncle, who has been ill. While there are some familiar faces, we also get introduced to new characters as well. Pasco is a dance mage, whose magic is discovered by Sandry. Because Sandry is the one who discovered his power, she is required to teach him the basics of controlling his magic, until she can set him up with his own teacher.
I really really loved this book- the author does a great job of portraying how much Sandry has grown as a person in the time since she discovered her own magic, and I still found myself with that same... enthralled experience of reading Tamora Pierce's Emelan series. I cannot wait to read the next books in the series!
This series focuses in much more on just one character from the quartet we got to know in the Circle of Magic series. The four have gone their separate ways, for a time, to train with their teachers in their different arts. Or rather, in Sandry's case, to spend time with her uncle, who has been ill. While there are some familiar faces, we also get introduced to new characters as well. Pasco is a dance mage, whose magic is discovered by Sandry. Because Sandry is the one who discovered his power, she is required to teach him the basics of controlling his magic, until she can set him up with his own teacher.
I really really loved this book- the author does a great job of portraying how much Sandry has grown as a person in the time since she discovered her own magic, and I still found myself with that same... enthralled experience of reading Tamora Pierce's Emelan series. I cannot wait to read the next books in the series!
This second series about the quartet of mages (now each off with their specific teacher doing things more or less on their own - or, in Sandry's case, helping her uncle) is darker and a bit more graphically violent than the previous series. But the characters are still interesting and the magic of this world remains rather different from other fantasy magics.
I always love Tamora's books because she writes classic fantasy rather than the trendy genres of today's YA, like paranormal romance. She gives kids and teens great role models who are driven by positive, powerful forces.
I first read this book out of my school library when I was thirteen or so. It might have been my first Tamora Pierce. Or possibly that was Street Magic, I honestly don’t recall. I don’t think I initially realised it was a sequel to a series I hadn’t read, but at that age I don’t think I’d have cared! When I did get to Circle of Magic, I didn’t read it in order either.
Re-reading Magic Steps, it’s suddenly really obvious to me just how much these books shaped my way of writing fantasy, and particularly of writing about magic. I’m editing my own novel as a I re-read this series and the influence is so striking it’s… actually a little uncomfortable.
I’m pretty sure Circle of Magic is where I got my fascination with the idea of people whose magic is weird and ‘magical’ even within a context where magic objectively exists. Magic Steps is a prime example. Pasco is the world’s first dancing mage, and his magic is so strange that it takes a long time for him to accept that it even is magic. The way his magic is depicted is really interesting, and really fun.
Despite that, though, on re-reading I was surprised by how much of a back-seat he took. Obviously this is Sandry’s story, not Pasco’s, but given the ceremony with which he’s introduced I’d expected to see more of him. As it is, once he finds his dancing teacher he fades into the background until his dance-magic is needed for the finale.
It’s also WAY more violent than I remembered. It’s… wow. Wow. I would not expect this much dismemberment in a children’s book. It’s essentially a serial killer mystery thriller, with copious decapitation – for twelve-year-olds! Then again, the original quartet was pretty violent too, so maybe it’s an appropriate level of sequel escalation…
Otherwise, no real complaints. I enjoyed reading Magic Steps when I was a teenager and I enjoyed it as a twenty-something. It’s a solid sequel to a really good fantasy series.
Re-reading Magic Steps, it’s suddenly really obvious to me just how much these books shaped my way of writing fantasy, and particularly of writing about magic. I’m editing my own novel as a I re-read this series and the influence is so striking it’s… actually a little uncomfortable.
I’m pretty sure Circle of Magic is where I got my fascination with the idea of people whose magic is weird and ‘magical’ even within a context where magic objectively exists. Magic Steps is a prime example. Pasco is the world’s first dancing mage, and his magic is so strange that it takes a long time for him to accept that it even is magic. The way his magic is depicted is really interesting, and really fun.
Despite that, though, on re-reading I was surprised by how much of a back-seat he took. Obviously this is Sandry’s story, not Pasco’s, but given the ceremony with which he’s introduced I’d expected to see more of him. As it is, once he finds his dancing teacher he fades into the background until his dance-magic is needed for the finale.
It’s also WAY more violent than I remembered. It’s… wow. Wow. I would not expect this much dismemberment in a children’s book. It’s essentially a serial killer mystery thriller, with copious decapitation – for twelve-year-olds! Then again, the original quartet was pretty violent too, so maybe it’s an appropriate level of sequel escalation…
Otherwise, no real complaints. I enjoyed reading Magic Steps when I was a teenager and I enjoyed it as a twenty-something. It’s a solid sequel to a really good fantasy series.
adventurous
medium-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:
Yes
I loved this book! The only unfortunate thing that was completly my doing was, that I started reading the Circle opens books before I read the magic circle books, not knowing that the other ones came first. I was a little confused. That a side, I love the characters in this book! I love Sandry and can't wait to finish the circle opens so I can go back to the beginning and learn more about her and the other characters. Tamora Pierce is a fantastic author and I have loved every book of her's that I've read!
I officially have no idea what age level these books are suitable for. This one was incredible, but vicious and violent.