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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
Another beautiful book that feels like a warm cup of hot cocoa on a cold night.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Daine, the young protagonist of this series, is getting to grips with her wild magic; not only can she talk to animals, she can transform into them too. She's called to help investigate weird goings on in a remote valley, and uncovers a treasonous plot...
If you were to cross the Animal Ark series with the Lord of the Rings, you'd get something similar to Tamora Pierce's novels. They are kid-friendly whilst never talking down to the reader. It's high stakes stuff, but it still feels really comforting to get lost in.
This writer is a master world builder. Even Pierce's animal names are genius! There's a baby dragon nicknamed Kitten, a wolf called Fleetfoot and a squirrel called Flicker, among many others. The names convey such personality and really bring the animal companions to life, I love them. I also love that Daine's mentor calls her Magelet - it's so sweet.
I wish I'd read these as a 12 year old, but I'm glad I'm making up for lost time now.
If you were to cross the Animal Ark series with the Lord of the Rings, you'd get something similar to Tamora Pierce's novels. They are kid-friendly whilst never talking down to the reader. It's high stakes stuff, but it still feels really comforting to get lost in.
This writer is a master world builder. Even Pierce's animal names are genius! There's a baby dragon nicknamed Kitten, a wolf called Fleetfoot and a squirrel called Flicker, among many others. The names convey such personality and really bring the animal companions to life, I love them. I also love that Daine's mentor calls her Magelet - it's so sweet.
I wish I'd read these as a 12 year old, but I'm glad I'm making up for lost time now.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished this book yesterday and jumped straight into the next one, like, in five mins.
I don't know how it is possible but this book is even better than the last one. I love the human characters but in this book, we didn't see that much of them. It was all about the animals, which is fascinating.
Pierce does a really good job with giving each animal a personality, not just species, but individuals which are great! I am so excited to continue reading the next book, but I am very sad it is the last of the series. I will have to read one of her other series whilst waiting for the next book in the Numair chronicles!
I don't know how it is possible but this book is even better than the last one. I love the human characters but in this book, we didn't see that much of them. It was all about the animals, which is fascinating.
Pierce does a really good job with giving each animal a personality, not just species, but individuals which are great! I am so excited to continue reading the next book, but I am very sad it is the last of the series. I will have to read one of her other series whilst waiting for the next book in the Numair chronicles!
Wild Magic ★★★☆☆
Wolf-Speaker ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
Emperor Mage ★★★★☆
The Realm of the Gods ★★☆☆☆
3.5 stars. This story is much tighter than Wild Magic, with an easier-to-follow plot. Wolf-Speaker has teenager Daine traveling north with her teacher Numair at the request of a wolf pack that she used to know. Daine is becoming more skilled with using her wild magic, and discovering some of the fantastical things she can do, such as see through an animal's eyes, and even shape-shift. The wolves have called her because the humans ("two-leggers") are destroying the environment in their valley home and driving away all the game. Upon reaching the valley, Daine and Numair uncover the treasonous activities of the noble family overseeing the fief, and encounter unsavory Carthaki mages and more Immortal creatures like Stormwings.
Wolf-Speaker has a lot of the great story elements that Tamora Pierce knows how to utilize well. Fun magical skills, evil characters underestimating the good characters' abilities, cameos by gods and goddesses, and foiling truly wicked schemes with a combination of badassery and goodness. One of the messages in this book is not to judge others by appearances, or to be prejudiced against an entire group due to the actions of a few. Daine learns that Stormwings do not have "evil" natures, but natures that are "in opposition" to her own. We also see humans living in ignorance to the harm their actions bring the environment and animal species, with Daine knocking some sense into folks. Daine also defends wolves against the bad reputation they have, insisting that they don't eat/harm humans (which is very true-- did you know there have been a total of TWO wolf-related human deaths on record in all of the US's history?).
This sequel is much less diverse character-wise than the first book, since most of the side characters are various animals. And it is fun to see the different animals have individual personalities and ways of looking at the world that differ from humans'. Daine continues to be extremely competent in almost every aspect, which could actually be a bit boring if her powers with animals wasn't so entertaining. This book also features the introduction of one of my favorite Tortall 'verse characters, the basilisk T'kaa!
This series remains an amazing addition to Tamora Pierce's canon, and I personally recommend it as a good introduction to the Tortall 'verse.
Wolf-Speaker ★★★☆☆ (3.5)
Emperor Mage ★★★★☆
The Realm of the Gods ★★☆☆☆
3.5 stars. This story is much tighter than Wild Magic, with an easier-to-follow plot. Wolf-Speaker has teenager Daine traveling north with her teacher Numair at the request of a wolf pack that she used to know. Daine is becoming more skilled with using her wild magic, and discovering some of the fantastical things she can do, such as see through an animal's eyes, and even shape-shift. The wolves have called her because the humans ("two-leggers") are destroying the environment in their valley home and driving away all the game. Upon reaching the valley, Daine and Numair uncover the treasonous activities of the noble family overseeing the fief, and encounter unsavory Carthaki mages and more Immortal creatures like Stormwings.
Wolf-Speaker has a lot of the great story elements that Tamora Pierce knows how to utilize well. Fun magical skills, evil characters underestimating the good characters' abilities, cameos by gods and goddesses, and foiling truly wicked schemes with a combination of badassery and goodness. One of the messages in this book is not to judge others by appearances, or to be prejudiced against an entire group due to the actions of a few. Daine learns that Stormwings do not have "evil" natures, but natures that are "in opposition" to her own. We also see humans living in ignorance to the harm their actions bring the environment and animal species, with Daine knocking some sense into folks. Daine also defends wolves against the bad reputation they have, insisting that they don't eat/harm humans (which is very true-- did you know there have been a total of TWO wolf-related human deaths on record in all of the US's history?).
This sequel is much less diverse character-wise than the first book, since most of the side characters are various animals. And it is fun to see the different animals have individual personalities and ways of looking at the world that differ from humans'. Daine continues to be extremely competent in almost every aspect, which could actually be a bit boring if her powers with animals wasn't so entertaining. This book also features the introduction of one of my favorite Tortall 'verse characters, the basilisk T'kaa!
This series remains an amazing addition to Tamora Pierce's canon, and I personally recommend it as a good introduction to the Tortall 'verse.