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A review by booksthatburn
Terrier by Tamora Pierce
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
TERRIER is about an ancestress of George Cooper, a character important to other series set in Tortall. It serves as a prequel of sorts, and is best read after the Song of the Lioness quartet for readers who intend to read all of the Tortall books. However, after the prologue which establishes the connection to George Cooper, the rest of the story does not require any additional knowledge from the other books in order to be appreciated.
The story is told in a journal format, with a few entries to establish Beka's backstory and place in the Tortall books, then it switches completely to Beka's journal that she keeps as part of her Dog training.
Beka is from the slums of the Lower City, and she lives near the Kennel she's assigned to as a Dog. She has some friends among the Puppies, she gets to know her training Dogs (Tunstall and Goodwin), and she ends up making a few friends with rushers new to the court of the Rogue. She has a cat with purple eyes, and a magical ability that lets her get information that other Dogs cannot. She ends up on the trail of two sets of murders: someone hiring workers and then killing them to keep their efforts secret, and someone who’s been extorting poor people by kidnapping their kids. Beka trains, goes on patrol with her Dogs, and tries to make things right in a city with too few good Dogs to handle ordinary crime, let alone spree and serial killers.
Beka makes friends, straight and crooked, and tries to keep from crossing any lines that can’t be uncrossed. The camaraderie in the morning group which develops is a bright spot in her world of patrols, fights, and death. She has strong friendships with individuals and as a group. The journal format of the book lends itself well to conveying their growing friendships, which are a strong point of the novel.
TERRIER closes with Beka still a Puppy but wiser than when she began, and ready for her next challenge. The story closes off so neatly that it feels like it could have been a stand-alone, but instead it’s the first in a trilogy.
The story is told in a journal format, with a few entries to establish Beka's backstory and place in the Tortall books, then it switches completely to Beka's journal that she keeps as part of her Dog training.
Beka is from the slums of the Lower City, and she lives near the Kennel she's assigned to as a Dog. She has some friends among the Puppies, she gets to know her training Dogs (Tunstall and Goodwin), and she ends up making a few friends with rushers new to the court of the Rogue. She has a cat with purple eyes, and a magical ability that lets her get information that other Dogs cannot. She ends up on the trail of two sets of murders: someone hiring workers and then killing them to keep their efforts secret, and someone who’s been extorting poor people by kidnapping their kids. Beka trains, goes on patrol with her Dogs, and tries to make things right in a city with too few good Dogs to handle ordinary crime, let alone spree and serial killers.
Beka makes friends, straight and crooked, and tries to keep from crossing any lines that can’t be uncrossed. The camaraderie in the morning group which develops is a bright spot in her world of patrols, fights, and death. She has strong friendships with individuals and as a group. The journal format of the book lends itself well to conveying their growing friendships, which are a strong point of the novel.
TERRIER closes with Beka still a Puppy but wiser than when she began, and ready for her next challenge. The story closes off so neatly that it feels like it could have been a stand-alone, but instead it’s the first in a trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Violence, Suicide, Murder, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Confinement, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Rape, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Ableism, Alcohol, and Alcoholism