ellisse 's review for:

Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

5.0

adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Loved the way the story unfolded and in particular how the depth of relationship between the characters grows, for example between Rikash and Daine. It was interesting to see how the author subtly wove in some social commentary into the plot of the book - specifically when you look at the story arc of Rikesh and how he is perceived by Daine. The greater number of badger appearances was also great - this book really starts to reveal more about Daine's background. I also liked that the 'villain' of the novel was 3-dimensional, he had very positive characteristics as well as more negative traits vs. in some novels you see a two-dimensional character.