A review by quasinaut
Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.25

Tamora Pierce always has such a talent for allowing her characters to age and grow into their own. I love seeing Sandry realize that she had outgrown Discipline cottage, that she was capable of being a teacher (with support from others! She's still only 14), and that she could do just plain hard things. (That said, I am quite skeptical that the Duke would let Sandry mother him as much as he does!)

Pasco was new -- his energetic, distractible personality was a nice contrast to Sandry's -- but I didn't feel that much depth to his character, except that he felt pressured by his harrier upbringing. Why did his family feel the need to impose such expectations on him? Clearly they should've been more worried about his cousin the bully...

Plotwise, I was so intrigued by the unmagic mage and the assassins who are slowly being consumed by the unmagic, but I wish we'd gotten more about these characters and why the retribution they were enacting on the Rokat family was so all encompassing. Why seek to kill all Rokats, including children, for the murder of one Dihanur?

All in all, I wanted more depth. Plus, I, like Sandry, miss Tris, Daja, and Briar (and Niko, Frostpine, and Rosethorn of course)! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings