Author Spotlight: Tamora Pierce
Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I’m starting a new kind of post today: an author spotlight! I got this idea from Jordyn @ Birdie’s Book Nook who started doing this a little while ago. I wanted to promote some underrepresented authors and I thought this was a great way to do it.
Our first author is Tamora Pierce! I read a lot of her books when I was younger and always enjoyed the strong, female protagonists she created. In this post, I’ll be talking about the books by her that I’ve read and why I enjoyed them!
Tamora Pierce
Genres: YA fantasy
Books Read: 10, but she’s written around 30
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*All synopses are for the first book in its respective series.
Song of the Lioness Quartet
Book 1: Alanna: The First Adventure|Book 2: In the Hand of the Goddess|Book 3: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man|Book 4: Lioness Rampant
This is one of my childhood favorites. I always listened to the first book on audio, before reading the whole series when I got older. Alanna is a headstrong, female protagonist who didn’t let societal norms get in the way of what she wanted to achieve. Right from the start of book 1, she defied the path of women and went to school to become a knight. The characters she meet throughout the story are so fun to read about, their friendship throughout the books a highlight.
Synopsis
From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.
And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.
But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.
Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins – one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.
The Immortals
Book 1: Wild Magic|Book 2: Wolf-Speaker|Book 3: Emperor Mage|Book 4: The Realm of the Gods
In another part of Tortall, we have Daine, who discovers that she has a magical talent involving animals. I read this series after the Song of the Lioness, but will admit that this one is better for younger readers. It has romance in it, but doesn’t get as deep into it as the Alanna books do. I love Daine and Numair, who becomes Daine’s teacher, and is literally the most wonderful person ever.
Synopsis
Young Daine’s knack with horses gets her a job helping the royal horsemistress drive a herd of ponies to Tortall. Soon it becomes clear that Daine’s talent, as much as she struggles to hide it, is downright magical. Horses and other animals not only obey, but listen to her words. Daine, though, will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers, her past, and herself.
Tricksters (AKA Daughter of the Lioness)
Book 1: Trickster’s Choice|Book 2: Trickster’s Queen
Tricksters is narrated from the perspective of Alanna’s daughter, Alianne, years after the Song of the Lioness takes place. I don’t remember a lot of what happened in this duology, but I do remember liking the characters. Aly is very determined and if I remember, a bit of a trouble-maker.
Synopsis
Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods.
These are all the books I’ve read by Tamora Pierce. There are other series in the Tortall universe: The Protector of the Small, Beka Cooper, and The Numair Chronicles. She also wrote the Circle universe, which I don’t know much about, but includes The Circle of Magic quartet, The Circle Opens quartet, and The Circle Reforged trilogy. Let me know if you’ve read any of them!
Have you read any of Tamora Pierce’s books? Are any of them on your TBR?
