Book 3 of the Protector of the Small Quartet

Even as the only girl in training to become a knight, Kel has proven herself. Now, she must learn from the biggest knight in Tortall: Lord Raoul, knight commander of the King's Own. Although practice jousting matches leave her bruised and out of breath, they prepare her for the many tournaments that she competes in. Someone always wants to beat Kel, but few people do. Eventually, she is challenged by her former teacher, Lord Wyldon. Many times, she wins, but she does lose these jousts occasionally. (I'm not telling what happens with Lord Wyldon) Also, Princess Shinkokami is in town for presentation, and Kel, old friends with "Shinko," is the envy of all of her squire friends for being in high standings with such beautiful girls. As always, Kel has to prove herself in real-life battles, but comes out on top. Then, she faces the most difficult challenge of all... The Chamber of the Ordeal.

Kelandry of Mindelan made it through all four years of knight training school and now all she has to do is wait for someone to choose her as their squire. She hopes that she will be chosen by Lady Alanna but expects to become a desk squire. She is presently surprised when Lord Raoul chooses her.
I didn't like this book as much as the first two but it's still a great book. The beginning was a bit on the boring side but the plot picked up before I was thoroughly bored. I kind of missed the school setting and I really missed a lot of the characters. The book was also more action packed than the others which was a good and a bad thing. I really liked the romance even though Kel's boyfriend was not who I'd have picked for her (I'm not telling who it is) This was a good book but I'm not really as anxious to start the fourth one as I was the third.

I actually thought this book was better then the one before it (Page) which surprised me as usually I find in Tamora Pierce's quartets the first book is the best, then they get slowly a little worse each time. But even though Kel wasn't working aound the palace any more, this book was still really intresting and it was great that it was a lot longer then the first two books. I have one complaint: Cleon. ....
Otherwise the book was brilliant. I loved all the bits with jousting and Kel's visions outside the Chamber of the ordeal. I now think I undestand what the Ordeal does; as well as making Kel face her fears inside the chamber, it set her a challenge for the future, as it did Alanna ( Kel's was the metal machines-Alanna's was Duke Roger.) A great addition to this quartet and I'm really looking forward to reading book 4, Lady Knight.

As I said, I am sorely disapointed with the editors who are slammin' TP latest book. I have heard all the complaints and find them rather pathetic. This is a very good book! And to prove that I am adressing the evil whiners complaints: "But I think Kel and Neal..." A reviewer on the store made a good point in saying that Neal would just break her heart. Cleon is a very ecellent choice, because he also presents more of a challenge(he is betrothed to an heiress). "Kels acts less, well, she more open." Ecscuse me in saying, but kel IS growing up, she is a teenager for gods sakes! And she is in love, she has a right to show a little emotion. I don't know how many more words I'm aloud so, I say if your worried about buying this book or you have complaints, e-mail me, my adress is [email protected]~ and I'm not really twelve, e-mail me if you want to know my real age.

Kel is now a squire and is worried that nobody will pick her because she's female. But...dispite the fact that Keladry desperatly wanted Lady Alanna to ask she is still overjoyed when Lord Raoul of Goldenlake whom can sometimes be known as the Giant Killer asks Kel. Raoul is very high ranked and one of Lady Knight Alanna's best friends so...why is he picking Kel? Because he thinks she's good.

Since Lord Raoul is the leader of the Kings Own Keladry gets to go with him all the time on missions and goes into various battles. Though she is living her dreams she is still nervous...the Chamber of the Ordeal is coming up quick and Kel still has to push aside her secret romance.

Read 'Squire'. It's a wonderful book but it would be best to read 'First Test' and 'Page' first.

Unlike the other Protector of the Small books, this one lacks certain aspects that make the others incredibly appealing. However, the book is still an interesting read -- and I encourage most to do so.
Tamora Pierce's great aspects as a writer consists of her ability to implement humour, exemplify personal character traits, engage the reader through endless torments that lead to an unpredictable end. This book falls short of the aspects mentioned above. First off, there is an inconsistency in Kel's character, and maybe it's me, but her "affair" with Cleon seemed totally out of character, and perhaps not the best resolution for the budding tension between Neal and Dom. It also baffled me that the characters we loved from the first book, Neal (especially), Merric, Lasala, Roald, etc. were BARELY mentioned in the book. Cleon, of course, got the most attention. It was rather disappointing that these characters got such minor roles, there personality traits and significance lost and forgotten.
An author must keep certain constants, yet adopt changes as well. Tamora succeeds brilliantly in introducing new angles, however, the abruptness of the changes often leaves the reader incredulous -- the staples of personality traits and scene were often undermined as a result. Kel loses some of her frank Yamani characteristics, loses some of her innocence, and is immersed into this entirely different angle of life. She loses her love for Neal, and loses most contact with her friends. The book didn't make me cry out for joy or laugh heartily when Kel stubbornly set out to prove her abilities -- like the last books where she stood up to Joren and his friends and accepted a loss. The book loses steam often, however, this is similar of all of Ms. Pierce's books...maybe except for the Immortals Quartet, the 3rd book generally is the weakest, but then there is ALWAYS an explosive 4th book. However, some positive aspects of this book were: There is definetely more action, definetely more interesting adventures that Kel experiences with the King's Own. The world of Tortall is a great expanse, and although it's slightly disappointing that the world of the palace (one grand, constant, and comfortable) is abandoned, it is incredibly enjoyable to be immersed in such a world, when reading this book. I definetely recommend this book, and although it may not be the best, it certainly holds to the criteria that makes Tamora Pierce's book so desireable

Well, I bet I'm going to get a ton of complaints about this, but I didn't like the book that much at all. Kel doesn't have a consistent enemy to fight against...Joren crops up occasionally during the book and Kel has him taken off her hands by outside means. Many of the issues in the book (i.e sexism, class divide, sex) are cliched and tell me nothing new. Kel doesn't have half as many things to struggle against (unlike Alanna) and her character isn't interesting enough to sustain my interest. Oh, and the gift giver thing was boring. Everyone I knew thought it was ALanna, and it was. Wow. Sorry, but this book is far too issues-driven. I hope Lady Knight will be better! Oh, but I did like the way Kel had several different crushes to contend with, the trial was good, and I liked the way she confronted the Chamber as it built up to her final confrontation with it.

This is the third book in the Protector of the Small Series. Kel has become a squire to Lord Raoul,who is in charge of the Kings Own. Separated from her friends for the first time since she was a page, Kel must face the Realm's dangers on her own. Lord Raoul teaches her to be a warrior. She finds out who kidnapped Lalasa in Page(Protector of the Small 2) and has to deal with the unfairness that the ofender only has to pay a fine. She falls in love with her friend, Cleon. She also prepares for her Ordeal. In the Chamber of Ordeal, she sees a startling vision, which shows her what she must do after she becomes a knight. I admire Kel not only for her courage and strength, but that fact that she actually learned to controll her anger, even when what the others did seemed unforgivable.

I found that Squire added more problems and took away some only to make more. let me explain myself. because Kel no longer has Joran as the villian she can move on to something more difficult. if Joran was still there then she would be conflicted in which villian she should fight first. by have Joran killed it allows Kel to mantain a focus of who she might fight. I say these things because they are my opinion not because i think that that is what the other thought. I also believe that no one can really say what is happening and whether or not it would work or if it made since because the other decided what she wanted the book to have in it and made it thus. i believe that whatever her decision for writing what she did was she kept the book fasinating anyway and i have/will enjoy this book as much as i have the first two and probably will the next one.

If you're reading these reviews, you've either read the previous two books, or are still trying to see if you should. Either way, this book is a very good read on its own, and a decent further look at our heroine Kel.

Sadly, I found it not to the standards of the first two. Firstly, the posting Kel recieves is 'tailor-made' to groom her for further adventures. Nothing as serious as the climax of Page ever happens, which makes it difficult for her character to grow in this installment. Her difficulties now are in reconciling her crushes (in regards to, I'll remind readers of how many boys you were 'in love with' at age 14 through 18, and how many of those crushes lasted past summer vacation, let alone an entire year). She also learns the quiet skill of picking her battles, and there is a sadly anti-climactic result for her long-standing enemy. Fitting, but still anti-climactic.

The world is strangely light-hearted, despite onrushing wartime, Kel is strangely capable in a world she's never directly experienced, and ALL of the men she works with accept her without reservations after only a few months of her arrival. This all contrasts with the mood that Pierce cultivated in the first two installments, and I was strangely sad to see it shattered so easily. This almost felt like an intrusion, or a "rest period" for the character.

The mood changes again towards the end, where the build-up to Lady Knight begins, re-establishing the familiar tension faced by our soon-to-be Lady Knight.

**As I have for previous books, here is my 'cautious parent' warning. This book deals frankly with crushes, and the possible results of acting on them. The character deals with it in a 'family-appropriate' way, by asking her mother, but the simple inclusion of this "big talk" and the other references to kissing and passionate emotions may upset some parents. Please Please Please, if you think this will be a concern for you, or if your child is delicate or easily frightened, please be aware that this book is directed more towards OLDER pre-teens. The character is 18 at the end of the book, and considered an adult from the age of 14 when the book begins.

Finally, the climax scene, while not as challenging for the character, deals with magic and necromancy, and this may disturb some readers (or their parents). Be warned - read it first!

For those people who like fantasy, there are two kinds: ultra-serious, "sophisticated" fantasy, and fantasy that is just fun to read.
Tamora Pierce has always been a master of fun-to-read YA fantasy. Her talent is in creating and supporting magical places and people while at the same time keeping situations and characters interesting and realistic.
In "Squire" Kel -- you guessed it -- is a squire, dealing with love, war, a baby griffin, and her impending knighthood. New friends and rivals add spunk and new situations -- quite different from those in Tamora Pierce's other Tortall quartets -- keep the story of Kel fresh and exciting.
Also recommended: The Song of the Lioness quartet, beginning Tamora Pierce's Tortall books.

A lot of reviewers seem to be really upset that Kel and Neal do not hook up, and that in fact, it is Kel and Cleon who become a couple. People seem to be really surprised by Kel and Cleon, when, in fact, this has been hinted at since the second book. Think back to Page. Remember how much emphasis Tamora Pierce put on the way Cleon "jokingly" flirted? I rather expected that Kel would get over Neal and get with Cleon, and I was sort of surprised that so many other people didn't notice. The problems with her and Neal are that they are best friends and that Neal has never shown any interest. A big problem in books and T.V.is that too often platonic love becomes something else, and I think Tamora Pierce has always done a good job showing how people can be best friends and become lovers, with Alanna/Jon, Alanna/George, and Daine/Numair. This time I think it's great the her best friends remain best friends. Also, Neal never showed any interest in Kel. Also, I think it was very realistic, the way Kel sort of lost touch with her friend while she was a Squire. It wouldn't have made any sense if she were coincedentally running into Neal all of the time while on the road, and Lalasa had been planning to get her shop as soon as Kel didn't need her any more. The story had to travel with Kel, and that meant leaving some people behind. I think that some of the new characters we could have gotten to know better, but I didn't really see a problem with it otherwise. The book was great, but seemed to move along very very quickly. Before you know it, she's eighteen! Four years is a lot to stuff into three hundred or so pages, so even though the book is pretty long, it reads quickly, and sometimes you wish there was more time for you to get to know people.

I really loved this book (and read it 3 time in two days)and I am eagerly awaiting the 4th book in the series. It is good to watch Kel grow up and experience new things (romance, ways of fighting, meeting new people, helping people and animals). I am very pleased she got to be Raouls squire. This provided the framework for Kel to become her own person. Although Kel displays less Yamani "quirks" and seems to rely on Yamani etiquette and culture less and less in informal siuations, it is good to see her adapting the lessons learn't as a child to benefit her especially when fighting or on formal occasions.
I look forward to the last book. Is she going to be a real live hero like Alanna and Raoul??

This is the thrid novel in the Protector of the Small quartet and had a lot more to offer than the other two books. There was more going on, including a theme of love that had yet to be seen. If you have read the other two books than you must surely have grown with Keladry and come to love her. As a heroine it is great to see a girl who is not talented in anything but hard work. She is neither beuatiful (except in personality which shines through once you get to know her) nor magic and this is what makes her so appealing. She actually has to work hard. Without the help of a God. By getting up early and training beyond what anyone else did she became the best squire there, but the fact that she is still a girl makes it hard for her to find anyone willing to be her knight master.
This is a test for Keladry in more ways than one as her final training to become a knight is tested by the Chamber of the Ordeal.
I absolutley love Tamora Pirce and this is one of my favourite books in this series - a must read if you like knights and fantasy. Or even if you don't you should give this series a try!

My fav book of Tamora's. This book is very groovy man! In this book, Kel becomes a squire and is hired on and supported by the Knight Commander of the King's own (a group of soldiers). This man is named Raoul, and he is a cool dude. She jousts, or tilts, with her aged headmaster several times, and gets floor every time, she tends to a baby griffin (a tedious job at the best of times), and in the thick of all this, she start to have a relationship with one of her classmates. At the end of the book, she faces the dreaded Ordeal. This ordeal will test her ability to be a knight. I won't tell you whether she passes it or not, but the title of the next book might give you a hint or two, as it is called "Lady Knight".
Trevor

I was very satisfied with this book. I can't wait for the fourth one to come out. I loved how Raoul was incorperated into the book. He was my favorite character in the Alanna series, beating out Gary, George, and Jon, by a land slide. There were more characters introduced both funny and annoying (Wait what annoying characters. What am I talking about).
As I understand it many people are upset about Kel dropping her feelings for Neal and gaining feelings for Cleon (sorry about the spoiler.) but to be perfectly honest with you, I don't think a relationship with Neal would have lasted that long. You are supposed to have 2 best friends, one to love forever, and one to love forever - but only as a friend. Neal is the latter. Cleon on the other hand, is NOT a big, dumb, red-head. He's a sweetheart and I would give the world to find somebody who existed that treated me the way Cleon treats Kel. ::big sigh:: I could see that relationship coming in Page, when he told Kel that she looked fit, and with that random hug. (I must be reading these things too much. I predicted two relationships for this book last July. Kel and Cleon and Kel and Raoul.)
Anyway, overall this book is great read. Highly recommended.

Overall, this is a really good addition to the series. I would recommend this series to any parent looking for fantasy or any novels that feature a strong young girl that isn't about gossip, romance before its time and all those other "sweet valley high" things. The character starts in book 1 (first test) at 10 and by the end of this book is 17.
This third book in the series is an improvement from the second mostly because the longer length allows for more plot development. The second book, Page, seemed very rushed to me. Now squire to Lord Raoul of the King's Own, Pierce isolates Keladry and plunges her into the duties of a squire. Kel's friends from the previous books are seen less frequently; while that comraderie was one of the most enjoyable points of books 1 & 2 it makes sense given what we've seen before. Squires go off with their lord knights & they don't see their friends as often -- we saw that with Prince Roald and Cleon in the second book.
Kel's growing maturity is reflected by her increasing interest in boys. Her infatuation with Neal is rather abruptly replaced by interest in his cousin Dom (a member of the King's Own) and then with Cleon with whom she develops a kissing relationship. There is a glimmer of a conflict between Dom and Neal and her feelings for both but Pierce backs away from it to pursue this relationship between Kel and Cleon.
My regret is now i have to wait another year for "Lady Knight". Meanwhile i'll be reading Tamora Pierce's "The Circle Opens" series.

I wish I could give this book more than five stars. I am a huge fan of Tamora Pierce and the Tortall books,...P>In my opinion the Protector of the Small series is the best of the Tortall books. I also found that SQUIRE is the best book in the series - it's full of humor, battle, and yes, the book even contains romance!
As Kel begins her journey as a squire, she spends time battling foes, learning about being a knight, and even makes some new friends. A little romance is also included.
This is the best book in the series - it is a must read! However, if you are new to the Tortall books, I advise you read the Alanna and Daine books first, for history and background.

I totally agree that this book could have been better. But in every series that Tamora Pierce has written there is 1 book that I thorouly dislike. I haven't picked up "The Woman Who Rides Like a Man" since I first read it, and I don't plan on doing so. Ever. That was the 1 from Alanna. Daine didn't really have one that i don't like. But in the Magic Circle, I didn't like Daja's book at all. But I really think this is the one from the Kel series that I will really shun. Unless the 4th is worse. But think about it. Tamora Pierce got better, right? I mean, though i really disliked the 3rd book in the Alanna series, I loved the 4th. So, just as she came back then, I think she'll come back now. The fourth one shall be great.

I absoulutely loved this book! When I first started reading Page, I thought this book would be very boring. I thought it was boring for the first 4 chapters, but I started liking it more after that. Page always said about her life and everything and no learning about knight school. My favorite chapter in the book was the second to last chapter, The Kraken. I think it was sad how she had to leave the Kings Own. They were all so nice to her. The romance between Kel and Cleon was not my favorite, unlike everyone else.All other customers love those parts. I think they are okay. If you like The Song of the Lioness and The Immortals, you will definetly like this book.

Tamora Pierce wrote a book that puts Harry Potter to shame that keeps you on the edge of your seat. You don't want to put it down, and when you do, it's to pick up the next book in the series. Quick-witted and funny, Alanna and her friends charm you and makes you laugh until tears stream down your face. This book shows a strong female going against the ways of her time to get what she wants. This book is good for school use too. if ever a girl needs to have a heroine to look to, it's alanna. Tamora Pierce's books need to find their way into every teenage girl's room (no matter how messy) and give them an enjoyable experience.

Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors, and I love all of her Tortall books. This is no exception. I was a little disappointed to browse through the other reviews and see all the Cleon-bashing. Personally, I like Cleon just as much if not better than Neal. And honestly, you could tell that Cleon was starting to like her in the last book. My absolute favorite part of the book is Raoul though! He's been my favorite ever since that scene in Alanna: The First Adventure where they fight about her not going swimming. I saw a few readers complain about the romance. Most of these seemed to be younger readers (12?). I was about that age, maybe younger, when I first read her Song of the Lioness Quartet. While I don't remember being particularly bothered by the romantic bits, I do say that they become much more enjoyable as I get older. I'm 17 now, and it's weird to read about characters who are younger than me, but Tamora Pierce writes her stories so all ages can enjoy them.

This book is terrific. However, do not expect the magical exploits of Song of the Lioness or The Immortals. Protector of the Small draws its thrills from more prosaic sources: tournaments, life at the Palace, Kel's burgeoning romance.
Squire tells of a new chapter in Kel's life: she is squired to a knight and embarking on a life of tournaments and battles. She sees less of her friends, but is making for herself a new place. Many things happent that I won't mention, because I don't want to give out spoilers. I highly reccommend this book along with everything else Pierce has written, and cannot wait for Lady Knight!

Squire is easily my favorite book out of anything Tamora Pierce has written. Kel is such a wonderfully strong female protagonist. Although I loved the Song of the Lioness quartet, the Protector of the Small novels have brought something new and fresh to the table. Squire in particular is very much a coming of age novel, the story of a young lady going against tradition without the gods of Tortall watching her, or the Gift to use. Kel is discovering the imperfections of her society, finding love in the most unexpected places, and pressing on to follow her dreams of becoming the first known female knight to try for her shield in two centuries. I love the new length of this book; it is a bit longer but certainly a page turner! We follow Kel through some heart-warming and heart-stopping adventures.
Now that Kel is a squire to one of the most famous knights in Tortall, she no longer has her peers to help support her as they did during her page years. We do however meet one of Tamora Pierce's more dashing characters in the series: Neal's cousin Domitan of Masbolle who has Neal's dashing looks without his sharp tongue to go along. We also meet some of the Yamanis from Kel's past before she came to train at the palace. But we certainly don't lose track of Neal, Merric, Prosper, Owen, Cleon, and Roald. They come and go throughout the book, each with their own battles and tribulations.
Squire is a wonderful contribution to the Protector of the Small quartet, and a must read for any adolescent girl (or boy) who wants to dive into a new and exciting world that truly hits hits home. It sets up for the concluding book of the quartet, with cliffhanging clues to Kel's future.

I have been a fan of Tamora Pierce's books since I was 10. Nearly 15 years later, I can honestly say that I have not been disappointed with any of her efforts. Her Lionness series, the Wild Mage Series and her current Protector of the Small series, just improves over time.. It's great to see old characters back, to meet new friends, and see another great heroine reach her potential. This current book is thick and goes into further detail on the training a squire undergoes.. This helped 'flesh' out the training that Alanna must have gone through and makes the reader appreciate just how great an accomplishment it is to just become a knight!

I think that this is the best book in the series Protector of the Small! Now a squire Kel's night-master is Raoul of Goldenlake. She joins the King's Own where they stop raiding parties, kill centaurs, and so on. Having to care for a griffin Kel has fun with the Own. There isn't quite as much action as in Song of the Lioness but it is still a great read. There are some of the same characters from Song of the Lioness and The Immortals series though they are not focused on besides Raoul of Goldenlake. Girls ages 11 and up shouldread this book though you should read her other Tortall series first!

Ok, one thing, Cleon and Kel talk a little about sex, but it's not really gratutious or anything. After all, Alanna and Jon did it without even talking about it which wasn't very wise. (Think about it, Alanna forgets her little necklance one night, "WHAT?! Alan's PREGNANT?!! And with the Crown Prince's child?!" Heh, hiding her gender would be real tough after that!) And Neal's not in it too much, but nobody's mentioned the princess and ladies of Yama! They're fun, in that Kel finally has some friends who are both female and her own age, and they give us a little insight to our favorite squire's childhood. So it's not "school" story anymore. You know that was going to happen eventually, right? So instead of high school, Kel's now in college. It's not worse or better, just different. The third book in a quartet tends to be a bit weak, but I liked this one more than the other's, really. A change of scenery can sometimes be a good thing. ^_^

I have read hundreds of books in my life, from Alison Lester with the Quicksand Pony to Harry Potter, but by far the best book I know of has to be squire by the best author Tamora Pierce. I have read all of the Tamora Pierce books and not once have I wished that I wad doing another thing or reading another book. Not one of Tamora's books have taken me more than 6 days to read, and I do regret one thing, and that is that I now have to wait for the next book. What a pest!
So, no matter your age or gender just read this book and you will only regret it ending and you waiting for the next one!

This is one of the weirdest but best of the Tamora books so far. The only problem is Kel falls in love with practically every guy she sees. She is now out of love with Neal which is really bad! She now finds out Cleon loves her and she "loves" him. I don't think she does. Well the story otherwise is basically about Kel and she is now a squire. She has a great night to serve, Raoul. Even if she hoped Alana would take her, she didn't, instead she took Neal and this makes Kel really mad. The whole book is really good and Daine comes back in the book for a while. You have to read this book if you liked the other two!

The audio version of Protector of Small series is just stellar. Bernadette Dunne's reading is just fabulous! She does multi voices and catches the humor and irony in every sentence and every word!

I listened to part of this while gardening outside, outloud... a bit wary of disturbing my neighbors... but one of them was equally enthralled and wanted to know what it was, cause it was so captivating!!!

P.S. I think Squire was my favourite, because Bernadette did such a great job with the male voices, that I wanted to be Raoul's squire and part of the King's Own.

When i started reading the Protector of the Small Quartet, kel struck me as a bad character but had room for improvement as she got older. The only thing was that she didn't. She reamined the same person, with the worst personality. All the other characters were great and realistic, but the main character was so unreal, to perfect even the way she had a fear of heights was a ploy to make it seem that she wasn't perfect. she didn't deserve great friends like Neal or Owen and especially Dom and the squire to my favorite character in the Song of the Lioness Quartet. The only reason i gave this book three stars is because of Tamora Pierce's wonderful writing and plot. Just get a realistic main character like Alanna or Daine and you're set.

The plot is great, Kel has just become a squire, and in fear of getting a bad knight master. She ends up being the squire to none other than Alanna's best friend, Raoul of Golden Lake and Malorie's Peak. This book chronicles all the adventures that kel goes through with the Own that includes a run in with a kraken and masacring centaurs to be ended with her Ordeal. I must say that Kel's ordeal was rather boring when you compare it to Alanna's but opinion is that In the Hand of the Goddess can do no wrong.

In this book, Tamora Pierce brings together many characters in her previous books on Tortall (the kingdom that serves as "home base"). Kel's experiences as a Squire and her experiences with the "Chamber of the Ordeal" are amazing. As always, a great read! (Read this time as a library book.)

Keladry of Mindelan is no ordinary girl, but a squire who's anxiously waiting for the time where she'll be a knight at last. A great number of people hope that she won't be able to make it to such a title, but there are still supporters for her.
Squire, is the third book of the Protector of the Small series and Pierce certainly hasn't lost her touch for storytelling. From the minute I started reading the book, I could hardly put the book down. There¡¦s just this strange force that Pierce has that draws you into the story, and doesn't want you to stop.
This time round, Keladry gets sponsored by a knight, and goes on mini adventures, has a new love interest, and faces the Chamber of the Ordeal to. More is known about the Yamanis, (people from where she lived earlier before going to Corus to become page), and their customs due to a special reason. She's reunited with her dog Jump, and her pigeon friends into another adventure of this series. Once again, she gets expensive weapons from a anonymous benefactor, and finds out a lot of truths plus who are behind certain things. Years fly by fast in Squire, and a great many things happen, this is a book you definitely wouldn't want to miss.
I really enjoyed this particular book, because throughout the book, Keladry proves to her world that even though chances are slim, and the world seems to be against you and your decisions, with determination they will always be ways in which you can get around these obstacles to get to your goal and achieve what you want. There might be times where you might feel discouraged, but as long as you keep on trying at least you'll get somewhere. She's a very strong determined character and makes important decisions throughout this book. Keladry is also very down-to-earth because she doesn't look down to other people, apologizes when she's wrong, and tries to help when she can. There are also a lot of surprises that happen and with this book opened, there's never a dull second.
Personally, I think Squire is a highly addictive book, be sure to have some spare time sitting around you before flipping open the first page; definitely a true Pierce classic. If you truly enjoyed the other quartet sets by Pierce that are all set in the fantasy realm of Tortall, I'm sure that you will no doubt enjoy the Protector of the Small too.

Although I do agree that this book lacked Kel's previously determined personality traits, and that her relationship with Cleon was rather startling... I have to say that it was an incredible book by far.
Tamora Pierce avoided the looming cliche of a romance between Neal and Kel. However, her attraction to Dom is rather puzzling... both to the reader and apparently to Keledry as she discovers her fickleness.
I think that many people were surprised by Kel's discovery of her wandering heart because Kel never really wanted to explore that aspect in the first two books, her goal was to become a Squire and be as good if not better than the boys... thus winning Lord Wyldon's approval. Frankly, if I had to go through that, romance would be the last thing on my mind and once my goal had been accomplished I too might find that my heart wandered as fitfully as Kel's does in "Squire".
Kel's dealings with her new experiences were interesting and made me smile more than a couple of times when I was reading it. Perhaps not Tamora Pierce's "best yet", but it was still quite good as far as most fantasy books go.
I didn't find it jumped too far forward... recall in her first series The Lioness Quartet Alanna had become a full knight by the end of the second book!
So a hearty huzzah to Tamora Pierce and hopes for more quartets in the future!

Kel has turned into a likeable yet grim and determined teenager in service to Lord Raoul of Goldenlake. As usual, there are her fellow squires' ill-fated quests for unattainable women (such as Yamani ladies) which add humor to the book, and her mysterious gift-giver. Kel goes off to war, a refreshing break from palace life. An addition to the story, which is uncalled for, is the calm horse to go with Peachblossom the sweet, mellow, dainty, obedient pony. The book has more romance than need be, but otherwise it is very good.

Here's the thing: I bought this book seriously hoping that Neal would... you know, fall in love with Kel and everything would work out dandy. But instead I find that Neal is hardly EVER in the story, and now Cleon is Kel's focus of attention. What exactly happened here? Why is Neal suddenly out of the picture? and why is Kel falling for the big dumb red-headed Cleon? I keep asking myself these questions, and no reasonable answers come to mind.
However, even though I was dismayed at Neal's sudden disappearance, this is quite a good book. I enjoy reading about Raoul, who we never really heard about much before. He seems to be the perfect knight master for Kel. I was also glad to see Daine in the story; I have missed her since the Immortals series, but Numair hasn't really shown up yet.
I had to give Squire 4 stars because, after all, it IS by Tamora Pierce, one of my favorite authors. All of her books are wonderful. But I am still utterly disturbed about the whole "Where is Neal?" thing. If you are a fan of Tamora Pierce, by all means read this book, it is definitely worth reading. But if you really like Neal (like I do), then prepare yourself for disappointment.

ok first of all i have to say HOW CAN SOME OF YOU NOT GIVE THIS BOOK 5 STARS?!?!?!?! with that said, lets start talking about the book! as you all probably know, raoul is kels new knightmaster, and so she gets to travel around with the kings own. because of this we get to see pleanty of violence and fighting, but if you cant stand that, why are you reading a book about knights? kel and raoul grow to have a wonderful relationship, they respect eachother just as alanna and myles did in the first books of the song of the lioness series.
next we get to other relationships. everyone complains about neal being out of the picture, but personally, i think the book works just as well without him. i mean, i loved him soooo much in the first two books and i always hoped they would hook up, but they didnt so its time to move on! dom seems amazing and im glad he was included in the book, its nice to see that im not the only one with a new crush each week. and then of course theres cleon. i love cleon, he seems wonderful and really in love with kel. you could always tell in "page" and even a bit in "first test" that cleon had the hots for kel, i just didnt think that tamora pierce would pursue that and keep it going. i really hope this relationship keeps going into the fourth book, "lady knight". marriage would be wonderful, numair and daine didnt get married when i wanted them to, and alanna ended up marrying GEORGE, who i liked, but he could never ever replace jon in my mind. kel and cleon just need to change cleons mothers mind.
oh and there is one more relationship that none of the reviews ive read have mentioned: there is a bit of romance between raoul and someone... you have to read the book to find out who!
anyway, this book is wonderful, and although its age is like 9-12, im going into grade ten and i still love it and all of tamoras other books, so please, go and read this book!!!

I love the Protector of the Small Series, and the first one I read in it was the 3rd, Squire. And I had to read it twice to finally get it. Nowadays, this is my favorite book, and I protect it with my life. I never really understood why the series is called Protector of the Small until the fourth book came out, but, anyways, that's a different review.
In this book, Kel really is a hero that everyone could love. Speaking of love...hello, Cleon! I didn't get why she chose him, but it would be kind of weird if Kel fell in love with her best friend, Neal. And why wouldn't she? Come on, would you tell you best friend you love them like that? I personally would have chosen Owen. I thought it was cute when he hugged Kel when he became a squire. Cheesy, huh? (Also I think that Pierce wouldn't have chosen Owen because he is younger than Kel, and in Song of the Lioness, The Immortals, and this, Protector of the Small, all the young hero women have older men in their lives...)
But why I really loved this book is because it has enough medieval things in it to suit my needs. It also mixes in magic and fantasy, to make it truly unique. I'm kind of disappointed because I think there wasn't as much humor as there was in Page. But I think the epic, brief challenges Kel faces and the pessimist character of Kel is so provoking. Not to mention the post Yammani life she had. The whole reason she wanted to become a Knight in the first place comes from that.
I'm so glad the story didn't end here, because this is a really great tale. I really got caught up in it. It becomes so real, that nothing becomes outrageous in it. Like the use of the magic or healing, the immortals, or worshiping many gods. It's a break from the ordinary, and that's why it's so great.

Squire is an exciting piece about Keladry of Mindelan whose determination to become a knight helps her endure the threats of conservative knights during her four years as a squire. Kel's dream of serving under Knight Alanna dies as she serves for the good-natured Knight Raoul who deals with raiding centaurs, invading Scanrans, and other law-breakers of Tortall. Exciting and irresistible like all the other books by Tamora Pierce, Squire is a must-read for fantasy-lovers or those who likes the never-ending combat.

I personally love anything that Tamora Pierce has writen, and I own a copy of all but her two most recent releases. However, I found "Squire" to be a bit of a disappointment.
Firstly I found her infatuations with some of the knights annoying. Kel's supose to be an example of what anyone can do once they set their mind to it, and she always seemed to be very focused. Her afair with Cleon was out of character, it seemed to almost symbolise a lack of determination. And it's clear to the reader that she's not interested in ever marrying him, at the momment, she never seemed to be the type of person that would entangle herself in an afair that she wasn't serious about, especially sense he admitted once or twice that he was.
I also found that Jeoren's death was sudden and disappointing. Pierce spent the first two books seeming to lead up to something with him, I personally expected something big to happen with him, and even his capper at the end of the second book still seemed to be leading up to something much bigger. Then he just suddenly dies in the middle of "Squire". Nothing led up to that, and I found myself feeling cheeted. The chamber was also an anti-climax, especially after reading about Alana's own time in there.
Parts of it however I did enjoy reading. Kel's still an original character facing new problem's, ones that Alana never faced. And Kel finally meets Alana and learns that she's her mysterious benefacter (something which most readers already knew, I'm sure). She also has to take care of a baby griffin, something I hope will come back into play later (perhaps she'll have new alias among some griffins?) In anycase I'm looking forward to reading the next instalment to find out what will happen to her.

I've enjoyed all of Tamora's work, from start to finish and this book is no different in that regard. However, I did feel a disturbing lack of a cohesive story arc in this book particularly. That Kel might be the object of divine plans and a heroic plot is only hinted at--and not really enough to ring it home. With Alanna, readers never had a doubt. And the villain remained one and the same throughout the books. Even Daine has a singular villain to fight. I found this book a little like Harry Potter #2, lots of interesting information, delightful scenes, but somehow not satisfying by itself. I'd like to see more transformation from Kel in the fourth book. The absence of real connection between events is not enough to make me dislike the story or refrain from buying it (I've already read it twice.) But I strongly hope book four gives Kel a real goal/motivation/conflict arc that will give readers the satisfaction they desire at the conclusion.

In third grade (a little too soon!) I read the "The Song of the Lioness" series, and ever after I have been posotively gobbling up Tamora Pierce's books. They are SO GREAT! When I read "First Test," I really enjoyed it, but I still liked the Alanna series better. However, with "Squire," I had a wonderful time reading it! (I lent it to several of my friends, and they're all hanging on me for "Lady Knight;" obviously they loved "Squire".) I was a smidgeon surprised when Neal wasn't the big shebang anymore, but I didn't think it was too bad... The only thing is, it makes you wonder: If Neal suddenly disappeared, will Cleon do the same?? Well, I know Tamora Pierce to do things like that (if you've read about Alanna & Jonathan, and then Alanna & George)...
Any person who believes in a strong woman equal to men will enjoy this book. I especially liked it being longer than the previous books in the series. ( The longer the better!) It has a good pace, with plenty of action, yet isn't driving the reader insane with a lack of calm moments. I also think this is (so far) the best of the "Protector of the Small." ( I'm sure my friends would say so too). Well, there's at least seven people who adore this book here in Austin TX. I say, READ THIS, or you are missing out!!

This new addition to the Protector of the Small series let me down quite a bit. The book was, though longer and more detailed, not as fascinating and enjoyable as the former POTS books.
The story follows Kel of Mindelan, now a squire. Expecting Alanna the Lionesss as her new knight master, she is highly saddened and angered by the fact the Lioness chooses her best friend, Neal, as her squire. However, she is delighted by Sir Raoul of Goldenlake's offer and accepts.
Her new life with the King's Own (since Raoul is the King's Own commander) is somewhat different (and holds much more grueling work), yet gives her a broader view of scarred Tortall.
She works her way through jousts (proving to be brilliant), relationships (bye-bye Neal, hello Cleon - I wasn't expecting that, as well as that there all old enemies to deal with - surprisingly TP gives a fate to Joren quite unexpected, sexist knights, etc.), a young griffin, the Yamani princess, many new immortals and the start of a war with Scanra - and the terrifying Ordeal.
This book, while good, is somewhat a let down - she falls in love with Cleon - I was hoping for Neal, ha ha, somewhat dull and somewhat, okay, REALLY predictible.
Otherwise, the usual twists of action - there's a lot more of it -, fun, wonder and fantasy. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Really good. very detailed. I'm not a fan of the Cleon-Kel thing though. Maybe she and Dom will get together cause she still has a crush on him. cleon and her don't seem in love just kinda fluddery, like almost superfishal. The Battel senes are well thought out but not gory. My one problem with T P.'s books is i feel sad when they end not because they are sad but i always want more even though the ending is a complete one. Gods! i'm like Chaos herself!!I would give this book 7 stars but it only goes up to 5(grins sheepishly) Cate Tiernan is a good auther too. Looking forward to Lady Knight. Only One More Month!!! yahoo!!!

Tamora Pierce has never let a reader down (at least not this reader). I began to read her stories, starting with the Song of the Lioness quartet, when I was in the 6th grade, and even though I can now be classified as an adult, I still seek out her books as a wonderful and exicting deversion. I've never been disappointed with her books, and with 'Squire' I expected and recieved the same treatment. However, I felt that 'Squire' lacked the subtlties and the suspence of the former books. We almost knew what was going to happen even before the plot set the scene up. While still enjoyable, it was, well, predictable. 'Squire' also lacked the details of Pierce's first books. Events that should have had more impact and build up to them kind of fizzeled out. For exaple, I felt that the death of one of the characters was a major turning point in the book, and yet it was almost skimmed over. Kel's Ordeal was hardly an Ordeal at all. It was a fairly large book as teen fiction goes, and yet I feel that it hardly said anything at all. At almost 400 pages the book almost seemed too long, and at the same time, encreadably short. While the two hours it took me to read the story were enjoyable and very nicely covered, the book didn't have the callabor or that edge-of-the-seat, page turning virtues of it's predicasors. Very nice, but could have been nicer.

well. mabye next time I ought not to read the reviews before I read the book. I was kind of scared I would totally hate it that I was pleasently suprised when i didn't. Yes, everything they said in the previous reviews was true, but not to such an extent that you should completely give up hope in this series. Lets take the alanna series for instance. It starts off as an "elementary school, take it and then leave it book that you never think of again," when in all actuality I read that series several years ago and now am in tenth grade and am still completely and utterly amused by it. So Squire was a very good piece of writing, but since I've spent a year coming up with my own ways in which Kel's story "will end," i'm not really that surprised that she didn't follow my story line. ("What! Kel should be doing what III want her to do! Grr...") Yes, well. so. now I've got an entire year to come up with a wonderful plot for Lady Knight, and just enough time to get incredibly excited. Actually, I wouldn't be all that suprised if Tamora Pierce finished writing the Kel series years ago and is just holding them to be difficult... Ack! Oh, yes, and I've figured out why Kel's story is sooo appealing. Well, you see, It would be very difficult to be Alanna, and almost impossible to be Daine, but any girl can be Kel any day of the week. So it is all very good and wonderful. Hmm, mabye I should stop typing and go read Squire over again...

I have been an avid Tamora fan ever since my friends introduced me to her Alanna series (which was also awesome, if you haven't read it I suggest it) in middle school. At first I was skeptical about this series, but the second book forced me to fall in love with Kel. I was in Boston when this book came out. I picked it up in a bookstore, sat on the floor and read the first two chapters in the store. I realized I had to have it, and bought it (I don't ever buy hardbacks, but, I couldn't resist.) In this book Tamora further develops Kel. She comes out of her shell, and as she grows we see a more mature outgoing Kel. I liked all the action and experience she caught with Gary.
I was dissappointed with the romance in this book, I had always paired Kel with Neal. Her liking Dom was a little weird and I don't know what to think about it. The whole thing with Cleon bugged me a bit, because I don't find Cleon attractive or compatible with Kel. It also peaked my interest because I look forward to seeing what happens in the fourth book.
If you pick up this book look forward to a night in bed with a good book. Because it's longer, it will keep you up later, but it's much more enjoyable. This is my favorite one in the sreies and I highly reccomend it.

I may not have finished the book yet (i am close) but it is one of my favorite so far!!! my only problem (since it does bug me every once in a while) is that the years go by so fast! sometimes i have trouble keeping her age straight. otherwise i LOVE this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How she has to deal with how some people don't think she shouldn't be a knight, and other problems is sooo inspiring!! This book is totally worth reading!

Although this book also covers several years, I found it to be a lot more detailed (for the most part) than the previous one, which is good. I was a bit disappointed at first that Kel and Neal didn't get together. Kel does end up with Cleon, which I wasn't completely crazy about - if not Neal, I'd prefer her to be with Dom. But there's one more book, so we'll see what happens. Some problems as usual - yes, Kel has a difficult time, but some difficulties seem to resolve themselves almost a little too quickly. But that didn't take away too much from my enjoyment of the book and I can't wait to read the next one.

there's nothing worse than not getting a knight-master-or maybe working 4 a desk-knight! these are keladry of mindelan's greatest fears. when her best friend neal is asked by alanna the lioness, kel's idol, it's a good thing someone has already asked her! in the third book of protector of the small, kel tests her fears agains the chapel of the ordeal, builds a romance, and gains a reputation in jousting tournaments. best book in series w/out a doubt!

i think that this book is a wonderful 3rd to a fabulous series. this book all leads up to the ordel which every squire must take to bcome a knight. although Kel cant be the squire of Alanna she gets the next best thing with Roaul. during her 4 years as a squire Kel takes in a baby griffin, enters jousting turnaments (and wins most of them), falls for Cleon, and faces a new wepon which is garented to show up in Laday Knight. I proudly give this book 5 stars and hope that the next 1 is just as good

The book Squire, the third book in the series Potector of the Small by Tamora Pierce, is very enchanting. It is about a teenager named Keladry of Mindalen and her journey through Squirehood. She is a young girl competing in a boy's world. She has to be strong, quick, and smart to become a knight and get her shield. At first, no one wanted to take Kel on as their Squire because of her gender and supposed weakness. Finally, Lord Raoul, the Knight Commander of the King's Own, accepts her. Kel grows strong and learns how to be a squire and trains to become a knght. She soon fights in battles against pirates and even immortals. Kel's bravery shows she is as good as any boy and can joust against anyone who wants to challenge her. Kel also stumbles upon love with a young man. The help eachother make it through the years of protecting the King's land. In the end, Kels fights one last, and ferocious battle against the enemy before she returns home to face the Chamber of the Ordeal. The Chamber is the only thing holding her back from becoming a knight.
Tamora Pierce is an excellent author. She writes descriptively and shows the characters' emotions and personalities very well. The battle scenes and tactics are well told along with the meals and parties she attends with her Knight. I strongly reccommend this book to anyone who loves adventurous tales about young, brave teenagers.

This is a great book. Really. I've read other people's reviews and I'm kinda disappointed that they aren't giving it the credit that it deserves (5 stars). I mean, no kel doesn't spend a lot of time with her old friends...but how could she?!? Thats just thinking crazy thoughts. She's traveling ALL THE TIME. Being the squire to raoul doesn't leave her much time to socialize does it? and its not like she didn't make other friends. Besides, the book was already huge....how could Pierce have fit anything else in it? . well, if he liked her he would have said something sooner, and thats that. Besides, she gave up liking neal in favor of dom right at the beginning of the book! Every girl will think shes in love with someone until someone better comes along, I mean geez, alanna changed her mind all the time, in this case it was cleon who had obviously liked kel for a while. No, he hadn't been a fully developed character in the other books...but thats ok! Now we get to know him a little better.... same goes for raoul. But anyway, I'm glad kel and cleon got together. Don't dwell on neal, he found someone else anyway:) finally, theres the whole ordeal thing. I thought it was great and not at all disappointing, and thats all I have to say on that matter. So, if you THINK THROUGH THIS LOGICALLY and don't get stuck on what YOU wanted to happen you'll really really enjoy this book. Not every story goes the way you want it to but thats no reason to deprive it of the 5 star rating that it deserves.

I fell in love w/ Tamora Pierce's books when I first read Wild Magic. I finished the rest of the quartet, and quickly bought and read the Song of the Lioness. Sadly, I had none of the anticipation about who Alanna would end up with, because I'd already read her next quartet.
This next quartet about Tortall is as good, if not better than, her previous two. I admit, in Squire, I felt not quite as... close to Kel as I had in First Test and Page. But there were other aspects to this book that made up for it. One was the introduction of new characters. To me, it seemed that more people were added to this book as at least half-way main characters than in most of the rest of Pierce's books. Also, there's the romance between Kel and Cleon. Some people have said that they don't like it. That it's not good because Cleon wasn't a main character in the first 2 books, as Pierce had done in her previous books, so he shouldn't have hooked up w/ Kel. I totally disagree. Tamora shouldn't have to write her books exactly the same way. If she did, then what would be the point? There would be none, because there would be no change. Another minor but good thing to this, was the fact that the notorious curtain-hider, Raoul, has found a reason to come out from hiding. No more mothers trying to hook him up w/ their eligible daughters. And for those of you who didn't like the Neal/Yuki thing, well that's your problem. I think she's good for him. She could certainly straighten him up a bit. Teach him how to hold his tongue.
But all together, this was a wonderful book. I just finished reading it for the second time in as many days.

When I was younger, I fell in love with Pierce's book _Alanna:_The_First_Adventure_. After the third book of the Alanna series, I have sought that magic in her writing since. I have finally found it in _Squire_. I have enjoyed her intervening books, but I never lost myself in them. There is depth here and the best part was that for the most part it was not predictable. Of course, we all know that she will be a knight by the end, but the intermediate steps were a mystery and a joy to live through.

I started this series with my children on Audio CD's. The first book was fine. The 2nd (Page) highlighted too many girl issues that makes audio with boys and girls awkward. I have read plenty other author's who know how to be discreet. Tamora Pierce is NOT discreet, she also uses obscenities unfit for 12 year olds. Most author's for children just say discreetly "He swore", but no this author has to use the exact words.
I wish I was warned before we started the 3rd book (Squire). Completely unsuitable for 12 year olds. The author clearly thinks "affairs" before marriage are good! Let's be more concerned with what is happening in our cultural, Pierce, and not condone or even encourage girls to sleep around! We will NOT be finishing this book. We will avoid buying anything from Tamora Pierce. Thankfully, the previous books were free from our Library. =)

I haven't read this whole book yet, but Tamora Pierce has done a very good job writing the book sof this series and of all the others. THe characters seem so real, and it isn't liek some books where the world is in danger and a lone girl has to safe it or something like that.It is about growing up and accomplishing your goals, and is also entertaining and full of lessons.I recommend this book and the others having to do with Alanna and Daine to anyone and everyone.

That is a really good book, and if you haven't read it, do, and if you have, you're sure to agree. For those of you who haven't read it, here's why you should. It's full of action, twists, and everything else that makes a book good, including a touch of romance. Anyways, I really, really suggest this book, and, for that matter, every other book that Tamora Pierce has ever written, and trust me, I've read them all.

This was such a good book - Tamora Pierce outdid herself. I loved the more pages thing. That added more detail. Let's start
Dissapointed that Lady Alanna did not take her as a squire (She took Neal actually - ooh Alanna's temper has gotta hurt but that'll teach Neal a thing or two) Kel is elated that the realm's most legendary knight - Lord Commander Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malory's Peak has asked her to be his squire. Raoul is commander of the King's Own and Kel pictures her next four years as fun. We meet new characters like Dom and an ungrateful griffin, and also old ones... Neal, Owen, Lalasa, and unexpected fates to Joren and Vinson. There are also love affairs - no not Neal - Kel stopped liking liking him. Kel also tries jousting and finds herself talented. However at the end, Kel still worries about her final test - the Ordeal. Will it grind her to cat meat?
Okay so thats the review - you have to read this. Get this book and you're in for a real treat.

This book shows that we girls can do anything. Kel a average girl to the naked eye is as pasionate as anyone who is going through the changes in her body, heart and soul. She falls in love with (no not Neal) but another secret admirer and is a little troubled with his feelings for her. She gets her sheild and takes you on a journey you could never forget. Peirce follows something I find that Tolkien did, she made this story a historic/fantasy instead a pure fantasy.
I read this book in 1 day because I found that I felt that I was a character in the story instead of someone reading it. I hope peirce continues her magical stories and perfect historic adventures with archery and sword fighting where not everything happy ever after.
I will continue to read her work and go on the journeys she supplies with her forever imaginative passion.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to go on an adventure of a lifetime.

This is a wonderful book. It leaves the impression that no matter who or what you are, you can do anything if you just stick to it.
As Kel starts her years as the first official female squire, she is disapointed when she is not chosen by the only lady knight, but instead her best friend, Neal, is. Down to earth Lord Raoul choses her instead. Throughout the book, Kel battles full-grown centaurs, fosters a gryphon kit, competes in jousting tournaments, begins the first romance of her teenage years, and finally, enters the Chamber of the Ordeal, becoming the first Lady Knight to officially go through training, and 2nd known Lady Knight (the first went through training incognito as a boy). This book leaves the reader pining for the next book of the quartet.

This is probably my favorite of all of her books. I simply love Kel! She's just so real. I also love how while Kel isn't always the best. That sort of stuff gets really boring. But no matter what, Kel bites her tongue and goes through with her tasks. This book has a lot of new people in it too. I would talk about all of the things I love about this book but I would end up ruining it for you.

When I started reading this book, I was so excited because I had been waiting for a while for the third Protector of the small. I was immediatly absorbed into Kel adventures. I was very glad when she was asked to be squire to Raoul. Overall, I thought this book was very well written. There were some things that disappointed me though. I was sad that Kel's friends; Neal, Merric, Owen, Roald and such didn't get to play a more significant role in the book. Kel lost touch with alot of her friends. But she had a reason because she was constantly traveling with the King's Own and Raoul. I was glad that Kel discovered some romance, even though I was disappointed it was not with Neal or Dom. I expected a more bigger ending but it didn't come, even though it did forshadow the next and last book. In this book, its positives far exceded its negatives, thats why I gave it five stars. It was very good and I highly recommend it.

I like this book alot. The only problem with it is that Kel and Cleon get carried away. I hope that latter on Ms. Pierce can leave all the sex stuff out. It almost ruins the books. In almost all the series she has sex or the likes. In the Alanna books, Alanna and Jon have sex. In the Immortals series, Numair has sex with Varice and Numair and Daine almost get carried away. Daine also talked to him about it. In the Kel books I was hoping that she wouldn't talk about it because it doesn't come up until the 3rd book. Then Kel and Cleon start to undress but only get partway. They also talk about haveing sex in a haystack just before her jousting tournament. That irked me that she would throw that in at the almost very end.

This book follows the first in the series without a hitch. It is beautifully written & hard to put down. It follows the training of the first girl (Keladry)who wants to become a night in a magical country. Great read for anyone and especially good for young girls struggling with the need to be themselves even when it's hard for them to be strong as individuals.

This book was a wonderful read. I couldn`t put it down (literaly).
In this book, Kel gets chosen to be a squire by Lord Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie`s Peak-Kinght Commander of the King`s Own. While Kel works with the Own she falls in to taking care of a fiesty, young Griffen-which turns out to be a hassel.
She and Cleon start dating-which I think is great! Neal never liked Kel "that way" but you could tell that Cleon did. By the way, I was hoping that they would hook up sometime after I read Page; she was right to go for him!
Kel learns how to joust, turns out to be good at it and also gets visions from the Chamber of Ordeal.
All in all this is an excellent book and I reccomend it to anyone who enjoys a great fantasy novel that they won`t be able to put down.

This is book is refreshing to the more adult readers of tamora peirce becaause kel faces more adult problems. I think it was the best in the series by far!!! Mabey thats cause im a hopeless romantic but i stayed up all night giggling and reading this book over and over! I used to be one of the die hard harry potter fans, but when jk rowling didnt release i new book i decided to try something new and dived into this series. I forgot harry! I dont even care about rowlings books anymore I JUST WANT THE SEQUAL!!! Yes it was a dissapointment when tammy left neal out of the sotry but i like cleon too :). THE BES PART IS THE SECTION AFTER MIDWINTER WOOT! yeh heheh...just buy this book! Overnight delivery even if you cant afford it YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! Its tammys best so far and i mean that!

This is absulutley the best of the 'Protector of the Small' quartet! Probably because Roaul is in this book and he is a fave character of mine.

Kelandry of Mindelin is now a squire and is very worried about who's going to pick her to be their squire. She is hoping that the legendary Lioness will pick her but it isn't working as she had hoped. Finally Sir Raoul of Goldenlake picks her and she gladly excepts. She then travels with the kings guard (for that is what Sir Raoul does).

This is a wonderful adventure full of action, romance, and is a blast to read! Tamora Pierce created a wonderful story and I hope that everyone reading this review will give it a go because I know for a fact that you'll enjoy all the hard work Pierce has put into this! Read SQUIRE!

-Hannah M.

My son and I have greatly enjoyed Tamora Pierce's books since the Alanna series, and eagerly looked forward to the release of this book. We loved it. However, we were disappointed by the introduction of a mechanically based enemy. The overall feel of these books is so genuinely medieval that this sort of robot creature took away from that trend of her past books; it felt too modern. As a school/community worker recommending books to children on a regular basis, I am also concerned with the robots having their origin in slaughtered young children's bodies that resemble dolls with bruised faces. The age of her readers are suggested at 9-12. This was gruesome and hints to more ahead.

Tamora Pierce is one of my all time favorite authors who could only improve upon her writing skills by turning out her books a bit faster. This book like most of her books has wonderful characterization and story line. The world she creates is intriguing and everyone in it seems real and fascinating.

Squire is one of my favorite books of all time. I think that Tamora Pierce, criticized as she may be, went far beyond what was expected in this book. Especially in the parts with the griffin...he was one of my favorite and least-favorite characters rolled into one. Whoever says this book lacks anything is just picking a fight.

I think that this book was a great story. The book had a lot of thing going on. Kel had to deal with becoming a new squire to Raoul, take care of a new baby griffin, deal with her old enemy Joren, get a new boyfriend, and deal with the "visions" of the Chamber. The growing romance between Kel and Cleon was very interesting. Because most people say that you should be friends before you can be lovers. That is the way most of Pierce's relationships were. I think that her feelings for Neal and Dom were not very deep, they were just like Alanna and the Shang Dragon in the Lioness Quartet, but not that intamite. Overall it was a great book and she overcame her fears in the chamber and is now a knight. I can't wait till the next book!!!

Squire is a definite interesting read, one that I would recommend to all interested. And although it's a worthwhile book, I must say that it fails to match the caliber of her other books in the series. I will first address the shortcomings than move onto the more positive aspects.
Like all anxious readers, I immediately bought the book and commenced reading it -- hoping to find the book as immersing as the others, and confident that the characters we have all grown to love or hate (Neal, Merric, Cleon, Owen, Roald, Joren) would be further developed, playing a critical role in the book. However, there was no such luxury. Yes, unfortunately, Tamora Pierce barely incorporates these characters into the book, and her sudden introduction of masses of characters overwhelms the reader. The rapid changing environments and whirlwind events also subtract from the simple honesty of the palace. There is no defined story line, no direction. Raoul is fun as a knight-master, however, he does not compensate for the weaker parts of the storyline. Sure, the Chamber of Secrets is what everything is leading up to, however, it is quite a minute conflict, and overplayed. Perhaps it is me, but is the introduction of Dom (Neal's "cousin") extremely odd, too coincidental?
The characters we loved and hated, those developed intricately in the earlier books, Neal and Joren were barely incorporated into the book. Ms. Pierce falls short in this aspect -- she has undermined the constants that made this series such a staple. There is much less humor -- Kel's personality is quite different from the frank, innocent girl we enjoyed. She no longer exemplifies the traits that make her such an interesting, unique heroine -- perhaps this is natural in real life, however, the effectiveness in this book is quite disappointing. And Joren? Well, what happens to him is extremely well-written, however, I think she revealed it too soon. It sort of kills the conflict. Kel's focuses have dwindled -- uniformity lacks. Kel no longer loves Neal, thus, Neal's place is sort of lost.
Which brings me to the next point -- love. Yes, Ms. Pierce does an incredible job incorporating love into her storyline, making it unpredictable and exhilarating all the same. However, I must say that Kel's new relationship with Cleon is more of a hindrance than a breath of fresh air. Cleon just isn't the same as Neal, and his interactions with Kel sort of drag the book down -- changing her character, and breaking the flow of the story. Perhaps you may dissent, and I do like Cleon to a certain extent, however, it is much less dramatic than it could be -- and Kel's moping over him is very overplayed. And also, there's too much emphasis on it, along with sex -- which truly no one wants to hear about.
Simplicity is lost. It's no longer that funny, touching school story where Kel is this courageous girl, this funny and poignant character who faces these incredibly outlandish escapades. The book's tone changes -- bringing in unwelcome, contrasting events that break the voice set by the other books. However, I don't doubt that the last book will set everything correct once more -- 3rd books seem to be the weakest, the 4th a major punch.
The positive aspects of this book is that there is much more action, much more Kel alone. Kel is older, perhaps wiser. The book is a good turning point, revealing how much she has changed, and perhaps the new direction for the 4th books. The book is well-written, a clear fantasy book, intricate and fun-to-read. It's engrossing, and convinced me to stay up the entire night reading it. I'd give it 4 stars out of 5. It has the substance and the potential, but it just doesn't have the gleaming qualities of the earlier books.

In the third installment of Protector of the Small, Kel, the disputed female squire, finds a knight-master, a boyfriend,... and great evil. True to Ms. Pierce's writings, this book is eloquent, and can stand up to many readings. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Hobbit, or the Book of Artemis Fowl.

Maybe I have no right to say what I am going to say because I haven't read the other books in this series...but after reading this one, I don't want to.

I picked the book up for a $1--hardcover brand spankin' new. I got what I paid for!

I knew it was a children's book and thought it would be a light, fun, easy read. It seems that Kel only starts to really gain character at the end of the novel. At times there are certain things that the author seems to just "write in" the book because the situation she's in will make it easier. For example instead of talking about earlier in the story of training birds to read hand signals, when there is a need for the birds to know hand signals it's very convenient that they already possess this ability and of course Kel trained them before...but when did she have time? When you read the book it tells her daily schedule and never mentions bird training at all! There are lots of loose ends like this throughout the book. Also, it's very unrealistic. Not unrealistic in the fantasy sense...even in a fantasy world it wouldn't happen. Want to know why it wouldn't happen? Because the author does not convince me that this could really happen in another world. I am referring to female squires and knights. The Lord of the Rings is believable because Tolkein can convince me that these things are real. Pierce is not believable. Also, she borrowed too many elements from Japanese culture for the Yamani people or whatever Pierce named those people. Just by calling them a different name doesn't make the things she talked about non-Japanese. How about coming up with something original? The book was okay...just okay. If I had it to do over I wouldn't read it. There were also way too many flat characters that I couldn't keep up with. I would need that dictionary in the back to keep them straight because most of them didn't do anything except show up and say hello and then fade away until their next hello. I really think a lot of the characters were unnecessary. And the bird.... too much like a Phoenix for me.

this is my all time favorite book. it is full of adventure and it was funny with another touch of LOVE. everyone who reads this should get it. i love this book. i am a huge tamoria pierce fan. you should probally read the 1rst and 2nd book before reading this one. hurry through those ones quik cause you have to read this one. get it at the store though cause it is SO much cheaper. The story goes on about kel and her life now as a squire. at the end of the book she has to have her ordeal to become a knight. the next book is coming out in august. i have already pre-ordered the book on the store. you will probally see more reviews from me cause i have read so many books. BUT YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.

To the last reviewer: didn't you notice that Neal fell for Yuki? Anyway, I wanted to say that I have enjoyed all the books I've read from Alanna to Daine and now to Keladry. But, has anybody else observed that the first book in each quartet is very mild and as they progress toward the last, all the characters begin having sex and the violence picks up tremendously. No doubt folks will think I'm just a prude and that I shouldn't read the books if they contain things I don't like, but I just wonder what the children these books are supposedly written for think about these issues. "Squire" makes much of the violence and brutality Kel must witness. And, it gives an ominous foreshadowing to events in the last book--dead children being turned into hideous monsters. I will not be at all surprised to discover that Ms. Pierce will kill off some of her major characters (perhaps even Kel herself) as well as regale us with graphic descriptions of brutality and torture. This seems to be the trend in juvenile fiction today: violence and killing is okay if it's committed by the "good" guys, sex is fine--just get yourself an anti-pregnancy charm, and believing that homosexuality is wrong means you're an antiquated, ignorant fool. Ms. Pierce preaches these beliefs the same as any author of adult literature, but she does it to children under the guise of "safe" juvenile fiction.

Tamora Pierce has outdone herself once again. I have read most of her books and believe that this is the best yet. Although a bit longer than her other stories, you still put this one down wishing it were longer. As soon as I finished the book I started to reread it! We are also finally given a chance to be reintroduced to characters from other books who haven't been able to take a role in Kel's study's yet. Even though there are more of them, all of the characters feel real, and make you want to jump in and join in the action. I reccomend this for any fantasy lover, or anyone into sword and sorcery novels. It's great!

This book is well-plotted, skillfully written, creatively developed, and is uniquely divine. Enter the world of Kel, the first girl to openly go for nighthood in four or five centuries. In this installment, Kel deals with a lot of things-- her first battle, joining a king's progress, jousting, matters of her heart, mind, and body.
This book takes place in a medival country called Tortall. There is a lot of interesting politics and hints that there will be war that you easily get wrapped up in. As a plus, there are lot of realistic characters and their relationships and problems with each other are ones you can connect to. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is very interesting and will leave you hanging until the very last page.

I love ALL of Tamora Pierce's books... especially these. Okay. When I read all those other reviews out there, I kinda got miffed. 1), haven't some people noticed that every 3rd book in a quartet is different??? I mean, in TI, Daine went to Carthak. In the LQ, Alanna went to the Bazhir deserts. So it makes sense that this book is also slightly different. All right. Ket gets taken in as squire to Raoul (Kings Own) and they go traveling and getting into adventures. I will not spoil it... (as some do here, I hate that...) so go read it.

In the third installment of Protector of the Small, Kel, the disputed female squire, finds a knight-master, a boyfriend,... and great evil. True to Ms. Pierce's writings, this book is eloquent, and can stand up to many readings. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Hobbit, or the Book of Artemis Fowl.

Kel, now Squire, continues her voyage towards knighthood. Some skeptics warn Kel's knight master of the hazards and the talk that might happen if she becomes his(guess who??)squire. Kel also has some visions ehwhen she touches the doors leading towards the Ordeal. Kel's feelings towards Cleon are also depicted more clearer than before, and Kel's other puzzling new thoughts. She is intoduced to the sport of jousting and has some surpriseing results(read and see!). This book not only shows Kel's strengths, but also shows Kel's emotional side. Tamora Pierce defiantely made no flaw in creating this strong-spirited yet compassionate character. Take time in reading this book!

I don't feel like these books are too violent at all. If parents don't want their children reading them, then they can just say "No." For me, this book and all others of her writing help children develop a sense of self as well as prepairing them for the world (where we see sex, violence, and homosexuality everywhere) without being crude or promoting that behaivior. On the subject of homosexuality, everyone can have their own opinion but I think it's a personal choice (or non-choice) that one shouldn't be judged by or persicuted for.

Page was progressively better than First Test and I would give it five stars. This book, however, "is the weakest link", a huge, big disappointment. For one, Characters are very undeveloped and flat(2D). Almost everyone in this book is incredibly underdeveloped, which does not induce the readers to dredge up liking for the characters. Readers have to "tide over" their liking of most characters from the other books, could anyone find new likeable quality from Kel, Cleon? I did not feel triumph with Kel or any other charcter like I did in the other books, as the empathy was lost. (perhaps because there wasn't much stuff to be triumphant abt as well.) The characters fall in and out of love so quickly, like Yuki and Neal, just wham bam, okay, they're together. Kel and Cleon as well. We hardly see why they would suddenly get together, hardly any exploration of the whys unlike the other series where we can at least see why at least the main heroine would go for a guy. This makes their relationships seem so shilly shallow. In fact, for the guy whom Kel is ending up with, whoever he is, looks to be quite a flat charcter unless TP does some major character development in the 4th book!! At least in the other series, she developed the lucky character (whose gonna end up with the heroine) through the books. Making him likable and us readers feeling satisified and justified. Secondly, the plot is rushed and underdeveloped, weak at times, but can be slightly understood as Miss Pierce has a limit on the number of pages. Kel to me, seems to have no aim, no purpose in the book. Only till the end of the third book does she suddenly have some sort of use, (horrah) but isn't it a bit too late? Thirdly, as readers can tell, Miss Pierce has taken a new "realistic" approach in her books. No more hiding of man's not so good carnal stuff or un-nice realities of the past. In the other series, they were put subtly and tactfully. Here, it is overwhelming, this plate of reality bites can be gagging and off putting. "plunk" "plunk" "plunk", here you go, terrible reality, eat it, bon appetit! However, this IS a juvenile book, and I was surprised at the unncessary violence (yup, we know Kel's in pain, the grphon's a pain, no need such a description abt her wounds!) and...crude "plunking" of reality bites. Making us readers lose out "innoncence" and perhaps liking, abt a magical place called Tortall where we would all love to go visit someday if we could! However, I will wait with anticipation for the forth book because I believe (hope) that she can gain back some of the qualities that made her previous books so readable and enjoyable. Will Miss Pierce rescue the series or make it a =P, well, we just have to wait and see.

This was a wonderful novel, a fantastic addition to this series. As with every other book this author has written, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Seeing justice come to those who warrented it, and expanding Kel's character to the degree that she was, made for wonderful reading. I can't wait for the newest book to come out in a year . Until then, I'll be rereading those that I have now.

This is the thrid book in the Protector of the Small quartet, and it is a really amazing read. It's about how Kel deals with being a squire, and having people like and dislike her. In this book she finds out who her "unknown benificiary" is, as if we didn't have a clue. Here she has to go through the Chamber of the Ordeal, which if you've read the Alanna books know how difficult it is. She also finds out who had Lalasa, her maid, kidnapped, and his ultimely end. This is a wonderful author and she really makes Kel come alive. I can't wait for more books from her!!!!1

The third book in Tamora Pierce's series, Protector of the Small: Squire, was really good! It was detailed and exciting, just like all Ms. Pierce's other books, but I was sort of baffled about the Neal-Kel thing. Neal had been through all this stuff with Kel, and she liked him - and all Cleon did was call her funny names and, when she was a first year, make her fetch things for him (of course, in "Page" he did have a crush on Kel...).
Anyway, all in all, it was a really good book. I strongly reccomend it!

Best book. Anybody who says this is awful has no taste in books and I have read about everything. Lots of people say that Kel falling in love with Cleon was awful but it was a almost nice surprise and TAmoria Pierce will never lose her touch to write good books. I am a huge fan of hers. I have read the Alanna series about 15 times. I have already pre-ordered the next book (Lady Knight) here on the store. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THIS BOOK. Get it on the store because it is so much cheaper. You will probally see a lot more reviews from me so keep your eyes open.

i absolutely loved this book! it begins with kel, the heroine of the series, as a squire. however, she doesn't have a knight-master. she finally gets an offer from raoul of goldenlake, a hero of tortall. he is almost instantly called to a centaur attack, and kel comes with him. although she is put in a boring position, she turns into a hero when she rescues a griffin and kills a centaur. i wont spoil the rest of the story by telling you, but i encourage any fantasy lover to read it.

I liked this book a lot. It is definitely worth reading the whole series. Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors of all time. I love how her protagonists are female and have to deal with the challenges of being a girl in a male-dominated society. However, this book might not appeal as much to male readers. I would strongly recommend reading the first two books in the Protector of the Small series before you read Squire.

This was an awesome book, I don't think however, that it was as good as 'First Test' or 'Page.' I loved 'Page.' The book is all about a girl heroine, who is going through her years as squire, after completing her training as a page. There's romance and other funny stuff. You won't see as much of her friends, you get a more detailed excerpt of Kel's life, and she has to go through the terrible "ordeal" to become a knight. GREAT book, but read the other 2 first!!!

I am a big fan of Tamora Pierce and I love all of her books. In this series so far I think that the best book is Page because it just has more action and Kel is more herself. What happened to Neal anyway? This was a great book but a lot more characteristic of Tamora Pierce could have been added. I also like how much longer it was.

I'll begin with one thing: I liked this book. It was one of my favorites. Even though a lot of people are getting upset about the fact that she falls out of love with Neal, (even I did at first) I think Ms. Pierce was trying to make a more "real" heroine by making Kel have crushes that won't last forever. I do wish that more of the old characters were mentioned, though, aka Neal, Owen, Merric, etc. They gave the books more "flavor" before.

Don't get me wrong I loved the book and thought it was great but it could have been better. Tamora Pierce did wonders with this book and I'm expecting a knock out 4th book (knowing her the 4th book will rock 5X more then the 3rd book). If you loved her books so far then you msut read this. There are alot of surpises for you as you read and you won't beable to put the book down.

Tamora Pierce has a way of winning me over. As soon as I start a new book, I'm hooked, i can't put it down until the end... which comes way too soon for my liking. :) In this book Keledry of Midelan is a squire in Sir Raoul's service. She experiences life with the Own, and competes in mane jousting tornaments. Her friends from the Yamani islands come to Tortall occumpanying the princess who is to marry Prince Roald. This is the best one so far in this series.

I have been hooked on Tamora Pierce's books since I read the Allana books. Squire was one of the best of Pierce's books mixing adventure and romance into one. I couldn't but it down (literally) because of the hooking details and the basic plot. After every chapter was over I just couldn't wait till the next chapter. You are missing out big time if you don't read this book.(and the rest of the series)

I love this book because Kel becomes Raoul's squire. In the Alanna books, he isn't a very well developed character, and I was really happy to see him reappear, especially as Kel's knight master. I was dissapointed that Kel and Neal didn't fall in love, but that would have been too much like the Alanna books with Jon and Alanna. Besides, Neal is too cynical for Kel. She is completely a fighting knight and Neal is mostly a desk night, like myles.

I found this book so engaging that my seven year old and I stayed up late reading for so many evenings that the grade one teacher asked why my daughter was so tired. The characters are believable and its great to have wonderful heroines.

Of all the Keladry books, I think this one was my favorite. With characters from the earlier Alanna series, I found this one of Tamora Pierce's best reads yets. I enjoyed the complicated plots, even if I didn't like the romances so much. (Neal is MUCH better...) This is definitly a book to own. I've read mine so many times it's falling apart. A Great read.

Wow! THis book was a very good one...after reading it, I immediately started looking fr the 4rth book, only to discover that it isn't out yet....very disappointing, as you can imagine. But anyways, lets get to teh point. The book is GOOD. It isnt educational, and it doesnt have a moral, it is just pure entertainment, and there isnt anythign wrong with that!

I love this book because there is always something going on. It's wonderful not being board. My personal favorite part is when Kel jousts. The discription is excellent. I would recomend this book to any of my friends. Thats all from me but don't take my word for it read it yourself.

I thought that this book was great! I read some of the other review and thought how could they write such awful things about such a wonderful book! Kel really has devolped now she isn't so ruff and tough she is a little on the kinder side which I thiught was nice.I think whoever reads this is granted to like it, it's a really, really good book! Thanks!

"Squire" is a fast pased, action packed book about a teenaged girl named Kendry of middin. It's a very good book because it has none of the long descriptions In adult books (the wight wale etc.) but it still has a rich plot and adult reading levles. Kel seems like a real girl and as you read about her you learn about yourself.

This book was the best in the series. Nice and long, great plots...more action then the other books :O) I did miss how she had less time to spend with her friends, I looked forward to when she would return to the castle and be with her friends.
Everyone is complaining about her romance with Cleon. I think its cute. The series needed a little romance ;)

i have read this book a total of 13 times and am yet to get tired of it. tamora pierce introduces new characters and their lives to design a web of thoughts and emotions. resembling pullmans' golden compass in its page number of 399 and its sense of wry humor. read it!

Squire is definitely Tamora Pierce's greatest literary achievement yet. It combines subjects such as love, combat, courage, and defying stereotypes as heroin Kel finds herself while fighting some of the most evil forces in Tortall. Even better than the Song of the Lioness quartet, Squire will keep you begging for more.

I am a big tamora pierce fan and i have read and own every book written so far in the lioness, wild mage and now protector of the small series. This book is one of the best a delightful mix of romance, action and that tomboy spirit thats in all tamora's charectors and that all women have a bit of in themselves.

What happened to Neal? Tamora Pierce doesn't really have much about the other characters as in Page or The First Test! This book is good, but a lot of the characters weren't very well represented-sort of 2d! Cleon, for example, was rather shallow.He only did one thing!

Characters from all three tortall series are all brought together in this book. Wyldon's thoughts about Keladry, Lalasa's kidnapper, Joren's fate, and Kel's quest are all revealed in this funny, yet dramatic book.

I, personally, loved Squire. So far, it is my favourite in the series. Of my friends, the majority of them thought that it was one of Tamora Pierces better books, but I still love Alanna. Tamora Pierce is a great author and this book is no acception.

This book is better than the others in the series, although they are really good! Although some of the end gets boring, and there are a few obvious things (who is her "unknown benefactor"? Who else could it be?) this book is definitely one I would recommend.

... The only true fantasy in this fantasy book is wishy-washy approach to life the characters exhibit. If you want preaching against premarital sex and 16 year olds exchanging chaste pecks, then this is the book for you. If you want honesty and a refreshing, original look at the confusion and joy of becoming a woman and dealing with gender binding issues then read any of the Song of the Lioness Quartet. ... these four books are the pinnacle of her career. .... Squire is watered down ...

Helllloooo! i know it seems dumb to write a review about a book i haven't read. But i guarrantee that this book is gonna be cool!...too bad though, about alanna not choosing kel for her squire! sigh...oh well. just BUY this book!