Book 1), Terrier (The Legend of Beka Cooper

Meet Beka Cooper, a headstrong, clever girl with determination like a terrier. She resides in Corus, the capital city of the mythical continent of Tortall. Ever since she was small, she has been unearthing terrible crimes. So it's no wonder that she joins the Provost's Dogs, a group of elite police whose goal is to patrol Tortall and enforce justice when needed. Upon joining as a Puppy, the term for a rookie Dog, Beka is pleasantly surprised to discover that she is to be taught by Goodwin and Tunstall themselves, two of the best Dogs in the guard. She is also stunned when she gets her first choice of where to work. She chooses the lower city. Goodwin and Tunstall are also taken aback at being paired up with Beka, but in an unpleasant way. The two Dogs work so well together that they have never been paired up with a Puppy. Initially the humiliation and indignity are unbearable, especially for Goodwin. However, they realize how much Beka's help is needed later on. A monster has seemed to step out of nightmares and faerie tales to stalk, murder, and ransom the citizens of the Lower City, leaving only mysterious letters with a sinister symbol as a trace. Additionally, as if that weren't enough, a mysterious mining operation seems to be causing the deaths of many people all at once. The Provost's Dogs have been able to handle the majority of crimes - until now. But Beka, with her gift to hear the voices of the dead, is out to redeem that reputation and bring the terrors of the Lower City to justice.

Tamora Pierce has sculpted yet another colorful masterpiece filled with surprises, intertwined details, and bits of small humor tossed in throughout. The author's writing style is quite commendable; it never falters, and keeps the book going smoothly without tiring the reader one bit. For example: "I heard the rustle of cloth behind me and jumped away just as she thrust that knife through the gap in the fence behind me." I would recommend this book to all readers of different levels; however, those readers should enjoy reading long books over 500 pages. They should also enjoy being hooked to the extent of spending quite a few hours in one sitting and finishing the book. Overall, Terrier is a well-thought, well-organized book with an engaging plot.

...that, several years ago, i wandered into the "Teen" section at B&N and noticed a series of YA books with the intriguing overall title "Protector of the Small". (Actually, i didn't "wander in" - i've made it a habit to check the "Teen" and "Children's" sections for years; amazing what gems you can find there.)

Once upon a time, "adventure books for girls" often seemed either condescending ("Girls can't *really* have adventures on their own, but here's a story to stop you nagging us about it") or more-or-less strident feminist tracts ("Grrls CAN TOO have adventures, and they're BETTER than stinky boys, too - nyahh!"). That began to change a while ago - Robin McKinley's "The Blue Sword" and "The Hero and the Crown" being examples - and lately there's a lot of excellent juvenile adventure fiction which (whatever agendas the authors may privately hold to) are just good stories that hapen to have female protagonists, and the books of Tamora Pierce are excellent examples.

Here Ms Pierce goes back into Tortall's history to show us George Cooper's ancestor Beka as she begins her service with the Dogs (the capital city's law-enforcement group).

The Dogs are very like the Bow Street Runners of 18th Century London (though the Runners did not originally patrol the streets); semiofficial law-enforcement agents who were allowed (even expected) to accept private commissions and to accept "clean" bribes to supplement their meager funding.

Beka is a scrambler who refuses to back down even in the face of (apparently) overwhelming odds; in addition, she has a more-or-less minor magical Talent that allows her to hear the voices of the recently-dead (carried by pigeons, who are the Black God's messengers), and to interact with dust whirls, which are apparently semi-sentient spirit beings that manifest as permanent dust devils on streets and corners and hear and repeat to her everything that goes on in their area.

As an advisor/confidante/when-needed-ego-deflator, she has Pounce, a violet-eyed cat who talks, when he feels like it and only to those he wants to understand him. Previous readers of Ms Pierce's "Alanna" books will not be surprised to hear that there is a constellation missing from the heavens...

As an eight-year-old street kid, Beka tracked down and turned in a criminal gang the Dogs couldn't find - because one of its members was her mother's man who kicked her mother out when she developed chronic lung disease (either TB or cancer; the description is a touch vague). As a result, she and her brothers and sisters and mother were taken into the household of the Lord Provost, who commands the Dogs.

As a "Puppy" (first year novice Dog), Beka makes friends on both sides of the law - some who are obviously destined to rise high in the Court of the Rogue, and some who are just as obviously destined to be famous Dogs.

This book's main plotlines center around two somewhat interlinking series of events - mysterious disappearances of people seeking work and the depredations of a nasty kidnapper/extortionist who calls him/herself the "Shadow Snake" after a bogey mothers use to threaten naughty children with.

But there are a lot of other events to carry the reader's interest for 500+ pages, including Beka's adventures as a working Dog, the afore-mentioned cast of characters on both sides of the law (particularly swordsman Rosto the Piper [and his two sometime girlfriends], the Lady Knight Sabine [i wish Alanna and Keladry could meet her] and Beka's training-master Dogs, Goodwin and Tunstall), and the increasingly rich picture of the capital of Tortall.

While this book *is* part of an ongoing mega-series, it's not directly tied to any of the previous books (in fact, it's set hundreds of years earlier), and gives the reader everything necessary to understand and enjoy what's going on.

An excellent jumping-on place for Pierce's work as a whole; i give it four stars rather than five in comparison to the very best of Ms Pierce's own work - the "Trickster" books, featuring Beka's descendant, Alliana of Pirate's Swoop, for instance.

I've been a fan of Tamora Pierce for YEARS. I absolutely adore her writing. Alanna's and her daughter Alianne's stories are just wonderful. I wasn't so crazy about the whole Circle series that she tried, but even that wasn't so bad either. I was wary of this new series, the Beka Cooper series, because it was supposed to be taking it back like 5 generations or something. But MAN was I not disappointed! Terrier is just another installment of Pierce's hugely powerful female characters. I think I've read this book three or four times now, in the last five years, and I love it every single time. It's written in first-person, as a diary, so it's more personal. One detraction is the timing of it. In this first book Pierce does very well in keeping the dates straight and the reader focused on what happened when. In the later two books, this line will blur, and the timing of certain events will become confusing. But, as I said, in this book it is almost not a problem. The storyline is well-thought out, the characters are well developed, and once again Pierce does not disappoint!

"Terrier" is the first novel in the Beka Cooper series and it is definitely off to a brilliant start. I have personally read this book several times and I find that no matter how many times it's read I cannot get enough. It's not like one of those books that after reading it once you toss it into a corner and forget about it or one that you lend to your friend because you loved it and then let him/her keep it for years. "Terrier" is timeless! I have enjoyed almost all of Tamora Pierce's work and have given almost all of them four to five stars - how this book deserves even better!

The thing with Tamora Pierce is that she's already written several books about Lady Knights which I absolutely adored but "Terrier" is a completely new idea that is fresh and even more interesting. Pierce takes a time period where women would be "weak" and looked down upon and turns them into strong, brave women. Some people may look at that and find it unrealistic but I believe that she makes it realistic by adding certain traits that most females have.

This novel is written in journal format which many people frown upon and since it's her first book in this format I had expected less of it. I was very surprised by how she handled it. Although it's written in journal it's almost like a report. It's very precise and descriptive. I was not disappointed one bit!

Beka Cooper is a puppy - no, she isn't an actual furry creature with four legs. She's an ordinary girl or at least seemingly so. A dog is like a police officer except in a much earlier time where there aren't an guns or modern day technology. It makes the definition of an officer completely different. They break up fights with their batons, rescue families in need and anything else that they run into on their daily patrols. Beka isn't a dog yet. She's still just a puppy. A puppy who is in training to become a dog while still helping protect her province.

Beka is stationed in the Lower City. With her background she could have picked any one that she desired but picked the poorest one - where she grew up. The Lower City is filled with poverty, slave trading, and the constant death of children. It's a place that nobody in their right mind would choose to work except of course Beka Cooper.

Tunstall and Goodwin are the two best dogs around and an uncommon pair. Tunstall is the tall, kind man who is understanding. Goodwin is the rough musclewoman that is tough on Beka in every way, making her the best of her potential. Beka becomes their puppy even though they never have puppies, don't like them and don't want them. Perhaps Beka will change their perseption?

There are several more lovable characters in this book that appear again and again (including a purple eyed cat) that form characters you can't wait to see again. When you go back to a series is it like visiting old friends? It is for me but after reading "Terrier" they'll be more than just imaginary friends - they'll be your friends. Pierce's characters are spectacularly done!

Along Beka's training trouble arises when children are being kidnapped and killed by a creature (or person?) known as "The Shadow Snake". Only a children's tale to make them behave is what it should really be but what other explanation is there? Beka, her dogs and a group of troublesome rogues must do whatever they can to stop the kidnapping and save the Lower City.

Hey!

This book is by far the best book Tamora Pierce has ever written (in my opinion). The entire Beka Cooper trilogy starts off in Terrier, and I love Beka dearly already. She's quirky, sweet, shy, daring, and very, very protective of the slums she was born in. I personally can't see how anyone could read this book and not love her just as much as I do.

In this book, the story is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Beka Cooper. She lives in Tortall in the past before the other books that you may be familitar with that are written by Tamora Pierce (Alanna's Song of the Lioness Series, Protector of the Small series, Trickster's Series, The Immortals Quartet). Beka is the ancestor of George Cooper from the Song of the Lioness quartet, and Terrier starts off by explaining the reason we're going into this book.

Beka Cooper was born in the slums, called the "Lower City," of Corus, the capital of Tortall. But when she was eight years old she helped the Lord Provost break up a legendary gang, because she had followed a member of this gang to the hide-out after he beat her dying mother. After that, the Lord Provost took her entire family into his home and the Lady Provost started training Beka's brothers and sisters in the arts of being servants of upper-class households. However, Beka's goals always remain steadfast as she grows up with a strong desire to join the Lower City's Dogs (Corus' police force).

This story starts where Beka is just starting her training as a Puppy with the Dogs and is thrilled to hear that she is being placed with the best Dogs in the Kennel: Goodwin and Tunstall. What follows is a journey of discovery and mystery as Beka uses her odd magical powers (speaking to the dead and to dust-spinners) and her many contacts in the Lower City to crack not one, but two very big cases.

One of the downsides of this novel is that it is written in a first-person journal narrative. I was very hesitant to read it for just this reason, but decided that since Pierce had never let me down before, I might as well chance it. Boy, am I glad I did! The journal writing style doesn't hurt the story (though it does seem a little less than realistic; who really writes in their journal this way?). Another problem some people have is how easy things come for Beka. I don't mind that, as some people have natural skills, and must simply work to perfect them. Beka is one of those people. She does have faults (being painfully shy, to start), and she does make mistakes. However, her mistakes are swamped by how incredibly good she is at her job (which, of course, she would be; otherwise the series wouldn't be called the LEGEND of Beka Cooper).

Overall, this book is a great read and I highly recommend it to any and all fantasy lovers out there. It's a fantastic book from a great writer.

Happy reading, and hope this helps!

Luv ya,
Tashi :)

Look out bullies and thugs! Beka Cooper is here, ready to do some serious 'kick butt' to those who abuse the innocent and downtrodden.

In Tamora Pierce's new fantasy, BEKA COOPER, Beka is a sixteen-year-old rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard in Corus, the capital city of Tortall. She's a "Puppy" assigned to two veteran "Dogs" to patrol the Lower City, a tough beat, but one she requested as she was born there.

The veteran Dogs aren't too happy to have Beka tag along with them. But even through Beka isn't much of a talker, she's a good listener. Also she has a unique gift. She can hear the murmurs of the dead through the flocks of pigeons that hangs around her place.

Though this she learns that the children of the Lower City are being kidnapped and murdered. This is something she won't stand for. Or as Beka says, "The Lower City is mine, its people are mine. If I find them that's doing all this kidnapping and murdering, they'd best pray for mercy, because once I get my teeth in 'em, I will never let them go."

Oh, yeah. Beka is true to her word.

I loved this character!!! She's one tough teen but human too. I love the scene where she's at a stand and watches a bully abuse his older sister. He then makes the mistake of trying to rough up Beka. She blocks his swing, grabbing his wrist with her free hand and yanks him toward her over the counter. Beka refuses to bow down to this street thug.

But then she shows her human side by getting so nervous at a court hearing she can't speak. And she loves her younger brothers and sisters, even though her sisters are embarrassed of her.

Tamora Pierce has given us a character that is likable and someone that will stay with the reader long after the last page is read. My writing mentor told me that a writer needs to do this in order for the reader to want to continue to read the story. And this book more than delivers.

Tamora Pierce is such a wonderful writer. This is the first book I have read of hers in about four years and I knew it would be great.
This world has magic, Dogs (police) and mystery. It also has a guide at the back to explain who is who, parts of the kingdom as well as a dictionary to words and terms in this world.
Beka Cooper is a Puppy or trainee to two Dogs. This is all she has ever wanted to be. She is able to talk to pigeon, which carry the spirits of the dead, dust sprites that carry bits and pieces of conversations and her (?) cat Pounce who is not a God but a constellation. You have to read to understand that one.
Dogs keep the peace with help of good, the Provost, and not too evil Court of the Rogue, who help control the criminal elements of the city.
Bekka is shy in front of most people when she has to talk but not when it comes to action. She is a character with great potential. Her fearless actions are propelled by wanting to be the best at her job as well as her sense of right and wrong.

This book is set in Corus the capital of the fictitious nation of Tortall, mostly in the lower city - which is the district with the highest crime rate. The main character, Beka, is basically a police officer, but they don't call it that. She grew up in the lower city but the book begins when she starts getting ready to be a police officer.

The main conflict in this story is the struggle to solve two major crimes before too many people die. The first crime is a kidnapping spree where the kidnapper demands a high ransom, and if the parents don't pay than the child dies. The other crime is a murder. There is a gem mine and the guy who's running it doesn't want anyone else to know about it so he kills the miners after they've collected the gems.

Beka uses her unique power of listening to ghosts to learn what happened. She uses this information to track the murderer to his mine and the kidnapper to his lair.

Two significant events are when Beka gets assigned to officers Goodwin and Tunstall for training and when she finds out how valuable the gems involved in the second case are. The first is important because it leads to her subsequent adventures. The second is important because it eventually leads her to a murderer.

Tamora Pierce has really taken a leap of faith, and I feel it's paid off. For someone who has read her previous works, I can see how this very different style is just too much to handle; it took some getting used to, for me.
First-person is an unfamiliar vantage for Tamora Pierce fans. This book is all written in Beka's journals as she joins the City Watch and works her first case with her mentors.
The cast is a nice variety, low-town criminals to Dogs of the Watch, poor mothers to snobby nobles. Pierce's characters have never failed to step up to the plate and weave into the story, and Terrier is no exception. Whatever they do, it's real, it feels like these people are just doing what is in their nature to do. Nothing is contrived.
One of my favorite things about Pierce's writing is that no matter how she presents the story, it's fluid and light, detailed without getting dragged down, and the unexpected is never out of reach. She's a practiced hand at crafting a line and it sure reads well.
On a personal note, I love Beka. She is my favorite Pierce leading lady, yet.

If you're already a seasoned Tamora Pierce aficionado, you no doubt will be ecstatic to discover her latest book, TERRIER: A TORTALL LEGEND, in which she introduces a new "shero" (as in heroine) named Beka Cooper. Fans already have spent many action-packed, thrilling hours in the kingdom of Tortall --- Pierce has been writing there since 1983. Our beloved Alanna, who started it all for us, is a homegrown Tortall legend and power personality in her own right.

What could Pierce possibly add to the already-brilliant collection of stories set in the mythical, pseudo-Middle Ages village? After 24 young adult novels --- many already set in Pierce's invention of an otherworld where talking cats are as common as rain --- many writers would want to move on. What else could one say about the same place? Therein lies the indescribable mark of Pierce's genius as a storyteller. The previous characters are so captivating and the tales so enthralling that readers who have read through any of Pierce's series set in Tortall simply want more. And she delivers with gusto. In TERRIER, Pierce provides another well-drawn character in Beka and presents fans with the tasty backstory they've been craving since ALANNA: THE FIRST ADVENTURE.

"My characters choose to protect those who can't protect themselves, and teach them to protect themselves," Pierce told me in a 2005 interview. She sticks to that mantra with Beka's determination and spunk to help the people of the Lower City, where she herself spent her youngest years. As the children of the Lower City are being kidnapped and murdered when their parents can't or won't meet the kidnapper's demands, Beka (who is conveniently a rookie cop for Tortall) sets her mind to protecting those of the Lower City who can't protect themselves.

"The Lower City is mine. Its people are mine --- its children are mine. If I find them that's doing all this kidnapping and murdering, they'd best pray for mercy. Because once I get my teeth in 'em, I will never let them go. And I start with the Shadow Snake."

Pierce experiments with some new, exciting techniques that make TERRIER a fresh experience for fans. The novel is written in first person from Beka's point of view. Not everyone likes this perspective because the structure can be limited and frustrating, but Pierce's turn of the literary tool is compelling. Once readers get a handle on the new vocabulary (there's a good glossary in the back of the book), it's as if Beka is a real person and you're stealing a peek at her diary.

It wouldn't be fair to spill the beans about Beka's connection to Alanna, but be assured that TERRIER is a perfect companion to the existing book sets and a great place to start if you aren't already a Tamora Pierce addict.

--- Reviewed by Joy Held

A fantasy detective novel set in Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe. What's not to love?

Once Beka Cooper grasps a problem she won't let it out of her teeth until she solves it, a trait that earns her the nickname "Terrier" from the other "puppies" in her training group. Still a trainee in the Provost's Guard (commonly known as the Provost's Dogs), she is learning the lower district of Corus with the help of her senior Dogs, Goodwin and Tunstall. When odd gems seem to be making an appearance within the city and nine diggers go missing, Beka begins to investigate the coincidences and trails that seem connected in corpses. With the help of her fellow "Puppies" (fellow trainees) and a few "Rats"(Those of the court of the Rouge), not to mention her cat Pounce, she will protect her citizens from the mysterious Shadow Snake and the corrupt landlord, Crookshanks.

There are a number of different elements that made this novel excellent. Tamora Pierce is well known for creating detailed worlds that come alive, and this book is no exception. While it falls with-in the already established Kingdom of Tortall , the capital city of Corus takes on a life of its own as the center place for this mystery. Unlike her previous books that dealt with problems on a more kingdom spanning stage, this book is solely set in one city, primarily one district, and therefore the city becomes its own character.

Many creative elements abound in the book from the use of animal analogies (which could have been annoying, but instead just give more colloquial charm to the book) and the use of Beka's first person voice. Beka can "hear" the ghosts of the dead through her Gift (magic) and these voices travel on pigeons, servants of the Black God. She can also use her gift to talk to spinners, something like mini-tornados, which catch near-by voices and sounds and keep them whirling inside until someone like Beka can alleviate the spinners of their burden. That element puzzled me a little more, because these spinners are on multiple street corners and seem to be a part of city life. I would have liked a little more explanation as to where they came from.

While the book is a thrilling read for anyone who has read the other Tortall books, which start with the Alanna books (Lioness Quartet), this book also stands on its own. In fact it has less connection than the other series had, because it takes place two hundred years before the events in Alanna . Little names and references will be familiar to readers of the other books, but this one, more than any, other stands on its own. And I personally think that this is the tightest and most interesting of her books so far.

One thing that readers of the Alanna books will rejoice at though, is the character of Pounce, a small black cat with purple eyes. Yep, you guessed right. Our old friend Faithful is back and just as snarky as ever. Maybe we'll even find out his story this time around, and what exactly he is.

Despite my praise, there were a few things that bothered me. Primarily, I'm bothered by the female knight that shows up. Now, maybe it's just been a while since I read Alanna , but it seems like 200 years is a somewhat short period of time for the view of women knights to have changed that much. Maybe in the Alanna books she does mention that there were female knights in the past in Tortall, but this knight is not particularly treated like an oddity. It's not enough to really bother me, but I was always conscious of it. I suppose it will depend on how the rest of the trilogy plays out. The other thing that bothered me, or at least made me wonder, I put at the very end of the review, since it might contain what you consider spoilers for this book or the Alanna books.

My other problem with the book was purely design and style problems. While I normally love a shiny cover, I think the use of gold on this one really detracts from the image of Beka. I keep feeling like she's a modern girl thrown back into a medieval society, because she looks out of place on the cover. Another design choice that puzzled me was the use of dragonflies in the interior of Beka's journal. Now, there are just no dragonflies in the book at all. The use of dogs, cats, rats, or pigeons would have all made sense, or the artist could have just gone for a pretty scroll work. But no, someone specifically chose dragonflies, and I would love to know why.

The last thing that bothered me was a sense of "why"-as in, why are we able to read this story? Now, first in the book, we have Eleni Cooper's journal, and she is the mother of one of the characters in the Alanna books. Fine, that make sense, and she could certainly have her ancestor's journal. But then the next two entries are from Beka's mother's journal and from Guardsman Tunstall's journal. It seemed like the author was a bit lazy, wanting to give back-story, and set-up things before Beka's journal might logically include the details.

TERRIER is the latest from a brilliant author whose earlier works you've got to read if you haven't already! My expectations for this book, as it is by Tamora Pierce, were, of course, quite high, and I was not disappointed. This might be my new favorite of hers (though it still might be beat out by the The Song of the Lioness Quartet 4 copy box set quartet--it's close), which is certainly saying a lot.

It's the story of Beka Cooper, a Lower City girl and member of the Provost's Guard who lives centuries before Alanna the Lioness and those characters of her world known to fans of Tamora Pierce's other work. Beka lives in the dark time spoken of in one of the Alanna books when every sword, whether held by a man or a woman, was needed. Indeed, Alanna was not the first Lady Knight; hundreds of years before, women could earn their shields without having to hide who they were. In fact, one of the many fascinating characters known to Beka is a Lady Knight named Sabine. She reminded me of Alanna. Mattes, one of the guardsmen whose job it is to train Beka in their ways, reminds me of one of Alanna's friends, Raoul. Rosto is quite like George Cooper (whose ancestor Beka is!), as well. And fans of the The Song of the Lioness Quartet 4 copy box set quartet will also recognize Beka's cat, Pounce!

When Beka trains to be a Puppy in the Guard, she knows someday she'll be a Dog, and she wants to be a good one. She's quite excited to be assigned to one of the best pairs in the Lower City; indeed, in all of Corus! She knows it'll be hard work, that Mattes and Clary will work her hard, but she's ready for it. This is what she wants to do. She's aided by her friends, her cat, and her magical Gifts of listening to the winds and to the pigeons who carry the souls of the dead.

Soon after she starts her work, Beka learns of some dangerous goings-on in the Lower City, and it's up to her to stop it, as only a true Lower City girl could--one with Beka's listening talents, at that. She knows the people, she knows their ways, and she is uniquely fit for figuring out what's going on in her neighborhood, and that is what she will do.

The format of TERRIER is different from that of Pierce's other books. It's told as Beka's journal, for one thing, meaning it's in first person. All of her other novels are in third person! It's certainly a change, but she does quite well with it. The only problem is the length of some of these journal entries! Beka is tired from her work as a Puppy; she's not going to write twenty, thirty pages in her journal at night! She probably won't even remember enough to write such long entries! That is the only flaw I found in this book, and that's easy to overlook. This is a page-turner, a wonderfully written story, with amazing characters. Whether you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, of fantasy, or of books in general, read this book!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

Beka Cooper: Terrier marks Tamora Pierce's venture into the history of Tortall, and her first book written from a first-person point of view. Terrier is written as Cooper's diary (though there are entries from the journals of several other characters, Cooper's journal makes up the vast majority of the book).

Cooper is a puppy - a trainee of the Provost's guard - in the Lower City at a time when people are disappearing without a trace, the King of the Thieves is lazy and has stopped really doing his duties, and children are disappearing - including the grandchild of the most powerful (and corrupt) landlord of the Lower City. Beka, though her ability to hear the ghosts that pigeons carry, becomes involved in the disappearances, and through her friends reports to us the intrigues in the Court of the Rogue.

This is a great start to a new series of Tortall, and I cannot wait to read the next book, to see what happens to this ancestor of the Rogue cum Spymaster, George Cooper.

Terrier is a delightful new addition to the bestselling Tortall books by Tamora Pierce. A mix between fantasy and thriller, Terrier follows the story of sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper, a girl who fights crime in a world of magic. A trainee in the Provost's Guard (the law-enforcement agency commonly referred to as the Provost's "Dogs"), Beka is assigned to the Lower City. The Lower City is the worst slum of Corus, overrun with thieves, prostitutes, murderers, and gangs. With place names like "Cesspool" and "Market of Sorrows", it's not a happy district to be in. In fact, many trainee "Puppies" don't survive their first month in the Lower City.
Beka is no ordinary Puppy. Born and raised in the Lower City, she's tough, capable, and ruthless towards criminals. She has the unusual talent of listening to the dead- they're her special informants. Assigned to a famous pair of veteran Dogs, Beka quickly discovers rumors of a savage gang that ransoms children. Though many of her friends try to dissuade her from pursuing this case, citing that hundreds disappear in the Lower City in any given month, Beka is a true Terrier who won't give up the chase.
"The Lower City is mine, its people are mine. If I find them that's doing all this kidnapping and murdering, they'd best pray for mercy, because once I get my teeth in `em, I will never let them go."
Beka makes many friends during the course of the novel, friends from both sides of the law. They help her investigate the kidnappings and another series of murders in the Lower City. They trace all the murders back to a well-known, well-hated swindler called Crookshank.
Once again, Pierce presents the reader with a world as gritty and imaginative as it is believable. Terrier differs from all of her other books in that it's written in a first person narrative form, which can sometimes be confusing. Also, the other Tortall books deal with nobility, knights, and mages, while Terrier is about the filth and squalor of lower-class life. And while Terrier is primarily a sort of medieval cop story, it's also a coming-of-age story for Beka. Within this book, Beka learns about what kind of Dog she wants to be, what kind of woman she is, and also learns to overcome her shyness.

Tamora Pierce really did a wonderful job on 'Terrier'. Her other books are great but this one's the best of them all! It's a story about Beka Cooper, a girl who's known as a puppy. She's training to be whats called a Dog. Dogs are the police that go around all the area's in Corus to stop robberies, beatings, and other crimes. Beka is stationed in the Lower City, a place full of crime that may be strange to others but to Beka it's called home.

While Beka is going through the harsh life of a puppy a mystery arrises. But it's been going on for years. A man or woman has been stealing children right out of their beds in exchange for precious items the parent or guardian may have. Things like a spell book, jewelery, and rare gifts. This person is calling itself the Shadow Snake. Many say it's just a story to scare young children into doing their chores or obeying their elders but Beka's know's that she must stop him from killing any more inicent children and taking items from the people in the Lower City.

This book is an excellent read. Many of you already Tamora Pierce lovers may be shocked to find this book in Journal form but as many people already said she does a good job on it and it turned out great. I even think the journal form is somewhat better than third person. Usually you forget it's in journal form! Anyway read 'Beka Cooper' and all of Tamora Pierce's other great books that nobody should miss!

-Hannah M.

A.K.A. Book Worm

Okay, I'll admit this part outright - I'm a Tamora Pierce fan. Her series are all amazing, for me at least. But even if you're not a huge (wish I could triple underline that) fan like I am, you'll STILL want to get this.

I'm going to start with a mini-review for fans of Tammy in particular.

New readers can scroll down and I'll give a review for you specially.

---SUPER TAMMY-FAN REVIEW---

Rebakah Cooper's story is completely new from her other stories. For the first time ever, two things have happened.

First, we've moved away from the nobility's side of things in the capital. Even Daine the Wildmage didn't see much of Corus' Lower City, and she's been the only commonborn heroine so far. In Alanna, the series set 200 years after Beka Cooper's, we get a brief description of the area surrounding the Dancing Dove in the Lower City, but never before have we truly seen what it was like to be living there before. This brings a whole new perspective to Tortall, and I for one am VERY glad for this new look at one of my favorite worlds.

Second, it's the first person perspective. The whole story is set out in journals, not in the narrator's eye like we're used to. It's a welcome change to switch to, something new to look at, but you can still see that bit of Tammy humor. Sure, I love the 3rd person, but 1st person is PERFECT for Beka's personality.

Speaking of her personality, there's another reason why I like the first person. It gives us Beka's world, and how she sees it. You can tell just from the first day of her experiences that she's a very straight-forward person, who knows what she wants, and isn't afraid to be frank about embarassing things. She describes with minute detail, and is always very calculating. Then, to prove that she's human (or at least half human), she has some emotional outbursts when she can't write in frustration.

Oh, and everybody remembers (cough LOVES cough) Faithful, right? He's back, except he's Pounce now. Pounce or Faithful, even 200 years back, he's got that prickly sense of humor and refusal to leave his mistress alone.

P.S. We all love our Lady Knights, don't we? My thanks to Tammy for putting in a lady knight. She did mention that female knights had only dissapeared a hundred years ago in Alanna, and this is two-hundred years back. Give a warm welcome to the AWESOME character of Lady Sabine. You'll see.

Now, I suggest you read the new-people review too. I'm going to mention the plot more, etc.

---NEW PEOPLE REVIEW---

Do you like any or all of the following?

a. Action and Horror

b. Suspense and Romance here and there

c. Kick-butt Heroines (as Ms. Pierce says herself)

d. Mysteries beyond recognition

e. Secrets hidden right before your eyes

If so, Terrier is 100% for you. If not, Terrier is still 90% for you, because it's simply that good. I'm NOT reciting the summary. Read it above, please.

The plot is written thorougly, with no details missing, even in the first-person form. It's extremely suspenseful. You're always waiting on the edge of your seat to see if she finds out more about what's happening in the Lower City slums/Cesspool of Corus. She also always have stuff to fill in here and there, stuff that has nothing to do with the plot, but is still so very interesting to read that you screech for more.

Beka, the main character, is very straightforward and easy to listen to. She has honesty that's somewhat like mine. She tells all she can possibly bear to, and a few things she can't, for the sake of keeping the journal. I'm much the same, telling as much as I can. It helps me relate to her.

It's very easy to relate to Beka on any level. Beka is the kind of girl who thinks about a whole lot of things. Chances are a reader will at least connect with her in some way. If they don't (which I believe to be impossible) then they can focus on the other characters, who are all richly developed as Tamora Pierce's are always, and they can focus on the rich plot.

I would suggest reading this to ANYBODY. AN-Y-BO-DY at all.

I can't wait for the sequel!!!

I've enjoyed Tamora Pierce for a couple of decades now, ever since I picked up her "Woman Who Rides Like a Man". I was pleased to discover yet another relatable, spunky heroine in this Terrier series. Beka is definitely from the wrong side of the tracks but has an admirable sense of justice that drives her decisions. I've been impressed again and again by how clearly Pierce describes the supporting characters through Beka's eyes. You wouldn't think a teenage girl who's great ambition is to become a cop would be able to describe people in a sympathetic manner...and still be believable, but Pierce pulls it off. Kudos to her. I've already started on "Bloodhound" and have been enjoying it as much as "Terrier".

Tamora Pierce has done it again in with her new book in the Tortall saga, but with a slightly new twist. As far as I know, this is the first of Pierce's books told in journal format, a media that is hitting the height of popularity in young adult fiction, and she actually pulls it off.

I was especially pleased to see the name George Cooper appear in the first pages of this book as I have always found him a fascinating character. And Pierce's latest Shero does not disappoint with her strong ethics, fast action and wonderful supporting cast.

I also say, Hurrah for writing longer books! Teens really do have an attention span when it comes to wonderful writing and amazing characters. This book could be twice as long and not lose a single reader; Pierce's books are just that amazing.

I can't wait for more. Write faster, Ms. Pierce!

I had the chance to meet Ms. Pierce earlier this year and she asked me who my favorite character was. I was in fan shock and stuttered out something but it got me thinking.

Beka is my favorite character because she starts from nothing and builds herself up. She's not like other Pierce characters in that she doesn't have life-saving magic nor is she the favorite of a god. Okay, so she hears the voices of the dead when they are carried on pigeons but that's not the same as Alanna's magic. Her strength is her mind and that's something that everyone should respect. Her shyness and her friendships make her very human.

I think Beka's story is one that can be shared with male and female readers. There is enough action and adventure with a touch of gossip (it is written in journal format after all) to keep everyone interested.

When the buzz first started some years ago about this series, I was more than a little wary of letting go of my beloved Tortall and "modern" characters to take a jump back into the past to look at one of George's ancestors. In fact, I didn't even buy this book - it was a gift from a friend of mine last year.

What can I say? Pigheadedness runs in my family.

Anyway, once I started reading it, wary as I was about the jump through time, I couldn't put it down. I found this book to be less of a "magical kingdom with magical characters" plot that you get with Daine's story, Alanna's story, and even Kel's story. It's much more of a mystery novel that just happens to take place in a realm full of active magic.

To bring it down to a few words, I'll put it this way: So worth it.

Someone once said that a good storyline was when the characters in a plot had lives going on before you dropped in, and their lives would go on after you finished reading. That is the kind of story this is, people going about their lives with wit and courage as best they can. Tamora Pierce can spin a plot as few writers these days can. I have already ordered the next two installments in the Beka Cooper series, and am gradually reading everything Tamora Pierce writes. Get this story, you'll be glad you did.

I've finally gotten my hands on 'Terrier', which is the first in Tamora Pierce's new Tortall trilogy 'Beka Cooper: The Provost's Dog'. And I found a book that fulfilled and exceeded all my expectations. I've enjoyed all of Pierce's books, but the Song of the Lioness Quartet has always been my favourite: and 'Terrier' is the best thing she's written since 'The Song of the Lioness' in my opinion.

The book manages to portray a realistic and richly detailed world, by turns beautiful and brutal, while never allowing the pace of the story to slip, and also creating some truly memorable and believable characters. Some of them felt frustratingly enigmatic, but I can see that in an already very fat, jam-packed volume there was no way to expand any more. All I can say is, they'd better be back in Book Two!

Beka is a wonderful heroine, not gifted with any spectacular/pyrotechnical magical talent (which has, to my mind, been a flaw in some past Pierce heroines - it's hard to empathise with characters who are nearly all powerful) but interesting, admirable and most of all, funny. I started getting flashes to J D Robb's Eve Dallas at times.

I loved this book and would recommend it unreservedly. Unfortunately it looks like the follow-up won't be out for an age. Agh.

Actually, I didn't want Tamora Pierce to start a new series. I wanted more books in the Magic Circle and the Protector of the Small series ASAP instead. But Ms. Pierce's books are just getting better and better, and I am very happy with Terrier! I was especially pleased that it was nice and long (not quite as long as The Will of the Empress, but much longer than her early books).

The characters of a book are what is most important to me, and the characters of Terrier are wonderful! I really like Beka (as I like Kel and all four of the young mages in Circle of Magic). Beka's Dogs remind me of Frostpine, the Horse Mistress in Wild Magic, and Polyam (right spelling?), who are among my favorite characters, and there were (as usual in a Tamora Pierce book) a whole list of other well-realized characters who appealed strongly to me and who will, I hope, appear again in future books of this series.

The plot is good, too. I am not that fond of reading about crimes (so I skip those parts when I reread Cold Fire, Shatterglass, Magic Steps, and Street Magic), but the crimes in Terrier were believable without being revolting to read about. Beka's magic is interesting, and she does an impressive job of using it. I dogear pages that have particularly satisfying parts in a book (so I can find them again easily), and I noted that I'd dogeared 20 pages in Terrier. In spite of its length, I read the whole book the night after it arrived (though I admit that it did take all night). And I'm starting it again today.

My Review
O.K. So I love Tamora Pierce's book- they are very near and dear to my heart because they remind me of my childhood. When I saw this on a book shelf, I was so psyched (I also wondered what rock I'd been living under, since apparently this book has been out for a few years). I also enjoyed this a lot because I had a physical copy of the book- not a Kindle edition. This is the first non-Kindle book I've read in a year! I did notice that I read it much slower than I would read a Kindle book, but nothing really beats a brand new book!

Characters
The characters are at the heart of what Tamora Pierce does. I loved Beka. She is so authentic. Her voice is what really made the book special for me. With many contemporary or paranormal novels, I often find the heroine to be whiny, or narcissistic, or just incredibly contrived. The combination of fantasy + Beka just really made this perfect for me.

Plot
The story is told a bit differently than the other Tortall series. It's told through journal entries (95% of them are Beka's). Many of the developments are subtle, and it moves forward slowly- definitely a book for more sophisticated young readers. There are many layers to the story that are woven together. I thought it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Relationships
This is what makes these books so good. There doesn't have to be an angsty relationship, or a love triangle to hook you! That being said, the groundwork is laid for a future relationship that I am really excited about. I can't wait to see how Beka grows up and into romance.

Overall
I really loved it. Again- I'm very biased by my love of the whole world of Tortall. The best thing about living under a rock is not having to wait to read Book #2! Woo hoo. 5 Stars.

This first book of the "Beka Cooper" series is well written. Beka jumps from the pages a fully developed charecter with a tough agenda for her life and her society. Tamora has done a great job creating her own universe with all of it's perculiarities and rules of conduct. I had previously read her other books about Nights and Heroes that also take place in the same world but this is a very unusual twist in looking at the same "society" from a very different point of view. This book starts a character that begs for more stories to be told about her. I really like this authors work as it is intersting and adventurous without gratuitious sex or violence, SO REFRESHING!! ENJOY!!!

I'm a huge fan of ANY Tamora Pierce books. I read almost all of them as a young teen and I'd love to read them all over again. I read this book quite a few years back, before the sequels came out. But even though the audience target is younger for this book, as an adult reader, the Beka Cooper books are on my to-read list.

The audiobook version of this book is beautifully done. The narrator does a great job of giving voices to some of the main characters and helping get their personality across.

The format of this book is the protagonist's diary entries as she narrates events. It's a fast read. There was always enough going on to hold my attention.

Pierce has Beka describe her appearance in one of the first entries in her diary, and she refers to her breasts as "peaches." Who thinks of their body as bits of fruit? YUCK. Then Beka says she doesn't have to worry about the size of her 'peaches' because she doesn't have a boyfriend DOUBLE YUCK. If these books are supposed to be all girl-power-y, why the boob and body issues? And why is it the woman guard Beka rescues twice, and never the man?

I had some questions about this book. How is it that in a world without public education, Beka's mother can read and write? How is it that all the uneducated people think alike on the issue of counterfeit money? How is it that Beka, who is described repeatedly as shy, makes all these friends so quickly and even moves three kids into her room without any hesitation or awkwardness?

It's hard for me to see the appeal in a character like Beka, who accepts bribes on the job and treats her best friend like garbage. YMMV, I guess.

I have been reading Pierce's books for about 10 years, probably. I'm now eighteen, and am still very entertained by her quick wit, interesting plots and characters, and her development of Tortall, the mystical world in which most of her characters are intertwined.

In this book, Pierce looks at a much earlier time in Tortall's history, to a long-ago ancester of George Cooper, a good friend of the famous Alana from the Song of the Lioness books. I didn't think i'd like it, because it was set so much earlier than her other Tortall series. I was quite wrong.

Beka Cooper is a bright young herione who fights for those who cannot fight for themselves. She works for the law, training to be a Provost Dog, the patrolling crime-fighters of the realm.

Through Beka, Pierce looks at the interesting complex that is working to help the needy whilst simultaneously stopping crime throughout the city. Pierce illustrates the struggle of the poor to make their problems known among law enformers, and urges readers to step forward and fight for what they believe in.

Overall, this book is very well written. I can't wait for the second book in the trilogy, Bloodhound. April.

Terrier (2006) is the first fantasy novel in the Beka Cooper series. Rebekah Cooper grew up in the Lower City section of Corus, the capital of Tortall. She is able to talk to the dust spinners and to hear the spirits of the dead riding on pigeons (but the dead rarely hear her). At eight years of age, she stalked the man who beat her mother and ran out with everything of value in their household.

After finding the man meeting with his pals in the Bold Brass gang, she turned them in to the Lord Provost himself when none other would listen. The Provost took Beka, her mother, and her four siblings into his own household. Beka eventually became a trainee in the Provost's Guard.

In this novel, Beka is a Puppy, assigned to two experienced Dogs for training. Clara Goodwin and Matthias Tunstall are the best Guards of the Evening Watch, which is reputed to be the best of the three Guard shifts. Goodwin has been a Provost's Guard for seventeen years and Tunstall has been a Guard for twenty years, thirteen as Goodwin's partner.

Now they are being saddled with a Puppy and Goodwin is not very happy about the whole thing; Tunstall, however, is rather pleased to have Beka as his Puppy. Both know of her part in bringing in the Bold Brass gang, but do not know anything about her magic. They also know nothing about Pounce, the cat who has adopted Beka. This new partnership is going to be a learning experience for all of them.

On her first night, trailing behind Goodwin and Tunstall, Beka is told to chase an escaping thief and falls -- literally -- for an old trick. She lands facedown in a pile of fish and is called Fishbelly for the rest of the shift.

The next night, she takes off after a crazed drunk who has struck Goodwin with the hilt of a knife. She chases the woman all across the Lower City nearly to the North gate and then brings her hobbled to the Provost's Guard kennel. Very few call her Fishbelly after that run, but some call her Terrier for the first time.

Then Goodwin and Tunstall find out that Beka is extremely shy. She can talk with friends, but public speaking ties up her tongue. Since she has to testify before the Provost's Magistrate, she forces herself to utter a few words. Fortunately the Magistrate is kind and helps her to tell the story of the chase and capture, with Goodwin and Tunstall filling in some details. Strangely enough, she doesn't appear have any problems telling malefactors that they are under arrest, even in public places.

In this story, Beka learns of two different crimes from her sources in the Lower City. The son of her friend Tansy is abducted and killed by someone calling himself the Shadow Snake after a childish fable. When she talks to Tansy, she is given a strange gemstone. Soon her pigeons bring new riders who complain of being killed in a hole that they have been hired to dig and the gemstone is somehow related.

In this story, Beka becomes the center of a small social circle that meets in her boarding house. Other trainees, experienced guards and even some rogues eat breakfast most mornings in her room or elsewhere in the house or on the grounds. This circle of friends also joins her in the search for the abducted diggers and the Shadow Snake.

This story takes place earlier in the history of Tortall, well before Alanna and her friends. Yet Beka is the progenitor of one of those friends. The story starts with the young George Cooper being told of his illustrious ancestor.

Based on past publications, this book may be the first in a tetralogy. Maybe the author is getting into a rut, always starting with a novice and then taking the series on to higher skills, but who cares when the stories are this good. This volume is definitely a fine start to a new series. Enjoy.

Highly recommended for Pierce fans and for anyone else who enjoy tales of minor magic, grubby police work and hardearned experience.

-Arthur W. Jordin

As a huge Tamora Pierce fan, I asked for this book for Christmas and recieved it. I started reading it a while ago and finished it a few days ago. As most of Pierce's books do, Terrier took me away from my world.

This book was by far the scariest Tamora has even written though its not very scary. I found myself dying to find out who the Shadow Snake was and I was very surprised by the result. Tamora really knows how to keep you guessing!

Though she tried a different style with this book, Tamora Pierce did a wonderful job! I think anyone, boy or girl, young or old, would enjoy this book! If you are thinking of buying it, DO IT!

This book is a thriller of sorts, and though it has some cussing and brutality, it is all through the perspective of long ago history from a place far, far away. In other words, it is appropriate for teens on up, and you will see no modern bad language. To top it off, it's the coming-of-age story of a girl who is learning to become a type of policewoman, so Pierce raises awareness of their duties, and their trials. Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors for her use of another world to make us think about our own, subtly.

As with all the other Tortall books, "Terrier" has a sense of reality. It's almost as it you can jump right into the pages, but the story still holds a sense of wonder.

An ancestor of George Cooper, Beka overcomes the barriers that accompany living in the cesspool. By proving her worth she manages to bring herself and her family out of abject poverty. In the tradition of Tamora Pierce's heroines, Beka takes her place as a strong, intelligent and determined young woman.

Tamora Pierce's books are a "must read" for girls of all ages. And maybe if the boys read them, they'd respect women more! :)

Whe we heard Tamora Pierce speak last year, her passion for writing and for her characters was quite obvious. [...]

So I've been a long time fan of Tamora Pierce. So it was a no-brainer that I would get Terrier and the other books in the Beka Cooper series. I will be totally blunt: I didn't like this book the first time I read it. Or the second time. But after reading the second and third books in the series I changed my mind.

I had originally found Beka to be somewhat of a flat character - not as feisty as Tamora Pierce's previous female heroines. But after getting to know her through three books I changed my mind. She's simply a quieter hero - one who tries for as little fuss as possible. But her friends are boisterous - and after all, I couldn't say no to a book with Pounce/Faithful in it.

I found this book to be quite different from the others set in Tortall. For one, its several hundred years before the Song of the Lioness quartet, and instead of focusing on knights and those with ties to the royal court, this focused on the everyday folk in Corus. I think this tale is just as believable as the others - it's just got a bit of a slower start. After all, being a guardswoman is a completely different bag of tricks.

Try giving Terrier a read. I suspect you'll enjoy it.

I love the Tamora Pierce series. This one is exceptionally interesting because it is set 200 years before the Immortal Wars. Beka Cooper is an ancestor of George Cooper's with unique gifts of her own. Once you start reading, you can't put it down.
Only drawback is the initial time necessary to read through the somewhat archaic language, but the plot is so engaging, it is well worth it. The cant of the characters eventually lends a reality to the setting making it more believable to the reader.

When I saw that this was in journal format, I was cynical - especially when I read one of the first entries, which was written by a badly literate character complete with miss-spellings. As usual, Tamora Pierce's characters steal the show and any problems are soon forgotten.

George's ancestress Beka is a fascinating girl: she grew up in the rough Lower City until her intervention as a child brought her family a new life. Instead of moving on and trying to forget the past, she joins the Dogs (the Tortallian equivalent of the police) and returns to her roots.

This is an excellent book and both fans and newcomers alike will be waiting anxiously for the next book... I know I am!

This is the 2nd time I've listened to this audiobook and I've thoroughly enjoyed it both times. I have read two other T.Pierce series and one of the things I like about this book is the adults in Beka's life. I know this is a Young Adult book but since I'm not a "young" adult, I do like reading about how the adults support the main characters and not read only about the magical tweens. IMO, this book not only has interesting characters but a rich environment. The *Reader* gave the book such life, an amazing performance. I am glad the sequel has the same reader.

Likeable, shy but very capable protagonist. World building convincing and interesting. Plot builds steadily and the protagonist develops along with the plot. This is not a story with edge-of-your-seat tension but still I felt a strong need to know the resolution of the central conflict because the situation was a neat puzzle, was believable and the main characters were sympathetic.

Cheers to Tamora Pierce, for, once again writing another amazing story with compelling characters and plot. This story is about Beka Cooper, ancestress of George Cooper (formerly King of Thieves, ironically) and her journey to become one of the most well know Provost Guards (Dogs) in history.

Although i was a little weary about the style in which the book was written (namely in the form of a journal) i found it an interesting idea (except when i read Ilony's enrty at the beginning.. it made me cring)dialogue between Beka's training Dogs, Clary and Matt kept me grinning through out the novel.

I loved how Tamora brought forth the characters and gave them personalities that would make readers fall in love in an instant, and watching them develope is interesting. I do hope that there will be a sequal to Becka's story (i want to see some development between Rosto and Beka!!)

All in all a winderful and a must read for all Tamora Pierce fans!

Another excellent, excellent novel from Tamora Pierce, set in the world of Tortall. The first person narrative in the form of a journal is a new approach for the author, but she pulls it off with marvelous results. The heroine, Beka Cooper, is a strong and determined young woman living up to the demands of a hard but necessary job. The city she lives in is as multi-faceted and real as Beka herself. This is fantasy far from the world of Dungeons and Dragons - this is fantasy with a gritty realism that gives it a pulse.

Wow.

I have read almost all of Tamora Pierce's books. The rest are phenomenal but since she doesn't often write long books there isn't as much action. Terrier tells the story of a teenage girl named Beka Cooper. Since Tamora Pierce is such a great writer and got me so engaged in this book I feel like I'm talking about one of my best friends not a book character. Beka is training to be a dog (police officer). With some extra help from her ability to hear the voices of the dead, Beka slowly uncovers the identity of a mass murderer. With two large cases on her hands in her first weeks of being a puppy(trainee) Beka is quickly proving herself to be a true terrier.

Anybody who loves a good book especially a Tamora Pierce book will love this one. It's a fresh and different angle of this lovely place we have all come to love. Beka gives as good as she gets once she stops being so shy. And the friends who come to her could not be more well rounded. From fellow Dogs, a mysterious purple eyed cat to even some new comers who have plans to change things, this girl has even connections that aren't of this world. So I really suggest you pick up this book if you want something to laugh, cry, even bring out the Dog in you for this book will do that for you and more.

Beka Cooper was an interesting new Tortall story. Beka (the main character) was portrayed as a shy yet tough girl. She was fun to read about and the cops or "dogs" who were the main characters of the story were interesting multidimensional people. It had plenty of action and, for Tamora Peirce, not too much romance as some of her other books have had. My one problem with it was that the journal format did not, for the most part, read like someone's journal; it sounded more like a first person naration that included dates. Besides that though I found it to be an original and entertaining page turner

Someone else has already said exactly what I felt so I will copy it here.

"I have been a fan of Pierce's books, the Tortall series in particular, for over a decade, but I was disappointed by Terrier. The setting was interesting, as were parts of the story and some of characters, but it was not taken advantage of like it could have been."

I didn't mind the journal type of the book but I did feel let down by this book. I couldn't connect with Beka and I just didn't care about the world she was living in. I never laughed or cried and my heart never stopped or did a pitapat as it did with the Song of the Lioness books or any of her others. :(

The concept of a strong female character in Georges background excited me and could of been great. But was only difficult to get through and boring.

I love Tamora Pierce's work. I have the first 'circle' series on unabridged audio ( full cast). This audiobook is not full cast but is still unabridged. Having read the book I was hesitant that it would not translate well in audio format. I was very wrong. In many ways it is easier, the idiomatic phrasing makes more sense when read aloud.You do have to listen pretty closely to follow but that is true of all audios.
I hear she will also be releasing the Protector of the Small series on audio as well. I hope so ! Enjoy

Every dog likes a good rat to sink their teeth into, just like every reader likes a good book. well you've found one with Terrier. Just like all of the other Tortall books this is about an ambitious girl who will not let anything stand in her way. Like everyone else i was put off by the journal style at first, most authors focus on the characters opinions and thoughts more than the big picture. Never fear, Pierce wrote this journal style book in a marveouls way; i barley even noticed the dates or anything else that makes it a journal entry, i was foucused on the story. Yes we get a deeper insight into the girl that is Beka Cooper, more so than in any of the other tortall books, but Pierce also keeps it from being all about Beka, the entire story is in there. It's more like reading from a first person point of view than a journal, i felt at times like I was Beka Cooper. Too bad reality likes me. I so cant wait for the next book.

Tamora Pierce has created another strong, positive role model for girls in Beka Cooper. Although Beka has wild magic - the ability to hear the dust spinners and the voices of ghosts who ride on pigeons, her true abilities lie in herself - inner strength, dedication, practice, caring, friendships. I am glad to share this book with my daughter, who loves the Lioness Quartet.

I bought this as an audiobook to listen to while I breastfed my newborn and I could not take the headphones off. I went without sleep to listen to it. And audiobooks are a lot less forgiving. If something isn't written well, I tend to skim over it if I like the book overall, but you can't do that with an audiobook. It was a bit repetitive in places but overall it was fantastic. Beka Cooper is a character I look forward to following and I hope to find out more about the young ancestor in later books. I like this world.

I was so excited to finally get this book in my hands! When I first began to read I was a bit miffed at the new style of journal writing Tamora Pierce had taken up. I am not the kind of reader that enjoys first person journal writing and was worried I was not going to enjoy this book. Well I found out I was dead wrong! The writing flowed smoothly and read more like a story then a journal (thank goodness!). The story is also wounderful! With similar settings Tamora Pierce brought in a fresh new cast to Tortall. There are many suprises and humorus moments as we follow Beka Cooper on her first great adventure down the back allys of Lower City to unviel the Shadow Snake and to fill the shoes of the title Terrier. With the help of the Dogs, some deadly new friends named Kora and Aniki, a possible future Rogue and terrible flirt Rosto, and the purple eyed cat Pounce how could our heroine not turn from Puppy to Terrier?

Terrier is quite possibly the best of Tamora Pierce's books. I've read everything except books two and four of the Immortals series (I got distracted by Terrier). Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen were fantastic. But they were so long that each book had a spot where it slowed and I found it difficult to stay with it (though I'm glad I did). Terrier, as others have said, is written in journal form, which scared me. After two pages though, I was no longer scared. I was hooked in the first five minutes. And amazingly, I never hit a hard spot. I'm so easily distracted from a book, but this kept me reading the entire time. The characters were great, the plot was great, and the setting was great. I was a little worried that the Tortal kingdom would be getting old now, but this is from a completely different perspective, one that still jives with the rest of her books. I love the Tortal (and neighboring kingdoms) world, and I was so excited to read about it from the perspective of a commoner. I can't wait for book two, Tamora! :)

I enjoyed the book immensely. We first listened to it on a long drive, and then read the book. My wife and daughter (13) have re-read the book several times. My 10 yr old son is reading the series after listening to it (we have both books and audio books). I like the mix of seriousness, humor, immersion and suspense. I would recommend this to any friend/family.

I loved this story. Usually I find female character stereotypical and boring, but Beka Cooper is a strong and fascinating female protagonist. In fact, all the characters in this story are very good. I loved Goodwin and Tunstall; they were great secondary characters that made up for Beka's quiet nature. The world is rich and vibrant, with enough dark to make it realistic. Recommended

I bought this book because it was by Tamora Pierce and I read everything she writes. I opened it up to find that it was written as journal passages . . . this made me very nervous as I dislike books written in this style more times then not. However, I soon got passed this obstacle and got into the story of Beka Cooper. As a fan of all of Pierce's books I can honestly say that Beka may be very favorite heroine through all the books. I also really enjoyed the idea of the Dogs as a whole. I think fans will love this book and so will readers new to Pierce's work. I also think Terrier may hold more appeal for a male audience then some of Pierces other characters and series.

I read all books by Tamora Pierce. This one I enjoyed most of all. Pierce's style (already very good) has improved a notch with this, her latest book. So has her handling of people and plot and place.

Speaking of maturity, even though this is sold as a "kid's book," grownups will also enjoy TERRIER. Funny how some of the best writing and most fascinating characters and settings are to be found in writing for the younger set.

I, like many others love (!) Tamora Pierce books. I, like many others was also was afraid to read Tamora Pierce write in a journal style for the first time. But this book is amazing. Some characters are back, namely Faithful re-named Pounce. The story is lively and inspiring with no stop 'till the end. I loved the mystery quality slightly reminisent from the circle opens books. This is another wonderful book to add to Pierce's all ready stunning collection of books. If you loved this book read another of her books, honestly I adore them all.

True to Tamora Pierce's signature style, she writes of a strong female who takes charge of a messy situation and cleverly solves the problem at hand, winning recognition from those who chose to follow her. The heroine, Beka, is perhaps slightly predictable, but otherwise likable and engaging. Beka comes with Pierce's usual slew of supporting characters, all of whom do not appear enough in the novel to show their complexities and personality differences. The plot is fast paced and busy, allowing Beka to truly show off her skills as a crime-fighting "Dog". Altogether quite entertaining; a book that any Tamora Pierce fan will enjoy immensely.

I love Tamora Pierce's writing. This I think is one of her best. Her writing is not formulaic and her characters are fully drawn. Detail is also provided, right at the beginning of new places or characters, and then developed as one reads on. The plots are not predictable. Delightful fast paced reading.

Before I start tearing this apart, let me say that I loved the plot, the characters, almost everything. I've always loved Tamora Pierce's scrappy, intelligent heroines, gritty, quasi-urbas settings, and the fact that she doesn't skimp on the side characters.

That said, I didn't enjoy this book very much. The "diary" format really crippled the whole thing. Ms. Pierce has always done great with limited third person, so why she should switch now, I have no idea. This style of writing doesn't at all match the character or the world. I find it rather unbelievable that, if Beka's life is as dangerous and fast-paced as she makes it out to be, how could she sit around and soliliquize for an hour or two about her day? I journal extensively, and I can attest that this isn't something that can be done quickly, or without a lot of thought. She will probably keep this format for the rest of Provost's Dog, but I can only hope that she returns to her earlier form in later series.

I loved this book, as I have all the rest of Tamora Pierce's Books. Her characters are engaging and deeply crafted and will inspire the young girls who read their stories. Beka is by far one of Tamora's best - tough as nails but sensitive. I was nervous when I first began to read the book, I typically dislike books written as journals or in first person because I feel it is harder to pull it off and remain genuine. Nevertheless, she does a fantastic job. I am also pleased that she has ceased to restrict herself to the quartet set up of some of her previous series.

the book was just as cool as all the other ones this one goes into my favorites beka is a real person that people can relate to and her friends are also. the story is a little slow in the begining but the book in a whole is something you can stick your teeth into. and to those haters and you know who you are it seems to me that you are downing on the author for tyring something new adding a spice to her writing style just because someone is good at one thing doesnt mean that they cant be equally good at another. hence me saying that i loved the new way she wrote it. thats a sad way to look at things. on a lighter note pleeze let bloodhound come out sooner then april! next year! i could die

I'm a big Tamora Pierce fan, usually, but this one for some reason didn't grip me. I suspect it's because Beka is too perfect. She doesn't make any really bad mistakes; she's always disciplined, competent and determined. Though slightly tempted by the "bad boy" Rosto, she resists the temptation to get involved with him easily (for several good reasons). She gets a bit beaten up at various times but never seems in really bad danger. Hence, there's not a lot of suspense apart from the identity of the villain.

It's also not as tight as some of the previous books. Now that Pierce is writing longer stories, there's a bit more padding. The journal format more or less forces her into including some days where not much is happening except Beka getting frustrated over lack of progress, and this doesn't help the momentum of the story.

It's good, but I didn't find it great.

I bought the book as a gift for my best friends daughter. This was a cold purchase, had zero knoweldge of the author, or the world it's written in. But I'm always looking for books with a strong herione in it as a gift for her. And the short excerpt on the back of the book, and the cover caught me hook, line, and sinker.

Course I read the book, and look forward to reading more pierce now. Honestly it's a great read for an adult (notice I didn't say "even for an adult"), and I know by friends daughter is gonna go nuts over it.

This book is well written, i love the diary format, the humor, the mix of good times and bad. It keeps my interest. I LOVE Tamora Pierce!!! i love all her books but this one has to be my FAVORITE. in reading the protecter of the small series and the Song of the Lioness series i came to know the city of Corus as a large, but clean, calm, and safe place. I began to see as i read Beka's story that it was not soo 100 years ago (in Tortal time!!!). Beka is quik in her feet, witty and has some AMAZING friends by her. this is my FAVORITE book of all time. and i am WELL READ.

I am a dedicated Tamora Pierce fan, and when I heard that her new book was finally available, you can guess what I did. I ordered it. Then I read it in every spare moment I had until I was finished. Tamora Pierce is well known for her strong female characters, and this book reinforces that theme. Beka Cooper is a strong young woman, comfortable on the streets and utterly terrified of public speaking. Pierce brings Beka and her friends to life, giving them complex histories and authentic emotions.

Although this is not my favorite Tamora Pierce book, I would strongly recommend it to any girl (or woman who is still a girl at heart) who likes to read good fantasy.

Unlike some of her previous books, this is a tale of a more "everyday" heroine one who, despite some magical gifts, must resort primarily to determination to solve mysteries that confront the "Dogs" (the police force of Tortall). Beka is a great addition to Tamora's world; I find myself eagerly awaiting the sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Beka Cooper. Tamora Pierce is an exceptional author, who is categorized as a "Teen" author. I probably would have never stumbled upon her books unless a friend had recommended them. So let that be a lesson, while it's classified as Teen they are in my humble opinion excellent books none the less. Remember the phrase "Never judge a book by its cover." Be sure to remember this as well when it comes to sections/genres you don't often look at or give a second thought to. Well written & I recommend all her other books.

Tamora Pierce has done it again but this time, she experiments with writing in first person as journal enteries. She has not disappointed her fans as she tells the story of George Cooper's ancestor, a young, shy puppy working in the meanest streets of Corus. For the first time, Pierce writes about a shy girl with strange powers who only wants to catch the bad guys. She reminds me of myself, afraid to look at anyone in the face, but when it really matters, can turn fierce, although I am afraid I am not at all as athletic or fit as Becka. It is a must read.

I got this book the day it came out but didn't start reading it until about a month ago. I wish i had started reading it sooner! I love Tamora Pierce and the whole Tortall universe is awesome. I was a little put off by the journal-style writing because i don't like having to stop mid-page if the chapters are pretty long.

but the story is so good, you won't want to put it down :)

Tamora Pierce's TERRIER takes place in the Lower city, one of the most troublesome places in Tortal. Beka is a puppy training to become a dog. She works in the lower city through days and days of brutal work leaving her exausted. And what more comes to tire her but a man or woman known as the Shadow Snake. As many say it's only a creature to scare children into doing their work or behaving. But someone is kidnapping children in return for precious items and belongings. Beka Cooper and her loyal companions must track him down to stop the kidnapping and murders. If you like action, thrilling excitement, and just a good book to read then try TERRIER.

-Hannah M.

Tamora pierce always writes stories full of love, humor, danger, adventure, etc. To me, that's perfect. Beka is a lot like me. Quiet, unless we're around friends, surprising, smart, and adventurous.

I'm a big fan of Tamora Pierce, so I liked it even though it's different from the other books about Tortall. It left me wanting to know more about Beka's life and what happens in between where the story ends and the other stories begin.

This book should have been much better than it was. Tamora Pierce took the time to craft a detailed, well-researched (as far as I could tell) world in the Lower City of Tortall, and her supporting characters are generally interesting. But the book is dragged down, almost beyond redemption, by the awkward first-person journal narrative and Beka's frankly off-putting personality. The plot, though eventually intriguing, doesn't start until the reader has slogged through nearly two hundred pages of Beka's boring (and apparently unnecessary, considering her instant successes) training.

I was quite surprised to find that Beka herself was a major flaw in this book, considering Ms. Pierce's usual ability to write compelling heroines. Despite being ready to love Beka as much as Ms. Pierce's other heroines, I never once empathized with her or cared about her. She succeeds much too easily at everything she does, especially with her unique magic to talk to dead people. (A power that Ms. Pierce doesn't seem to have thought through. It's never addressed why Beka's patron encourages the only person /in the world/ capable of talking to murdered souls to be a street cop.) Also, Beka's supposed "flaw" of shyness comes across as tacked on, what with her general self-confidence. Beka whines about her shyness constantly, but it never once hinders her in a way that has consequences.

Experimenting with new writing styles is one thing, but the journal narrative is badly done. The sheer amount of writing is (as other reviewers have mentioned) unrealistic to the point of breaking immersion, and it simply doesn't sound like a journal. The constant attempts to remind the reader that this ought to be a diary, not just a first person account, only make it worse. The badly spelled prologue, with its ridiculous fonts, is better forgotten.

This book is nowhere near up to Tamora Pierce's usual standards. If you're looking for a good young adult book for girls, try the Immortals quartet or the Trickster books. The writing in those is much more compelling, and the dull Beka pales in comparison to the other strong, fascinating women of Tortall.

This book is as action-packed as any of Tamora Pierce's other stories. My only complaint was that it took a while for Beka to form meaningful relationships with other characters. Alanna, Kel, Daine, and the children from the Circle of Magic series all form close bonds with allies and make enemies fairly early on. Character develolpment is one of Pierce's strenghts.

Once Beka began to admit others into her quest and see them as possible friends, the story picked up considerably - the second half of the book flew by. The small political intrigue and nonstop action is well done. I look forward to the next book!

Terrier is about a teenage girl named Beka Cooper. Beka grew up in the poorest, harshest part of town called the Lower City. She escaped it when Lord Provost took her in. In the book Beka is a Puppy (she is actually a human, she's just called a Puppy for her job) training to be a Dog (again, just a title). Dogs are the enforcers of the law in her city. Beka chooses to work in the Lower City where she grew up because of how much she cares for the people of the lower city. This book is very suspensful and hard to put down. I reconmend this book to anyone who is up for an exciting read.

As other reviewers have noted, journal entries can make for a bad read, but Pierce does it well. I had this sitting in my shopping cart for days, waiting for it to be released, but my husband found it for me when we took our baby book shopping. Bad for me! I was up until 3:30 a.m. finishing it, which isn't the brightest thing to do when one has a toddler to keep track of by day. Very creepy reading about the Shadow Snake kidnapping small children now that I have one of my own, but Pierce's characters are so fantastic they carried me through. As is increasingly true, Pierce's handling of the "bad guys" is nuanced and sympathetic. Great new series.

A couple of historical nits to pick: lower city denizens in what is clearly an equivalent to 12th or 13th century European capital using diapers? I don't think so! And mentioning a crib as a child's bed, ditto. Ah, well. Perfection can't be expected of anyone, even the inimitable Pierce.

I really enjoyed the story of this girl in law enforcement in a very different reality. The language was fun to try to get a handle on and it was only a little suggestive, which was not really needed. Overall I did like it.

Excellent fantasy. I read it six times. Read the sequel twice, the third volume once. After the first volume, I think the author was struggling to keep the story going. But the first volume is fabulous.

Holy cow THIS IS A GREAT book, I had to by it so I could eat and read at the same time and not worry about smudges. The characters were a deep well, each one unique and interesting. This is the 1st book in this series and I am totally hooked. The plot and dialog was fulfilling, unpredictable, and thorough. THIS was a great BOOK!

Haven't read many books in this strict diary format, but once you get beyond the lack of chapters and the dialect you are in for a great police / minor magic story. I just discovered this author, I love her stories and she is great for my teen daughter, oh and Trickster's choice is even better than this series 6 stars out of 5 if possible.

Terrier reveales what Tortal was like about a hunderd years ago. It showa you how the law enforement worked, and still works. Yet, at the same time, you get a great story, amusing charaters, and thrilling action. In other words, a Tamora Pierce book that lives up to it's legacy. Five stars.

i m in luv with tamora pierce! i m a younger one of her readers and this is my second serious of hers im reading and i love it.
i read the lioness quartet and the chareters places and ideas r all combined

this book held my intrest very much. beka cooper is someone who would be a wonderful person to meet. the dogs life is a dangerous one and it gets better in the second book.

Beka is tough determined and intensely loyal. She has friends and informants all over the lower city and both sides of the law. If she's on your tail its only a matter of time.
Tamora Pierce writes this fabulously gripping novel. You don't want to put it down. I can't wait for the next one.

I love Tamora Pierce's books, but this series falls short of her other books. There are many reason's why this book is not good. First this book in written in a journal format. Some authors are able to write good books in journal format, but Tamora Pierce is not one of them. The second reason is Beka does not grow in this book. She stays the same through out the entire book. The third reason is the length of the book. Ever since the Harry Potter series came out it seems like Tamora Pierce is writing longer and longer books. Unfortunately Tamora Pierce is not good at writing long books. There is much information that is not needed and multiple times I would wonder why Tamora Pierce would add useless information. The Beka series had the potential to be a great series. Especially, since Beka's story is so interesting, but unfortunately this was one of the worst books I have read from Tamora Pierce.

I've read quite a few of Tamora's books over the years. I started with Alanna's story 17 years ago when I was in 6th grade. This book was just not for me though. I didn't relate or care about any of the characters and got bored with the plot. While some of Tamora's other books have implied that a couple has shared a bed, I felt this book brought up the topic a bit too often and without relating it to the plot at all. Within the first 50 odd pages we learn that the main character has slept with someone, but we also learn that she can't even make eye contact with most people. How did that happen? I have no idea how the Beka feels about this - was she happy with the hook up, regretful, eager to meet the guy again? While in Alanna we watched her emotions and relationships develop, I felt that in this book I know what Beka has been up to but not about her or how her feelings have developed. We know a fair bit about the romantic adventures of a lot of the characters in the book, but not too much about them as people. I remember reading the romantic parts of the Alanna books and developing my own opinions on whether I would or would not do the same thing the character did in her situation. I felt like I knew Alanna like a friend. None of the characters in Terrier really develop very much in this book and I don't understand why they do what they do - which makes this really long book seem that much longer. When the main love interest and Beka finally kiss - it is after he has declared that he killed someone! What?
Tamora has written better books. I don't recommend this one.

In Tamora Pierce's newest book, a world of 100 years before Alanna even came into the picture is depicted. Wihle it's written in a diary format it's still really good. Any fans of Pierce will find themselves drawn into this world of Beka's just as they were into Alanna, Keladry, Daja, Briar, Tris, Sandry...well, you get the picture.

This book was extremely good! Its slow, but only a little, and the mysterious things that beka wraps herself up in make this book a real page turner. I'm on my way to read Bloodhound, book two in the beka cooper series!

Even though I usually don't like journalform written books, this one is just great. You have to get used to some of the words and expressions, but once there it adds to the feeling of a genuine environment and you get caught up with it until the last page is turned.

Just like all of her other books, it is great. You get more history of Tortall and the people in it.

It is a mistake to think that it is only for kids because it is published by Schoolastic Book, because it is of interest to all. Kind of like a Harry Potter novel is only for kids.

I usually LOVE books by Tamora Pierce. But this series just DID NOT live up to my expectations. I was totally bored to death by the whole lot of books, but I plowed through hoping that they would get better. However, if anything, the series only got steadily worse! These books definitely tainted my view of one of my all time favorite authors, but I would recommend some of her other books, like the Allanna series.

I've read 13 of Pierce's books over the last ten years. Some I've even read about a dozen times. I started in grade school and loved them all they way till now. Like most, I couldn't wait for the new book to come out. A time before the Lioness's time...it sounded awesome.

It sounded awesome. I managed to get a 1/3 of the way through before giving it up. The style had me lost and it was all around interesting. Nothing close to her pervious work. I've been told "Oh, your just attached to her other characters," not true. I've read other books where I adore the characters but also loved reading about the time that came before them once prequels were made. Others say "Perhaps your just too old and have grown out of them." You never are two old to pick up a book intended for somebody younger. The first place I go to in a book store is the picture books.

No, this book was just an all-around disappointment.

I listened to the audiobook version of Terrier. After forcing myself to hear the first three CD's, I skipped ahead to CD 6,9,and 12 and got the entire story. Beka's narrative was just wordy and unnecessary most of the time. The entire (audio) book was tiring to listen to. This was the first book by Pierce I have encountered.

I hate this book. I haven't gotten passed the second chapter. I usually can not put her books down even if I have read them several times.
I have been an avid fan for almost 13 years now. I love each and everyone of her books. Each one has it's own appeal but the Beka series I can't get into. I am really sad and disappointed with this series. I have tried several times to read this book and after 10 minutes I just can't read anymore.

I've been a fan of Tamora Pierce since about third grade (I'm now in eighth), and I have been waiting impatiently for this book for two years, and I am incredibly disappointed with it. First that barely readable prologue, I know it was supposed to be bad grammar, like somebody poor was writing it, but I sat there for at least five minutes figuring out what a pijin was. Once I began reading, on the first page, I found that Ms. Pierce had turned into a prude when she said peaches. I thought that calling the trainees of the dogs puppies was really tacky. I read about halfway through this book, before deciding it was just too painful and putting it down.

I read this book in anticipation of giving it to my (just turned 14) Grand daughter....Let me say that I am in my 60's and have never read a Tamora Pierce book and will probably never read one again. I am surprised at how many 5 star reviews this book obtained. In light of the book being recommended for 7th grade and up, I cannot give it a good review. It seemed odd to me that the author on one hand tried to keep the story at a 7th grade and up level, but at the same time had content about baby killing, slave trading and parents selling their kids for money. I was able to get through all of that until I reached page no.442. The evil Crookshank tells our 16 yr. old heroine, Beka: " his eyes buldged. I'll see you raped and your body left in a midden, your throat cut in two."

At that point I should have thrown the book in the trash, because that is all it is.....