Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles - Book One)

Wonderful storytelling as always! It was fantastic to read from a boy's point of view for the first time here, but it seriously made me want to go back and read the other books he's in. Defiantly lends a totally new perspective to the stories!

As usual Pierce has written life-like believable characters in a solid world. Her way of demonstrating how magic works rather than discussing it is masterful. Love her inclusion of the gods in the lives of mortals. Great read. Can't wait for the rest of the series.

I was super excited to see that this book had come out! Numair(Arram) has always been a favorite character of mine and to be able to go back to his childhood, back before all of the beloved series he is in, was amazing. Looking forward to reading the other book(s) in the series as well once they come out!

Tamora Pierce has done it again! Another wonderful read. I loved all the backstory explanation for characters we already know and love. Especially loved the additions in regards to *spoiler* Sarge. Great read, enjoyed every second.

Wonderful book! Started the old series back in middle school MANY years ago and couldn’t wait for her to come out with this book! Worth the wait.
Writing is smooth and well written as always. Maybe a bit slow in the beginning but it defiently gets better

An Excellent beginning for a fascinating man and mage, as always an engrossing story that looks beyond the magic to the heart. Good pacing, world building is on par with all of Pierce's works, and an excellent introduction to the lore of an established character Arram Draper (Numair)

I was really skeptical of this -- I didn't particularly expect to care about Numair -- but Tamora Pierce is such a lovely writer that this book is just as much as a delight as anything else she's written. Reading it felt like coming home.

She's done it again folks: another wonderful, fantastical journey. Tamora Pierce is a story weaver through and through. No wonder she's one of my favorite authors. I have most, if not all, of her books and I love them. Highest of praise and all of my recommendations.

Loved learning more about Numair and his time in Carthak, good tension, good pacing, and it was really interesting to follow a male main character from this author! If you love the Tortall universe you will love this book!

I loved it! It was as captivating as her other books, and her voice always brings me wonder, as if I were 13 again and reading them for the first time! She did an amazing job of writing from a young man's point of view as well! 100% would recommend!

I cannot wait for the rest of them!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The story was engaging from the beginning, and the small, "ah ha!" moments for readers returning to author Tamora Pierce's world and beloved characters makes it all the more fun.

Wild Magic was my first real foray into fantasy, so it great to be able to delve into the history of favorite characters and see how things turned out the way they did. I can’t wait to read the next installment!! I would hands down recommend this book.

I love Tamora Pierce books. Wild magic is what started me on my love of books close to 20 yrs ago. I did 4 out of 5 due to know knowing exactly where the plot was going. Loved getting to know some of the characters that have been mentioned in previous books!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce. Arram, young and gifted beyond his age, attends Mage Academy with older students. He doesn’t have friends but that soon changes when he causes chaos with magic and has a conference with the Academy masters. They deem him gifted and place him with other students similar to him. Academy life becomes much more enjoyable and entertaining after the new placement. Arram, Varice and Zorne become great friends and when Arram is bullied because of his young age, his two new friends help him cope and discover how much fun their time at the academy can be. Varice is smart, fun and a very good kitchen witch while Zorne is seventh in line to the throne of the current prince. The three friends each have different gifts which grow in strength the longer they attend classes. The main focus of the story is on Arram, his powers, education and relationships but we do get a glimpse of the inner workings of the lives of Varice and Zorne. Arram has to learn to build the stomach for being around horribly injured people and his strength as a healer. Varice deals with being looked down on because she’s female and a lowly kitchen witch. Zorne is continuing to move up higher on the list of heirs to the throne, and is worried about his unhealthy mother and how to deal with his protective guards. The story is strong and the world building is a mix of renaissance and ancient Greece. I thought the whole approach to Arram’s puberty was odd and I understand that it will potentially help male preteens with their own changes. I did enjoy the Tempests and Slaughter. 5 stars for this fantasy and its underlying mystery!

Tamora Pierce is honestly magic herself. She can bring you in and you will never want to leave these magical universes she has created. Such an amazing book that was well worth the over a decade wait.

As a fantasy-reading kid in the 90s, one of the great joys of the internet was discovering huge communities of fantasy lovers like me. I constantly sought out information about Tamora Pierce's new releases, so I've been waiting for this book for a long time. When I first heard it was finally coming out, I was afraid that the delays meant it wouldn't live up to the rest of the Tortall books. I was completely wrong. Now that I've read it, I'm convinced that Pierce was taking the time and putting in the work she needed to make sure Tempests and Slaughter could stand in this universe and among these readers.

I loved it. I had preordered the ebook, and as soon as I realized it was available for my Kindle, I downloaded and devoured it overnight. It was a joyful read, and now all I want to do is read all of the rest of the Tortall books again, immediately.

Because the book is essentially giving the backstory for a main character from The Immortals, we are introduced to lots of other characters we recognize. Numair, Ozorne, and Varice all get a chance to show more complexity than we see in The Immortals. However, there are also plenty of new, well-developed and interesting characters, too. This is not just a story about tying up the loose ends introduced in later books. Unfortunately, it is the first in a new series, so plenty of questions remain at the end. I can't wait for the next one!

Good story but rather different from the back story given by Numair in the Immortals series. If you think of it as a parallel universe it is worth 5 stars but I expected it to be more true to the original. Some of the differences can be excused as things Arram appeared to do to protect him from jealous classmates. However he would not need to lie to Daine about it. Also he held the magic dampening off of Pirate's Swoop because he had no healing, yet now he has lots of healing ability. Aside from the inconsistencies it is a good story. I look forward to reading the next book.

Tamora Pierce has written many books where Numair speaks little of his past. Hints and off hand comments are all we have gotten. Now she has started us on the exciting adventure of how Arram became Numair, his relationships with Ozorne, the Emperor Mage and Varice ,his one time love. This book is an amazing look into a boys life and why he is the way he is, how he learned different skills, and how friendships can change a person. Musenda the Gladiator holds a surprise for any Pierce fan, and the flow of the story holds the reader from start to finish!

As a long-time Tamora Pierce fan, I very much enjoyed Tempests and Slaughter. I'm not sure that I would have as a new reader.

This is the story of Arram Draper, who will grow up to be Numair Salmalin. It's also the story of Prince Ozorne - who becomes the almost comedic villain of The Immortals - and of Varice Kingsford, whom we meet briefly in Emperor Mage. The character studies are outstanding. Varice is an easy favorite, and Pierce has truly done a remarkable job with connecting the Varice of Emperor Mage to her younger self. Pierce continues to improve upon her inclusion of people of colors and the LGBT community. This is perhaps the only depiction I've seen of male puberty beyond facial hair, and while it feels clunky - well, so is puberty, frankly.

The story deserves editing. I read the e-book, but I've been told this book clocks in at around 450 pages, and it feels like it should sit at around 250. Not much happens until the end - which is honestly fine with me. But rather than being told in vignettes, it sets up a huge number of plots, and completes none of them. I could do without the inclusion of the crocodile god - it rather doesn't sit with the Numair of Wolf-Speaker, meeting the badger god for the first time. I initially felt that way about the Graveyard Hag, but I've just re-read Emperor Mage, and Numair's reaction to the Graveyard Hag is simply to say to the badger god, "interesting company you're keeping these days." So maybe that has continuity, and I just miss the days when the gods of the Tortall universe were, um, less obvious in their meddling. Omens and portents, anyone? I miss them. There's a glaring continuity problem, which is Numair's healing ability - because the rest of the continuity is honestly quite good, I'm hopeful that this is a plot device and not an error.

All in all, it's a fun read for existing Tamora Pierce fans. I'd like to take a red pen to the text to cut it down - seriously where are the editors? Did they just proof read for typos? - but I loved the character studies and look forward to the next book.

I love Tamora Pierce! I have every single book and reread them as often now when I am 30 as I did when I was 13. That being said this book was rather disappointing. Carthak is a mighty progressive nation for what we are led to believe in the Immortals Quartet (Equal rights for women, Gay Marriage, Government social services for the poor). It felt like this book was a mishmash of all the plot points we see in her other books. Precocious youth goes to school and excels with the help of kind and caring teachers! Apparently everyone gets their own immortal companion, everyone talks with gods (but yet somehow he can't help Daine at all when she experiences the same thing). I was waiting for something very different, instead I felt like I had read this book before!

Although I liked most of the characters, the story was not very captivating. At times it was a bit boring. This is the first Pierce book I have felt this way about. I will still consider reading the next book in the series despite this disappointing beginning.

I was lucky enough to get an arc of this book. Unlike many of the other reviewers, I have actually read all of Tamora's other books. I know Arram, Ozorne, Sarge and the others. As such, I deeply love this book and can't wait for the rest of the series. It is wonderfully heartbreaking seeing the children after knowing the adults they become. If you know the world, you wil love this book. If you don't , you may want to pick up some of her earlier books first.

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME

Tamora Pierce has another winner with this one. The only issue is that it stops just when you think a "major thing" is going to happen so now I am in withdraw waiting for the next book.

I wanted to like this book...I wanted to like it so much that I didn't realize how much I didn't like it until I started talking about it with others. I have read Pierce's works multiple since discovering them over 18 years ago and while I was surprised at her choice of doing Arram's backstory, I felt the need to give this a fair shot. I always re-read the entire Immortals quartet in preparation.

This book suffers the same problems as the Star Wars prologues -- we know things turn sour and by the end of the first book we're still not sure why. We have hints, but one does not end up in an anti-magic cell because you disagree with slavery. This was one of my concerns with choosing to do Arram's story. My second was how great a departure this was from her usual story tropes: strong young women establishing themselves on their terms. If we needed a backstory, why not Thayet's? If we needed to return to Cathak, I believe the Spy Guide mentioned a royal wedding that I am desperate to know about! And these are niggling problems compared to my actual issues with this book.

The biggest issue is the heavy handed foreshadowing. Arram gathers pets the way Daine does, but with a far less elegant explanation. We were told in the Immortals that Wild Magic is something the University doesn't believe it...but no less than three of his teachers openly discuss it and one even gives him a book on it. Even worse, apparently the gods involve themselves in the life of mages All. The. Time. Arram is on speaking terms with no less than the crocodile god and the Graveyard Hag when this book ends -- yet seemed to have no advice for Daine on why or how gods involve themselves in mortal lives. Even worse...this sort of kills Daine's importance in his life. Pierce seemed so focused on setting up that Arram would have an impact on the Immortals quartet that she forgot that readers want to know about the Student Mage Formerly Known as Arram. For new readers this foreshadowing seems to go absolutely no where, for long term fans the heavy handedness is groan worthy.

The delight of Pierce's previous quartets was that while they all came together to tell a story, they could also be read individually and the readers left the book feeling like they had a complete idea. She started deviating from this in the Trickster duo...and has left it entirely in this one. Apparently Arram's major areas of study in the first book are walking along river bottoms and healing. Lots of healing. More healing than even Alanna did. An annoying amount of healing, really. All of that would be fine if it went anywhere...but it doesn't! Long term fans know that Arram does not become a healer, and while the river bottom walking leads to some intrigue...it seems to be quickly abandoned.

Finally, this book has dumped a lot into the lap of the second book. So much so that I really wish there was a third book just so we'd have space for it all. The second book has to explain all of the following: Arram becoming a black robe mage specializing in Wild Magic, his relationship with Varice (who was the shining star of this book and deserves far more attention than she receives. Seriously, Varice is AMAZING -- especially when she shuts down Ozorne's mother) and how it ends in such a way that she is still clearly happy to see him in Emperor Mage, the rise of Ozorne, the ending of thier friendship and Arram's path to becoming a criminal in the Empire (seriously, that one is going to take something big), Arram's escape to Tortall and his Starving Times there, his introduction to King Jon's court and his rise to top mage there. That is so much for one book to cover, I don't think it can be done by any author.

This book seems to be attempting to piggyback off the success of Harry Potter, with twice the academics and half the heart. New readers will feel cheated by the lack of plot and development, long term fans will be screaming some variation of "OMG GET ON WITH IT!". I don't discourage anyone from reading it...but it may be better to wait until both are out so you have an actual story instead of what feels like a giant prologue.

Oh my god you guys. She's done it again. I can't, without spoiling everything, but POC, LGBTQ the works, like always. And this time we deal a little more with an adolescent male, so for parents of young men/boys, this has got a tiny bit about puberty, which I think is important. Just like Alanna mattered to me. No shame, no mockery. Just understanding.
Also, knowing about Numair before he was this powerful put-together mage.... just going as Arram Draper.
The commentary on slavery. The commentary on the mother-goddess and gentle-mother. I just. You guys. Please. Her books just get better as they go.

I haven’t finished this book yet but I love Tamora Pierce so I’m sure I’ll love it. This review is purely so I can say that my book (which arrived on time and is lovely) says “POSTER INSIDE” in big letters and has NO poster inside. So... there’s that.

This is a book that doesn't know who it wants it's target audience to be. Like usual for a Tamora Pierce book she explains words as if expecting children to not know them, like the word scrimmage in chapter one, Arram being a boy genius would know the word but she explains it for the reader. Then in chapter two she uses the word widdershins without explanation. This is a word I personally have never heard of and had to look it up thinking it a typo (it means to move in a direction that is contrary to what is natural).

Then there is the problem of going back in the Tortall timeline to fill in this backstory. It feels at times as if she has run out of ideas in how to push the franchise forward so instead she looks backwards. Perhaps this has to do with the trickster books being so awful, she decided to go back into safer writing waters, instead of pushing forward in the timeline.

Edit, after a couple days I have felt the need to add to this review. This book to me just feels formulaic. In past books that were well liked she had certain elements that she puts in here just because that is what worked before for her even though it doesn't really seem to fit. Also I want to talk about the length of this book. In the past she said that she was happy for Harry Potter's success because it proved young readers would read longer books, but she isn't good at writing longer books. This book has chapters that just feel like filler. I think if this was the length of some of her earlier works instead of being about 500 pages it would have been better.

This is a prequel of sorts. We first meet Numair as an adult, in Wild Magic. Even if you've read that series it won't be an issue. Pierce doesn't write in the first person but she might as well, as the stories are told from the main characters POV. We never really know more about the other characters except when the main character is present, and how they interact with her or her perceptions. So while Numair (Arram Draper) is in the first series, going back to meet his younger self and see things from his POV isn't as strange as it might be from other authors and series.

This book shows Numair entering the school for mages and advancing, while dealing with being younger and smarter than his classmates. He gets involved in the gladiator games, makes friends and enemies, and grows in power. The writing is good, remembering the target audience is younger. I enjoyed reading the first book and will read the next one.

I have been waiting for this book since I was 15. I’m not exaggerating.

In Tempests and Slaughter we begin our journey with Arram Draper before he became Numair Salmalin. When he was still a student studying at the University of Carthak and was best friends with the future Emperor Ozorne and Varice Kingsford. This is the beginning of everything for Arram/Numair.

Ok. First, let me preface this and say I will read and love anything Tamora Pierce writes. Her books first got me into Fantasy and they’ve just shaped me so much as a human being so I might be a bit biased, but as always, I will try and be as objective in my review as possible. That being said, I really enjoyed this first foray into the world of young Arram Draper. I had one or two issues with the story overall, but on the whole, I think it did everything it was supposed to do for a first installment.

I loved seeing Arram as a young boy, growing into a young man. It was amusing to see since we see him watch Daine grow throughout the Immortals Quartet; it was a wonderful mirror to look into this time around. I’m not sure about Varice Kingsford. Firstly, I never really liked her in Emperor’s Mage cause REASONS, but she still seems to be the insipid person she was back then even with the intelligence we see in this installment.

The young Ozorne we see now is definitely a complex character. We see glimpses of who he will become and some of the reasons why, but we also see the friend that Arram treasured and Numair mourned which was sad.

I think my main issue I had with this book was plot was, not much happened.

We mostly see them taking different classes at the University and that’s mainly it. There are a few mysterious things that happen which lean toward the conspiracy side of things, but they mainly act as a tool to set up plot points that will probably have more of an impact in later installments. I think that was really my main issue with the story overall. I would have preferred a little more action plot-wise.

Honestly, if you’re a Tamora Pierce fan, this book is already sold to you. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! She is the QUEEN of YA Fantasy and she blazed a trail for so many of our favorite writers today. This newest installment to her Tortall universe only cements why.

It has been years since I read any of the Tortall books. Trickster’s Choice came out when I was a sophomore in high school. So, there was a lot I didn’t remember about the books. I remembered Numair, though, and he and Daine were my favorite, so when I learned of the prequel trilogy about Numair (Arram), I was excited.

I’m sure there was a lot of foreshadowing (my friend reminded me who Orzne becomes), and I remembered Sarge, but, as it has been so long since I last ventured into Tortall, I’m sure there was much that went over my head.

I’m glad to see Pierce getting with the times and including same-sex couples in this book. As a fan of m/m romances, I am always excited to see these pairings in mainstream fantasy. Thank you, Tamora Pierce!

That said, the characters of these books tend to get it on so young. Alanna w/as, what, 13? And I know a lot of fantasy is vaguely based on “medieval times”, so it may not have been considered young then, but for 13-year-olds in this day and age…I don’t want to sound prudish, but I hope it isn’t sending the wrong message to tweens and young teenagers.

This book mainly follows Arram and his friends through their first few years of studying magic at the academy. Which, as a Harry Potter fan, is fun to see, but I felt there wasn’t much plot driving the book. It was more like a series of mini-events that shape Arram’s early years. Which is fine, but if you are looking for a plot-centered book, this one may not suit you.

I don’t really care about the budding romance between Arram and Varice. One, because I know it doesn’t last (he marries Daine, after all), and two, I’m not a fan of Varice’s character. I feel like she is just there to be “the female of the group”. I usually like male protagonists, better, anyway, but I always like a strong female character in fantasy, too, and Pierce is known for her strong female characters. But I felt like there weren’t really any in this book, and I didn’t really care for the females in this book (except for Preet).

This wasn’t a bad book, and it had some good points, to be sure, but I just can’t rate it above a 3. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I recommend it to any Tortall fan, though.

“It’s very interesting, where you live, isn’t it, Arram?” He tapped his forehead to show what he meant.

Arram has always been precocious with his magic and when he needed further attention than what was available in his home town, he was sent to the Imperial University of Carthak to further his education. Arram is the youngest student there and the other students go out of their way to let he know he doesn't belong. But what they don't know is that he is so full of magic it basically bursts out of him. After a disaster (one of many) caused by Arram, his teachers have realized his potential and soon his special training will set him on a path for his future.

I will admit that I am late to the Tamora Pierce party and I had never read any of her books- I had heard great things about them, but I just never picked one up. Well, a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet Tamora (or Tammy as she referenced herself) at an author event hosted by my local book store and I was completely charmed by her personality and the enthusiasm she shared for her worlds and character- they each meant something to her and she felt a great deal of responsibility towards her readers to create realistic relatable characters for her readers (and to represent some ahh "growing-up" changes appropriately). I just knew I had to read her books and it was the perfect time since I had a copy of Tempest in Slaughter, a brand new series I could jump right into without needing the backstory from her previous stories.

I found this book to be absolutely lovely, the closest thing I can relate it to would be Harry Potter, but even that is not quite right, but I have not been so immersed in a story about a school and magic and a special little boy since I picked up that series 20 years ago (yes, my age is showing). Tempest and Slaughter is a BIG book, at 455 pages, and it was a little daunting at the beginning when I started since I don't read a ton of high fantasy, but Tamora made it so approachable that I fell into the pages, the world, the characters, until it was hours later and I was half way through. Everything came alive for me, be it the magic, the three main characters, the animals, the gladiators, the "lesser" gods (by the way Enzi was the best!) and don't forget Preet (where can I get a sunbird??). It was so captivating, every minute, even the harsh events of death and sickness were handled in such a way that I could literally not stop reading. If this is how all Tamora's books have been, then I really have missed out.

​Overall I found this to be such a gorgeous, entertaining, ​magical adventure that I HIGHLY recommend for all fantasy readers. The world came alive and the characters felt like people that I knew and cared about, I rooted for Arram to succeed and prove to everyone what he is capable of. I watched him grow up and become capable, powerful, caring and yet still able to get into trouble through no fault of his own. Tempest and Slaughter is just the beginning of this journey and I am counting down the days until I can get my grabby hands on the next book.

Though I have heard of the author before, this marks my first experience with her writing and though when I requested this one, I verified that it was the first in a series, it looks like many of her books all take place in the same setting (sort of like Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books), so I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant about actually starting this one, worried that I would feel like I was missing out. But, it’s been a long time since I have found a new fantasy series to follow, and the idea that are so many of these to catch-up on if I love it is downright thrilling!

And this book is engaging from the very beginning with its young narrator, Arram Draper. I have long been a sucker for magical schools, and this provides the majority of the backdrop here, which is great! I ended up absolutely loving this one – not only above and beyond my expectations, but just in general. I can’t wait to read the rest of everything set in this world (let alone the direct sequel!). I mean, it’s a rare book that leaves readers beaming with genuine joy while reading! I literally couldn’t read this one in public, as I was just smiling like a crazy person. I just can’t believe that these books weren’t recommended to me when I was younger and a much more avid reader of fantasy! I feel like I totally missed out, but am looking forward to the absolute book binge ahead of me!

I just love these characters, the way the magic works and despite the youth of the characters, the politics of the backdrop and the rumblings of what is ahead… I didn’t even wait to finish this one before buying the series that features the adult Arram Draper. This just reminds me of so many of my favorite fantasy series when I was younger (though different, of course, but my enjoyment here is evoking some strong nostalgia!). It is easy to care about the characters, the land and to be totally fascinated by Tortall as a whole! I can’t wait to be able to actually read all the rest!!

Not one of Pierce's best, which was disappointing because The Immortals is my favorite series and I was so looking forward to this. The issue: nothing happens. As another reviewer mentioned in their review, this whole novel reads like a prologue; there are no stakes, there's nothing driving the story. Numair (or Arram, as we know him at this stage) is a star pupil at the University of Mages at Carthak. He ages from 10 to his late-teens in the story, and everything of interest seems to happen to characters around him.

It's fun to see other characters that are already well-known to us and beloved (Sarge, Lindhall, the Graveyard Hag, etc.) but really I kept asking myself when the actual story would begin and when Arram would start to display a desire... any desire... or encounter some kind of roadblock.

I'll read the next one because let's face it; I'll read anything this woman writes. But overall, temper your expectations.

Tamora Pierce is a legend in young adult fantasy, and the release of a new book by her is always cause for celebration. Tempests and Slaughter is the latest of a long line of books set in the world of Tortall. This time, we go back to the childhood of the mage Numair. Once upon a time, he was a boy named Arram Draper.

Arram is one of the youngest and most talented students at the Imperial University of Carthak. He's a very impressive mage in training, and has been moved up to more advanced classes, which Tempests and Slaughtermakes him a bit of an outcast. But then he meets Ozorne, a prince from the imperial family, and the lovely and charming Varice. The trio quickly become the closest of friends.

Tempests and Slaughter has a delightful old-school quality. Recent Young Adult fantasy often has certain hallmarks: breakneck (and sometimes nonsensical) plotting, instalove, and weak world building. Pierce is a master of the genre, and none of these pitfalls are present in Tempests and Slaughter. Pierce takes her time with the story. Obviously, the fact that this is the latest in a long line of books set in this world means that the world-building is adding on to an existing world, but Pierce doesn't cut any corners. Every element of the world is well thought out.

There's not actually a ton of plot. It's mostly about Arram's day-to-day life at the school. He learns what he is capable of, he grows in his friendships with Ozorne and Varice, and he begins to formulate his world view. Arram is very aware of the injustices of the society he lives in. He comes from a country that doesn't have slavery, and he is very bothered by slavery in the Carthaki empire. It's difficult for him to understand why no one else seems to be bothered by this system. He's also very aware of the problematic issue of gladiator fights. As part of his mage training, he is called on to help treat the injured gladiators, and he's horrified by the practice of fighting and the fact that it's viewed merely as entertainment for so many.

There's only the barest hint of romance in this book, which makes sense considering that Arram is 10 when the books begins. It covers a 4-year period in his life, and as he gets older, there are attractions and crushes, but they are a very minor part of the book. Given Arram's young age at the beginning of the book, Tempests and Slaughter may appeal to both middle grade and young adult readers. It has a Harry Potter quality, in that you're watching a child as he grows older. I enjoyed Tempests and Slaughter very much, and it's inspired me to go back and finish the Tortall books I haven't read.

So wonderful to be back in Tortall environments. This time in the neighboring empire of Carthak. Numair Salmalín's story is just beginning and already I'm deeply involved in the hints of plots and harsh realities to come. We knew Numair as a powerful Mage, and now we come to know him as the young student, Arram Draper attending the Imperial University of Carthak. Arram would have been a lonely, reclusive student but for his two close friends, Varice, a young, highly talented girl often dismissed, and Ozorne, a young mage-in-training prince who before our very eyes comes closer to the throne as accidents and tragedies befall those before him.
Not only does Arram attract trouble, he also attracts the attention if the gods--not a happy state of being. As Arram comes to understand the workings of the kingdom there are injustices that trouble his spirit. All this sets the stage for future unfoldings.
Another 'can't put down' and 'please can the next in the series happen soon!' wonderful yarn spun by the indomitable Tamora Pierce.
I have started to re-read 'The Immortals" series to reacquaint myself more fully with Numair's actions post this time. It's fascinating to see the back story to some of the characters we meet in 'Tempests and Slaughters', and Pierce's writing (if it's possible) seems stronger.

A NetGalley ARC

As mentioned above, I am that rare person who has never read a Tamora Pierce book before. I basically learned of her books maybe 8 or 9 years ago when I moved back to young adult books after I had my son. I had been under the impression that I was just old enough to have missed her books (I was born in 1975), but then I looked up her Song of the Lioness series and discovered the first book came out when I was 8. What? I am kind of stunned that I was never pointed toward this series, or her other books, by any of my teachers or school librarians. Fantasy has always been one of my top two favorite genres (the other being historical fiction), and I would have given anything to have these books featuring girls who are tough, smart, independent, and inspirational! Thinking about it kind of makes me sad for my younger self… I will just have to rectify that by finally going back and reading more of her books!

Anyway, I knew I was wanting to read Tempests and Slaughter, so I jumped when I saw the announcement for the tour from Rockstar. I actually didn’t dig too deeply into what the book was about prior to reading, other than knowing that it was connected to the stories of Tortall. It turns out that it is a prequel to the Immortals series, telling the story of Numair Salmalin (nee Arram Draper) beginning at the age of 10. As I said, I knew nothing of this when I started reading, and had no idea that the Numair in the series title, The Numair Chronicles, referred to the famous mage from an earlier series. So I totally think you could go in blind, as I did, and begin the story with Arram as a 10-year-old, relatively new student at The School for Mages in Carthak. I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the prior series, although those who have read the Immortals series may feel differently!

TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER is a character-driven epic fantasy, along the lines of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, but on a young adult level, much shorter, and with less action :) This is the kind of fantasy for someone who enjoys taking their time, meandering through the early years of characters that we feel we will come to know and love. Reading this book, meeting Arram, Varice, and Ozorne, I felt much like I did the first time I read Jordan’s THE EYE OF THE WORLD, getting to know Rand, Egwene, Mat, and Perrin. It’s the kind of book you settle in with and take your time reading. Ms. Pierce’s characters are wonderful, even when they’re not very nice, and the descriptions are fantastic. You really do feel like you get to know everyone involved. Each character has a very distinct personality, and there was never a time when I mistook on character for another, which is quite amazing with such a large cast of characters. You’d think the teachers might run together, but they really didn’t, for me at least.

There were two hang-ups I had that kept me from giving this a full 5 stars, one small and personal and one larger. The first is that I was hoping for a larger role for Varice, the girl in this three-person friendship. Since I’ve heard how impactful Ms. Pierce’s female characters were to so many who read them growing up, I had hoped to get that same feeling reading TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER. While Varice is great, I wanted more of her. Alas, the book is designed to introduce us to the early years of Arram more than anyone else. This is not a flaw of the book, but with respect to my expectations! But the main hang-up I had was that, as far as I could tell, almost all of the slaves that we see in the book, from gladiators to imperial slaves, seemed to me to be dark-skinned peoples. I may not have read as carefully as I needed to, but I don’t recall reading about any slaves that weren’t black or brown. This is a more general gripe I have with fantasies that include systems of slavery: why are there no books in which the dark-skinned peoples have enslaved white folks?! If they’re out there, I’ve sure missed them. I would have liked to have seen something like that here; if you are imagining an entire world of neighboring lands with a system of magic, why not turn slavery on its head?

That said, overall I really enjoyed taking my time reading this and getting to know Arram, Varice, and Ozorne. I also loved the teachers (well, most of them). Now my only question is whether I should go read the Immortals series before the next book in this new series comes out or if I should finish the Numair Chronicles first… such a tough choice! I highly recommend this to anyone who loves traditional fantasy and books that you can sink your teeth into; I’d just caution that it’s definitely more character-focused than action-packed, so be warned. And of course, if you’re already a Tamora Pierce fan, this is a no-brainer. Happy reading!

RATING: 4 lightning snakes! (hey, they’re even more fantastic than stars, right?!)

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for purposes of the blog tour. This is my honest rating and review. Thanks so much to Random House Books for Young Readers, Tamora Pierce, and Rockstar Book Tours for having me on this tour!

I admit I haven't read Pierce's Trickster's series. It's been on my to-read for awhile now, but considering I received an ARC of this book to review, I figured I'd at least read this. And I have moved her other works to the top of my to-read pile.
Like most fantasy books, the first one is a set up. It introduces the world and the characters, and while I haven't read the other books, Pierce gives a good introduction and base knowledge of the world. But this whole book is a slow burn, almost slice of life type or read.
We begin when Arram is a curious 9 year old boy, at the academy of magic. He gets to 14 by the end of the book, which the progression of life events you'd expect. He's a loser, he makes friends, gets an interest in girls, and studies magic all the while. While we only ever see things from Arram's POV, his two best friends play a major role in his life, and as we know from the summary, will continue to do so. Arram's curiosity is a funny thing, getting him into the oddest situations with gladiators, gods, and gardeners. This kid's life is rarely dull, except when he has to study. Mercifully, Pierce skips to more interesting bits
The background mysteries were really the more interesting bits for me, and they're what made me want to pick up the next one-except this was an ARC so I'll be waiting longer. But the mysteries and foreshadowing unfold slowly as well, building up by the end, and certainly left me wanting more of the book. It's also deceivingly long, and took me awhile to read, which was a nice change of pace.
To the uninitiated, this book is a wonderful beginning of what I expect to be a great series, and for those who already love Pierce, well you probably know what you're in for.

I really love this book, it was a relaxing, fun read. Not at all what I expected, although I didn’t even know what to expect.
Don’t get me wrong, this book is great, I enjoyed it so much, but the title sort of promises epic battles and maybe even political intrigue to me. But instead, this book is a very easy relaxing read about a boy going to the university for mages.
At first he is a loner who can’t control his Gift much but after certain events, he is transferred to another section and there he meets Varice and Ozorne. They become very close friends and help each other through everything. The bond between these friends is a great addition to the story that made me smile while reading this.

Arram’s exeptional talent gets him more master mages who’ll teach him there ways. That makes for a fun read with these different sorts of little adventures as every master has his or her expertise. That ensures there is never a dull moment.

Arram has such a beautiful soul, his innocence and humanity is refreshing without comming off as too childish or naive.
His education as a mage is central in this book but it comes with plenty of other amusing and fun things. I loved many characters from the book, from the people, to the animals and even a god here and there. Speaking of the gods, there is a bit of story-build-up there, that doesn’t get resolved in this book so in that regard and only in that regard, this book does feel like an introduction to the hinted action for a next installment. But that is neither a positive or negative thing. It just is.

It doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. SoI’m looking foreward to the second book for the story, not for how it ended. Love the author’s choice to leave it up to the readers. I always find it a sign of confidence that they don’t need a cliffhanger to keep the readers along for the next installment.

This is my first book from Tamora Pierce so I can’t compare them to her other works. But she has made an extra fan though, I’m currently looking for the best order to read her other (previous) books.

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

I don’t normally review two books by the same author so close together, but I’m making an exception for Tamora Pierce. (Binge reading makes the author’s style/technique stand out too much for me.) This is a before and after view because I read Alanna (an early if not her first novel) before meeting the author at BayCon, and Tempests and Slaughter is her most recent novel (I believe), which I read after meeting her.

Stylistically, I saw many of the same choices between the two books. Both looked at social inequity, layers of society dependent on each other for all the top would prefer to forget it, and corruption at the top leading to treating others as toys rather than people. Still, the two books were not mirror images in any sense of the concept. They explore these elements through different eyes and in different ways.

Arram Draper, the main character, is a young boy advanced in both his capacity to learn and eagerness to do so. His innate magics are far beyond most, but his control is such he’s sent to university much too young because he became a danger to himself and his family. He’s not wealthy, too young to make friends, and has a problem with boredom that his erratic powers exploit.

The first thing that impressed me about the university was its approach toward gifted students. Arram’s talents cause serious trouble. While he’s made aware of his lack of discipline and schooled in it, the headmaster takes it upon himself to ensure Arram is never bored but rather challenged to the full extent of his abilities (at least as far as the masters can tell). Some of his instructors are happy to make time for him. Others want to prove he’s not as good as believed. This is not an idyllic picture that ignores the realities, but rather a system set to benefit each student to their best ability, be it above or below the average as we later learn.

Even better, this decision puts Arram with two other gifted students, Ozorne and Varice, who become his best friends with little care to their differences in station or upbringing. While Varice acts more as a helpmate than having her own driving force at least in this book, she does speak out against the dismissal of kitchen magic with, often vicious, examples. Ozorne is a little more complicated as he’s in line (though not close) to become emperor. He holds a grudge against all Sirajit people because of how his father died and can attack anyone with that nationality at the slightest provocation. There’s a darkness in him, and at times, it seems Arram and Varice are all that prevent him from becoming a monster.

That’s another theme explored in the book. Not just the dismissal of kitchen magic by mages practicing accepted methods, but also in looking at tribal or sub-culture magics. Though taught, these magics are considered less valuable by the main culture when the ancients understood their power all too well.

Then there’s the gladiator Arram meets in the beginning and who offers a tangible example of why slavery (all the gladiators are bought and sold to die for entertainment) is evil. He also combats the sense of slaves as somehow less than human, beings who want this life and care for nothing but claiming their next victims. Instead, Musenda has earned the respect of the other gladiators, the healers, and Arram for how he treats the others, and for taking care of his sister and her children.

This review has gotten long enough, and it’s hard to mention anything without adding something that could be a spoiler. I’ll stop here with this last glimpse into how Arram won me over. He’s smart and yet still a kid feeling his way through responsibility versus ability. Arram is thoughtful, aware, and curious about the world around him. He’s not the type to accept what is as what has to be, nor is he arrogant when so many in his situation would be.

I felt as though I got to know the characters, and not in a superficial fashion either. Some I trust, some I do not, but there’s no question The Numair Chronicles will be layered in complexity and full of those tough decisions that tip the balance between a good person and a bad one. By not reading the other books already, I come to this series with a blank slate and eager to discover what happens next.

Tempests and Slaughter is Tamora Pierce's first Tortallan origin prequel. It is delightful to see baby Arram/Numair and friends as they were before treachery and adulthood separated them. As always, Pierce has taken criticism of the representation (or lack thereof) in her previous work seriously, and Tempests and Slaughter is filled with plainly-described people of color and queer folks and all manner of other fantastically diverse identities. Arram is Pierce's first male sole protagonist (versus Briar from the Emelan Universe, who shares the position with his three foster sisters), and it makes her usually stellar frank discussions of puberty and growing up a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise, Tempests and Slaughter is sure to delight new and old fans alike, with lots of fun nods as to what we know is coming for Arram as he earns his black robe and leaves Carthak for Tortall.

The worst book she's written. I wanted to enjoy this book. I've enjoyed everyone of her books, even one I thought had major problems. This book had very little plot, oversimplified in the way poor YA novels do, and had none of her characteristic depth. I regret buying it and barely don't regret reading it. It's very telling that not a single blurb on the cover praises this book, only the author. She attempted to push back male gender norms yet continually and seemingly unintentionally reinforced them. How do boys solve problems? Violence. The writing of female characters was fraught with two dimensional stereotypes, despite one of them being a main character. About halfway through the book, something happens. Until then there is 200 pages of lake calm backstory that should have been summarized in 12 pages. The book itself was without meaningful conclusion and felt like continuity notes taped together, given a cursory edit, and sent to publication with a glossy cover.

I really did like this book. I am used to Pierce writing not just female heros because I have read her Magic Circle Series as well and Briar is one of my favorite characters of hers. Arram as Arram and as Numair is also one of my favorite characters in her books. I keep reading how Varice is so awesome and while i liked her here and even in Daines with her upset over Numairs execution, I don't think she is as awesome as everyone is describing. She is kinda odd that she is chasing such a younger boy (he is pretty young still at the end of this book) its odd that people are happy that a flirty girl is so strong. I liked Pierces other heroines who do not need to flirt their way through a problem. I liked the classes, I liked how his teachers are protecting him, he is YOUNG. the thing Harry Potter lacked was the fact that none of the adults actually cared enough to protect him from anything. These teachers and professors clearly want to protect Arram not only from his magic going haywire and from other students but from Ozorne and the imperial family. It is interesting to think that Ozrone's anger stems from his father dying and how his prejudices are overlooked by the people surrounding him.

I am glad that at the end of this book Arram still believes he can walk away from the country because he doesn't agree with the slavery and is very much still a child with his innocence. If this is a duet, I am hoping for a trilogy, it would be hard to put everything that has to come next into one book. I am glad to see his juggling was an acquired skill, not natural. I am confused by all the healing he is doing as he doesn't seem to do a lot of healing later. I do hope they start to teach him some of the bigger magics, though I also assume he learns things away from Carthak so not all his tricks need to be learned at the Carthaki University.

As for what I hope Pierce accomplishes in the future. The rest of this Arram prologue. A series about Daines child/children. Please give Kel a nice boy to fall in love with, I had thought Owen or Merric. Also, most importantly, Tris' story about learning "regular" magic and hopefully falling in love with Briar. Good luck Tamora Pierce.

Tempests and Slaughter is the enjoyable prequel to the Immortals series, about Numair/Arram and I loved learning about his background. However, the main problem I had with this book was that there seemed to be no plot or purpose, and only very brief hints of the bigger story at play. It almost read like Arram’s diary, which meant there is a lot of dull moments but it was well written and had great character depth.

Numair was always a favourite character of mine in the Immortals books and it was great to see him as this bright inquisitive boy with a thirst for knowledge and a person who is genuinely good. I found it hard to connect to Ozone, probably because I know who he is in later books and this coloured my opinion of him, he is quick to change emotions, going from kind, gentle and loyal, to moody, volatile and aggressive. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Varice on this book as, in Emperor Mage she came across as an air-head, but in this book, we get to see she is a lively and passionate person who is often overlooked because of her talents.

While I was a bit disappointed in this book I am still looking forward to reading the next book, The Exile’s Gift. I would recommend Tempests and Slaughter to fans of Tamora Pierce’s books, especially the Immortals Series.

A new Tamora Pierce book! About the origins of Numair! YES! I waited SO ANXIOUSLY for this book to make its way through the line of holds at my library and get in my grabby hands, and I was rewarded. Tempests is classic Tamora Pierce. It's set in Carthak, not Tortall, but the themes and feel are exactly what I was expecting. I love diving back into my favorite fantasy worlds, and Tortall ranks right near the top. (It might be the top, I haven't sat down and attempted to rank them - that would probably be a futile effort!)

My only issue with the book, really, is that it feels like an introduction. I know it's the first part of a trilogy, but the rest isn't OUT YET! So I feel like I've read the first third of a story and now I have to wait. Tempests introduces a LOT of story threads, and resolves exactly none of them. It managed to do so without leaving us on a cliffhanger, though, so there's that, at least. I'm probably going to go re-read the books around Numair's adult life to tide me over until the rest of this trilogy comes out!

I think my favorite character overall was Enzi - he was hilarious and obstinate and I'm looking forward to the rest of his storyline.

I was surprised but pleased to see a gay couple as side characters - and that it wasn't mentioned the character was gay until his husband arrived on the scene. It wasn't a defining point of his character, his spouse just happened to be male. I've said it before, but I love seeing the change in fantasy - it's gone from "that's strange or scandalous" to "absolutely no big deal, people have differently-gendered partners." It will be even lovelier once real society reaches that point!

Final verdict: Tempests and Slaughter was an excellent addition to Tortall, but if you like books that resolve their storylines, you might want to wait until the rest of the trilogy is published. If you can't wait, just expect that you won't get many answers from this first book!

It was so great to return to the world of Tortall…well, in this case, Carthak, with a character that is both familiar and brand new. I’ve been feeling extra nostalgic for Tammy Pierce lately and I was basically counting down the minutes and seconds until this book came out. I can’t even remember when these first started being talked about but I feel like its at least a decade and finally, finally, its here and I loved every moment of it.

I’ll admit there was one thing that made the book a little…not difficult exactly, but just different to read than a previous Tammy book because I’ve never read a book by her that a main character that was a male. I never really got into the Circle books and have been a staunch Tortall fan for years so I’m used to Alanna and Kel and Daine and Beka and Aly so it was definitely weird to recognize Tammy’s style but in the mindset of a boy. It definitely threw me off guard at first and the first third of the book was a little slower reading for me than the rest.
That being said, I loved every minute of this book. For one thing, even with how young he is in this book and even though you know that he is going to evolve as a character, you can definitely see the Numair of the later years in the younger years of Arram Draper that we see in this book. A willingness and need to learn more and more, an incredible power, a fierce loyalty to his friends and those he loves, his desire to do the right thing…it all felt familiar. It felt like opening a book you’ve already read before but just slightly different. It was so interesting to see Numair as a child, as his humble beginnings when he was simple Arram, trying to learn to harness his power.
It was also interesting too, to meet characters that we’ve already met before. To meet Varice and Ozorne and Tristan and Gissa and Lindhall and Sarge. It was cool to see the beginnings of those characters that we love, that became heroes and its difficult, but really interesting to see characters like Ozorne, who is intense but a good friend to Arram, and to know what kind of person he becomes in the future. Its interesting to see the beginnings of these characters when you know exactly where they end up. It almost feels like spoilers or that it could potentially not make the story interesting, but that’s not true at all. Numair is a pivotal character in the Immortals series but besides what we see of him with Daine and what he tells her, we don’t know much about his past, not like we do with other characters and this is truly great to see.
I honestly can’t wait for book two. I love the build up that Tammy has created and I love that she has given a heart to these characters and she’s breathed life into them and that we like them. I like Arram and Ozorne and Varice (not Tristan but geez, was he always a jerk?) and I’m interested in seeing what on earth happens between this book and the Immortals series to make it all fall to hell. Knowing Tammy, its sure to be a great story and I can’t wait for more!

Confession: this is the first book I have read by Tamora Pierce. And it was a book that I enjoyed so much. I do own her Alanna books, and I'm hoping to read them soon. This book was a four star read for me, and I ended up liking it very much. I have a whole bunch of thoughts to share about it, though. Most of it being positive, some a bit negative. Going to start by saying that I loved this writing a whole lot. The entire book was written so well, and I'm very happy about that. The book is all kinds of long, which I liked very much.

I can't help it, I have to start by saying that I thought this would be a young adult novel. But it was not. It was, to me, very much middle grade, considering the main character is ten years old in the beginning of the book, and only fourteen at the end of it. I feel a bit disappointed, as I was sure this would be a book about older characters, with adventure as the summary mentions, and this book had neither of those. But I will say that even so, I liked this book a lot. Because I cared for all the characters. And loved this world.

This book tells the story of a boy named Arram. When the book starts he is ten years old, and have spent a few years already at this magic school to learn more about his Gift. He is quite strong at magic already, especially considering his age. This book tells the story of his years at this school, from he is ten until he his fourteen. Pretty sure the next two books will be at the school too. Ack. I grew to love Arram a whole bunch. He was such a gentle and sweet and awesome boy and I loved reading about him. Was adorable.

But I shall admit that I was a little bit disappointed with this book. Yes, it is a four star for me, because I adored most of it, and I did not want to stop reading it. But, well, nothing happens. There is not a single exciting moment in this book. Yes, I loved it, but I will admit that I am not sure how I loved it, haha. As I usually crave action and excitement so much. Hmph. I so wish this book had been more exciting. That even anything had happened, lol. But despite nothing much going on, it was still such an interesting book.

And I did like it a whole lot. Learning about Arram was awesome, and I loved his struggles growing up as the youngest person in the school who was so amazing at magic. Arram gets special masters teaching him, which almost no one else gets. His first years at the school he had no friends, and he was bullied. But when he was ten, and the book begun, he met Ozorne and Varice. And they became such stunning friends. They were both a few years older than Arram, but they did not care about that. Made me happy.

And gosh, these other characters. I don't know how to describe them. But loved them lots. Ozorne was amazing, yet I felt like he could have a dark side too, which hurts my heart already. But yes, nothing dark happened in this book. Ugh. But he was such a great friend for Arram, and that made me so happy. They were awesome together. And oh, Varice. I adored that girl beyond words. She was fierce and fun and just amazing to read about. I wish there had been more about her, would have loved to read her point of view.

Since Arram is between ten and fourteen in this book, there was not much romance. Which I must admit confused me. Because the very first time Arram sees Varice, when he is ten, he thinks that he is going to marry her one day. And at age eleven there is this whole scene about his first erection. Which was a little bit disturbing. A tiny bit more about it, then just gone. And he seems to have girlfriends all the time, yet we never see them hang out or got to read about his first kiss. I must admit to feel a bit disappointed about it.

Especially since the summary mentions that Varice gets closer to his heart. And I did see that. He seems to love her for all these years. But nothing happens. Not until the very last few pages. Hmph. And he has dated a lot of girls before that, which makes me a bit sad. Sigh. But anyway. There were no details, so I'm not too upset about it. Just wishing there had been more romance in this book. Aw. But there is mentions of romance between other characters; those were pretty adorable. I liked reading about them very much.

There is so much going on in this book. I'm not going to mention all of it. Okay, I mean, just about nothing happens, as it's all on the school grounds. But Arram learns a lot of magic. He even heals a lot of people, and gosh, those scenes hurt me a little. Disgusting and sad at the same time. There is a lot of mentions of slaves in this book, and that killed me too. This world was so interesting, yet so sad and that hurt my heart. Arram wants better for this world. And I do too. While I had some issues with this, I enjoyed it too.

This was such a slow book. And while I normally would not have liked that, I pretty much loved this book. I just really enjoyed reading about the characters and getting to know this world. I even found the magic school to be interesting to read about, and liked reading about Arram's classes. I adored his two closest friends so much. There is also mentions of Gods and such, which I found interesting too. Especially this very huge crocodile god. He was awesome. And oh god, the cutest bird is in this book. Preet. Loved her.

Huge thank you to PRH International for giving me a copy of this book to read and review, and for letting me take part in the very awesome blog tour for the book. This was my first book by Tamora, but it will not be the last. I'm so excited for the next two in this trilogy as well. Eee. Now I'm going to search for all kinds of spoilers for these characters, as this book was a prequel of sorts. Tempests and Slaughter was such a well written and interesting book. I completely fell in love with the characters and the world. Enjoyed it so.

---

This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books.

OH, Arram. So young and adorable, so utterly clueless. I’ll admit, I’ve been a bit nervous about this book. (series) Daine and Numair were my first introduction to Pierce, over twenty years ago, and I’ll always be nervous about books that go back in the timeline of an already beloved character. This book centers on the first few years of friendship and education of Arram, Ozorne, and Varice, and that friendship is especially well done. They’re supportive and teasing and competitive and stand together against the world, even if Varice and Arram are always aware of the things that can make Ozorne very dangerous. For the most part, that element was well done also, building the steps that will eventually take us to the Ozorne we first met in the Immortals Quartet, but I’ll be honest and say that the depiction of Ozorne’s depression bothered me. It was well drawn in his mother, but in Ozorne itself it feels dangerously close to “all his evils are because he’s mentally ill” and that’s a trope I am very much not here for. Aside from that lingering concern, the characters are wonderful, especially the various masters Arram is learning from, and the evils of slavery—and that there is no part of a enslaving society untouched by that evil and system whether slaves are present or not—is a continuing theme for Pierce. I do wish she’d spent a little more time with Varice’s struggles, though. They’re mentioned here and there, but not with any particular force, and it’s a struggle that very much defines Varice throughout her life.

TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER tells the story of a young Arram Draper who is a student at the School for Mages at the Imperial University of Carthak. He is the youngest student there. He was born in Tyra in a family of people who work with cloth but his magical abilities gained him acceptance at the School for Mages.

Arram has a bit of a hard time when he is first there because he is so much younger than the other students and so very talented. Once he meets Ozorne, who is an Imperial Prince but not very close to the throne, and Varice who is another young talent things get better. The three form a firm friendship.

Arram's abilities lead him being taught by Masters in the various disciplines and they also lead him to being noticed by the gods - which is a mixed blessing. One such happening is when Enzi the Crocodile God asks him to take custody of a Sunbird from the Divine Realms until he can come up with a gift grand enough to appease Mithos who really hates it when someone steals one of his Sunbirds. Thus, the Sunbird Preet becomes one of Arram's companions.

This story follows Arram through a number of years of his schooling. It also sees him becoming more aware of the world around him and less able to tolerate the idea of the slavery that exists in the Empire and the cruelty of the gladiator games in the Arena. He befriends a gladiator who rescues him when he falls into the Arena and the two keep crossing paths. First when Arram is taken by his teacher to work with victims of the Plague and then when he is taken to the Arena to care for gladiators during one of the Arena games.

Happening outside the school but impacting Arram, is that Ozorne is coming closer and closer to the throne as his fellow heirs die in a variety of accidents. He is also watching Ozorne change from a boy who wants to be a mage with a small household and his friends to a young man who is beginning to cast his eye on the position of Emperor. Arram's vast curiosity about magic and the world also grows and he begins to realize that he doesn't want either of the lives Ozorne imagines him living. Arram wants to leave Carthak to explore and get away from a place with slavery.

This story was well-written and engaging. It provides background for a character who appears in a number of other books by Pierce. It also begins a series which I can't wait to read.

If you have read the Immortals series by Tamara Pierce is Numair Salmalín is a familiar name. In her new series, The Numair Chronicles do we get to know Numair Salmalín before he became a famous mage. When he was still Attam Draper.

Tempests and Slaughter is the first new book in a new series by Tamara Pierce, and when I got the chance to read this book couldn't I turn it down. And, I'm glad that I decided to go for the book because Pierce has written a fabulous YA fantasy book that can be read by young and old. The book is almost 500 pages thick, but it's never a dull moment. I have to admit that I got some Harry Potter vibes reading this book, two boys and one girl studying magic? However, storywise are they pretty different. However, I do think HP fans will love this book.

I found the story to be interesting straight through. When the book starts is Arram almost eleven years old and the story will progress until he's fourteen so one gets to follow him as he grows older (of course together with his trusted friends Varice and Ozorne) and reading about him becoming more and more powerful. Even as a teen is he a great mage that just needs to learn to harness his power.

There is a lot of events in this book and I particularly liked the latter part of the book, when Arram has to help the wounded gladiators. Gladiator games are a big thing in this book, and Arram has a hard time dealing with that since he is against slavery and the barbarity of gladiator games.

I found this the first book to be an excellent start of a new series and both new and old fans of Tamara Pierce will love it!

I'm loving this book so much. It's great to see how things are happening. It feels a bit like The Song of the Lioness mixed with the Beka Cooper Trilogy in pacing. Years and years, are flowing together as if they were mere weeks in Beka's Diary; but are covering the span of his childhood through adolescence like Alanna. Honestly it's wonderful. It even has some Circle of Magic feels with the Academy.
But what really gets me, are how the ties from other books show up. From Farmer Cooper's abilities, to the spells a grown Numair uses, and familiar characters popping up under their previous names. It's like a hidden treat for loyal readers, like one of those pictures where you have to find hidden objects.
And seeing Orzone go from Anakin (Idk if I spelled that right bc I'm not a real fan) to Darth Vader is amusing, and intriguing. Even seeing how Aram's mind changes, and how he views things, makes it so much easier to understand the man he becomes. And how it is that he falls in love with Daine. Their souls are so similar.
Honestly, I'm only 80% done right now. And Sarge is telling me to go back to finish. ;)

I am so happy with this book. Just another that I want to add to my collection.

Tamora Pierce’s talent for writing a whole life encompassed is made clear once again. She deftly captures what it means to be a child striving for more when those around you are satisfied with the status quo. Arram’s innate curiosity makes it impossible to approach new information without seeing a myriad paths of inquiry branching out from it. As this is the first in Arram/Numair’s series we get to see him as younger child still very much trying to find his place at the Imperial University and with respect to his own magical abilities. While reading I found myself thinking back and forth between the novel and the Immortals series. The world Pierce has created is so extensive and elaborate that seeing familiar terms and phrases felt like meeting old friends. Where once we had just a taste of some of the rich cultures that exist in her world, this novel expands upon them. There are some elements familiar from previous series: complex relationships with teachers, godly visits, animal companions. Expect some familiar faces to pop up as well. While there is no great enemy to face, there is some foreshadowing of future events as Ozorne’s need for the support of his friends, his jealousy and pride are evident.

First, I must confess my shame: I have never before read Tamora Pierce (that I remember). There. I've said it. Let the public flogging begin. However, I feel that this book is an excellent introduction, and certainly gives me the larger desire to read more. The three main characters were interesting, and (without spoilers), by the end it was possible to see that conflict may be coming. The instructors at their school have their own quirks and personalities, and I do hope that they are either in the second book, or at least make occasional appearances! Other than Chioke. HIM I could do without. The Gods are...like us. Capricious and pushy and sometimes even amusing. Also? Preet.

The story was entertaining and, in parts, very moving. There is a lot of discussion about slavery, and what it means in terms of the pain of those slaves (who were also gladiators, so....early and painful deaths), but also in terms of the government. There is also some discussion about sexism, and there is even an instructor who is married to another male. And yet, with all of this potentially heavy and story-killing themes, the story is lifted rather than drowned. Pierce truly is a master - and I look forward to not only the sequel, but to reading more of her works and atoning for my slacking.

We finally have the beginning of Arram Draper's story ... & it is phenomenal! Okay, maybe I'm a little biased. I've only been reading Tamora Pierce for 25+ years! Ever since I found her first book in the sci-fi section of my used-bookstore. I worked there for 7 years & whenever a YA or sci-fi reader came in looking for something new, I recommended her books. I've been teaching for 29+ years (subbing for 19+), mostly in middle school, and I've always recommended her to any students I've seen into reading. (Not enough of those sadly. ??)

Currently I am 60. 2 years ago I gave up on the hope of getting another full-time job here in San Diego & I donated the majority of the 6th - 12th grade books to the middle school I substitute for the most. More than 30 build-your-own boxes. BUT I kept 2 sets of all of Tamora's: to reread (the most important reason!) & to share. Oh, BTW, I'm a guy!

Back to this book: Tamora shows us how Arram began to become the reluctant hero he eventually becomes. And how Ozorne is made/led to what he becomes. I read this book in only a couple of days. I could easily have read it in one sitting if I didn't have other responsibilities. I cannot wait to see what she has planned for book 2 in the series!

I have been a Tamora Pierce fan for as long as I can remember. My first read by her was Wild Magic and I’ve adored just about everything I’ve read by her since (for some reason I can’t get into the Circle of Magic series, but I guess that’s a personal problem). When I saw that Tempests and Slaughter, the first in a series detailing the youth of Arram Draper (later known as Numair), I almost died of excitement.

I was lucky enough to win an ARC through a Goodreads giveaway, which I practically inhaled. It was wonderful to get to see a different side of Numair and to see his beginnings. I loved finding the characters who I knew would continue to play a role in his future, and who I recognized from the other Tamora Pierce books I’ve read.

In my opinion, this does lean a little more towards MG than YA, mainly due to Arram’s age at the outset of the book (around 11, if I remember correctly). While I’m not usually a MG reader, I love the world and characters that Tamora Pierce constructs and didn’t have much of an issue with it. In fact, when I finished it, I pined over the fact that I would have to wait for a sequel and almost immediately picked up Wild Magic to reread.

Tamora Pierce fans will love dipping back into the world they’ve already grown to love, and I recommend Tempests and Slaughter wholeheartedly.

Even though I’ve been waiting on this book since it’s announcement way back in the early 2000s, I can definitively say that this lives up to all the other books Tamora Pierce has written in the Tortall universe.

Absolutely stunning and compelling, I loved learning more about Numair’s (Arram’s) studies and growth. I also loved seeing some other Tortall favorites pop up! It’s been awhile since I read The Immortals quartet, but I felt like this book stayed true to the information we have about Numair. No slaps in the face with extremely different/history rewritten types of revelations.

One of my favorite bits in the book, were the interactions between our mortal protagonists and the immortal gods that make decently regular visits. I’m all about books that have gods and mortals talking and hanging out, so I was happy to see Tammy doing that once again.

I think this is meant to be a trilogy now, and I hope we don’t have to wait very long for the sequel!

(Disclaimer: I received this free book as a giveaway winner. This has not effected my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Oh. My. God. I screamed when I got this in the mail. Tamora Pierce singlehandedly helped me love fantasy. So I had the highest expectations going into this author of childhood nostalgia and into these characters whom I love dearly. I severely missed Numair. And I truly loved seeing him grow up and go through his awkward stork like phases. I wanted to carry him in my arms and cradle him.

There was so much in Numair that hit a tone within me: his social awkwardness, his love of books and learning, his feelings about friends and family. He reminded me so much of myself as a teenager and for that, this book was kind of special. Not only did it remind me of me as a child and teenager who felt more at home in a library and who thrived off books, but it felt like me.

The only downside was that not much happens. This is a prequel, but it's a series prequel, so it's a book that lays the groundwork. It slowly unfolds, and so if I didn't already love my Numair I'm not sure if I would be as enraptured as I am. Then again, Numair is such a great character (and I guess so are Varice and Ozorne).

Tempests and Slaughter is the first book in a young adult fantasy series following Arram Draper. This is a story about three exceptional Mages in training who are all younger than their peers. Their magic is advanced for their ages. Arram is a scary strong mage who’s best friend Ozorne is in line for the throne. As the story progresses Ozorne place in line keeps getting closer as other aires keep meeting their ends. Arram realizes that as his friend moves up the line of succession his future is now hanging in the balance too.

I really liked this book. Three friends in magic school…what more can I say, I was sold at magic school. The story was slow in some places and the characters are really young in the beginning (Arram is 10), but I really liked how the story is told. I love the writing enough to pick up the Immortal series. Normally I don’t grab the whole series at one time but Bookoulet. I may have bought all 4 for the price of 1.

Long story short I really liked this book and I plan to continue this series.

I have been a fan of Tamora Pierce for a hugely long time. I don't even remember how old I was when I first picked up a copy of Alanna: The First Adventure. I don't know if Alanna and Thom were the first twins I ever became obsessed with, and if they were the ones to feed my lifelong obsession with multiple births (please, if you have recommendations for books with twins and especially triplets, put 'em here). I expect they are.

Pierce's books are getting longer and more complicated, so she does not publish at the rate she once did. This means that a new release from her is a precious and magical time in my life.

Be that as it may, I was wary of Tempests and Slaughter. It's HARD for me to engage with a prequel, guys. I always want to know, what happens AFTER? Don't tell me what happens before! There's no tension! I was slightly off-put because this meant at LEAST another eight years of pre-Song of the Lioness Tortall.

I was wrong to be wary.

I've read the book three times now, and it is brilliantly crafted. Arram is a wonderful character. There IS tension because there is clearly a plot to place Ozorne, here the "leftover prince", but in future a major antagonist, on the throne. Who is involved? Will Arram be betrayed by any of these amazingly well-crafted teachers I like so much? I am trepidatious of when Ozorne breaks bad, and how much it will break Arram's heart.

Despite the tension and trepidation, there is the grace of knowing that Arram has a glorious future ahead of him.

I like fantasy books and this is definitely in that genre. Even the boy and the girl will enjoy this book. In the vein of other well-known literary magicians, this is the first of a series of The Numair Chronicles. The odd thing is that some of the characters also show up in prior works. With so many writings by the author with references to others, The Numair Chronicles actually start about ten years early. Even if you don't go back and read some of the earlier works, you can pick this book up, read it and be engrossed. Isn't that what books are for?

I've found the character of Ozorne the Emperor Mage and later Stormwing a bit hard to fathom. We only meet him after two books of foreshadowing his belligerence against Tortall, but we don't get any real idea *why* he wants the things he wants, and only from Daine's limited and immature perspective.

So I was very pleased to see how well the troubled young boy we meet here meshes with the grown man we know he'll become. The (apparent) reluctance of Ozorne to be an Imperial Heir in favor of his academic studies makes an interesting paralell with Arram. I'm very interested to watch that friendship develop, since at the moment it doesn't seem to be based on much beyond their mutual precocity with magic and a general feeling of being outsiders due to their youth and Ozorne's status.

However, this book feels more like an arrangement of elements that will come in to play later than a cohesive story on its own. It's clear there's a plot against the other imperial heirs, but not who is directing the plot. It's clear that Chioke is a plotter, but is he plotting for his own ends, or working with another? How much does Ozorne know or guess? Ozorne isn't stupid, he has to have noticed Chioke's ambition. Another plot point is Arram's relationship with the gods and that again is set up strongly but doesn't have any real conclusion. Presumably these threads will be picked up again in the next book, but it undermines this one as a stand-alone.

I have to grouse a little about some persistent tropes in Pierce's work that are given full scope here. One of the wonderful things about the Protector of the Small books was the deliberate departures from Pierce's earlier main characters: Kel wasn't a powerfully magical weird loner, and while she was exceptional, it was through hard work that we are shown over four books. Arram is again a prodigy touched by the gods, just like Alanna, Diane, and Aly before/after him. And Varice and Ozorne are prodigies too, just for good measure. It is a familiar formula at this point, and seeing it so often begins to rather diminish the special places those other characters' hold in their world. I did enjoy that Arram was written with some very believable limitations of focus and understanding that get him into trouble as a young student. He displays a lack of understanding of social cues that could be just young naivete, but also imply some attention disorder and/or autism spectrum.

Another gripe: Pierce doesn't try to tie it in to events happening elsewhere at the same time, which she has shown a deft ability to do in other series. Arram never hears rumors of the Lady Knight Alanna of Trebond, who was knighted AND slayed Carthak-trained sorcerer Roger of Conte in Tortall a year before this book ends. In fact, Roger's absence as even a mention in this book loomed very large for me as a long-time fan, especially given how nice of a contrast Roger makes for Arram: both vastly powerful mages with excellent political connections, and both end up affecting the destiny of the Tortallan throne profoundly. I would have loved to hear a current master at the university draw some parallels between Roger and Arram, and to see Arram react when he learns of Roger's treachery and death, not to mention his eventual resurrection! I can only hope that there is some mention of the Coronation Day battles and the famine caused by the Dominion Jewel in the next book.

I still remember the magic of reading the Alanna quartet for the first time. Tamora Pierce books will always have a place on my bookshelf, which is partly why it pains me to rate one of her books so low.

But I struggled and struggled and struggled to read TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER. Arram is the bestest mage student ever, so talented that he’s continually favored and moved up at the academy, where he becomes friends with a prince and pretty girl, etc etc.

Absolutely nothing captured my interest. Normally I adore all sorts of little details about a world, especially in a school setting, but I was just so bored here. Where is the conflict? What is this book about? Surely more than Arram’s daily life.

I read Tempests and Slaughter a few weeks ago and have struggled with writing my review. I didn’t dislike this book, but it was a bit slow and lacked the excitement that makes me eager to keep reading chapter after chapter and not put the book down until the last third of the book. There were some particularly enjoyable scenes as Arram learned new aspects of his magic and some fun moments foreshadowing the future for our beloved mage Numair, Varice and Ozorne. The characters are enjoyable and the world building is solid. My difficulty had to do with the slow pace and lack of thrilling plot points for much of the book. I wanted do be as in love with this book as I was with Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series, Protector of the Small series and Immortals series, but I found myself lacking commitment to the book. I’m hoping for more enjoyment from the rest of this series.

This was so amazing! I have to first admit this is my first Tamora Pierce novel and I am kicking myself for not picking up her books sooner!

This story follows Arram a 10-year-old mage whose power surpasses mages twice his age at the Imperial University of Carthak where he attends school. After a few incidents Arram must transfer to private lessons and as you can imagine opens the door for him to be looked at as strange. His story doesn't just end there though. Pierce weaves a masterful story throughout her pages about Arrams life and what becomes of this gifted student. What I found most interesting is how Pierce wove her past series into this one and she set the stage for a great introduction to her world.

I will definitely pick up the rest of Ms. Pierces books!

I enjoyed it because I enjoy the world that Pierce has built over the course of all the Tortall series, however, it's clear this book could have used an editor with a stronger hand and vision. Unlike nearly all of her other books, this book lacked an antagonist, and it also lacked a compelling personal challenge that the main character was either seeking to overcome or finding peace with (Arram really was just good at everything and beloved by most). As a result, this made the book feel wayward and rather unengaging. Like many other reviewers, it took me a while to get into the story; the book only really hit its stride in its last 100 pages. The stride that it finally got into felt like the quick, compelling story that all her other books had, however, and I'm glad I stuck with it.

I think the storyline/ social message about slavery through the gladiators is interesting, and the tantalizing knowledge that the strong friendship between Arram and Orzone will look quite different in the future keeps one reading. As always, I love Pierce's clever use of anthropomorphized animals. She also seemed to change her mind about how magic works, compared to what we learned in previous books, and I'm curious how she will develop it.

Overall I'd say that it's nice to have a character that is gentle and humble, curious and excited. I'm eager to see what becomes of him and his relationships, because this book was clearly only a long long preface to his story

Honestly, I would give this 3 1/2 stars. The book was well written, and the story flowed effortlessly. It was nice getting to see young Arram and learn more about him, his friends, and his education.
It is true that there is not much of a plot or climax to this book compared to the other series that Tamora Pierce has written, but this book is merely setting the stage for what is going to come. As readers we already know the end result and what/who Arram becomes because of The Immortals series with Daine. This series is giving us a deeper view into a beloved character and is going to answer a lot of questions. I for one cannot wait for the next installment and will be preordering it as soon as it becomes available.

I first discovered the Tortall world in middle school. They're books that I can read over and over again without tiring. I've been waiting for the Numair Chronicles several years now and was stoked to receive this for review. So much that I made it my first read of the new year! I've been curious about Numair's origin story since Emperor Mage gave us a sneak peak into his backstory.

WHAT I LIKED

A Fellow Reader and Dreamer
Readers, dreamers, and seekers (aka. forever curious people) will relate to Arram. I have loved Tamora Pierce's strong heroines, who we also know to be real people with real struggles, but it is wonderful to have a protagonist who may also be found buried in books, is an idealist, and is constantly coming up with new ideas and wanting to know things (and getting told to stop asking questions). That was a really long sentence. I'll stop now, or I'll keep rambling about my delight with young Arram Draper.

(But one more thought: I did enjoy comparing young Arram with the older Numair in The Immortals series. It is such fun to make connections! Like his feelings about riding horses.)

Characters We Know and Love
What really made this book for me is the familiar world and characters. I remember the main protagonists as well as some other characters from Tamora Pierce's Immortal series, and I enjoyed the references to characters from other Tortall books. (There are even a couple references to characters, or related characters, from the Beka Cooper series!)

Complex Characters
What was especially interesting is the portrayal of Ozorne's character. I knew that he and Numair were friends during their university days, but given his role in the Immortals series, I was not expecting to like him so much. It's interesting to see how his character develops over the course of his time at the university in Tempests and Slaughter. I'm interested in seeing where and how his break with Numair occurs in the next installment of the Numair Chronicles.

Creative World Building
As always, the world of the Tortall books is fascinating. I enjoyed learning more about the world south of Tortall.

WHAT I DISLIKED

Feels More Like a Summary Than a Story
The story covers Arram's early years from his entrance into the university's Lower Academy at age 10 (when most enter a year later) to the first year of independent studies at age 14. Because it covers such a broad span of time—and because so much happens during this time—much gets summarized. If I was not already familiar with the Tortall world and invested in Arram's story, I doubt I would have enjoyed this novel as much as I did.

Furthermore, this is not even a complete summary. Different key plot elements get introduced at various times across the novel without a clear resolution.

The story ends In Media Res
My only clue that the story was coming to an end was the "percentage status" in the bottom right corner of my Kindle. The plot brewing had thickened, and hints had been dropped that all was not well despite thoughts to the contrary. Then we're left hanging in the middle of a scene that seems out of place given everything that has happened and that we know will happen. I was left with a feeling of incompleteness.

It seems that this novel is not meant to be the first installment in a series so much as the first half of a story that will be resolved in the second half, which is to be released (hopefully) next year.

What's with the Title?
The title sounds cool, but I'm still not sure how it relates to the story. (Or to which specific plot points they refer.) The problem may be that the story doesn't have a coherent plotline but seems more like a record of Arram / Numair's early years. (Which is how the series advertises itself but which causes it to fall flat as a standalone novel.)

If you figure out the meaning behind the title, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

The Cover Art
I'm not a fan of the new artwork that they've given the series. I loved the original ones where they featured the character on the cover with illustrations. Even if they stopped featuring the characters on the covers, I would have preferred they keep the original artwork styles instead of using the new dark, intense covers that look heavily photoshopped (or whatever it is they use on computers nowadays).

A Few Other Miscellaneous Details
Some details don't make sense. For example, a character may have taken an action in between a couple paragraphs, but the action is not mentioned. While it doesn't heavily impact the overall flow of the story, it makes for a small glitch or bump in the road as I'm reading.

I also get the feeling that some things don't quite align with the Immortals series. It may be because this prequel series was written afterwards, or it may be because it's been some time since I last reread the Immortals. I do get the feeling that some details should be changed in the Immortals because of new revelations here. (In particular dealing with crocodile gods and sunbirds. But who knows. Maybe things happened outside of Daine's knowledge.) But perhaps the course of events in The Exile's Gift will change my mind.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I loved reading about Numair's early life and his misadventures. I wish I had book two in my hands now. However, while this series is called the Numair Chronicles, I didn't enjoy so much how the book essentially summarizes his early years at the university. The story lacks a coherent plot that allows it to stand alone but rather spends it entirety introducing the various plotlines that I expect will converge in The Exile's Gift (book two).

What made this story for me are the familiar characters and the opportunity to explore more of the world that Tamora Pierce has developed over the years. I would recommend reading at least the Immortals series first (because it's she first introduces the primary cast), but if you can read the other Tortall books as well, it will make this read even more priceless.

Three become friends while attending a university for mages. One’s an extra royal prince. Arram’s is poorer but talented and from a land across the ocean where there are no slaves. The other is a girl, Varice, who is beautiful and smart. The story centers around Arrram and his learning about his powers as a mage. Arram’s about ten years old when the story starts and 14 when it ends. This book has some excellent stories about Arrams encounters with the gods for the first time, injustices in the world, and his introduction to the world of the royal court. There are stories of his powers gone wrong and when he uses them for good and fair. I liked Arram very much, he is shy, polite and has a strong moral compass.

This book reminded me of Harry Potter, a magic school, master teachers, and three friends growing up and their magic together. It seemed to be written to a slightly older reader than Harry Potter. It was easy to read, flowed well, and enjoyable. The ending seemed somewhat abrupt and clear on setting the stage for future adventures of these three. I love that there is a map and glossary. This is a world building book. However, the glossary didn’t have or contain names of people. a few times I had lost track of who all Arram’s master teachers were and back stories.

This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I will read more and continue the series.

I think this is the first book from the author that I have read but I have heard of her of course =)

The book didn't hit the 5 star mark for me but I did enjoy it. I feel like if it the book was a bit shorter, it would have been better for me. Don't get me wrong, I read a lot of epic fantasy with 1000 + pages!

I loved the characters accept for a couple of sections where Arram is talking about his - um - morning boy/man stuff. You will want to watch that with your kids if you haven't had the talk with them yet'!

Preet the bird was my favorite character though! You will love Preet, I guarantee =)

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

This is the story of Arram and his two best friends, Varice and Prince Ozorne, as they navigate life at the Imperial University of Carthak, a school for mages. It is an amazing book, if you’ve never read anything by Tamora Pierce, I urge you to do so right away. Her storytelling is awesome! Now, I don’t use the word “awesome” very often, but in this case I feel it is justified. This is one of those books that sucks you in and never lets go, where you’re so engrossed in the story that you never want it to end. The author’s excellent characterizations and world building make for one terrific read. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of YA fantasy fiction.

I never read any book by Tamora Pierce before and this was a wonderful discovery.
Everything was fresh, exciting and fascinating. I was enthralled and couldn't put this book down.
The world building is exceptional, the plot very good and the characters were well developed.
I'm so happy I could read this ARC and look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
I will surely look for the other books with the same characters as I really liked them.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to HarperVoyager and Netgalley for this ARC

Feels like it's been a long time between books (I think I saw somewhere that Tammy's been dealing with health issues, could be making that up, if so, life happens, hope she's doing well and taking care of herself) but this was well worth the wait.

I've always loved Numair so I think I was a little afraid of a book about him doing him justice, but this is wonderful. Baby Arram is just super cute and I don't feel like I fully realized how much there was to explore in the realm of Carthak.

I really hope one of the next books touches on Arram/Numair's arrival to Tortall, because I just can't wait for him meeting Prince Jonathan and co.

I don't wanna reveal too much of plot, but I thought this was well done. I know I'm not getting another new Pierce book for awhile (and I wish Scholastic would get their sh*t together and let Tammy release more Circle books, i.e. Tris at Lightbridge) so I took my time to savor this one, but you can tell this is a woman who knows her characters. This felt totally realistic to me as a young Numair.

If you've read much Tamora Pierce, this is exactly what you want it to be. I read the first couple of Alanna books as a middle schooler and started going through her catalog again last year (20 years or so later). This very much reminds me of Alanna The First Year, but with a male lead (and it spans a few years). It's a well-told story of a boy trying to find his place in his school while starting to feel out the world around him. I'm looking forward to the next installment (and refreshingly not regretting starting this set of books while it's still in progress).

It is always a day to rejoice when Tamora Pierce has a new book out!
Even though I have read all her other books, I must admit that my brain has not filed the exact details of each story line where I can access them readily.
So, I am pretty much taking this book as a stand alone story.
And it is marvelous. Great plot twists. Intriguing and identifiable characters (both good and bad, and those moving from one to the other!) Solid world building.

My one question is: When does book 2 come out?

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Tamora Pierce is a fabulous author and she ha once again written an engaging and immersive book. We first met Numair (Arram) in Wild Magic, the first of the Immortals Quartet, and this book is the beginning of his own story. I'll admit, I was skeptical of her first book in the Tortallan Universe to focus on a man, but this book blew me away. 10/10 would recommend to anyone, especially readers of her other books, as there are multiple tie ins to LITERALLY every other series in her Tortallan writings. I stayed up until 6 am to finish this book the night it came out, it was so immersive.

I should preface this review by saying I am a huge Tortall fan, I have read from Alanna: The First Adventure all the way through the Trickster series every single year since I was 12. I LOVE these girl heroes and I love Pierce’s writing style. They just never get old.

I was so excited to see that beloved Numair was getting his own series, gosh even the title really revved up the anticipation! I have to admit though, I found myself disappointed in this installment. There’s just no real story to be had. No true conflict, no climax, no explanation for multiple details. *slight spoiler* I STILL do not understand the lightning snakes. What is that all about? I feel like Pierce just crammed all the details she could in one book. The end of many chapters felt very much like, “Oh gosh, we’re just the three best friends there ever were- we shall be together forever and ever!!” We get it, there’s obviously something huge that happens to tear these people apart but it’s so forced and the chemistry feels all wrong, unlike all of our other heroes and the friends they make through their stories.

It just didn’t feel like a Tamora Pierce book, and I was caught by surprise. Of course I’ll give the next one a chance, but honestly you could skip this one, just read a summary, and not be missing out on much of anything.

This is the first book by Tamora Pierce I have read, so I began it without knowing anything about the characters or the world of Numair. I was fascinated by her vivid imagery to describe the setting - the peaceful school, the bloody misery in the slums and gladiator pits, the slow river - and enjoyed getting to know the people in her novel.

It says a lot that I didn't realize the Pierce used the same characters and setting in other novels, yet I could enjoy this on its own as a stand-alone story. Some reviewers complained about the gentle plot, and it isn't full of action. The plot instead is mostly inside Arram and his friends and we see a slow realization that the friends will inexorably have to split.

Tamora Pierce never disappoints. Reading T&S felt like a throwback to the Alanna days, and as a lifelong fan, I was into it. The novel does a lot of setting up and it's similar to her earlier series in that this book covers Arram/Numair from ages 10-14. This structure may not attract loads of new fans, but Pierce has plenty of devoted fans that I suspect won't mind the slower pace and will adore the detailed worldbuilding. This Numair series was worth the wait, and I'm eager to find out how many more books we can expect.

As a long time reader of everything Tammy has published, I refused to be disappointed with this book although it leaves a lot to be desired. This book has no clear plot; character building/development and foreshadowing are the only devices moving the story forward. As someone who knows the story of Numair, this is enough to keep me reading, but for someone who is not familiar with the other Tortall series, and who haven't read Daine's story, this may not be enough.

There are a few sideline plots floating in the background of the chapters, but they all feel just out of reach, and this book never seems to get to a 'point' for me.

Mirroring Kel's and Alanna's first few years at school, Arram is introduced as working to become the person he's destined to be, but the adversity that he faces is minor compared to the conflict and drive that moved Kel and Alanna's similar beginnings. Arram's story in this first book is a head down drudgery of passing time dragging us all along in search of a more solid and exiting plot. The knowledge of who Arram becomes is not enough to power a plot. As an extreme fan of the Tortall world, the easter eggs, foreshadowing and familiar characters made this book super enjoyable for me, and I will likely end up reading it again before the next book comes out. But I wish this had been more. I feel like this set up a sequel to be filled with chaos, adventure, and everything that I love from this author, but I wish Tammy hand't held anything back, and had given Arram a clearer motivation, determination and adventure in this first look at his story.

I think this book will likely stand better next to the sequel, so if you haven't read any of the Tortall books, READ THEM! they are great! Then maybe just wait till the sequel of this comes out.

I usually give Tamora Pierce's books a 5 star rating. And this much awaited book has lots of great fun inside the pages. However, unlike the other 1st books of various series, they was no real climax and ending to this one. It definitely is a set up for book two. And so I am disappointed. Still, those of us playing the "What's next?" game have had great conversations discussing our predictions and are sad we have to wait a year for the next installment.

Tamora Pierce is one of my all time favorite authors. One of the few I have read all of (to my knowledge) her published writing. I love her worlds and her characters and her sense of humor. I just don’t love Arram Draper. I think most of it comes of knowing exactly how naive he is in every moment of his youth. It really lowers the stakes too, when one already knows exactly how each big conflict will resolve.

If this is your first time hearing of Tamora Pierce, don’t start with this book.

I really wanted to love this book. I am a huge Tamora Pierce fan, And it has been far too long since a new book has been released. Mostly, I did like it. It is a school story, so it is a collection of scenes that depict Arram Draper’s life, and there’s not a whole lot of plot. However, there is a great deal of character development. And we get to see what Numair was like before he became Numair. I didn’t like the way the book ended. But all that said, I can hardly wait for the next one to be released.

I started reading Tamora when I was 12, falling in love with the Lioness series. I have followed, read, and adored every book of hers since. I love strong heroines and Alanna was my first introduction to a female badass. Now her (Pierce) world's surround my thoughts of what exciting, enriching fantasy should be. Only one other author (another writer of strong female leads) brings to mind, my perfect fantasy story. She tells a characters story with such understanding of that characters limitations and triumphs, that you never want to put it down. The only bad part, is finishing one of her books and realizing that now you have to wait for another.

I read this in 24 hours, and I have a toddler. That's how good this book is... I stayed up late reading last night and got up early this morning, and fortunately she was happy to play in her playpen for over an hour before her nap.

It was really awesome to have guest appearances of characters from other Tortall books pop up in this one, and heartbreaking to know how some of them turn out.

Such an amazing book! I can't wait for the rest!

This was my first Tamora Pierce book and wow. What impressed me the most is how much I enjoyed the story despite the age of the main characters. The novel is written from Arram's POV and follows his mage studies from age 10 to 14. His two friends are a few years older. Arram's intelligence, insight and compassion bring a surprising maturity to a story that explores the bonds of friendship and loyalty, injustice and tradition. Can't wait for Book 2 in the series.

What more is there to say, than that it was amazing! Tamora Pierce takes readers back to some of her most beloved characters and lets us learn more about how they grew up. Also, the world building is just brilliant and I was swept away in a world with fantasy and magic. Loved it and highly recommend the book!

Numair has always been one of my favorite characters, and reading the beginning of his backstory was so fun! There were so many hints of who he would become, personality traits and quirks that made it very enjoyable to read. I was so disappointed when I reached the end of the book because I really wanted to read more right away! I can hardly wait for the next book.

John Green has written many ground-breaking teen novels. Although he is widely known for his book “The Fault in our Stars,” my favorite of his novels has always been “An Abundance of Katherines” for its ironic humor and scintillating characters. His newest book, “Turtles All the Way Down,” took me down a rabbit hole. Even though I can usually distance myself from a book to evaluate it, I was unable to manage that distance this time. Aza is 16 when Davis Pickett’s father, billionaire Russell Pickett, disappears. Russell Pickett is wanted for various nefarious financial schemes but he has made a successful escape, leaving behind his two young sons and leaving his entire fortune to a foundation studying a long-living reptile. Aza and Davis initially became friends while attending a summer camp. This detail is only important because there is a hundred thousand dollar reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Russell Pickett. Aza’s closest friend, Daisy, wants to investigate the disappearance and collect the reward; she wants Aza to reconnect with Davis to facilitate this. Through an unlikely series of events, Aza actually does strike up a friendship with Davis again but it sets her on a path that challenges her vulnerable mental health and ultimately transforms her inner being. And here’s where this novel got rough for me to read. If you have ever suffered an anxiety attack or gotten trapped in a vortex of worry and altered reality, this book will turn you inside out. It is wrenching. I’ve never read anything like the descriptions of what goes on in Aza’s head but I certainly recognized aspects of it. John Green is a master writer here. “Turtles All the Way Down” is neither a comforting nor comfortable book. It’s intense. It has moments of rare beauty. And it is unforgettable.

A fun return to Tortall (technically Carthak) for Tamora Pierce fans and a great introduction to her world for new readers, since most of the characters and the setting of this series are new. An extremely entertaining take on the "wizard school" trope with likable characters and plenty of magic and fantastic creatures.

I absolutely loved this book. I’ve read most of her other books and loved them all. This was no exception. The characters are well developed and I have an emotional attachment to all of them some positive and some negative. The emotions this book evokes! The story is so rich and full I need more!

“The three of us, we're invincible...The world had best watch out! "
Numair was always one of my favorite characters, and I was so glad to read Tempests and Slaughter. Lots of familiar faces. Good characters, plot and more of Tamora Pierce's fascinating world.

Absolutely fascinating look at Numair's formative years, and his early friendship with Ozorne. This will definitely give me a new perspective on her previous book, "Emperor Mage" where Daine meets Emperor Ozorne. Can't wait for the next book in the Numair Chronicles!

I waited for 12 years for this book. From the point that she put it on her terrible website as "Numair: The Early Years" I'd had my little heart set on it. And i'm so, so grateful that it didn't disappoint me. It was the best book i'd read all year, with so many little references and characters whose endings you know from the Immortals series. There was one character twist, right near the end, that even had me screaming in surprise and delight. This was everything, her best done book to date.

A moment of caution however. If you are just hearing about Ms.Pierce (she is a lovely lady, my idol, and I've met her twice) THIS IS NOT THE BOOK TO START WITH. Go back to Protector of the Small or at the beginning with Alanna the Lioness. This is a prequel and in my opinion should be enjoyed after, at least, the Immortals but preferably at the end of the series.

Note of disappointment: The only thing I will say is that I did expect a greater detailing of how, exactly, magecraft ACTUALLY worked. I got the general gist of it by the end of the book, but a stronger grasp of it would've been really nice. This is our first series on an actual mage, after all, and with all the time Alanna and Diane spend learning their magic, and the amount of detail in the Circle books, I'd hoped for a bit more than that "his teachers crammed every bit of book learning they could find in his head" but, 12 years is a long time and I'll accept anything about his cute little face.

As a fan of the following books, I really enjoyed this one. If you’ve read the rest of them, you’ll like this one too. It’s set up obviously as a “part one” so I’m looking forward to the next one.

I have been a Fan of Tamora Pierce since I was a teenager. I'm not sure what I expected when I picked this one up, but it was different than many of her previous books. Male lead character instead of female, some relevant themes tossed in as well. It was slower than many of her other books and didn't leave a cliff hanger, but it definitely left me wanting more. I can't wait for the next one!

This book is a YA fantasy novel. The first half of the book lacked a plot, but things picked up some in the second half. At that point, Arram has to help fight a plague as a healer's assistant. He does what he can with his knowledge, magic, and his skills as a juggler. While the adults are the central figures in dealing with troubles, he's often along to help and sees some things happen that involve court politics. One of his best friends is a prince, and he may be danger (of being manipulated, and maybe killed since princes are dying left and right). This book basically sets up how powerful Arram is, his close friendships, and how the gods are interested in him as a future hero. However, it felt like the actual story hadn't started yet.

The book covered four years (though it seemed even longer). In the first half, we got glimpses into Arram's daily life as he goes through mage school. We got a couple scenes involving his classes each semester and some scenes of him spending time with his friends to establish that they're good friends. Arram doesn't seem to struggle with anything in the first half, and he doesn't seem to have a goal beyond learning as much as he can (which he does with ease). The main characters were nice people and interesting, but nothing really happens.

I was turned off by the references in the first half to how his "male member" was misbehaving or getting crushed by a saddle or that he's having wet dreams....again. Honestly, we don't need to know that to move the story forward, and I wouldn't care for a tween or teen daughter to be reading that. There were no sex scenes or bad language.

This review is based on an Advanced Readers Copy, so some editing of the book may occur between what I read and the final version.

I'm torn about this book. Overall, I really enjoyed the characters. It wasn't a fast read. It felt like it should be. It wasn't a terribly long novel, compared to some, and the text was a decent size. I think the problem was that there was no plot. The story follows Arram and his two friends at school. The story starts out with Arram at age eleven (or perhaps ten), at a gladiator game on a break from school. When he returns to school, an accident happens in his magic class that reveals his power to the teachers, who immediately give him a new, more challenging schedule. And so the story goes, semester by semester as Arram gets older. The story ends when he is fourteen. But as I said, no plot. We're just reading about Arram's life at school. So the story has no story goal, and at the end, there is no climax. It's strange. I understand that this is a sort of prequel, likely telling the childhood story of a major character from another series. But I kept waiting for the story to get going and it never did.

*I received an advance reader's copy of this book from the the store Vine Program in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

I love all of her books. I read about Alanna when I was younger and recently rediscovered this wonderful world of books. Learning about each main character and how they got to be who they become is amazing. I hope she continues to write about this world and all the amazing people in it.

I picked up this book not expecting to like it, and completely fell in love. It is so vivid, beautiful, and important. Pierce mixes pure amazing magic and fantasy with important human rights issues and amazing characters.
You laugh, cry, and think.
Plus, her magic school totally rivals Hogwarts, while also being completely different.

A must read.

Loved this prequel! Found myself just as engaged as when I first entered the Tortallan Universe as a child. I’ve already plummeted back into the originals to find characters, places, and events mentioned in this new and engaging addition to Pierce’s world. What a lovely return and I’m so enthusiastic for the next chapter!

Any follower of the world of Tortall will appreciate this Numair/Arran backstory. It is filled with humor, suspense, and enough connections to the stories of Alanna, Daine, et. al. to keep us happy.
In this story we get to visit Numair’s youth in Carthage, and his friendships with Ozorne and Varice. We learn about events that will obviously be wrapped up in future books, and which will lead us to Numair’s eventual journey to Tortall.
I loved the humor and suspense of this book. The complicated relationship with Ozorne and Varice kept me guessing. I absolutely enjoyed the teaching sessions with his mage teachers. While structured differently than some of her other books, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment of the Numair chronicles.

I loved hearing about Baby Numair, enjoyed seeing sarge fleshed out, and was enthralled by the universe again. While not as phenomenal as the main 3 trilogies, this still lives up to her universe.

Also loved the references to the beka cooper era people

This is the first book in the series so I always give the first book a little leeway until the author can get into the “meat” of the characters and the world he or she is creating. And this genre is right up my alley. That being said, while this book held my attention at the beginning it slowly lost it as the book went on. There are plenty of books out there for young adults that not only hold the attention of young adults but adults as well. This series does not seem to be like it will be one of them. With that being said, it does seem like my teen daughter will enjoy them. While the writing is good there is much room for character development as well as world and plot development. Otherwise this is a decent fantasy read and hopefully future books in the series will give us a deeper look into the characters and the world the writer is creating.

(Written by a 12 year old). In Roman times. I would say it was very engaging in the beginning. Towards the end gets overwhelming with the medieval language. Had to use a dictionary at some point. It would have been helpful to have a glossary of terms in the back.

I wanted very much to like this book, truly I did. If for no other reason than the publishers apparently thought I should since it is written by "the legend herself" (their words) Tamora Pierce

I am sure Ms Pierce is a perfectly lovely human being and I KNOW she is passionate about the lives and well-being of feral cats, and other creatures, which is a good thing to be; but a LEGEND? (Of course,even if she IS, so is Bigfoot and I find HIS books dreary in the extreme)

Now, I must confess that the main thrust of her "legend" seems to be her writing for young girls and the above mentioned cat thing; since I am FOND of, but not devoted to felines, and I've NEVER been a young girl (some would say I've never been young, but foo on them!) I am possibly the wrong audience for this

But I AM a passionate advocate of books for the young,albeit NOT ones that seem written down to them (There are scores of fine children's authors who are accessible to the very young yet hold the attention of the more mature, even old, adults

This is not one of them; the writing is too frequently clunky and the word choice seems to, often not always, go out of it's way to be easy rather than "right"

Further I find the story way too redolent of way too many other books in the genre

Yes, I am aware of all the awards and honors Ms Pierce has accumulated; and I am, as I noted, perfectly aware that the fault of my displeasure may well lie not in our writing star, but in myself, but there it is

But, let me end on a positive note: If the "... never-before-told (sic) story of how Numair Salmalin came to Tortall" is something you've been waiting for... have I got a book for you!