Book Blog #52: Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce

Title: Trickster's Queen
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 469 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Magic
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Synopsis:The stage is set for revolution...

Aly: no longer just a master spy, but a master of spies. Can she balance her passion for justice and her compassion for others, and at what cost?

Sarai: beautiful, dramatic, and rash - will she fulfill the role chosen for her by destiny?

Dove: she has always stood in Sarai's shadow. Can she prove to the world that she herself is a force to be reckoned with?

Nawat: half crow, half man. He wants Aly for his life mate, but will the revolution make that impossibly as they stop into new roles to change the future?

Review:I have a confession to make. I didn't actually finish the book.

I spent weeks trying to get through it, but I just couldn't. There was a lot of politics and observing...I suppose it was just a bunch of build up for something big in the end. Unfortunately, it didn't build UP, it built down.

I'll be frank; it was boring.

There was too many details on unimportant things, making me fall asleep after reading a paragraph. And it doesn't help that the cover looks like crap. Sorry...that might have been a little harsh.

Just don't read this series. Ever. I won't be continuing with it

Book Blog #43: Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

Title: Trickster's Choice
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 403 (hardcover)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the Lioness of Tortall. Aly is bold and brave like her mother, but she has no wish to become a knight. Instead she longs to follow in her father's footsteps as a spy, an ambition her parents vehemently oppose.

After a furious argument Aly runs away, with disastrous consequences. Captured and sold as a slave in the Copper Isles, she discovers that this whole nightmare has not come about by chance - the Trickster God, Kyprioth, has plans for her...

Review: I was really excited to read another series by Tamora Pierce! The Alanna series had been decent, and her Beka Cooper trilogy much more enjoyable, so I was curious of how this one would turn out.

The cover is kind of weird. The covers for the Alanna series weren't the greatest, and there is minimal improvement for this one. It's dark and dreary, and the title isn't big enough. And I don't like how she seems to be watching my every move. Freaky.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Now, let me be frank; the story bored me. It lacked he drama and suspense that I love to read. I think the best part had to be the ending after the duke died, but that wasn't even the big finale I was expecting.

Pierce's writing style in the book has definitely improved since Alanna: The First Adventure. It still takes place in the Tortall world, but with Aly as the main character. My favorite character has to be Nawat. I mean, how can you not like a crow-human?

SPOILERS END!!!

So it was decent. Not something I'd read again, but not something I'd burn at the stake.

Book Blog #28: Mastiff by Tamora Pierce

Title: Mastiff
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 596 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: The Hunt is on!

Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn, and she is now a respected member of the Provost's Guard. But her life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé is killed on a slave raid. Beka is faced with a mixture of emotions as, unbeknownst to many, she was about to call the engagement off.

It is as Beka is facing these feelings that Lord Gershom appears at her door. Within hours, Beka; her partner, Tunstall; her scent hound, Achoo; and an unusual but powerful mage are working on an extremely secretive case that threatens the future of the Tortallan royal family, and therefore the entire Tortallan government. As Beka delves deeper into the motivations of the criminals she now Hunts, she learns of deep-seated political dissatisfaction, betrayal, and corruption. These are people with power, money, and influence. They are able to hire the most skilled of mages, well versed in the darkest forms of magic. And they are nearly impossible to identify.

This case - a Hunt that will take her to places she's never been - will challenge Beka's tracking skills beyond the city walls, as well as her ability to judge exactly whom she can trust with her life and country's future.

Review: OH MY GOSH IT'S OVER!!!!!!

I can't believe this. I can't. This whole week, I haven't been reading the book because I had "better things to do" and "had to finish Alanna 4" when I should really have been reading Mastiff in all it's glory.

The cover that I had (pictured at left), wasn't THAT fantastic. But I looked closer and realized that Achoo (I think) and Pounce were on it, so it made it all better.

I'm going to try to go through my rant quickly so that I can tell you why I'm giving it the ranting I am. The beginning was a bit slow because the words didn't really...flow.

...Okay, enough of that. Now to the good stuff.

BEWARE OF MAJOR SPOILERS!!!

Achoo's almost death freaked me out! I was all like "HOW CAN PIERCE DO THAT TO ME!!!!!" I started hyperventilating. I officially love Pounce/Faithful (I KNEW THEY HAD TO BE THE SAME CAT!!!!) I really want a purple eyed cat now.

Tunstall's betrayal had me in tears. I really wasn't expecting it at all until seconds before Beka found out. It reminded me a lot of Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith when Anakin and Obi Wan were fighting.

(Please excuse my poor photo editing skills!!!)

And Farmer and Beka are adorable!!!! They had their little moments when they were traveling and when they were in the dungeon (but that whole I-have-magic-silk-up-my-butt thing was really gross). And I totally predicted that he would take Beka's last name, 'cause otherwise how would George have Cooper in his name?

The really awesome ending is what convinced me to give it the rating I did. This has to be one of my favorites EVER.

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Book Blog #26: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce

Title: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 256 (hardcover)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman -- despite the desert dwellers' grave fear of the foreign woman warrior. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes -- for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

Review: Okay, you guys. What is up with this cover? I wanted the cover that corresponded with the other books, but this was the only one available. Alanna looks like a girl Santa Clause with all the red and green. And what's with the weird title? I get that Alanna was called that with the tribes, but its not going to bring in readers. I wouldn't even touch it if I was already reading this series.

Now let's go onto the good stuff; my rant.

What is up with the Alanna and Johnathan drama? It was a lot of kissing, fighting, making up, and all of that over. There was so much of it that there wasn't a very big climax in the story (I don't even know what the climax for this story IS).

Now, I might be biased here, but I think George is the better choice for her. But, then again, he might be too good for her.

John's and Throm's character changed so much from what I originally thought they were. They have both become less like-able. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'll leave that up to you to decide,

Some stuff that I DID like about this book was the big, foreshadowing-ish dream that Alanna had. I don't want to spoil it for anyone but...she dreamed that Throm would bring Roger back to life. That was the only shocking, mind-blowing thing in the whole book. I also liked the stuff that is also in the Beka Cooper trilogy. For example, the light-up-the-rock-thing that Alanna did was also done by Farmer in Mastiff. I love the Beka Cooper series soooooooo much.

But this book was very bland.

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Book Blog #19: In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce

Title: In the Hand of the Goddess
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 263 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating:★★★☆☆
Synopsis: Still disguised as a boy, Alanna becomes a squire to none other than the prince of the realm. Prince Jonathan is not only Alanna's liege lord, he is also her best friend -- and one of the few who knows the secret of her true identity. But when a mysterious sorcerer threatens the prince's life, it will take all of Alanna's skill, strength, and magical power to protect him -- even at the risk of revealing who she really is... 

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's second adventure continues the saga of a girl who dares to follow her dreams -- and the magical destiny that awaits her.

Review: I don't know why, but I don't feel anything after reading this book. It's like my feelings are in neutral; I don't hate, but I don't love it.

The cover is better than the first. She doesn't look AS scary as the Alanna in #1, which makes me happy ^_^

The content is alright. All the time jumps are really confusing, and the book is REALLY easy to predict. And who is Pierce's publisher? I'm reading and I find half a billion (alright, maybe not that many) typos and mistakes. That's just not right!

Yeah, so I guess you can say that this boo is pretty average. It almost makes a reviewer like me hate it because I don't have anything to say.

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Book Blog #14: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Title: The First Adventure
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 274 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: "From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight."

And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page. 

But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies. 

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins -- one that will leard to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land. 

Alanna's journey continues...

Review: Yup! I finally got to reading this book. For those of you who don't know, it's by the same author of Beka Cooper. I thought that I'd read the book that started it all. It's funny cause I kept thinking "Hey, that's  like Beka Cooper's story!" Only to realize that it would actually be the other way around. But that's what I get for reading the books out of order.

The cover first, of course. Kinda creepy in my opinion. I don't like her eyes. She's staring at me. Always. Gives me shivers at night.

The book itself is pretty good. I'm keeping this review short since the book is short (lame excuse, I know). But there were only a few things that I DIDN'T like, and I'm a hater. There's barely anything for me to hate one!

One, the evil ghost stuff. They kept mentioning that and I'm all like "AHHHHHHHHHH!" I'm a stickler for that stuff. Gave me shivers. And the demons at the end. They're suppose to be some big and mighty opponent, but they seemed so wimpy! I would have liked the big enemy at the end to have been something more...scary.

This read seemed to be...easier than the Beka Cooper books. Not that I'm complaining or anything; I got through the book faster than Terrier or Bloodhound. But that might have been because it looked less intimidating.

The book's too short. I could have read it in a day. But a good book.

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Book Blog #13: Terrier by Tamora Pierce

Title: Terrier
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 581 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Hundreds of years before Alanna first drew her sword in Tamora Pierce's memorable debut, Alanna: The First Adventure, Tortall had a heroine named Beka Cooper - a fierce young woman who fights crime in a world of magic. This is the beginning of her story, her legend, and her legacy.... 

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, commonly known as "the Provost's Dogs," in Corus, the capital city of Tortall. To the surprise of both the veteran "Dogs" and her fellow "puppies," Beka requests duty in the Lower City. The Lower City is a tough beat. But it's also where Beka was born, and she's comfortable there. 

Beka gets her wish. She's assigned to work with Mattes and Clary, famed veterans among the Provost's Dogs. They're tough, they're capable, and they're none too happy about the indignity of being saddled with a puppy for the first time in years. What they don't know is that Beka has something unique to offer. Never much of a talker, Beka is a good listener. So good, in fact, that she hears things that Mattes and Clary never could - information that is passed in murmurs when flocks of pigeons gather ... murmurs that are the words of the dead. 

In this way, Beka learns of someone in the Lower City who has overturned the power structure of the underworld and is terrorizing its citizens into submission and silence. Beka's magical listening talent is the only way for the Provost's Dogs to find out the identity of this brutal new underlord, for the dead are beyond fear. And the ranks of the dead will be growing if the Dogs can't stop a crime wave the likes of which has never been seen. Luckily for the people of the Lower City, the new puppy is a true terrier!

Review: REPOST FROM GOODREADS

The book is very...unique. When I started reading, I was immediately turned off, for a lack of better words. The diary entries weren't exactly the easiest to read, so right away, I was bracing myself for a long, torturous 500 pages. It wasn't as bad as I thought. The story itself was pretty good, though hard to units and at times. It's been a while since I've read this style of writing. The main character was one of my favorites; she wasn't outgoing or have an attitude. She was shy, but she didn't let that get in her way of becoming a heroine. What made me give this book four star instead of five was the writing style. It just wasnt to my liking. I know that Pierce was just writing like that character(s) should be (and I praise her for that), but it really bored me at times. And the intentional (though I think there was a typo in there somewhere) writing mistakes were driving me nuts!

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Book Blog #11 : Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Title: Bloodhound
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 551 (hardback)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis: Beka Cooper is no longer a Puppy. She's a Dog now - a full-fledged member of the Provost's Guard, which keeps the peace in Corus's streets. Beka's natural skills of observation and tenacity are augmented by her unusual magical talents, which allow her to gather information both from pigeons are from the eddies of dirt and dust that swirl on street corners. But even her magic isn't very useful when unrest comes to Tortall's capital in the form of counterfeit coins, which turn up in shops all over the city. Merchants raise prices to cover their losses, and with winter coming on, hikes in food and fuel costs could spell disaster - most of all for the city's poor.  

The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeits from Port Caynn - and that the Port Caynn Dogs don't seem to be doing anything about it. Beka and her mentor, Clary Goodwin, are chosen to go undercover in Port Caynn and find out what they can. And wherever Beka goes, so do some of her animals. Departing from Corus with her are the scent hound Achoo, who has been newly assigned to Beka, and the pigeon Slapper, who carries the voices of the dead. 

 In Port Caynn, Beka and Goodwin delve deep into the gambling world. There Beka meets a charming bank courier, who may be involved in the counterfeiting ring. Things come to a head just as Goodwin returns home to report in Corus. It won't be enough to Beka to be her usual "terrier" self. She'll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals - to be a bloodhound.

Review: This book review is not going to be as long as I hoped it would. You will read below that I read the book in two parts due to personal reasons. The first part was written on April 5(?) and will be on the first 250 pages or so. The second part is written today (April 16, 2013) and is on the book as a whole, though there probably will be more on the last half than anything else. I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm repeating myself!

April 5

So I kinda sped read through the last part of the book (for personal reasons, I couldn't read that particular copy of the book this past weekend). The beginning was much, much better than the first book, but I really don't know what happened at the end. I'll be rereading it after I finish rereading Grave Mercy.

April 16

 As I said earlier, this book was much better than the first. What I didn't like, however, was the wide variety of characters. I couldn't remember them all! But thank goodness for the character list in the back; even though it was a pain to keep flipping back and forth, at least it was there. And the...canoodling was a bit of a surprise too. I didn't think it would be that type of book. The ending wasn't exactly the super-fantastic fan-grilling ending I was hoping for either. It's one of those endings where the author wants to make sure you know what happens to each single little character. I mean, I don't mind it THAT much, it's just that it got kinda boring near the end. Just saying. And then there was the fight scenes. This isn't just this book; it's any book with a detail scene that has a truckload of details. I get confused really easily with stuff like that, and that's what happened with this book too. If you've read the first Beka Cooper book, and you thought it was decent enough, then read this one. I'm promise, if you're anything like me, it's a good read.

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