Received a free copy from NetGalley

This book was not my cup of tea, the plot sounded promising enough and caught my attention but i felt the book didn't deliver

After being on a recent Tamora Pierce binge I knew I had to pick this up. I loved the background to one of my most beloved characters, however, this could work perfectly well if you were fresh and new to Tamora Pierce's work.
Although it had the same brilliant writing as her other series this was much more dark, serious and grown up.

This is the 8th book in the Tortall series, but book 1 in the Numair Chronicles. This book, as it happens, turned out to be the right choice for me as I had not read anything in the series or by this author before.

In the Imperial University of Carthak there are three students who are ahead of others in their age group and also those older in terms of their abilities. They are Varice, often referred to as the “kitchen witch”. Prince Orzone was known as the “left-over Prince” and then the youngest Arram Draper. It is Arram’s story that is experienced in this book. The three students form a friendship that is needed, singly they would probably stand out more and be loners, open to bullying, insult, and attack. Together they are strong.

The story follows their progress through their studies. It focuses mainly on Arram and how he and his fellow students’ magical gifts are developing. Arram magic stands out more as it seems to be more natural, wild and if not careful, uncontrollable. Yes, this is a story about magical abilities but it has so much more to it than that. At times it has a historical fiction feel to it with mentions of Emperors, Royalty, Slavery, Gladitorial battles, and traitors. The three friends have very different backgrounds and ideas, they have different subjects that will help them in their respective futures, whatever their futures may be…

This is a fair paced story and I found it really easy to get into, the characters were very quick to become memorable as I read. Mixed in amongst the learning, magic and daily life are mentions of various gods. Some make themselves known and their respective forms, and if I were to meet one I wouldn’t hang around. The story also has a very nice flow to it, I guess what I mean is that it is very easy to involved in, relate to some of the dilemmas of the students and just to be able to follow the story and enjoy.

As I said earlier, this is the first time of reading anything by this author and I can definitely say it will not be the last, I am looking forward to reading further books in this series and then I am eager to reading the follow on series. It does have the feel of a new series to it, groundwork, history, all the building blocks are being laid down, as many first in a series books do. It is a series I am very interested in and will continue with. I think this is one that readers who don’t often read fantasy would get on very well with, yes there is magic, but there are other things as well. Ideal for fantasy readers and I think general fiction readers as well, and one I would definitely recommend.

DNF @ 22%

Arram Draper is a student at the Imperial University of Carthak. He excels at his studies and is the youngest student in his class.
Arram becomes friends with Varice and Prince Ozorne. Arram grows close to Varice as Ozorne moves closer to the throne.

I was a fan of the Song of the Lioness Quartet (but not that big a fan of the Immortals books), but when I saw that Tamora Pierce had a new book coming out I was excited.
I'm not really sure what I expected going into Tempests and Slaughter, but it definitely wasn't this!
From the very beginning I struggled to get into the storyline and the writing style. For me, the age of the characters and the writing style made Tempests and Slaughter feel like a middle grade (I'm not throwing shade at MG books, I just wasn't expecting it). I found some of the dialogue a bit silly.
What I read of the plot was dull and slow, and I struggled to stay interested. Eventually I just couldn't read any more.
The setting and characters reminded me of the Harry Potter books.
It annoyed me that the first time Arram saw Varice he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, because of course she was *eye roll* And I didn't like that Varice was so motherly to Arram and Ozorne.
I'm disappointed that I couldn't get into this.

Overall this wasn't for me.

This was my first ever Tamora Pierce novel and so I was unfamiliar with the characters beforehand. This however did not impede my enjoyment of the story. A solid magical school story following the main characters through a number of years of their schooling. I liked the way that the book got into some of the hows and whys of the school timetable but didn't dwell on them. This really helped with the world building without dragging down the story. The characters were well developed and each teacher had their own style when it came to lessons. I'm intrigued to read more Tamora Pierce books now.

I’m not sure this book was for me as I gave it a good try before DNFing. I just found it hard to get into and couldn’t connect with the characters unfortunately. I know there were a lot of people who enjoyed this and more people who will when they pick it up, but I wasn’t one of them.

This was the first book I've read by Tamora Pierce, but I'm sure it won't be the last. As a newcomer, I didn't realise this was a prequel about the early days of some already much loved characters, but as a completely standalone book, I thought it worked well - although it is well aware there will be a sequel and more to come from these people. I would read it, and I will probably also look up the adult life books featuring the main character. He is Arram Draper, and he is studying magic at a school for mages. Yes, he has a close male friend and a close female friend, and a pet bird, and the headteacher takes a special interest in him, and there's a mean teacher who doesn't like him much...hmm. I'm sure I've heard that synopsis before... However! This didn't really make me think of Harry Potter while reading it. It's very clearly set in a fantasy world, which shaped the whole thing to me - HP is so very British and 'normal' and that's great, but this was magic being taught in a world full of Kings and Princes (um, okay, but exciting fantasy princes, not good old Charlie and his sons) and gods that chat to (some) people and, i dunno, just more magic somehow and I'm not explaining myself well. Either way, it felt plenty different enough for me. I loved the gladiator fights and the elephant, and the underwater magics, and a lot of the scenes and world building were very good. The school parts were fine (although the erection / wet dream stuff was a bit cringy) and I enjoyed the characters. They were reasonably realistic and three dimensional and definitely entertaining. The undertones of secrets and shadowy background stuff going on in the kingdom was really well done and I look forward to seeing what comes of that in the future books, and all in all I just really enjoyed this one, had a blast reading it, and was sad when it ended. Pretty obviously I'd recommend it to anyone - if even non-fantasy fans can read Harry Potter, that's definitely the way to pitch this one to them - and I'm very grateful to Netgalley for giving tme the opportunity to read and review it. Even if I now have to go out and buy a whole load more books, hmmph!

Tamora Pierce’s Tempest and Slaughter tells the story of Arram Draper as he starts life at a new mage school and the friends he makes. The book is mostly spent setting up this world and the characters and therefore suffers slightly with a lack of momentum within the most of the book but provides some action towards the end.
This, however does seem necessary for readers who are not familiar with this world (if like me you haven’t read the books that this series is a prequel to). It did take some time to get into the book but once I was in the rhythm of it, the pages flew by. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book and whose second title I look forward to.

I don't know if it was due to the piecemeal way I read this novel, picking it up and putting it down very frequently, but it didn't seem the smoothest read to me. It was incredibly episodic and left our characters in much the same place as when we first joined them, albeit Arram being a stronger mage. I liked that Pierce is as fiercely spoken on matters such as diversity, race and slavery in her stories, and I'm glad that youngsters are being presented to these matters at middle grade age, especially the very casual mentions, such as one of Arram's male mage teachers having a husband, no big deal. However, the book did feel overlong and at times rather repetitive, and certainly didn't shine to the same level as I have seen in previous novels. Even given that, I am definitely in for the second book of the series because, well, it's Tamora Pierce. Even a lesser book from Pierce is still stronger than a lot out there.

Tamora Pierce is a well loved favourite of many fantasy fans, so her newest novel was always going to be highly anticipated. Add to that the fact that this is the first novel in a series which prequels the popular Immortals series and obviously this will ramp up its popularity with fans.


The book is set in the Tortall universe where we follow Arram Draper, a young boy with exceptional magical abilities, through his schooling in wizardry. The story has a very Harry Potter feel, Arram makes two close friends who he grows up with, we see his magical education in great detail and there are a few fun escapades as the story progresses.


We also see a lot set up for how the series will progress, from incidents with the gods to political happenings which will evidently presage future events. However, despite coming in at over 450 pages, that’s pretty much all that happens. The crux of the action doesn’t pick up until the final chapters, which, while ending on a note which sets up nicely for the next book, made the overall story slow reading for what would seem like an compelling read.

The story is engaging enough to pull through but the fact that its length is so apparent illustrates the lack of momentum. However, world-building is to be expected in the first book of a series, even in a world so established as Tortall, so hopefully subsequent books of the series will have stronger plot lines. In addition, the focus on Arram’s physical development and progression through puberty seemed somewhat clunky, and slightly more in the vein of a book like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole as opposed to the high fantasy genre. That’s not to say that it couldn’t have a place here, however it just seemed jarring when it did occur.


Perhaps due to its lack of strong plot, the character development of the book was one of the best aspects, with each character feeling very real, identifiable and memorable. One disappointing aspect here was the character of Varice, however. As the only main female character other than much older teachers, she fell flat, stereotyped as being ‘less than’ the two boys Arram and Ozorne and relegated to ‘kitchen magic’, while Arram and Ozorne flourish in healing and warfare. Considering Pierce’s other impressive and accomplished heroines, and given that it is now 2018 and 30 years since Alanna, many fans will have expected more from Varice. Hopefully her character will progress as the books go on, but it hasn’t got off to a particularly promising start, and the books seem much more likely to focus on Arram (who grows up to become Numair of the Immortals series) and Ozorne.


Overall, this was a very readable and even enjoyable book which will likely be of great interest to Numair fans, however it has fallen short of the high expectations Pierce’s back catalogue has set. Newcomers to Pierce might be better starting off with The Song of the Lioness quartet or The Immortals to find the real magic.

I was eager to read Tempests and Slaughter after reading The Immortals books last year but I’m afraid this one just didn’t do it for me, I found it overly long, and I just couldn’t connect with the young main character. Which is a pity, because I loved him in the other books! Writing is great, world building is fab, but it just wasn’t for me.

I am so sad I've finished this book. The world building is masterful and the characters could go in all sorts of directions.

I haven't read something so intriguing since the last Guy Gavriel Kay.

I have a horrible feeling the friendship between the three protagonists won't survive the trilogy and I'm desperate to find out if I'm wrong!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I've never read anything by Tamora Pierce before, but have heard good things about her books so I was excited to pick this one up.

Overall I have to say that this book didn't capture my interest like I thought it would. The story drags on at the beginning, it seems a but plain sailing with not much action or plot actually happening. It took well into the second half of the book to actually become engaging, though the ending did have more action and I can see that it set up the start of an exciting series.

Tempests and Slaughter follows Arram, a young magic student with a very powerful Gift. He studies under his professors at the university who are some of the most talented mages, learning about how to control his Gift and use it for good. Reading about a magic school was very interesting! Reminiscent of Harry Potter, Arram goes to and from classes to train his Gift. Seeing Arram learn and develop his skills really brings the reader along on his journey, it's clear to see where he started and how much he grows. I liked Arram's character: he's kind hearted, level headed and wants to help others. I think that his young age did slightly disconnect me from him, but I still liked his growth and development throughout the story.

It was nice to see characters that had both good and bad personality points, they were well rounded and not plain. But I didn't really love any of them, so when the pacing of this book was slow and not much was happening apart from following the characters around, I became disinterested. There was some action in the final quarter of the book, which brought me back into the world and the story. If only this action and pacing was kept up throughout the first three quarters of the book!

The world was interesting: there's magic, Gods, fantastical creatures and fractured kingdoms. The magic system involves a Gift, and the barer of the Gift can channel it any way they want to, performing different types of magic. This was a very promising world, and the ending of this story set up the next books to take advantage of the setting and become captivating for the reader.

Tempests and Slaughter is part of a prequel series to some of Tamora Pierce's other books, but you can read it first just like I did. Though maybe this is the reason I didn't enjoy it as much? I hadn't formed attachments to the characters already before going into this story, like I would've done if I had read her other series first. That being said the book still should've hooked new readers in, so it did leave me feeling slightly disappointed.

This book had an exciting synopsis (and a beautiful cover!) but sadly it didn't live up to my expectations. The pacing was slow and it felt like I was reading so much but nothing was happening. The characters were pleasant, but I just didn't feel a huge connection with any of them. I did like the world, and the ending does seem promising to set up the next book, so I have hope that the series will improve as it progresses.

Tempests and Slaughter wasn't bad, but it wasn't exactly gripping either. It was slow, lacked climax, and almost read like it couldn't quite decide what kind of book it wanted to be. Middle-Grade or YA fantasy, or hard-hitting high fantasy? It straddled the line and ended up being neither. It felt busy in places, but with a meandering plot, which seems like a contradiction.

It was readable, and I'll recommend it as a piece of crossover fiction to any parents who don't feel their children are ready for full-on high-fantasy yet.

A fantastic slow-burner! Spins your fantasy world to a completely new level.
I am usually not into these kinds of books but I was pleasantly surprised. It just took me much longer than contemporary books to get through it.

I think THIS book is the perfect Christmas present!

Big thanks to NetGalley for the chance to test this author, in exchange for my honest review.

** I received a free ecopy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The only other books I've read by Tamora Pierce are the protector of the small quartet and they were amazing. This first book in her new series just shows that Pierce grabs the reader's attention from the very first chapter. It was a fabulous read and I know that this is one of the few reads I will not forget to continue!

The story is told from Arram's perspective; an incredibly gifted mage student who progresses his magical studies at an extraordinary rate. I loved how no-nonsense and honest he was. When someone tried to bully or intimidate him, Arram responds logically and without fear. But I do think his naivety in hoping Ozorne will get rid of slavery and some of his other views, are in vain. It's clear that though they have a close friendship, Ozorne has his eyes on a bigger picture and his father's death clouds his judgement.

If you haven't read this book then you really must. I can't wait for book two. Meanwhile, I'm going to look for other books by Tamora Pierce that I haven't read yet!

As someone who has only recently and very belatedly discovered Tamora Pierce, this was a great book to dive right into during my binge of all of her writing. Another joy.

I've ou off reading this for a few weeks, as I was an avid Tamora Pierce fan as a child, and I was worried it may not live up to my childhood memories. How wrong I was. It was everything I'd hoped it could possibly be.
If you've never read any of her books, this is a great starting place, but beware: you will need to invest some cash in her previous series once you delve into this! Am delighted there will also be a book two. I savoured every single word. If you like your fantasy linked with the human values of justice, truth and community, this is definitely for you.

A very enjoyable book.

Sometimes it's nice to read a book that you can't put down, not because of the pace of the action, but purely because the descriptions are so rich and evocative.

My first book by this author that I am lead to believe is a prequel to a very well known and loved series.
I look forward to reading more of this world.

This was my first Tamora Pierce book, but it will not be the last!

I didn't know this was actually a prequel in the same world as the author's other books, but I didn't have any problems following the story, so I guess it can be read as a stand-alone series. The thing that struck me the most about Tempest and Slaughter was the world building: it was stunning, brilliant, and just plain magical (pun intended). But if you are interested in reading this, be warned: nothing happens. Literally. The MCs grow and learn magic and we are introduced (or re-introduced, I guess, if you knew the world already) to a million wonderful characters, but as action goes almost nothing happens, and the few things that do happen are just a prelude for book 2. That said, I still enjoyed it immensely, and to me it never felt particularly slow or boring at all. The one thing that bothered me is that apparently Tamora Pierce is very much loved for her amazing, empowered female characters, but I didn't see much of that here. Arram's female teachers are awesome, but there's too little of them, and I found Varice (the female protagonist) very lacking in that sense. Varice is little more than Arram's object of affection, at least in this book, but I have high hopes for her in the future.

I recommend this book to all fantasy lovers out there - it really was awesome!