A poor but talented child is sent to wizard school to hone his skills. The book starts well however it seems that over the first third of the book time speeds up with every page turn almost as if the author changed tact about how in depth the wizard school scenario should be. Must admit it's not really my thing however fans of a certain other child wizard may well relish this tale.

Book 1 in the Numair Chronicles. Arram Draper is starting his new life learning to be a mage and it soon becomes clear just how truly talented he is. Making friends with Varice and Ozorne a prince helps him to enjoy his time. Soon he is advancing along and learning to heal but learning that the world is a cruel place.

As the beginning of a series this was a good start. It's a long book and felt it at times but I did enjoy the story. It's not heavy in drama but lots going on. This tells the story of his early years at mage school. The plot was interesting and detailed. The ending was good as it left you wanting more but no major cliffhanger. The introduction of Preet was clever and I really loved her. The magic is fascinating and well explained especially how it heals.

Arram is a great character and I instantly liked him. I loved Varice and Ozorne too. But my fave was probably Musenda, I spent much of the book hoping he wouldn't die. A great beginning.

The origin story for Numair opens with a boy called Arram who just seems to attract...trouble! What follows is Arram's journey as he begins mage school and befriends two others, Orzone and Varice.

The writing, as always is good, the story flows and it's a brilliant prequel.

This could in fact be a good entry into the world of Tortall, if a reader had not read Tamora Pierce's excellent books before.

'Tempests and Slaughter' is the first book in the Numair Chronicles series, and having been meaning to read this for a while, i'm glad i've finally taken the bull by the horns, Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it and wonder why I haven't read it sooner! It started off in a pedestrian fashion, and I was worried I wasn't going to like it as a result, but luckily it soon picked up pace and I was immediately sucked into the story.

It tells the story of Arram Draper, an incredibly gifted young mage who's on the path to becoming one of the most powerful in the realm. Studying at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has the most potential of all of his peers despite him being the youngest in class. At his side are his two best friends - Varice and Ozorne. This is a story which uses well worn tropes of the fantasy genre - a talented protagonist/heroine trying to harness their unimaginable powers, and where his loyalty lies will become a headache for him, It reminds me very much of Harry Potter in some parts, the story does comprise of similar plot points, but this is of much higher quality than any of the Harry Potter books. The worldbuilding is absolutely breathtaking, and the exploration of said world is wonderfully vivid and exciting. I would really love to hear more about Arram's flaws as right now he doesn't appear to have any, which is obviously not realistic as we all have flaws and failings. I hope this is addressed in future books as it's not a great advertisement for young adult readers to see as it gives them standards that no-one can live up to which is rather dangerous for youngsters to believe.

I literally cannot wait for the next in the series to be released and look forward to learning more about Arram and the world in which he lives. Tamora Pierce is a truly magical writer with tonnes of talent! I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't give it any less than the full five stars! Highly recommended, especially to fans of the fantasy genre.

Many thanks to HarperVoyager for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I'm slightly ashamed to admit it, but this is the first Tamora Pierce book that I have read and I really enjoyed it! It tells the story of Arram Draper, a young mage studying his craft at a wonderful university. He meets some great friends and some fabulous Masters and generally explores his abilities while trying to make his way through puberty and his early teenage years. Firstly, there will be comparisons to Harry Potter here as our trio of heroes are comprise two boys and a girl and we are at a wizard training facility. However, there is a far more 'High Fantasy' feeling to this narrative and the setting is very different. Along with gladiatorial combat, we have river gods and magical birds, all of which are very well realised. There is considerably more violence here too, never gratuitous but definitely more gory than any of the Potters. Rather than a defined plot with a clear mission to accomplish, this is far more of an exploration of the world, with a series of vignettes happening through the years, which I really enjoyed, all though some may find it a little disjointed. I think that more focus needs to be paid to Arram in terms of his failings - at the moment, he is wonderful at pretty much everything so it would be interesting to see what happens to him when he can't achieve something. I think the machinations amongst the Imperial family are really fascinating and all in all, I thought this was a great opening instalment to a new series and I'm looking forward to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Maybe because this was a prequel, I wasn't able to finish this book. The blurb sound really interesting, The book is really, really slow. I couldn't get into the plot at all. I still think it's partly because I haven't read the other books, but the magical world failed to pull me in. Sorry, just not for me.

I received a free ecopy of this book I return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I have not previously read and Tamora Pierce. I was unaware at the start that this book was a prequel but I was quite pleased that I was able to approach it without any pre-conceived expectations of the characters. I still haven’t read other Tamora Pierce so all of my impressions here come solely from reading this one book.

I must say that it took me a while to get through the book. While both characters and setting are captivating, the plot just didn’t have a hook for me. The first half of this book follows main character, Arram Draper, through his early years at the Imperial University of Carthak, The School for Mages. Arram is ten years old at the start of the story, and a magic prodigy.

It is very difficult, now, to read about a magic school and not compare to Harry Potter and there were a number of parallels. The setting is more exotic since the book is set in a Roman style world of slaves and gladiators but essentially it is still a story of classes and friends, teachers and bullies. Quite a bit of time is devoted to describing Arram’s studies. He forges ahead of all his peers and rarely struggles with any magic. The reader is given regular updates on his timetable. However, I found myself losing interest, dipping in and out of the story and reading other things. That said, Arram’s open-mindedness about all kinds of magic and his acceptance of everyone he comes across, from gods and princes to slaves and small children make him an engaging character. His curiosity certainly opens the world up to us.

The real meat of the story doesn’t come in till about half way through, when we finally begin to see a mystery. Princes of the realm die and it seems the deaths may not be natural. Since these deaths mean Arram’s best friend, Prince Ozorne, moves up the line of succession, Arram is directly affected and begins to look into the circumstances. Frustratingly, just as things begin to get interesting, the book ends and we are left waiting for the follow up.

This is an enjoyable book, the world building is detailed but the slow pace and lack of action early on drag the story on too long. It is possible that reading the other books first might give the reader more of a vested interest in the characters and give significance to details that seem overly laboured to those coming fresh to this world. It is worth a read if you like fantasy but be prepared for more world building than plot.

This was my first Tamora Pierce and I enjoyed it a lot. Her writing is very enchanting.
This book, being a part of a series, was mostly about world building and getting into the lives of the children''s studies. I wish there was a bit more movement and more of the plot, but I guess we'll get there in the next book.

I loved the magic system, where everyone had different strengths. Our main characters are the 3 young students at school: Arram, Varice, and Ozorne.. Magical school setting was nice. It took me to the days we were devouring Harry Potter.

I really enjoyed her writing and the setting, but I'd have enjoyed even more if it was more paced and there was a solid plot starting. Regardless, I will pick up the rest of the series :)

Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Easy to read, although the setting and culture are harder to grasp. This book is a prequel, and like 'Star Wars' if you have prior knowledge of the world and the characters in this story, it's more enjoyable.

'Tempests and Slaughter' sets the scene for what is to come. Slow paced it provides detailed character profiles, the action is low key, but life with the three main characters is informative with lots of vivid description.

The three main characters Arram, Ozorne and Varice are linked by destiny and reading this book does make me want to know what the future holds for them. There are obvious similarities with other magical dynasties, but this world is closer to 'Game of Thrones' than 'Hogwarts'. Arram has an undeniable resemblance to Merlin and Harry Potter.

If you enjoy epic fantasy with a magical twist, this story will appeal, especially if you fall within the young adult audience.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Voyager - Harper Collins UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2018/09/06/tempests-and-slaughter-the-numair-chronicles-1-by-tamora-pierce/
Finally, my first Tamora Pierce book and surely not my last! Arram Draper is the star of the show and apparently he has appeared in previous books, known to readers as Numair Salmalín. This is where his story begins.

The setting here is predominantly the Imperial University of Carthak where readers follows three friends as they study to become mages. Arram is a young student who has been advanced due to his magical potential. As the story sets off we witness his ‘gift’ in action as he accidentally fills the classroom with water and nearly drowns his fellow classmates and master in the process. From there forward Arram is removed to more intensive studies with 1:1 tuition provided by a number of masters who will now attempt to teach him better control. Of course, being singled out in this way does nothing for his popularity with the other students but fortunately Arram finds himself luckily situated in that two of his fellow students, also very gifted and similarly advanced in learning, befriend him and soon the three become inseparable.

Firstly, to address the elephant in the room – Hi Nellie, I see you over there waving your trunk. Yes, this story obviously contains a number of similarities to Harry Potter. A magical school, a standout student and a tight friendship with two other students, but, that being said I wouldn’t really say the two are alike other than on a surface level. Magical schools are popular tropes for a reason and this is no exception and makes for enjoyable reading. I found myself easily absorbed into Arram’s life at Uni and the constant ups and downs of student life. Where this differs greatly from HP is in terms of the time period covered which advances quite quickly – I think we first meet Arram around the age of 11 and by the conclusion of this first book he’s over 14 years old.

There is a definite charm to this book and Arram makes a very easy subject to read and engaging character. To be honest the actual plot is very light and yet it wasn’t until I’d advanced some way that that really occurred to me. I would definitely say that this book is a set up book but I don’t really mean that in a negative way. I’m simply pointing it out because I think if you pick this one up it’s best to be aware that the story is a little meandering and quite slow paced. It certainly didn’t hamper my reading any, probably due to the writing style which I thoroughly enjoyed.

In terms of the other characters. Arram’s two close friends are Ozorne. Ozorne is a prince but with a long line of people ahead of him in terms of succession he’s known rather disparagingly as the ‘leftover’ prince. Varice is beautiful and clever and Arram finds himself falling for her as the years pass by. Musenda was a favourite character. He’s a gladiator slave, I really enjoyed the chapters in which he took part and could happily read more from his pov. On top of that we have some interesting masters, a crocodile god and a rather cute young bird that Arram undertakes to take care of and eventually seems to wow everyone that it comes into contact with. Plus – the Hag – what a wonderful creation, a God who Arram seems to have drawn the attention of, maybe something he will live to regret, or maybe not.

Did I have any criticisms. A couple. I did experience a slight feeling of everything being too easy for Arram. Things just fell into his lap, everyone seems to think he’s wonderful and I never really got a sense of him having to strive for anything – which given his incredibly punishing timetable is something of a surprise. My other niggle was a sense of things feeling a little obvious – although tbh, at this stage, my theories on how this might go forward could be completely wrong. I’ll find out with the next instalment I guess.

Otherwise, I found this a very good start to the series. I imagine that for readers returning to a beloved world and a favourite character this must be an absolute treat and for others, like myself, who haven’t read this author before and so don’t know how Arram’s story will eventually pan out, this seems like a good starting point. I look forward to seeing how Arram’s develops and hope that on the strength of this series I’ll be curious enough to pick up more stories from this world.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

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!
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK!

"He loved them, for their kindness, their letters, and their visits. But he didn’t understand them, or they him"

* * * *
4 / 5

This book is going to be controversial. Why? Because virtually nothing happens for over 400 pages (or however long the book is) and yet, it is still very enjoyable. At least it was for me and many other reviewers on Goodreads. It is akin to Harry Potter, but a Harry Potter where Harry ignores all the murders and mysterious goings on and just puts his head down and does all his schoolwork instead.

“You can’t behead nature”

Arram Draper is a young gifted mage-in-training at the University of Carthak. Blessed with power and less sense, Arram is taken out of his classes when floods the classroom at age ten and is advanced several levels. Out of place and isolated amongst the older children, Arram meets fellow prodigies Varice, a charming young woman with formidable skill in overlooked magical disciplines, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” who is permitted to study magic only because so many other heirs stand between him and the throne.

You may have noticed the similarity here to Harry Potter. Because in any book with a young gifted male protagonist learning magic at a magic school, people are going to compare it to Harry Potter. Especially when there is a trio with two guys and a girl. Yet Arram is not Harry; for starters, Arram has a loving family, but also because whenever something peculiar happens, Arram does a bit of poking and then returns to obeying his teachers and digging into his learning. He is soft, hard-working, kind and fastidious. A little odd, Arram is far less exciting than Harry, but I honestly did not mind.

"The university managed to live slave-free, but it was a lie. The shadow of slavery lay over it"

Tempests and Slaughter follows Arram from roughly ten years old to about fourteen. It reads like a slice-of-life sort of book; we follow Arram through his various magical classes and watch his journey as he grows to specialise in healing magic, dealing with plague victims and wounded gladiators. I loved this about Arram – whilst Ozorne specialises is war magic, siege magic, and battlefare, Arram never touches a blade and weaponises magic only once when forced to by a tutor. His friend, Ozorne, is not such a nice guy – he’s massively racist, angry, and weird. Pierce captures this dynamic of a young boy who needs to belong, who is tired of being isolated, but who is made increasingly uncomfortable by his friend.

Tempests and Slaughter is not going to be loved by everyone. I recommend it to those that love reading slow, flowing tales about boyhood and growing up, of finding power and learning how to use it.

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Tempests And Slaughter is the start of a new series from Tamora Pierce. If you’ve not read any of her other work before (and I hadn’t!), it works as a standalone series. I’m told, though, that it also ties into the prequel history of some of her other, existing series – so if you’re an existing fan, it sounds like there’s a rich vein of history and lore for you to delve into here.

On its own merits, though, this remains a book worth picking up and giving a read.
The centre of the book is Arram Draper, a child growing into adulthood. Arram is a thoughtful boy with an absence of social graces. Left in the care of a magical school by his family, Arram begins the story alone and friendless. This isn’t really too problematic a state of affairs, as Arram doesn’t come off as a natural, charismatic leader. Though he has a well defined moral sense, he seems often happy enough in his own world, trying to discover how things work. That retiring nature, however, is backed up by extremely high magical potential, which makes keeping out of the spotlight more difficult than it might otherwise be.

The portrayal of Arram is a sympathetic and detailed one, which lets us behind the eyes of a young person growing toward adulthood within an isolated, institutional framework. The text doesn’t flinch away from the consequences of his social awkwardness mixed with potential; in fact it wants to look at the resentment that this can generate, and the way Arram faces up to that. But at heart, it’s letting the reader into the head and heart of a boy who hasn’t yet worked out who he is, trying to shape himself against the vicissitudes of a system which takes a particularly strong interest in shaping him, possibly not for his own benefit.

I’ve got a lot of time for Arram; that story of social confusion and awkward intelligence gives him a heartfelt humanity. This is a protagonist who may not (yet) be shaking cities or throwing lightning, but between being a magical prodigy, he’s afraid, looking for approval, looking to define himself as much as anyone at that age. A reasonable amount of the book is walking alongside Arram as he tries to figure out who he is and what he wants – through classes in history, through magical experimentation, through talking to tutors and making friends. In some ways, this is a comfortable tale about self-realisation, with bonus thunderbolts.

Arram isn’t entirely on his own of course – he makes a couple of friends, the effusive Varice, a young woman whose charm is already dazzling, and the more taciturn, conflicted Ozorne, a prince so far down the line of succession that it seems like everyone’s forgotten he was there. Varice carries an effervescent energy and weight of emotional maturity which make a nice contrast to Arram’s bafflement – she’s just as likely as the other two to get into trouble, but more likely to have a backup plan or an eye on the consequences. Ozorne is by turns a social butterfly and morose, seeking solitude; there’s a sense there of a sword waiting to be drawn, a penchant for temper and some deep rooted anxieties and prejudices which, along with his own sense that he lacks worth, may make up an interesting emotional cocktail in later books. For now, though, this tripod of friends feels fiercely loyal, each accepting the honesty and capacity for emotional truth given up by the other two. If they are on occasion beset by bullies, or have to deal with teachers with a less than stellar health-and-safety record, still they bear each other up; even as the stakes grow higher, they do, still, bear each other up. It’s a complex relationship, a deep friendship with emotional undercurrents running through each member of the group – and if it’s possible to see potential cracks in the foundation, still it’s a heartwarming thing to see so tight-knit a crew of friends.

In their day to day conflicts with each other, their discussions between themselves and with teachers, which shame them even as they looking at the world around them, in their affections and rare enmities, you can see a group of real, complicated young adults; their trials and tribulations mean they come off the page as people, even when they’re using magic for healing, or dealing with otherworldy entities – because they’re also crying over breakups, and losing their socks. This precision-crafted mixture of the fantastic and the prosaic makes for compelling reading.

They live in a fully realised, fleshed out world as well, these complicated people. Indeed, their struggles with that world are part of what makes them tick. The land in which Arram finds himself feels like it’s the centre of the known world – with great armies, advances in medicine and arcane theory, and elaborate civic buildings. But behind the façade there’s something darker: one can see the blood and oppression of slavery, and a sense of superiority, even racism to members of certain geographical groups, born from an implied history of conflict and conquest. We (and Arram) see a lot of the glittering spires of the cognoscenti, but the underpinnings of the society are rather less pleasant. For all that, Arram’s new school, his new home, is a sprawling metropolis within an empire and his perspective lets us see that city at its best and worst, from the courts to the gutters. Pierce has crafted a rich and detailed world here, one with fearsome and imaginative depth, in which it was a pleasure to be immersed.

The plot – well, I won’t spoil it. But it’s centred on Arram finding himself, learning to deal with his powers at the same time that he tries to deal with people. There’s some other stuff happening here too, though – the gentle swell of politics occurring just out of view, and a sense of stormclouds gathering over the horizon. The title promised tempests and slaughter, and here they can be found, both metaphorically and...otherwise. But really, this is Arram’s story, a personal story about friendship and growth, and that was more than enough to keep me turning the pages.

This is top notch fantasy, even if it’s not full of elves, dragons and epic battles. It’s about young people growing toward adulthood, in a world which is so different from ours, but also much the same. If it lacks in talking swords and buried treasure, it more than makes up for that with prose packed with honesty and heart. As a first time reader, this absolutely did not disappoint, and I’ll be coming back for more.

This is my first book by Tamora Pierce and I was really intrigued by the synopsis and liked the start of the book, but it quickly felt dull and boring. I had a lot of trouble connecting with the characters and the plot for the first 45% of the book and I almost stopped reading.

I just felt as though nothing was really happening and I struggled to see an overall plot. I persevered because I hate giving up on books and there were some parts of it that I did like, such as the magic itself, and some of the other characters such as the masters, the gladiators and the gods provided the most amusement.

I did feel as though the book picked up around 55-60%, things seemed to get more interesting and I felt more of a connection with Arram as he faced certain challenges.

Mostly, I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. I know that this is the first book in a series but honestly, it took me such a long time to read with very little taking place and then ended in such an odd, non-conclusive place that I feel really confused.

I think the story and the characters have more to offer and I'm really hoping that book 2 has better pacing as I'd like to find out what happens next, but only if it doesn't drag on for quite so long.

Have you read this one? What do you think?

My first book by Tamra Pierce, but I will be starting on her back catalogue soon! I don’t always enjoy traditional style fantasy but I really loved this. The trio at the centre of the story are great and Arram is a humble, extremely gifted young student of magic. I loved the tutors, learning about lightening snakes, all the different magics.I loved the Gods, especially Enzi the crocodile and the Hag, Preet, the firebird. I loved Arram’s gladiators friends. There is a conspiracy abroad and obviously Arram and his friends have an important future ahead of them. I understand this a prequel to a series already written by this author. I want to rush and read her entire body of work,but some of it will involve spoilers for the sequel to this.
Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

The bottom line of this review is going to be that if I had known this book would be the formulaic run through of the day to day activities of a young wizard in a wizarding school which wished it was Hogwarts but was actually just a cheesy rip off, I wouldn't have read it.

That doesn't mean this book is bad - it isn't - it's easy to read, immediately immersive and has likeable characters. Arram Draper has begun his first year at the Imperial University of Carthak. We see him battling against his embarrassingly uncontrollable powers (which is really good fun), making new friends (one of which is uncomfortably reminiscent of Hermione and ruins the originality of the story slightly) and learning how to harness his powers (which are also so impressive they make him the special one....did you roll your eyes? I did.).

I guess that's the problem with writing a book in a magical school - no matter how hard you try, there are going to be close parralels to Harry Potter, and nothing ever matches up. This wouldn't matter so much if the plot was unique, well-developed, exciting or really moved along but this book suffers from lots of quiet periods where we genuinely do just watch Arram go about his daily life - there is a serious lacking of plot and back story.

The ending was much better, with a great deal of the action and unravelling of what I think will become key pieces of information in future books taking place in this portion. The trouble is, I'm not sure I can manage another 400+ page book where all the good stuff happens in the last 50 pages.

A rich origin story buzzing with magic

The first thing you need to know is that this is an origin story for a hugely popular series. Tamora Pierce’s ‘The Immortals’ series features the legendary Numair Salmalin, a powerful wizard and a massively revered character by fans.
In ‘Tempests and Slaughter’ we delve into Numair’s early years, when he was simply Arram Draper, a mage with massive potential.
It appears fans of the series, and in particular of Numair, have been waiting for nearly a decade for Numair’s further adventures or indeed an insight into his early years, and now they have got it.

I wasn’t familiar with the series, or the character, but the premise interested me. A boy Wizard goes to Wizard school and meets two great friends who would go on to shape Kingdoms. Heard it all before right? Well not quite. This is no Harry Potter. In fact Numair and the world of Tortall were around before Harry Potter, even if ‘Tempests and Slaughter’ were not. If it lends itself to anything, it would be Ursula K Le Guin’s masterful ‘A Wizard of Earthsea’, where we see Ged, a peasant boy with magic, sent to the Island Of Roke to attend a school for Wizards.

I was not familiar with the series and read this as a stand-alone. I think it just about works in this way, but knowledge of the previous books would have enhanced my reading experience. I’m pretty sure Fanboys/girls would have lapped it up and whetted their appetites.

Anyhow, the story focuses on the ‘early years’ of the great mage Numair Salmalin (currently just plain Arram Draper) as he trains at the Imperial University of Carthak and befriends fellow students Ozorne, (who is very distantly in line for the Carthak throne) and the talented and beautiful Varice.

The book buzzes with magic and I enjoyed the magic system involved. The world building was rich, but a little limited, and the world seemed small and confined to a small area, mostly the university and the lessons. I imagine the subsequent novels in this series will expand on this as do the ‘Immortals’ series that came before it.

The characters are great and the relationship between the three main characters is endearing, although you do fear how this dynamic will work in the future (the fans already know!). The characters they encounter on the way from their teachers, gladiators, fellow students (to name a few) are well developed. Even The Gods pop up and interfere which is great fun.

As a stand-alone book I would say that the pacing is a little slow and that the novel is overlong. The plot is light and lacks any real threat or real enemy (although this is simmering in the background) however this is an origin story and part of a series, and I’m sure fans would disagree and allow themselves to be wrapped up in it.

I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to wizards and magic and thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it does have its difficulties as a stand-alone. With knowledge of the series and its rich history I’d expect this book to be a delight for all Tamora Pierce fans. Perhaps when I’ve completed the Immortals series, as a Fanboy I will rush back and upgrade its rating to 5 stars! The author certainly has piqued my interest to seek out the other books and I guess that’s the point as well as satisfying her hordes of fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC, in return for an honest review.

Tempest and Slaughter is a beautifully written fantasy with strong world-building, well-developed characters, and an addictive plot. The majority of the book is setting up things to come. The action really picks up at the end. I have a feeling the sequel will have even more. If you're looking for a new fantasy series to fall in love with, this is a great one to check out!

It’s been years since I read any Tamora Pierce. Back in my early teenage years, her Song of the Lioness and Circle of Magic books found me, and it felt as if I’d been waiting for them all my life. So I’m happy to say that coming back to her with Tempests and Slaughter felt just like slipping into a comfy, familiar jumper. I needed this book. Life was throwing shit at me, and being able to escape into Pierce’s world when I had a free moment was wonderful.

But! While I have read some of Pierce’s Tortall novels, I haven’t by any means read them all—and most importantly I haven’t read her Immortals series, which means I hadn’t met Numair Salmalín before. And so, oblivious as I am, I wasn’t initially aware that Tempests and Slaughter (and the books that will follow it) are a prequel series that elaborates Numair’s origin story. So if, unlike me, you can read Daine’s story before this, I’d recommend it.

Even so, I really enjoyed this book. I’m a sucker for a good school story, and that’s what Tempests and Slaughter is. The book is set in and around the University of Carthak in Carthak City, heart of the Carthaki Empire. Our protagonist, Arram Draper, is only ten at the beginning of the book, and exceptionally magically gifted. We get to watch Arram grow from child prodigy to a young mage of immense promise, as well as find his feet and his place in the hierarchy of the school and the world.

Let me tell you now: this is an absolute brick. If you’re not down for a long read where, truthfully, not a whole lot of very dramatic stuff happens, maybe this isn’t the book for you. But if you just really want to sink into another world, full of little details and interesting characters, then this is exactly up your alley.

But let me be clear. I’m not one of those who think just because the sky isn’t exploding that nothing’s happening. Things happen in this novel—even quite important things that shape the fate of empires. But Arram? He’s just a very clever schoolboy. Things that happen to people who aren’t him and in places where he’s not don’t seem like the biggest deal. Even when things do happen to him, the greater significance isn’t immediately clear.

Even if Arram can be a bit dense about things that happen in his vicinity, he’s still a perfectly charming companion to spend a few hundred pages with. Snuggle up with this book in the shortening evenings ahead or escape your commute with it—it’s a nice world to return to.

I really don’t know how to rate this book, I liked it but I am unsure why exactly I did.
I felt as if the story progressed really slowly and it was a good way done before main plot lines came to light in their entirety.
Nevertheless there was good background and plot building and I liked the different Masters and the main character Arram.
Again the main downfall of this book was I think the pace of it which may put people off a little but still I did like it and enjoyed Pierce’s writing which was engaging and drew me back to the book everytime I thought of putting it down.