I was glad to have the chance to read this book, I had heard so many good things about this book, so I was excited when I got the chance to read and review the book through netgalley.com.

I found this book interesting, however, it wasn't perfect, I found that it dragged a few times, so I felt that it took me a while to get the book finished. However, it was not all bad, the author Tamora Pierce had a way with words and was able to create beautiful imagery throughout the book. I also thought the character development was brilliant; I look forward to the next book.

A really magical and enjoyable read.

It is the first I have read/heard of this author but it won't be the last.

Tamora does an amazing job at immersing the reader in this magical world. Whilst it is a little slow paced (to be expected from a prequel that is introducing characters) it is not difficult to read or boring in any place which is a testament to Tamora's writing!

I really thoroughly enjoyed this and will be looking into the rest of the series!

This was the first Tamora Pierce book I have read and I can tell you, it won't be the last! I enjoyed reading it, even at the beginning where it was a little slow explaining the world's concept. The characters were interesting and Arram was instantly likable.

I am looking forward to reading the next books in this series and then I plan to move onto the next series!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for giving me this book to review.

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.

I absolutely adore this book. It took me a little while to get into it but that is because the language was so different. Within a couple of nights reading (generally I read at night when I go to bed) I was absolutely hooked. The author is fantastic, I want to immerse myself into more... like right now! I understand why the link to 'Harry Potter' has been made, I am not sure where I saw that, and I get it. But it is so different. Equally as magical. A cracking read, which I can highly recommend. I haven't read anything by this author before, but I certainly will now. There is always something that excites me about a series, I know there are more books after this but I am not sure how many. I am about to make sure I add them all onto my 'to read' list.

Arram is a one of the youngest students in his class at the School of Mage at the Imperial University of Carthak. After he floods one of his classrooms, he meets Varice and Prince Ozorne, which whom he become best friend. Through the book, we see Arram go from a young kid to a young adult, learn magic, discover the world and politic at the imperial court as Ozorne is getting closer to the throne. It was the first book that I read from Tamora Pierce and I found it very long and descriptive, but nothing really happened before the last 50 pages of the book. It might be much more interesting for reader that have met Numair in other books and the next book might have more action in it, but that book felt like a very long introduction to all the characters.

Tempest and Slaughter is my first introduction to Tamora Pierce's world building and writing and I am hooked. From the first chapter I knew that I wanted to read all of Tamora's older work and that I'd be sucked into a magical but bloody world. I flew through this book and feel like I lived through every piece.

The magic boarding school setting is perfect as the reader learns about the different types of magic as Arram learns how to wield them. The world building is very visual from the nice setting of the boarding school to plague towns and the bloody gladiators arena.

Tamora has a knack for making the reader feel for the characters and continuously hope that only good happens to them. The friendship between Arram, Ozorne and Varice is well developed and realistic and adds so much charm to the story.

I would definitely recommend Tempest and Slaughter for anyone looking for a fantasy set in a boarding school.

*ARC received from publisher via netgalley, all opinions are my own*

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.

Let me preface this review by saying that I’ve never read anything by Tamora Pierce before and that I had no idea the characters in this book have been introduced previously in other books! It was only after I went to Goodreads to write a review that I noticed people referencing this being set in the same universe as some of her other books and that Arram crops up in those books! I’m definitely interested and will be taking a look at those other books to pass the time until the next book in this particular series is out!

I definitely felt a Harry Potter vibe in this book, with Arram, a 10 year old mage, heading off to a school where he’d be partaking in many magical classes, developing friendships, making enemies, and realising he’s more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

The book is quite slow paced, in the grand scheme of things there is very little action, danger, or anything to truly keep the reader gripped, and yet gripped I was. For the most part the story follows Arram, Orzorne, and Varice through several years of their school life, attending their classes, the different relationships that form, and the occasional incident that throws a curveball in their normal classes. Somehow, it was completely and utterly gripping and I loved it.

I mean, there was of course more than what I just described, but that does encompass a large part of what the story consists of. There is also gladiator fights, intrigue surrounding the seeming accidents that keep happening to their heirs to the throne, and rather intense training in medicine for Arram. Oh, and a wonderful bird named Preet.

I enjoyed the world building, I didn’t feel as though I’d been thrown into the deep end with regards to the world and how it worked just because I hadn’t read the previous books – like I said, I didn’t even realise that there were already books that existed set in this world. It was wonderfully well written and truly immersive and expansive, from underwater, to the arena, to the school itself, it was all brilliant.

I love the characters, from the core three to their teachers and the gods, all the characters seemed to work well together and have a purpose. Musenda was a particular favourite, I’d love to read more about him. Arram was really quite innocent and naïve to the world he was in, and was quite frankly, adorable. Varice was like Hermione Granger reincarnate – she was clever, kind, loyal, and just generally quite a smile-inducing character. Orzorne was strong-willed but listened to his friends, was generous, although he was quite racist and I foresee a clash between Orzorne and Arram about that in the future.

I definitely hope the next book will be more fast paced, because although I really was gripped with this book, I’m not sure that would carry forward to another book with the same pacing because now I’ve become more familiar with the world and characters, so such a slow paced book likely wouldn’t hold my attention so well!

Many thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley!

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.