Tempests and Slaughter is a charming book and a thoroughly enjoyable read. It’s not exactly full of surprise and novelty, but Pierce is such a good storyteller, you end up not minding. The magical classes, the teaching masters, and the various deities who pop up in unexpected places make a book that essentially revolves around a school timetable far more exciting and interesting than it should be.
I did find Tempests and Slaughter a little lacking in areas. There is very little plot. There are a few areas of tension, but these are not resolved within the course of the book and are clearly meant to develop over the course of the series. The result is a diverting meander through Tamora Pierce’s imagination, but look elsewhere if you like a plot-filled page-turner.

Arram and his two best friends are going to change the world, they just dont know it yet. It took me a while to get into the story, but all of a sudden I couldnt get enough. The characters are interesting, and it reminded me of Harry Potter, but with more interesting characters who feel like they have alot to tell us.

I can imagine this fantasy novel will be popular with the teen market.
I quite enjoyed it but I found it hard to warm the main characters, particularly Arram. He says things without really thinking about the consequences which I found a bit irritating, he seemed very young for his age.
I also found the almost random references to his ‘member’ quite bizarre.
My thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

I'm a long-time fan of Tamora Pierce, having read her first Alanna novel when I was only seven years old. In the following years, I ploughed through the rest of the Alanna quartet, her other Tortall-set books - including my absolute favourite, the Protector of the Small novels - Circle of Magic, the Circle Opens and Will of the Empress. This is the first of her very recent novels that I've tried, and overall, I felt disappointed. Tempests and Slaughter has an exciting premise for any Pierce junkie, especially those who've read her Immortals quartet. It focuses on the 'early years' of the great mage Numair Salmalin as he trains at the Imperial University of Carthak and befriends fellow student Ozorne, who is very distantly in line for the Carthak throne, and the pretty, talented Varice.

In many ways, Tempests and Slaughter shares close similarities with other Pierce books - most obviously, Alanna: The First Adventure, First Test, and the whole of the Circle of Magic series. Some of Pierce's novels have always had the tendency to focus on the quiet beginnings of an education, rather than significant events, and this is usually a theme I really enjoy. Pierce writes very well about learning new skills, about dedication and friendship, and I was hoping to find all these things in Tempests and Slaughter. To an extent, I did - but the book is simply too long. At 432 pages, it's at least twice the length of any of the novels I've just mentioned, and it just drags and drags. There's no central plot-line, and no sense of progress by the end of the book. If you have a clear recollection of the events of Emperor Mage - and I have to admit that I had to look these up, having never particularly got on with the Immortals quartet - there's some interest here in re-encountering familiar characters, but even that's surely not enough to carry the entire story.

There are some promising threads in Tempests and Slaughter. I really liked young Numair's - Arram Draper as he's known here - encounter with the brutality of the gladiatorial arena, and his growing friendship with one of the fighters, who turns out to have a link to his future. I also enjoyed the sequence when Arram is flung into the middle of a plague and has to use his Gift to provide medical care - it reminded me somewhat of a similar sequence in The Healing in the Vine. If the book had focused more on these plot-lines and less on the back-and-forth between Arram, Ozorne and Varice, it would have felt less repetitive. It would also have helped to differentiate it more from the now huge number of books about wizards going to wizard school (although I appreciate that this is a book Pierce has been planning for a very long time.)

I would read another book in this series, but I hope that the next is more tightly-plotted and/or shorter.

I will post this review on my blog closer to the UK publication date.

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately, I got to 25% and decided to <b>DNF</b> this one.

Tempests and Slaughter is labeled as a 'young adult' novel, but from what I have read so far it came across more like a 'middle grade' book. There were some little elements of YA, and maybe if I was to continue reading then it would progress further into YA - but I won't find out because I'm just not interested in the story or where it's going. It's quite slow and there is so much unnecessary details added, (which only added to the slow pace) and it was very offputting.

First off, let me say I have previously loved everything in the Tortall world that Pierce has released. So much so that my parents had to buy them for me multiple times as they were disposed of in various states of disrepair. This instalment however did not do it for me. Perhaps it was my high expectations. Perhaps it was me outgrowing the world.

I found the writing of the characters in the most part lacking. Two of the main characters are so involved with themselves and whining about their plights, that I found myself so utterly reviled that I almost stopped reading. Usually able to knock over books of this length in a couple of nights, it took me almost 2 weeks to finish this.

The overall premise of the story is the backstory of Numair, an interesting and well fleshed out character in later (chronologically) tales. It takes place in the university of Carthak and revolves around the education of three students Arram, Varice and Ozorne. This however is literally the majority of the novel - imagine Harry Potter but without any of the good bits. It is dull and monotonous

I found the theme of slavery to be well discussed without feeling heavy and dampening the mood. Gladiators within the arena are forced into servitude within Tortall and a discussion as to the merits of their freedom ensues in a manner that feels neither forced nor weighty.

I found the continuous usage of various terms within the context of a certain character's manhood soured my opinion of the novel. At one stage I actually made comment that the particular section of the narrative in which it was discussed felt more Mills and Boone than YA fantasy.

The world building within is next to non-existent, presumably the author expects her readers have read the rest of her works. While the map is thorough, due to the majority of events occuring within a finite distance of the university, it was not helpful.

While I did not enjoy this particular instalment, Pierce's previous works have been spectacular (everyone has a bad one) and I hope that the followups in the series provide greater entertainment than this one. Although I didnt enjoy it, I do recommend fans of the Tortall world at least give it a go.

Tamora Pierce wrote four of the books that I returned to again and again, the Song of the Lioness quartet, so when I had the chance to read a new series, I jumped at it.

Arram Draper is just starting on his own personal journey through magic, learning to control his exceptional gift and just how far it reaches. Alongside him are Varice, a clever, pretty, much under-estimated girl, and a prince, Ozorne, who starts his life far removed from the throne of the emperor but slowly finds himself growing ever closer as the heirs between him and it die, making his life more valuable and more closely protected and stifled. The fate of the three, and a little bird called Preet, are intertwined, but threesomes rarely end well, and the rest of the series will, I hope, decide whether this is still true or not.

An easy-to-read book that flows at a good pace, stuffed with colour and texture, plot and character, this young adult novel manages to entertain the adult as well as draw back enough to be suitable for younger readers. I am rather desperate to read the next installment as this one was very much setting the scene for what is to come, descending sadly in some places into a slightly watery, more fantastical version of a Harry Potter, detailing little more than Arram's daily classes and teachers. But it is that knowledge that there will be more and it will all become relevant that keeps you going past these more bland passages.

Really disappointed in this one. It should have been right up my street but... nothing happens. Three trainee mages at magic school - so far so Harry Potter. But they’re not that interesting, the supporting characters even less so, and we just trundle through school life with no subplot.

I initially rated this four stars but did not write a review. For some reason, I wasn't ready. I had to go think about it some more before I could put my overall thoughts into words.

And that's when I realized something: I was rating this based on what I wanted it to be, what I was sure it would be before I started the book, and just generally what I expected from Tamora Pierce. But - and it pains me to say it - this is just not a four star book.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely enjoyable parts. Three stars means "I liked it", after all. It was very easy to get into, very easy to read, with the loping effortless style of a seasoned author who knows the audience she is writing for well. It is fun and formulaic, but spends a lot of time meandering, lacking direction or purpose. Almost all of the forward momentum of the plot occurs in the last fifty-ish pages, setting us up for what will probably grow into a good series.

As with the wonderful Alanna books, Tempests and Slaughter follows the protagonist, this time Arram Draper, through his years at a fantasy school. This magic boarding school definitely has more of a Harry Potter vibe, though. Arram, along with his two friends, Varice and Prince Ozorne, moves through the semesters of the Imperial University of Carthak, attending classes, making enemies, and learning from powerful mages.

Arram's day-to-day life makes up the majority of the book. Sure, events happen to stir things up, but it is a long time before there is any sense of something bigger at play, or an overall destination for the story at large. While character backstory and development is essential, there are several hundred pages where it feels like there is nothing we are reading towards. Instead, Arram gets his first erections and discusses wet dreams with Ozorne, which, you know, it's great that we're talking about this in YA, but I was left wondering-- where is the plot?

As the book winds slowly to a close without much of a climax, you can see how the author has developed certain plot points for future - and, I hope, more dynamic - installments. The theme of slavery seems to be of importance and I look forward to seeing what Pierce does with that. Let's face it, disappointments aside, I am definitely coming back for the next book.