Tempests and Slaughter

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Pub Date 20 Sep 2018 | Archive Date 1 Apr 2022

Description

The legend begins.

In the ancient halls of the Imperial University of Carthak, a young man has begun his journey to becoming one of most powerful mages the realm has ever known. Arram Draper is the youngest student in his class and has the Gift of unlimited potential for greatness . . . and of attracting danger.

At his side are his two best friends: clever Varice, a girl with too often-overlooked, and Ozorne, the ‘leftover prince’ with secret ambitions. Together, these three forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms.

But as Ozorne inches closer to the throne and Varice grows closer to Arram's heart, Arram realizes that one day – soon – he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In the Numair Chronicles, fans of Tamora Pierce will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom's future rests on the shoulders of a boy with unimaginable gifts and a talent for making deadly enemies.

The legend begins.

In the ancient halls of the Imperial University of Carthak, a young man has begun his journey to becoming one of most powerful mages the realm has ever known. Arram Draper is the...


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ISBN 9780008304331
PRICE £2.99 (GBP)
PAGES 400

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Featured Reviews

This was the first book I have read by this author and did not realise that it was a prequel for some 'well loved' characters. I could not put the book down. I enjoyed everything about it, the story, the characters, the details. I enjoy fantasy books and but it is rare for me that I find a something new in them. I certainly did here, the combination of the magic school and the well drawn characters was brilliant. The way the friendships and relationships between characters was extremely well done. I was sad to finish the book and I am excited to know that there are other books by this author and I shall be looking to read them.

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It was so good to slip back into the Tortall Universe; it's been a long time since I read her other books, like the Alanna quartet, but having read the first of the Numair chronicles I want to re-read the rest of the Tortall books!
This is not a fast paced book, Pierce is setting the background and fleshing out the characters for the books set in the future, its is Numairs origin story.. I did not mind that it was not a thrill a minute page turner, I enjoyed being lulled back into this fantasy realm and getting to know Arram, Varice and Ozorne in particular.
I loved the descriptions of the city, the masters and the usage of magic.

When is the next book out ?

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I've been a fan of Tamora Pierce's writing for over 20 years and her books set in the Tortall world are some of my favourite books ever. Her past books and series have not excited me as much as her early books but this one was like returning to an old friend after a decade of not seeing each other.
This book is vivid, well crafted and full of interesting contemporary ideas mapped on to this fictional world. I really hope that book 2 in this series is forthcoming sooner rather than later!

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My review is a bit odd in as much as this book felt to me like slipping into an old and comfortable shoe.; not because I've read anything written by Tamora Pierce before but because the book has lots of "new stuff" to consider injected into a "traditional" framework.

Please don't misunderstand that opening, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be looking to read the next volume and other books written by Tamora Pierce.

Arram and Varice's characters I particularly enjoyed. what not to like with a shy/precocious, young, extremely bright female and a young male who is frequently completely out of touch with himself to the extent that whilst "trying" to control a drop of water he raises a volcano of water? Ozorne, not so much as he already resembles far too many of today's political leaders and strident politicians. Having said that, likely to have been the author's plan all along, giving us 3 protagonists that we could choose to (dis)like according to our own biases.

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A Tamora Pierce book is a joy to read.

I normally try and review books with constructive criticism, but with Pierce's work, there is no need. She writes to perfection, and I happily read this for the pure wonder of it. It is not often that one is able to say that any book from an author is an auto read, no questions asked, but Pierce is one of them. She is among the greats, alongside Robin Hobb and other major fantasy authors. Her world is fully imagined, and I love to read about any of the characters, from any part of the wonderful timeline.
This book takes characters I have loved from pervious books (from a future time line) and tells the story of their youth. Its wonderful to read their growth and beginnings, though for me, a tiny bit melancholy to see a character I know will grow to do terrible things in their innocence. I was sighing in pity knowing what's to come, knowing the struggles of their future, and even knowing, wishing it wouldn't happen.

I can think of no higher praise than an auto-read and auto-buy, and Pierce delivers another amazing beginning that will take up residence in my heart.
Do not think, just read!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A wonderful introduction to a world filled with magic, mystery, murder, friendship, family & politics.

Arram is a compelling and sympathetic protagonist, a mage in training with an exceptional amount of power that throughout the book he works to hone. His friends, Varice and Ozorne, are the perfect counterparts with unique personalities and conflicting desires that make the friendship between the three both tense and engaging.

I have never delved into a Tamora Pierce work before, but most definitely would having finished Tempests and Slaughter. It is the relationships between the characters which is the most compelling element of this writing, alongside the magic of course! There are times when the narrative slows, lingers to relate details and flesh out the history and politics of this world, however there remains the sense that there are layers to this universe that the reader has yet to discover.

The only issue I would find with this novel is the plotting and abrupt conclusion. I actually scrolled back and forth on my Kindle to ensure that it actually had ended and I hadn't accidentally skipped the last remaining pages. It's clear that this novel is setting up for a sequel, yet the ending could have more development than it currently does, as it felt like the writing was building up to a climax only to stop short of any major drama occurring.

In summary, this is an entertaining and imaginative read that will appeal to young adults and adults alike - especially those inclined to fantasy (think Robin Hobb). I devoured the book and can't wait for Arram, Varice and Ozorne to return in the next instalment, where I'm sure the reader will discover how their friendship twists and tangles as the world pulls them in conflicting directions.

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I have to be completely honest up front: Tamora Pierce is my favourite ever author, so I'm probably going to be a little biased. If you want strong female characters kicking ass and getting ahead in a world that tells them to sit down and shut up then she's the author for you!

Entertainingly, Tempests and Slaughters main character is a man, a previously seen character who's back story we are about to see for the first time that has only been hinted about in the past. If you've never read The Immortals Quartet you might find Numairs story a little strange to read, but trust me this is a fantastic book that brings more life to an already beloved character (and also go read everything else she's written, you won't regret it!)

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Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a copy of this book.

I have been a fan of Tamora Pierce for a long time but didn't realise this was a prequel to another series of books that I haven't read...........how did I miss them?! Needless to say I'll be getting them asap.

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it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book, I'm happy to get new book from Tamora Pierce. I've read a few of her series, including those that include a grown up Arram. I love getting to learn about his early days. You can see the signs of who Ozorne will become in the Immortals series that precedes this series.

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I think its important to start by saying that i have never read any other Tamora Pierce books so had no prior knowledge of any of the characters. That being said i found this book to be utterly charming!
This book includes a number of very well developed characters that you can't help but fall a little bit in love with and puts them in one of my favourite book settings - magic school!
The magical classes and their quirky teachers were lots of fun to read about and the similarities to ancient Rome make it a truly a fascinating read.
I did have a few issues with the pacing, on multiple occasions the book spent a large amount of time focused on a particular issue and then next thing you know weeks have flown by. the snippets of the larger story outside of the school were very interesting and i wish we got to explore more of that however the story within the school was interesting enough to warrant a 4 star rating.

I'm now really interested in what Arram gets up to in the future and can't wait to read more works by Tamora Pierce.

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Since I tend to read books in large chunks, it takes a lot for me to call a book ‘unputdownable’. The last time I felt that was about a book it was Now I Rise from The Conqueror’s Saga. Now, in this case, things were a little more complicated since I read this book on my breaks on my work PC. Let me tell you, every moment that I wasn’t reading that book, including the time between going home at the end of one day and coming in the next, I was thinking about getting back into reading this book. Having been through a reading slump for almost the whole of July that was a powerful change. If that’s not enough to convince you that this book was amazing, I suppose I can go into a bit more detail.

This story has some of my favourite elements from stories, there are magical animals (Preet the bird is my favourite character), finding friends after feeling like an outsider, ethics, magic school and more, this book checks almost every box I could possibly have on a ‘make Judith read a book’ list. But none of them feel like anything else, so often ‘magic school’ books feel like they are trying to be Harry Potter but this is all it’s own. Again, I’m sure that’s because there have been all the previous books to build up that distinct detail, but for me, that was totally refreshing.

The characters in this story are just phenomenal. I loved Arram, who could easily have been the kind of young, gifted male protagonist that just irks me, instead he has a lot of different aspects to his character, he doesn’t have one character flaw that’s put in there to appease the reader, he’s multifaceted. While Arram is quite young at the beginning of the book, Pierce manages to capture a young voice without it feeling forced or annoying (a problem I often have with younger characters). But it is the side characters that really make this story, not just Arram’s friends (though they are wondrous) but the host of other students, teachers, and people out and about in the world, all have the same level of detail applied to them, the overall effect is that you are totally immersed in this story from page one right through to the end.

I think some people will critique this book for the lack of plot? It’s certainly true that the story doesn’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end that some other stories do. Instead, this actually reminded me a lot of The Name of the Wind, in that the story is much more of a slow progression, unfolding in a much more natural manner. You grow up with these characters, they make things happen and things happen to them as time goes by. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but for me it makes such a nice change from the ‘Sidney was just living his perfectly normal life when SUDDENLY he ends up overthrowing the government, falling in love and summoning a demon made out of saucepans all in the space of a week’ formula.

Overall I was left feeling like I wanted more (in the best way) and thankfully I have a whole host of books to read now - I can think of no higher commendation!

My rating: 5/5 stars

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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YA fantasy novel that starts a series and sets the scene – interesting stuff

This first volume of a series really is about setting the scene. With inevitable Harry Potter comparisons (two boys and a girl, all great friends, at magic school), this introduces a whole lot of interesting characters, masters and students. Arram is the main character and particularly gifted and it's his experiences that are at the heart of this novel. There's not a lot of action and moral themes are brought in, no doubt to be enlarged on in a further volume. Plot development is good as is the characterisation.

I came away thinking that, interesting as it was, there could be a lot more to it and it was a bit light. However it's definitely worth a look to those young adults and children who love fantasy books.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I've loved Tamora Pierce for so much of my life I'm afraid I can't review a brand new book by her like a rational human being - it's all just wild scenes of fangirling and flailing here right now! It's fascinating to read about the early life of Arram - although he doesn't feel like the Numair we know and love yet, he's definitely on the way. The other returning characters are a mixed bag, some we know will go to the bad in later life so it's bittersweet to see them before the rot sets in, but others (mainly Sarge!) are a pure delight. And Preet! Oh Preet. If you don't fall in love with Preet immediately then we're probably incompatible as friends. There are obvious echoes of Kitten there, but I don't care, she's completely adorable!


The story is classic TP, although with a higher page count than the stories I remember from my childhood it feels like there's less action, it's no less absorbing for it. We begin with our gifted hero as a child, struggling to control his powerful magical talents but eager to learn, and follow him through several (eventful!) years of mage school. (If I read any comparisons to Harry Potter I will throw things - Carthak University was around long before Hogwarts was even a speck of an idea!)


This book is clearly laying foundations for the sequels to come but I refuse to deduct a star for that. The rich detail and interesting characters were enough to draw me into the story, and this is a world I can never get enough of. I am positively giddy with excitement for the next book though, I predict there will be plenty of action in that one!

<I>*ARC from Netgalley for an honest opinion*</I> (It has been so hard to contain my excitement for this book until reviews were allowed to be posted!)

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Tamora Pierce was my teenaged self's J. K. Rowling (and L. J. Smith my Stephenie Meyer, still awaiting the final Night World book though!!) This was such a great nostalgic fun read, I loved seeing the early incarnations of some of the characters. I couldn't resist digging out my old copies of the Immortals series straight after and indulged in another re-read. Looking forward to the next one.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

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would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

i am hooked...this book kept me up very late at night and i then when i awoke i had to finish it

well worth a read if you are into mages, magic, dark arts and everything to do with magic and witchcraft

but this book is so much more and the author bought all the characters to life even preet

who wouldnt want to learn how to walk under water and see the marvels that await there

cant wait for the next book in this series and the author is on my watch list now

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I was so excited when this book came up on NetGalley for me to read as the author is one of my daughter’s favourites. She may be a YA author but I really enjoyed the book and will have to read more after Tempests and Slaughter! The characters are built up through the book so that one learns to love them and wants to know what is going to happen in their futures. The story is set in a school for mages and the main character becomes good friends with two others. There is a similarity to Hogwarts and to Harry Potter and his friends but the story is very different. And if you liked HP, then you will like this book as well.

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Tempests and Slaughter is the new series by Tamora Pierce, the book is already out in the states, but it is published in the UK on 20th September 2018. I have not read any of Tamora previous books, but I loved the sound of a fantasy book in a school setting.



Arram Draper is the youngest Mage in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he is on a journey to become the most powerful Mage the realm has even known. Arram has unlimited potential with his gift, but with his potential does have a habit of attracting danger.  Arram has two friends, also younger than the rest of the class. Varice is incredible clever but over looked due to the area of magic she wants to study. Ozorne is the left over prince, 8th in line to the throne, although he says he just wants to be a mage he has secret ambitions.

As Arram grows into his gift, Arram will have to decide what he will want to do after his education finishes, and what will this mean to his friendship with Varice and Ozorne.



I loved to book from the beginning, I found the world intriguing and the education of the Arram fascinating. I would love to go to Imperial University of Carthak and be taught how to be a Mage.

As I havent read any of Tamora previous books  I loved learning about the world as Arram is learning, you don't feel like you are missing out by not reading the other books.

Arram is a great character, but the character that sold the show was Preet. She is a bird left in  the care of Arram, so much personality for an animal that can not speak. I am not a bird person but I am a Preet person.  Another honourable mention is to Enzi the crocodile God.

Tamora Pierce has created such a magical world, once I found out her other books are sent in the same world, I knew I will need to read them, but I am sadly going to have to wait till I get my TBR pile down, before I add another 20+ books.

I give Tempests and Slaughter 5 out of 5.





Thank you to Harper Voyager for sending me an ARC of Tempests and Slaughter for a fair and honest review.

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Wow! Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!
I'd never read anything by Tamora Pierce before reading this, and now I want to read her entire back catalogue asap, that's how much I loved this book!
Whilst this is set in the same universe as the Tortall books, it is definitely not necessary to have read those first - I hadn't and I don't feel it affected my reading of the novel at all.
It does feel a little bit that this book is setting the reader up for the rest of the novels, as it doesn't feel that any huge events occur, but it's clear there are many, many little events which are clearly foreshadowing things that will occur in future books. I'm normally an action kinda-girl, but the time the author spent on character development, the relationships between characters and the world-building made this book not need a massive amount of action. Having said that, there were still a number of times I found myself holding my breath in fear of what might happen & I shed a few tears as well! But that just proves what an impact it had on my - I don't have that kind of reaction without a true connection to the novel. This was also proven by the fact that I could barely put it down. The first night I read it, I was up until 3am reading it, just because I couldn't put it down!
Some people may compare it to Harry Potter, it's set in a magical school (university) with a friendship group of 2 boys and a girl, and an elderly Headmaster who seems to know everything and a creepy-ass teacher, who the reader develops suspicion of. But having said all of that, Tempests and Slaughter is actually completely different. There is no over-arching evil, although there are characters whose intentions & actions are very suspect. There are also terrible things which occur, but it's difficult to know who has caused them, and that creates the mystery aspect of the novel, which I really enjoyed!
Overall, I absolutely adored this novel & can't wait for the next one! I do hope we won't have to wait long! I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy & mystery.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley, in return for an honest review.

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I'm super happy to read a new book by Tamora Pierce - it reminds me of everything I love about this genre, my reading childhood and I'm looking forward to the next book.

That being said, nothing happened. Lots of things were set up - information, plot points, relationships - but still, nothing happened! It seemed like everything was heading towards some kind of climax, but the end was very ... anticlimactic.

That being said, the series is set.

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I read this prequel as my first introduction to the world of mages where Arram, Varice and Ozorne are studying to be master mages.

I am hooked, and will read all of the other existing books in this series.

The characters are thrilling, from the animals, the university masters, the gods and our three main friends.

Our main character is Arram Draper a very young mage who has been fast forwarded through university due to his extreme talent. There he meets the beautiful and extraordinary Varice and her friend prince Ozorne.

Delve into this world, you won’t regret it!

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Ive never read any other books by Tamora Pierce so I was a bit worried I would miss out on somethings within this book but that wasn't the case. I loved this book and all the characters in. Despite how much I like Arram and Varice, I'm also happy about the slow burn and seeing them grow more as friends first.

The friendship between the three main characters grows so much throughout this book and they each become better people for it. We see their struggles and how they help each other through though times.


However, I will say that until 50% of this book I found a few background characters, such as the masters, to be a bit hollow and lacking personality. Luckily this got less and less as the book progressed. I also found Arram's puberty a little awkward to read but thats just me, others might not mind it so much.

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Ever since The Song of the Lioness series i have loved Tamora Pierce's work this definitely was a great book, i couldn't put the book down, the plot is great the relationships between Arram draper and his friends and teachers makes a total page turner. i cant wait to see what happens next

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Supurbe! A truely absorbing read for those who like YA, magic and coming of age sagas. This book is based around several years of school life for our main character Arram and his friends. I'm sure this is just the first part of a series and am really looking forward to the next book.

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I loved this one from start to finish. Arram is a child gifted with immense power. Underestimated and easily bored he struggles until a class accident is stopped by the masters. From there he’s thrust into an education like no other, finding friends, enemies, gods and whole load of magic. The story flows like water through dark and light, happiness and sadness. The interfering gods are just perfect. I love Enki and master Sebo. Preet is full of mischief. There are so many elements that had me hooked. The ending did feel a little anticlimactic, almost the calm before the storm. Or I was probably just sad it was over. Defo looking forward to the next one.

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I feel like it's important to start by saying that this is the first Tamora Pierce book I've ever read. I have friends who love her work, but I just never got around to it. I understand this book to fit in somehow with the broader world of some of her other books, but I don't know what form that takes, and I had zero knowledge or preconceptions before I started this book. I mention this because a lot of readers probably DID have preexisting ideas, so my review will be different.

This book largely revolves around the magical education of the protagonist and his two closest friends. There are a few dramatic encounters and adventures along the way -- gods and murders -- but for the most part, it's not a particularly action-packed book, in my opinion. But that's okay. Actually, I liked that about it, but I am a complete sucker for the academic study of magic and the whole concept of magical university. It gets me every time.

Given the "university" setting you might think the characters are in their older teens, but they're not. It starts with Arram being eleven years old, although it covers several years and shows him growing up a lot. The tone matures with him, but I still occasionally felt it was pitched younger than the characters, at least stylistically -- the content wasn't childish. We also got to see him going through puberty in a level of detail I didn't think entirely necessary (seriously, why do we need to know about the first time he got an erection), but I guess for a younger audience a bit of sex ed never goes amiss...

As for his friends, well: Varice is a beautiful cinnamon roll, too good for this world. I liked her a lot, though I felt seeing her from Arram's perspective was quite limited and didn't allow her to shine as much as she might have done (maybe a future book will feature her more prominently?). We see her primarily as his friend, eventually with a romantic tint, rather than focusing on her as a mage in her own right, but I'd have liked to know more about her magic. Ozorne... I was not so attached to. He has this whole revenge thing going on because his dad was killed, but it manifests as prejudice and racism, and he's way too okay with slavery. Arram is basically the only one who isn't, which I can foresee causing conflict in later books, but it made it hard to like Ozorne as much as I might otherwise have done. He has redeeming features, but he's mostly just... frustrating.

As I mentioned, it's not exactly a page turner, and while several major plot threads were set up (including one relating to a crocodile god), they're not exactly resolved. In that sense, it felt very much like a first instalment rather than its own book, which of course is what it is, but it made the ending slightly less than satisfying. There's a cute bird called Preet whose storyline seemed at first like it might be the underlying plot, but it didn't exactly... GO anywhere, and while I'd be sad to see the back of Preet, I sort of wished at least one of these plot threads had been resolved.

Having said all that, I still enjoyed the book a lot. Because magic. And studying magic. And comparing techniques -- book magic vs more natural magic, academic magic vs folk magic... that's all stuff I'm a huge nerd about, and having a whole book that revolved more or less around that was great.
--
This review appears on Goodreads and a modified version will be cross-posted to my blog next week.

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Highlights

Friendship

Magic School!

Gods

Magical animals 

The Story

Its a slow moving story without much action, but at the same time its a great view into a world, it's magic and it's people.

We follow the main character through his first few years at a magical University where we quickly come to understand that his abilities are beyond normal levels. As he put it himself: he has become too odd to be bullied.

There is at least a few years of university that flies by without much content. But at the same time, the enjoyed being part of the progress from the start of uni to the upper academy levels to his independent studies and practices. I enjoyed exploring the magic and the world, and I didn't mind the lack of action.

Until the end.

I personally would have liked more action at the end. But hey! You can't have everything. 

World Building

This world was big, complex and fully formed. I was amazed by the gods and the way one spoke about them. The animals, the royals, the neighbouring countries, the many masters, the magic. It's all full of stuff that makes a diverse world.

Then I realised this book is set in the same world and features the same characters as one of the authors previous series - no wonder it's a well-developed world...

Magic System

Wow, this was complex! But it seemed to be the type of system where you had a certain level of gift/ability that belonged to you. If you used it too much it would wear you out. Also, it had gods with the ability to affect the world and its people which was fun and put a spin on things.

I liked that fact that the magic had limits but you didn't see much of it with Arram as his ability is so great. You only notice it when other comments on how he should be enough even though they normally would use two or three senior students. Or when Arran passes out from exhaustion 🤷‍♀️.

The Characters

There are three main characters; the main character and his two best friends. The story starts off with them being 11-13 years old and goes through puberty before ending with Arram being about 15-16 years old. I loved the friendship in the beginning. And I mean absolutely loved it. 9% into the book and my kindle highlight and comment is: "I love this friendship". 😂 Later on ,when they hit puberty, the friendship changes, as people normally change during this time. It becomes more focused on how to get a secure future.

Arram is the main character and it's his perspective we follow throughout the book. He is a great character, a bit naive but kind and caring, and with very amazing abilities.

Varice is the female of the friend group. She charms the others and she is the glue of the friends. 

Ozorne or Prince Ozorne is the rich friend if you like. He pays for a lot but he also is kind and a good friend. Arram learns a lot from him about being a man and about girls.

LGBT+?

Yes!

There is something extra sweet and special about middle-aged married m/m couple. It's just cuter than married f/f couple. It's cuter than a young married m/m couple. I don't know why I feel that way but there is just something special about it. It makes me happy.

Writing

It was great. After reading several self-published and debut authors, it was refreshing and comfortable to read something by a seasoned author. 

Summary

However, it felt more like a prequel than a first in a series. That might be due to the already existing sereies I didn't know it was a part of.

I will read the rest of the books in this series and continue on to the next series which is already out. In the meantime, I would pick up another book by the author as I loved he writing.

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I’ve been putting off reading Tempests and Slaughter because I was just too scared that it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Numair was my first bookish crush, and I have been desperately anticipating this book since the very first rumours that Tamora Pierce might write it, 15 years ago. I grew up on Pierce’s books, and I’ve just been terrified that this new one might not be the same magical experience…

But I really needn’t have worried. It’s quite simply perfect.

Honestly, this book took me right back to being 11 years old. I have read all of Pierce’s books to death, and could probably recite most of them to you, so believe me when I say that I was dying for this book. Tempests and Slaughter starts, as so many of Pierce’s series do, with the protagonist at 11, starting their education, and following them as they grow up – the difference being, this is her first male protagonist, and this is a prequel exploring the adolescence of Numair Salmalin, the mentor and love interest of Daine, the protagonist of the Immortals Quartet. We meet Numair before he’s even thought about taking a mage name, back when he was plain old Arram Draper. He’s a magical prodigy, and is one of the youngest attendees of the School for Mages at the University of Carthak. The book follows him throughout his training until he is a young man, and I assume the series will bring us up to the beginning of Wild Magic, because really, he isn’t that much older when Daine meets him.

In The Emperor Mage, the third book of the Immortals Quartet, Daine and Numair visit Carthak and meet several figures from Numair’s past – Varice Kingsford, the now-Emperor Ozorne, and Master Lindhall the animal mage, to name a few key players. Tempests and Slaughter takes these relationships out of backstory and into real life, which was fascinating for me. Ozorne in particular is a very, very different person as an adolescent than he is as Emperor, and I am fascinated and a little bit terrified to see how he transforms over the course of this series. He’s already much closer to the throne at the end of Tempests and Slaughter than he was at the beginning. I loved seeing how Arram, Ozorne and Varice work as the classic magic-school trio, and it sheds a lot of light on the events of The Emperor Mage and how that must have affected Numair. I definitely need to reread it in the light of this new information. Man, the depth of these characters.

I loved catching all the little hints and links to the other series in here. I’ve been very vocal about the fact that I have hated seeing bloggers waving this around like any other new YA series – it’s a prequel, and to read it without already knowing and loving these characters seems kind of disrespectful. Of course, it stands alone in terms of plot and characterisation, but there’s a lot to miss if you don’t know to watch out for certain references. There’s a few smaller ones that will fly past without missing much – some of the magic works referenced are by Coopers, etc – but Ozorne’s love of the menagerie, for just one example, explains so much and sheds so much light, and I think without that these sections may have come across with much less impact. There’s a lot more that I can’t talk about without spoilers for this, the rest of this series, and the Immortals quartet, but please hit me up on Twitter if you want to talk about it (and find out where I gasped out loud!).

On the other hand, perhaps not knowing the endgame of the Immortals books would allow you to root harder for Arram and Varice’s relationship, which seems like it will gain more focus in the next book. Knowing what I know, I was completely not rooting for this to happen, but perhaps readers going in cold might have found them more shippable. I was surprised how much I was able to put aside my prejudices against Varice and Ozorne, but I’m sorry, Numair/Daine was one of my first OTPs and I’m not interested in him kissing anyone else ever.

I’ve seen a couple of comments on Goodreads that this is a boring book because it just follows Arram through his normal life – but this is exactly what I love about Tamora Pierce. These people are special – they have unusual magic, or are chosen ones, or are the first female something – but they still have normal lives. I love seeing people go to classes and have a fire to learn things. Why else would you pick up a book about a magical school? I never enjoyed the later Harry Potter books much because they took away the world I was interested in: learning about magic. I adore that Arram’s class schedules are in here. I love learning about the uses of magic with him (can I get a hell yeah for the use of herbs in medicine alongside ‘magic’ magic??). I love that even when he’s in the middle of enormous battles of wills between gods and mortals, he gets punished if he doesn’t do his homework or sasses a teacher. This is exactly what I’m here for. Yes, it’s formulaic, in as much as it follows the pattern of Pierce’s other series, but that’s what I wanted, and I would have been disappointed if it had been bombastic chosen-one fantasy.

(A side-note that yes, the bits about male puberty are awkward to read as a woman, and probably were to write. But I’ve always been thrilled with how matter-of-factly Pierce handles her heroine’s puberties, with frank discussion of periods, contraception, and the absolute pain in the arse that is growing breasts, so it’s actually nice that she didn’t shy away from the awkwardness of male puberty.)

I read this in one sitting. All 450 pages of it. I felt like I was a kid again, bubbling with sheer delight at Pierce’s magic world, desperately turning pages to soak it all in. The writing is spot on. The characters are, after mere pages, real old friends. I loved getting a chance to know more about Numair. I loved the difference in the magic teaching in Carthak as opposed to the teaching in Tortall, which we’ve seen in other books. I loved every single second of Tempests and Slaughter.

I wish I could give this 10 out of 5!

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This is the first book I've read by this author and wasn't aware that it was a prequel story. I did enjoy it though and getting to meet the characters. I loved meeting Arram and watching as he made friends and advanced through magic school. The friendship aspect of this book was really well done. If you enjoy fast-paced stories you might be a little disappointed as this book is all about setting up the background and fleshing out the characters that continue through the rest of the books in the Numairs Chronicles. This didn't take from my reading pleasure though and I loved finding out all about the different characters. I loved Varice and Ozorne and all the descriptions of the different uses of magic, the school, the gladiators, and more.

The world building is vivid and so well crafted. The author's voice is amazing and her words take you on a journey into a different world. It was pure magic reading this book and I know I am now going to read the other books from this world and meet the characters once more as grown up.

Arram is learning to control his magical gift and at the beginning of the book, he is very much a loner with no friends. When he causes a flood of water in one of his classes he is moved up and his friendship with Varice and Ozorne begins. It was lovely to see him making friends and read about the friendship developing. It kind of reminded me of Harry Potter and how he made his best friends when he went to Hogwarts. This is a great YA fantasy novel and by the way it ended, I'm sure there will be a follow up. I am happy to give this book five stars and look forward to reading more for this new author that I have discovered.

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Showing a flair for magic, Arram is sent to the university where his skills put him on a fast-track programme. Younger than the other students, he bonds with two other advanced-course students, one of whom happens to be a prince of the realm.

As the book progresses, so do Arram’s studies. Friendships deepen, and different types of magic are explored. Meanwhile, the politics surrounding Prince Ozorne grow ever murkier…

Many, many years ago, I absolutely loved a book called Alanna. It ends on something of a cliff-hanger, but pre-internet (yes, I’m old! ;)) I never found out about any sequels. Well, turns out that Ms Pierce is quite prolific, and that many of her books share a universe. So, there are at least 20 books between Alanna and Tempests and Slaughter, which is a lovely thing to go back to!

If, like me, you’re not really up on any of the other books, that works just fine – this can be read as a standalone. If you’re already familiar with the series, then this is a bit of a back story to the ‘Numair’ mentioned in the series name.

The style of the book is quite light – as in, skips over long periods of time, gives you small events not just catastrophe – but there are still some rotting corpses and brutal gladiators. The whole thing has a sort-of resolution, but there’s clearly more to come in the series – and I’m very glad for it!

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I never read any book by Tamora Pierce before and this was a wonderful discovery.
Everything was fresh, exciting and fascinating. I was enthralled and couldn't put this book down.
The world building is exceptional, the plot very good and the characters were well developed.
I'm so happy I could read this ARC and look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
I will surely look for the other books with the same characters as I really liked them.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to HarperVoyager and Netgalley for this ARC

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An impressive and immersive first book in what promises to be a terrific series, I come to this book new to Tamora Pierce as an author, and I have to say I am impressed. For those who may be worried about not having read her previous books, this is a perfect jumping on point
Arram Draper is an extraordinarily gifted young student of magic, at the imperial university of Carthak, He soon surpasses other students his own age, and is promoted to a higher class, where he becomes fast and firm friends with Orzone, the "left over "" prince, who is become less left over as more of the heirs to the throne seem to by dying every day, and Varice, not only beautiful but with a talent for magic involving food and potions. Among the youngest in the higher University, these three band together as their studies advance but can their bond hold when the ambitions of one seem to run counter to the sensibilities of another, and will the budding romance between two leave the other out in the cold?
I loved this book, its slow pace may irk some readers but not me, I revelled in the detailed world building and descriptions of the various deities and systems of magic, and loved the way the characters and their interplay and relationships were built over the course of the book. The mixture of real historical aspects like gladiatorial competitions fit very well into the fantasy world the author created and made it feel like the book was set in an alternate version of ancient Rome . If I had any real criticism it of the way the book ended, it felt a little abrupt and incomplete, though it is not in any way a cliffhanger. Since I look forward to reading the next book, and spending more time in this world, with these characters, this really is a minor quibble.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

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3.5 stars.

The Immortals Quartet was my introduction, as a much younger reader, to Tortall and Tamora Pierce, so Numair (and Daine and all the others) will always have a special place in my heart. But – unpopular opinion alert – I wasn’t all that fussed about his past. I was a little curious about how Arram Draper turned into Numair, but I didn’t think I wanted to know about his friendship with Ozorne or Varice (I’d rather have more Kel, she’s my absolute favourite). Still, this is a Tortall book and it has recognisable characters in it, beyond just Arram/Numair, so of course I wanted to read it when it came out.

I don’t know whether this had anything to do with it, but I really struggled at the beginning of this book. Having Arram making friends with people I already knew he’d be friends with and reading them complain about not having friends and having boring lessons didn’t really entice me in. However, I persevered, and I’m so glad I did, because at some point everything suddenly clicked and I was back in a Tortall story and all the comfortable, familiar feelings of reading these well-loved books came back.

Arram is adorable. He’s incredibly magically talented, but a complete soft-touch when it comes to animals and people (very much like Kel). He might be a little too understanding and sweet when it comes to some of his friends (mostly Ozorne, but Varice has some unpleasant opinions too), but he’s just plain nice and likeable, with that sweetness he tends to keep better hidden when he’s older.

I loved Preet, the misplaced sunbird. I loved Enzi, the grumpy crocodile god, and I really liked several of Arram’s teachers. I also loved getting flashes and hints of things that happen in later books and figuring out where certain characters fit (Sarge! My relief knows no bounds!). There’s a lot here to delight fans of the series, but I think it lays good enough foundations for newcomers to enjoy too.

But it does take a long time to get going, and when it does get going, it still meanders quite a bit. It is probably longer than it needs to be, but at the same time it has a lot to do in pleasing the old fans while not leaving out newcomers – who are, after all, the target age group. There are also far deeper issues to deal with than simply a young mage learning his craft – such a plague, poverty, slavery and brutal political machinations. There’s a lot to cover and a lot to set up, which does lead to a large book, but by the end the action moves much quicker and left me wishing I didn’t have to stop.

So while it’s not my favourite Tortall book, it’s a solid start to the series and I look forward to seeing how Arram’s story unfolds next. In the meantime I guess I’ll just have to get my Numair fix by rereading the old books again… oh, what a hardship.

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I loved this book so much that I read it twice, just to be sure I hadn't missed anything. It has the feel of a classic fantasy but the story is completely original and utterly compelling. The main character is immediately likable and very easy to believe in. The story flows beautifully throughout and leaves you wanting more, I can't wait to see how it progresses in further books. This is the kind of book I dream of, a great, well rounded tale with enough subtle undercurrents to make me feel that there is a lot more to come. I am excited to read more from this author and am planning to enjoy her other books as soon as I can. I can't praise this book enough.

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Can I just start off by saying, straight away, I loved loved loved this book! I can't wait for the next one already, and I just finished reading it.

This is the first book in a series named The Numair Chronicles. I understand that this will mean much to hardcore fans of the author, Tamora Pierce, and fits into the existing timeline laid down by her other books and series, and is set in the same world. I have never read any of her work before, so it means little to me, however I will now be catching up as much as possible before the next book in the series is released. As much as I am sure those in the know were particularly delighted with this book, I don't feel like I've missed out on anything being a newbie to Pierce's work.

The book follows the story of Arram Draper, a young mage at the outset of his career at the Imperial University of Carthak. He is very gifted for his age, and has been moved up quickly to learn with older pupils. This makes him somewhat of an oddity and outsider, and his difficulty to control his gift often gets him in trouble. He is a loner, until he makes two friends - a bossy and proper girl named Varice and a prince, Ozorne. The three become inseparable and Arram's life is altered drastically because of the alliance.

The pace is quite slow, but is suited to the amount of thought and detail in the writing. There are secrets and intrigue, a little romance, a lot of magic, and the story is extremely character driven. There is also some politics in discussion over things such as the future of the empire and its emperor, slavery and the division between different ethnic groups and classes. These are discussed somberly but with a light touch, making this a good introduction to such topics for younger readers.

The description of the different kinds of magic was good throughout the book, and I liken it very much to the Harry Potter series, although this is more serious and intricate, and less fantastical. The world the story is set in is similar in ways to fantasy series like Game of Thrones, which are detailed in their histories and political landscape.

Once again, I absolutely loved this book. I became invested in what happens to Arram, and I will definitely be jumping on the second book in the series as soon as I can. I'd recommend it to fantasy fans of all ages, from teenagers to adults I think anyone would enjoy this as much as I have.

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A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a copy of TEMPESTS & SLAUGHTER on NetGalley - Tamora Pierce's latest young adult book, set in her famous Tortall fantasy universe.

Obviously I was ecstatic since, as longtime Dear Readers know, Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Quartet is the reason I'm a young adult novelist. Ms Pierce is *that* influential. And for those of us who worship her as she deserves, it feels like about a decade since her last full-length novel release (in reality, MASTIFF, the final book of the Beka Cooper Trilogy, her last series set in Tortall, came out in 2011).

But TEMPESTS & SLAUGHTER was giving me a slightly conflicted feeling. It's the first book of the Numair Chronicles - a prequel trilogy about the early life of one of her beloved characters from her Immortals Quartet, Numair Salmalin, otherwise known as Arram Draper.

Why the conflict? Because Arram/Numair's early life is actually covered pretty thoroughly in books I've already read (and re-read and re-read again). He is the second most prominent character of the Immortals Quartet - which is probably my second favourite of all Ms Pierce's Tortall series - and his history is a pivotal part of the plot. The books tell us where he grew up, what he did and who his best friends were, as well as just how those relationships developed. It's a central part of the plot.

I don't have any objection to getting more depth and information about Numair! I love Numair! But I did have kind of squinky feeling about heading into a whole new series of books where I needed to invest myself in the characters and the plot when I knew, going in, exactly how it was all going to turn out. How it would end. I worried I just wouldn't be able to get into any of it, that it would feel hollow, or inevitable. More like a collection of Easter Eggs than a real story.

Well, I shouldn't have worried. Tamora Pierce's exceptional strength as a storyteller has always been her ability to create the most beautifully realised, well-rounded characters - and then build relationships between them on the page which allow them to evolve and develop in direct relation to each other in all these unexpected, simply unforgettable ways. It's miraculous. And as a result, this book sucked me in from the very first page.

Compared to many of her works it's not a high action epic, though there is plenty of incident within it, ranging from training mishaps caused by Arram, whose power is simply too great for someone so young to fully control, through unexpected encounters with animal gods, all the way up to an attempted slave revolt. Arram even gets an unusual animal companion in classic Pierce style.

But this isn't a book that's about plot. It's a book deeply rooted in relationships, in watching relationships change and grow - and the relationship between Varice, Ozorne and Arram was so unexpectedly sincere and joyful that I couldn't put the book down. It didn't seem hollow. It seemed multi-faceted and nuanced and fascinating and, honestly, my heart broke a little bit for all of them. My knowledge of all these people's eventual fates only added depth and poignancy.

Meeting younger and less hardened versions of other such significant characters as Tristan, Chioke, Princess Mahira, and Lindhall, and having the chance to see the beginning of Ozorne's rise as well as the beginning of his descent was merely the icing on that compelling cake.

Which is a good thing, because this book ends just when things are rising to a point of high tension. Arram has made a fateful decision about his future, feelings between two of the central trio of friends have finally been declared, and Ozorne is beginning to display not only signs of the violent instability which will later have such disastrous consequences for Carthak and the whole world, but also a kind of burgeoning ambition that makes me suddenly re-evaluate his motives throughout the book. Arram is still Arram - he hasn't picked out his rather more ostentatious mage name yet - and he's still a mere student at the university, along with Varice and Ozorne.

I was stunned when I realised the book ended there. It felt, to put it mildly, a bit abrupt. But on thinking about it, I know why the writer chose to finish at that point: in a strange way, the events which finish the book are the beginning of the end for Arram's life as he has known it. The next book, surely, will chart his final examinations at the university - the acknowledgment that the odd young Draper boy is, in fact, the most powerful magic user in Carthak - as well as Ozorne's rise to the throne of Carthak. And anyone who's read the Immortals knows how that goes.

This book was the idealistic dream of three friends who only wanted to be together, to learn magic, and to live in peace far from the violence and machinations of the court of Carthak. I suspect that the next book will be a crashing and non-stop battle with reality for Arram, including that world-altering event Pierce fans know is coming and both dread and anticipate.

I HOPE so, anyway, because the part of the story that has always interested me most is Numair's escape, his arrival and early years in Tortall, and his eventual meeting with the influential people there which leads to all the events of the Immortals Quartet. For those events to be done justice, they really want a whole book. And, even knowing how it all turns out? I definitely want to read it RIGHT NOW.

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Tamara Pierce was my favourite childhood/teenagerhood author and so there was little chance I wasn't going to love this book. Small Numair/Arram was really cut and I enjoyed getting to see more of Varys. The world building was great and I enjoyed the school aspect.

I wonder whether I would have enjoyed it so much if I hadn't read the previous Tortall books. The relationship between Ozorne, Varys and Arram was tense because I knew where it was going. I might not know the end of this series, but I know it's consequences.

My biggest problem with this book was the third act. TP is usually great at making sure each book within the series has it's own story arc. I felt that was missing here. While there was some action it was very quick, there was little build up and it seemed disconnected to Arram's main worries about the arena.

Nevertheless I still loved it and young Numair and I look forward to the rest of the series. I just hope people new to Tortall feel the same.

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I've loved Tamora Pierce for years even while it was so so hard to find her books in the UK, so being approved for a proof of her latest book was such a dream come true for me and a massive privilege. It's so great to see her being brought back to this side of the pond again. This was amazing for readers of the other Tortall books and also would be a pretty good book for new readers.

It was both intriguing and so, so sad to see the characters while knowing what happens in the future books. The word slaughter in the title didn't help either. I was constantly looking for signs of what was to come and the foreshadowing was there to be found. The fact is, I absolutely love these characters. The friendship between Ozorne, Varice and Arram is a beautiful thing and I can't bear to see something coming between them. And at the same time I'm excited to see the changes and how everything comes to pass.

Pierce's characters and the relationships between them are always amazing and seeing the young mages interact with their tutors was great. The style of Pierce writes in, the formula of her books gives you a predictability that you can settle into, while also leaving enough room for surprises and twists to stop it from getting boring. And her animal companions are the best. Preet was without a doubt my favourite character in this book and I am unashamed to admit it. The way that she was so expressive and with such character without being able to talk was beautiful and if anything bad happens to her I will burn everything to the ground.

If you haven't picked up any of Pierce books yet, then what are you waiting for?

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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"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.

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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.

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Tempests and Slaughter

You have a destiny. You aren’t allowed to know it.

Arram Draper is a mage, learning his craft with is friends Orzorne and Varice. This is a magical tale of a school for mages in a time of Gladiators , Slaves and Princes.

This tells of the terms in a magic boarding school, but while there will be comparisons to Harry Potter and Hogwarts, this is very different, with less saving the world adventures.

Arram, and his two friends, Varice and Prince Ozorne, move through the terms of the Imperial University of Carthak, attending classes, making more friends and some enemies, and learning from powerful mages. Arram's day-to-day life makes up the most of the book and Tamora Pierce has created a World ready for adventure and it feels as if some real drama is around the next corner or the next book....


I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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This is the first book I have read by Tamora Pierce, I am not entirely sure how I have missed this fantasy author as this book was right up my alley. Firstly something that may be slightly random but has annoyed me in the past in other books. The map at the beginning of the book translates really well on the kindle, I love good a world map and this one was clear and on one page.
Characters:
The story centers on the three friends Arram, Ozorne and Varice, how they became friends and how their friendships develop and strengthen. Arram is incredibly young and talented, an outcast from the other members of the lower university, he meets Ozorne and Varice as he progresses through the university and his powers become apparent. Varice is a wondeful character, warm and funny, she brings a lovely depth to the book. Her scenes are among my favorites. Ozorne I found to be the most complicated character, there were times when I found him selfish and self centered, but as I learnt more about his situation you can see why he is, the way is he.
All the characters are incredibly well written and you get a vivid image of what makes them tick. I really hope to come across some of them again in future books.
World building:
The story is based in and around the mage university. The world building is introduced in snippets which makes it easy to build a picture in your head. I love discovering a new world – one reviewer described Pierce’s book as ‘putting on a comfy pair of slippers’ (if this was you please let me know so I can link it, I’m afraid I cannot remember where I read it). I totally get what they meant. This is a comfortable introduction to the world. The scene is being set, the pace is good and moves along in terms of the school year – you cover several years in the book but you feel like you miss nothing.
Final thoughts:
I loved all the different aspects of magic and the Gods that make their appearances. Enzi the crocodile God being a personal favorite. The writing in this book is beautiful, everything is well described (but not overly so). Some scenes are intense and pacey, others are slow and warm – all beautifully done.
Arram watched the stars fall, awed, wondering which God was sending a fiery love letter to another God or even to a mortal.
I am so glad I have discovered Tamora Pierce, I shall be looking up the Immortals Quartet ASAP! I highly recommend this book to fellow fantasy lovers. Many thanks t0 the publishers and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review

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I absolutely loved this book book...i had never read a tamora pierce book before so was unsure what to expect.
I lost myself in the book and could not stop once I had started.
Fantastic read

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Really great read. It takes you on a really great journey of different emotions. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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All I can say about this book is......... When can I get the next TP book?!?!?!?! I have loved Tamora Pierce ever since I picked up The Song of the Lioness quartet back in my teens and I have loved the empire of Tortall and its surrounding lands completely and wholeheartedly. Forget Hogwarts and Narnia, this author takes world building to a whole new level! This universe will be one I wish to travel to right up until my deathbed! Who knows, The Black God may great me like an old friend :p I have wished for Numair's story since the Wild Magic quartet and him and Daine just melted my heart! I am so happy that we now have the beginnings of what will be a new chapter in this amazing authors repertoire!!!! I'm spoiling nothing about this book.

If you love magic, adventure, romance and awesomeness - go out and get this book! You will not be disappointed.

Huge 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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I was incredibly thrilled to receive an advance copy of Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce. When I was younger, she was one of my favourite authors. I have read almost every single one of her novels and happily debated with one of my friends whether we wanted to marry a Jonathan or a George (died-hard TP fans, you´ll know what I´m talking about!) when we grew up. Therefore it was with bated breath that I started to read this prequel to the Wild Magic series featuring everyone´s favourite mage - Numair Salmalin or Arram Draper as he was formerly known. I was excited that the novel also featured several well known and loved characters and Ms Pierce´s writing, thrust me back into this magical world.

Though there didn´t appear to be a dramatic plot, I enjoyed the gentle nature of the novel featuring the day to day activities of Numair and his friends at school. I feel like this novel is a good not only features Numair´s origins, but also allows us to see the rise and formation of Emperor Ozorne.

Though at 32, I am not the target audience, howver I really enjoyed this novel and I am sure younger readers would be excited to read the start to this trilogy. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

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Let's Cut to the Chase About Tempests and Slaughter

*Received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Okay, so as I could have predicted for this month, my ARC review is coming a little late- but on the plus side, right now I should be travelling back to London (and to more blogging activity!)

One of the reasons I took so long with this one was because, as you may or may not know, I am a MASSIVE Tamora Pierce fan. Even if I hadn’t been ridiculously excited to receive this as an ARC (which, OMG, I was!!) I would have wanted to do this justice- but I also had more mixed feelings about this one that made me hesitant to put pen to paper.

This didn’t stand out to me as the best Tamora Pierce book- though even “not the best Tamora Pierce book” is still a good shout. What Pierce is famous for, and delivers here, is good, traditional fantasy fare. There’s plenty of adventure to be had and it was above all a lot of FUN- which is exactly what you want from a Middle Grade series opener!

In some ways, it was what I’d come to expect from Pierce- and yet there were also some innovative elements to the world building, which made it stand out from some of her other works. The setting alone added complexity to the story and transformed the tale into a more unique saga. In particular, I loved aspects like the crocodile god and hints at an intricate religious system.

While I did enjoy most of the narrative, I did feel much of it felt more like set up than plot. On the positive side, it made me feel like I’d love later books more- but this particular book felt a little overlong.

One other question mark I had was over the more educational aspect of the book, where Pierce attempted to show male puberty. I felt like this was adequately done, but I will admit the choice of the word “member” was somewhat off-putting and I wondered at the target audience’s response.

Overall though, I liked the characters and bully antagonists. The relationships between characters were well done and the romance, though not swoonworthy, was sweet. I definitely want to pick up the later books in the series and see where it goes!

Rating: 3½/5 bananas

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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.

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My first experience of a Tamora Pierce book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it was a little slow paced at times, it was necessary to introduce characters and for the word building which was well done. The main character of Arram was instantly likeable and it was interesting to see him develop. The school setting didn’t lead to many grippingly exciting moments but I was still engrossed. I am certainly interested in reading more of Tamora’s novels and for the rest in the series.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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*

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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.

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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.

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'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.

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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!

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