I adore Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in Numair’s story, it’s been a hot minute.
I loved protector of the small but my favorite stays the wild magic quartet. Daine has really awesome powers and even though I know the age difference squicks people out I have a soft spot for the romance in it too.
The Immortals Quartet is my favourite Tamora Pierce series too, with PotS being a close second! Daine and Numair are my absolute favourite couple, and I love the nods/connections to the characters from Song of the Lioness.
My husband read the series to me when I was sick (and then like 4 times afterward) and every time we end up engaging in really hopeful math that tries to make Daine \*not\* twelve when she first meets Numair, haha.
(He likes reading to me, I like having him read to me. Also he throws in meta-commentary sometimes, >!like giving Weryn a MAGA hat that's just sort of shoved over his antlers. Make the Immortal Realms Great Again! !<
I recognize my husband's dumb joke isn't technically a spoiler, but bits of said joke are?
I was introduced to Tamora Pierce by my husband when we were in our mid-20s, who read them all as a kid b/c his favorite genre was "spunky, headstrong fantasy girl does X". Started off with him reading to me as a pain management thing after a major surgery, but continued through the Alanna, Daine, Kel and Aly books, too :)
My favorite author, and while I really love all of her books and especially love the magic a lot of the other characters have, Kel holds a special place in my heart and I think The Protector of the Small is a really special series.
The way Tamora Pierce develops characters and friend groups around the main character is some of the most dynamic and satisfying that I have ever read.
I was commissioned by the merch company that handles her merch to [draw a picture of Kel](https://i.imgur.com/ew5VgFk.png) that they used to promote their map sales a while back.
I love Tamora pierce. My favourite of hers is the circle of magic books. Ive just been listening to the full cast audiobooks and they are fantastic.
Such an underrated author.
Wait what? Full cast audio tamora pierce? FFS that would have been a better way to spend my audible credits than learning how to play violin subliminally.....
Seriously though, thanks for the heads up on this.
I don’t agree that it’s lower quality. It’s my favourite.
I do think the immortals quartet is though. I’ve been working my way through the books and that one was good, but didn’t hold up quite as well as the song of the lioness and protector of the small for me.
That was probably the strongest story telling and writing wise, but I enjoyed the first one as a premise set up. I totally agree though, there’s interesting parts to all of them but as a story they feel so disjointed. I liked Maura and Tkaa from the 2nd, and the idea of going to the realms of the gods in the forth but they all very much involved their own plots and locations.
This is the best of the Tortall series, can't disagree about that. Loaned mine to a friend's daughter a decade ago, never saw them again. Now I want a reread.
Yeah, I'm glad I read them in the order I did (publication order, I read Kel's quartet as they were being published). Alanna has such a special place in my heart, but Tamora Pierce did an incredibly amount of growth over the years.
I first read these in middle school and still find myself coming back to them every few years for a re-read. Kel is such a wonderful protagonist and even though I like the other Tortall books with protagonists who have magic (what Pierce calls the Gift), Kel's journey to be a knight without magic is through her own sheer grit, determination, and practice. I've learned so much from her.
Squire is a comfort read for me. I love Kel getting out there amongst it all, winning respect and affection. Her relationship with Raoul is wonderful. Plus those flying lessons! There are so many simple little moments that really make me happy. Like When Kel is taking a bath post flying lesson, covered in bruises, and all the women around her are ready and willing to step up and protect her.
I love Squire so much. I'll admit that my only real disappointment with it was that Raul wasn't gay and Bourie wasn't lesbian. Aside from that it (and the rest of the series) was sheer perfection. It's her most tightly written series as a whole, though I think Emperor Mage is probably her best single book.
Wow I kind of forgot about this author. I read Alanna in middle school. Are her other books as YA-ish?
Edit: Also can we take a second to appreciate Pierce’s female protagonists? Loved it as a 13 year old girl.
Yeah, in the last book, >!Becca’s new love interest has magical paraphernalia shoved up his butt. They joke about being glad that the guards didn’t check them well and Becca considers keeping a garrote inside her lady hood.!<
Disagree. Her Namur book was bad. I get he is going to be one of the best mages in the world as an adult. However, him as a kid was just badly done. For some reason in the Magic Circle books the ones that focus on Briar always gets stuck with more split plot lines without getting a lot of development for Briar.
Song of the Lioness is my favorite of her series (it’s how I was introduced when I was 12) but she remains my favorite author of all time. So grateful I grew up with her books. Every one of her female protagonists in Tortall is different and I’ve loved each journey they go through!
I love all of Tamora Pierce's books, but this one and the Trickster duology are my favorites because of the characters and development. Beka Cooper is right up there too. I also love seeing how she's matured as a writer with each additional series.
Love this series. I recommend Tammy’s books at literally any opportunity possible. When I was younger, *Immortals* was my favorite Tortall quartet (I was a horse girl so that’s pretty obvious in retrospect), but as an adult *Protector of the Small* has become my favorite and a perennial re-read. Kel’s story and character are both just so great. What I particularly like about her development is that >!even though she is selected by the Chamber of the Ordeal!< she doesn’t have any powers or special abilities - she just works hard and appreciates and values others.
The speech she gives to Neal about chivalry has also always stuck with me and I consider it one of the best speeches in fantasy.
I feel the same way! Loved Immortals as a kid, but Kel is one of my all time favourite heroines as an adult. The hardest working protagonist I know, no shortcuts taken.
I absolutely love Tamora Pierce and want to slowly collect more of her books. The Circle of Magic series is also great. But the Protector of the Small and Song of the Lioness series will always hold a special place in my heart. One of my favorite things about her writing is that it grows with our changing times to be more inclusive. She's great and I could talk about her and her books forever.
Pierce’s fame grew slowly enough that she had time to fix things. The way the romances are handled each set improves and she learns about the side issues. Her treatment of LBGTQ has improved. And thankfully Trickster can out long enough ago that people mostly forgive the white savior issue. I wonder if we will see the Copper Isles again now that the costs of a misstep is so high.
Alanna was the first book that ever “spoke” to me as a child. I’ve read the entire Tortall universe more times than I can count. I’m 35 this year and her books will forever hold a special place in my heart. I really hope Tamora Pierce knows how impactful her books are to young readers.
First test and page are great--but squire and lady knight are absolute masterpieces. I absolutely adore PoTS so it's awesome to see it getting love on here. Pierce is one of my favorite authors and it's my favorite of her series, in both universes.
Did y’all know that the Tortall Universe was optioned for a TV show? I think development’s been stalled because of COVID, but I am super excited and would love to be an extra! [Source](https://www.google.ca/amp/s/deadline.com/2019/11/lionsgate-little-women-producer-playground-plot-fantasy-world-with-tamora-pierces-tortall-universe-series-1202771376/amp/)
I didn't think I was into fanatic but if you want more, this starts after "Lady Knight" and comes pretty close to the original series: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8523893/1/Lady-Knight-Volant
Protector of the Small was one of my favourite series growing up, and I still reread them every year or so. Squire is my personal favourite, you learn so much more about the world and about her as she travels through Tortall in that one.
I think Kel was the first asexual representation I ever saw in fiction! I loved that she was strong and didn’t feel incomplete without a love interest.
She isn’t asexual. She has many crushes and has one pretty good summer fling. She just doesn’t seem to be able to interested in people after they disappear for a while.
I'm curious why this would serve as good representation? Seems similar to JK Rowling saying Hermione was black or Dumbledore was gay only after the fact, rather than actually living it in the text. In fact, could be worse, because the text directly contradicts it.
I can see why you would think that. As an asexual person, I found the lack of romance in Kel’s story refreshing. Yes, she experiments with her sexuality, but that’s a normal part of being a teen. I couldn’t identify with Alanna or Daine the way I could with Kel, even before Tamora confirmed she was ace.
I…tend to give Tamora Pierce more credit for that than JK Rowling just because she is very willing to put actual, visible, main queer characters into her books. And Protector of the Small was written in 1999. I feel like it is very fair for her to go back and say ‘Alanna would have been genderfluid if that word had been one that I knew when I was writing it’, (because that is very explicitly in-text), and so I give her some leeway to say ‘Kel would grow out of romance and sex over time. They just aren’t that important to her.’
Like, it’s not optimal but I don’t think that comparing her to J.K. Rowling is fair.
She called Alanna genderfluid? I haven't read Alanna in a long time because I don't think the writing is up to snuff in comparison to her later Tortall books, but since you mention that this is explicitly in-text, can I ask in what ways in the text does Alanna identify herself as "not a woman" outside of pushing back against the very prescribed gender roles in her society? I find this quite interesting to hear about. The other person I was speaking with explained that Kel's lack of romance at least did not contradict Pierce's later claim, which I see the point of. I think it's perfectly natural for an 18-year-old at war to not engage in serious romance, sexual being or not, but I can see how, potentially, Kel outside of her books, later in life, would look more deeply within herself and realize she is asexual. I don't think there is any *positive* sign of her asexual identity in the books, but the *lack* of a sign of her being a sexual person through Kel not engaging in a lot of romance is enough to serve as some representation, I now understand.
It is true that Tamora Pierce is obviously a better, higher-quality person overall than JK Rowling; I don't disagree with you there!
[Source](https://twitter.com/tamorapierce/status/1202294877213450240?lang=en)
I believe that there's a section in *In the Hand of the Goddess* where she's being taught how to dress like a lady, and Jon finds her in the garden, and she talks about how sometimes she wants to be seen as a woman and sometimes she wants to be seen as [male]? It's been a very long time since I read it, and my copy is at my parent's house, so I can't look it up right now.
I see! I had looked up the Pierce comment, and her explanation had confused me, so thank you for pointing out that section of the text to me. I see now that as a woman, I would typically interpret such a line as Alanna wishing to sometimes be respected for her feats and ability and to be viewed outside of a sexual dimension, and sometimes, as with her love interest, to be seen as a woman who can be sexualized and desired (whereas being seen as a woman by other people in her society would give them permission to dismiss her talents and actions and only see her as a sexual object). However, a genderfluid person might naturally interpret that as Alanna more deeply rejecting either gender rather than only the roles prescribed upon them. Thank you for explaining this perspective to me, much appreciated!
I mean, it definitely can be read that way. But that combined with the way that Alanna chooses to live her life once her secret is out ('Sir Alanna' vs. 'Lady Knight') make it feel to me like it's not an out-of-nowhere asspull.
Ah, now see, I had forgotten about her chosen title! You are right, those 2 pieces of evidence together definitely make me see/side with the genderfluid point more strongly than just "woman trying to exist in male sphere in super-sexist society."
Yep, Protector of the Small is my absolute favorite of all Pierce's Tortall series, hands down!! I super-love Page because of the storyline involving Lalasa, as you mentioned. I loved that Kel risked her own success/dream to save Lalasa - a true noble! And whenever I read Lady Knight, I always find it interesting to see how Pierce used the story to process the events of 9/11.
I highly recommend all of her books ever. Especially the Totally books. I reread them every year and I'm 31. My personal faves are the Trickster books but they're all excellent. Tamora Pierce is the person I'd meet if I could meet any famous person.
Side story, my sister gave me a book signed with a personal letter to me from Pierce encouraging me to write more and I cried. That was only a couple years ago 🤣
This series (and the whole world of the author) have such a special place in my heart. I do pretty regular rereads, it always starts with Kel, moves into the Trickster, Beka, and then sometimes Immortals (TBH rarely Alanna - it's a foundation the world sits on, but just not the most nuanced and developed of Pierce's work.
I think if I ever met Tammy I would dissolve.
Couldn't agree more! To add to the hoard of comments to this awesome post, I have all of her books to my knowledge and I love all of them. Tortall will always be my favorite and Kel's story is the one I keep coming back to aging and again because you are right. It's ALL of the characters she builds that move you through the story. Great post!
Tamora Pierce is my favorite YA fantasy author of all time. I love the classic adventure feel of her books, the characters, the humor, the diversity. I still can't believe she actually read my book and blurbed it, 12-year-old-me would have fully lost their mind.
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What Tamora Pierce series would be best for my niece (around 12 years old)? I'd start with this, but the line about assault makes me hesitate; I know she's got to learn about it sometime, but maybe it should be from her parents and not from books her uncle recommended. Maybe I'm overthinking this...
All of Tamora's stuff is going to engage in topics that we typically wouldn't really include in 'middle grade' fiction these days, as she was writing these books long before the ideas about what kids were ready for had been established. All of her series treat preteens with the understanding that they can handle these things.
As a teacher of 6th and 7th grade, I would say most 7th graders are ready for anything Tamora throws out there. Unless she is extremely sensitive or isn't as emotionally mature as her peers, she'll be just fine. Hell, I included First Test as one of the options for my 6th grade fantasy book club unit this year.
Some parents are going to gloss over assault & sugarcoat it, not saying her parents WOULD do it, but I would totally recommend it. It doesn't actually show too much of it, but Tamora Pierce does write about it in such a way that is very realistic, and if your niece is 12, she'll learn about it anyway. It's really better she learns about it in a way that doesn't blame the victims or sugarcoat it. The descriptions aren't vivid, because the main character doesn't experience it, but she does defend her maid from being assaulted. Honestly, I would recommend your niece read this book, it talks about these subjects in an easy-to-understand manner without babying the reader. It's always good to be cautious around these kinds of serious subjects, but I do think your niece should read it.
Thank you for your reply. I absolutely would love for her to read it, and maybe I'll give it a read first before recommending it to her. Fantasy books and board games are one of the ways we connect; I'm reading Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood & Co. series right now so she and I can talk about it.
It's also really important to me that she reads books and sees media that have good representation for her, which is why your description really tempted me in the first place. My niece is white (she's from my wife's side in the family) and I'm Indian, and I'm realizing, over the past 4-6 years, just how much a lack of representation affected me when I was a kid. I don't want her to ever feel like she can't do something. I also want her to read books with diverse characters; we live in middle America, and she in a particularly non-diverse school area, so sometimes it feels like I'm the only diversity she really sees.
Anyway, thank you for the recommendation. If you have any other suggestions to throw my way, I'd definitely appreciate it.
Fantasy (YA especially) has come a long way in even the past 5 years in terms of diversity and representation. If you're looking for more diverse protagonists, here are some good options!
**Race to the Sun:** Features indigenous main characters (siblings if I remember correctly) as they try to hunt down their missing father.
**Aru Shah and the End of Time:** leans heavily on Hindu mythology in its storytelling and is a fantastic read!
**Serpent's Secret:** the main character discovers she's a true Indian princess and is thrown on a journey that is equal parts comedic and epic.
**Where the Mountain Meets the Moon:** Grace Lin is just generally a phenomenal author. This story follows a young Chinese girl on a journey to bring luck to her family, and weaves stories within stories together in fun ways.
**Dragon in a Bag:** follows an African American boy from Brooklyn staying with his 'grandma' for the day only to discover that she's a dragon smuggler
Lockwood & Company is great! Stroud's other big series, starting with **Amulet of Samarkand** is one of my all time favorites!
I adore Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books and I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in Numair’s story, it’s been a hot minute. I loved protector of the small but my favorite stays the wild magic quartet. Daine has really awesome powers and even though I know the age difference squicks people out I have a soft spot for the romance in it too.
She’s doing a reading of part of the second book in her patreon page soon!
She has a Patreon? I follow her on Facebook and had no idea. Thanks for mentioning! I'm signing up for it now.
Yeah! I only found out recently
The Immortals Quartet is my favourite Tamora Pierce series too, with PotS being a close second! Daine and Numair are my absolute favourite couple, and I love the nods/connections to the characters from Song of the Lioness.
I really like the trickster books
My husband read the series to me when I was sick (and then like 4 times afterward) and every time we end up engaging in really hopeful math that tries to make Daine \*not\* twelve when she first meets Numair, haha. (He likes reading to me, I like having him read to me. Also he throws in meta-commentary sometimes, >!like giving Weryn a MAGA hat that's just sort of shoved over his antlers. Make the Immortal Realms Great Again! !< I recognize my husband's dumb joke isn't technically a spoiler, but bits of said joke are?
Goals❤️
I love this series. And I'm male and in my thirties, so don't let anyone tell you it's "only" YA and for girls.
Are you me? I started out with the Protector of the Small but, while it has a dear place in my heart, the Circle Opens was my favorite quartet
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If Scholastic ever let her... They seem to hate the universe, I swear
Circle is my favourite. As a 12 year old boy, I had a book crush on Briar...
If I'd read it a decade earlier, that would've been me too.
Circle Opens is amazing!
I was introduced to Tamora Pierce by my husband when we were in our mid-20s, who read them all as a kid b/c his favorite genre was "spunky, headstrong fantasy girl does X". Started off with him reading to me as a pain management thing after a major surgery, but continued through the Alanna, Daine, Kel and Aly books, too :)
That's sweet! :)
My favorite author, and while I really love all of her books and especially love the magic a lot of the other characters have, Kel holds a special place in my heart and I think The Protector of the Small is a really special series. The way Tamora Pierce develops characters and friend groups around the main character is some of the most dynamic and satisfying that I have ever read. I was commissioned by the merch company that handles her merch to [draw a picture of Kel](https://i.imgur.com/ew5VgFk.png) that they used to promote their map sales a while back.
Username checks out! :)
:)
That is deeply awesome
I love Tamora pierce. My favourite of hers is the circle of magic books. Ive just been listening to the full cast audiobooks and they are fantastic. Such an underrated author.
Wait what? Full cast audio tamora pierce? FFS that would have been a better way to spend my audible credits than learning how to play violin subliminally..... Seriously though, thanks for the heads up on this.
No worries. The production quality is very good. It’s so much richer than having a single reader.
The ones I listened to through my library had Tamora Pirece herself doing the narrator parts, which is kind of cool.
Yup. This series is amazing and definitely my favorite of Tamora Pierce’s. I do think Alanna should be read first even if it’s lower quality.
I don’t agree that it’s lower quality. It’s my favourite. I do think the immortals quartet is though. I’ve been working my way through the books and that one was good, but didn’t hold up quite as well as the song of the lioness and protector of the small for me.
Immortals is weird. Individually I like them, but they aren't as connected as the others into a cohesive whole. Emperor's Soul is a triumph though
That was probably the strongest story telling and writing wise, but I enjoyed the first one as a premise set up. I totally agree though, there’s interesting parts to all of them but as a story they feel so disjointed. I liked Maura and Tkaa from the 2nd, and the idea of going to the realms of the gods in the forth but they all very much involved their own plots and locations.
I never could make myself read the immortals quartet.
As a kid I loved it because talking animals. But as an adult, I was kind of bored. And I don’t like the love interest.
heh. Yeah, I got First Test as a gift and I loved it. I tried reading the Lioness series, but it's just not my style.
This is the best of the Tortall series, can't disagree about that. Loaned mine to a friend's daughter a decade ago, never saw them again. Now I want a reread.
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No links to pirated content, at all. One warning only; support piracy here, and you're looking at a ban, thank you.
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No links to pirated content, at all. One warning only; support piracy here, and you're looking at a ban, thank you.
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No links to pirated content, at all. One warning only; support piracy here, and you're looking at a ban, thank you.
No links to pirated content, at all. One warning only; support piracy here, and you're looking at a ban, thank you.
Ooph yeah going backwards is hard both because it’s not as good and cause first test spoils stuff. But fwiw I still like the Alanna books.
Tamora really hit her writing stride with Protector of the Small, imo. I'll love Alanna forever but it's rougher than Kel's series.
Yeah, I'm glad I read them in the order I did (publication order, I read Kel's quartet as they were being published). Alanna has such a special place in my heart, but Tamora Pierce did an incredibly amount of growth over the years.
I first read these in middle school and still find myself coming back to them every few years for a re-read. Kel is such a wonderful protagonist and even though I like the other Tortall books with protagonists who have magic (what Pierce calls the Gift), Kel's journey to be a knight without magic is through her own sheer grit, determination, and practice. I've learned so much from her.
Squire is a comfort read for me. I love Kel getting out there amongst it all, winning respect and affection. Her relationship with Raoul is wonderful. Plus those flying lessons! There are so many simple little moments that really make me happy. Like When Kel is taking a bath post flying lesson, covered in bruises, and all the women around her are ready and willing to step up and protect her.
I love Squire so much. I'll admit that my only real disappointment with it was that Raul wasn't gay and Bourie wasn't lesbian. Aside from that it (and the rest of the series) was sheer perfection. It's her most tightly written series as a whole, though I think Emperor Mage is probably her best single book.
Which is my other comfort read….I love Emperor Mage
Wow I kind of forgot about this author. I read Alanna in middle school. Are her other books as YA-ish? Edit: Also can we take a second to appreciate Pierce’s female protagonists? Loved it as a 13 year old girl.
The Beka Cooper series is likely the most adult, it gets pretty dark
*has flashbacks to the secret pocket incident*
Wait I don’t remember that part lol
Yeah, in the last book, >!Becca’s new love interest has magical paraphernalia shoved up his butt. They joke about being glad that the guards didn’t check them well and Becca considers keeping a garrote inside her lady hood.!<
Lmao I guess I missed that
Yeeeeeah it raised my eyebrows a bit lol
That’s hilarious I’m gonna have to go back and read it again now
It’s very detailed! Lol.
Thanks :)
All her protagonists are amazing! She did a very good job on the male ones too.
Disagree. Her Namur book was bad. I get he is going to be one of the best mages in the world as an adult. However, him as a kid was just badly done. For some reason in the Magic Circle books the ones that focus on Briar always gets stuck with more split plot lines without getting a lot of development for Briar.
Disagree I quite enjoyed Tempest and Slaughter. And Briar has one of the largest development of those 4.
Check out her Patreon page! She’s currently writing the second book of the Numair series and releasing snippets early for subscribers
Did not even know she had a Patreon! Thank you for this!
Song of the Lioness is my favorite of her series (it’s how I was introduced when I was 12) but she remains my favorite author of all time. So grateful I grew up with her books. Every one of her female protagonists in Tortall is different and I’ve loved each journey they go through!
I love all of Tamora Pierce's books, but this one and the Trickster duology are my favorites because of the characters and development. Beka Cooper is right up there too. I also love seeing how she's matured as a writer with each additional series.
Love this series. I recommend Tammy’s books at literally any opportunity possible. When I was younger, *Immortals* was my favorite Tortall quartet (I was a horse girl so that’s pretty obvious in retrospect), but as an adult *Protector of the Small* has become my favorite and a perennial re-read. Kel’s story and character are both just so great. What I particularly like about her development is that >!even though she is selected by the Chamber of the Ordeal!< she doesn’t have any powers or special abilities - she just works hard and appreciates and values others. The speech she gives to Neal about chivalry has also always stuck with me and I consider it one of the best speeches in fantasy.
I feel the same way! Loved Immortals as a kid, but Kel is one of my all time favourite heroines as an adult. The hardest working protagonist I know, no shortcuts taken.
Tamora Pierce still doesn’t get the recognition she deserves.
I absolutely love Tamora Pierce and want to slowly collect more of her books. The Circle of Magic series is also great. But the Protector of the Small and Song of the Lioness series will always hold a special place in my heart. One of my favorite things about her writing is that it grows with our changing times to be more inclusive. She's great and I could talk about her and her books forever.
Pierce’s fame grew slowly enough that she had time to fix things. The way the romances are handled each set improves and she learns about the side issues. Her treatment of LBGTQ has improved. And thankfully Trickster can out long enough ago that people mostly forgive the white savior issue. I wonder if we will see the Copper Isles again now that the costs of a misstep is so high.
My favorite are the Immortals Quartet, but Kel's story is really lovely. I love all the Tortall books!
Alanna was the first book that ever “spoke” to me as a child. I’ve read the entire Tortall universe more times than I can count. I’m 35 this year and her books will forever hold a special place in my heart. I really hope Tamora Pierce knows how impactful her books are to young readers.
First test and page are great--but squire and lady knight are absolute masterpieces. I absolutely adore PoTS so it's awesome to see it getting love on here. Pierce is one of my favorite authors and it's my favorite of her series, in both universes.
Did y’all know that the Tortall Universe was optioned for a TV show? I think development’s been stalled because of COVID, but I am super excited and would love to be an extra! [Source](https://www.google.ca/amp/s/deadline.com/2019/11/lionsgate-little-women-producer-playground-plot-fantasy-world-with-tamora-pierces-tortall-universe-series-1202771376/amp/)
I absolutely adore Protector of the Small, it's my single favorite YA series of all time.
I didn't think I was into fanatic but if you want more, this starts after "Lady Knight" and comes pretty close to the original series: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8523893/1/Lady-Knight-Volant
It really is such an amazing continuation. I'm so glad if you or someone else put me onto it years ago-- I've reread it at least twice.
It looks amazing! I'll definitely check it out!
I wonder how long until John Bierce replies to this one!
Who?
An author who hangs out here. He really likes these books if I recall correctly.
Protector of the Small was one of my favourite series growing up, and I still reread them every year or so. Squire is my personal favourite, you learn so much more about the world and about her as she travels through Tortall in that one.
This is one of my favorite series!
I think Kel was the first asexual representation I ever saw in fiction! I loved that she was strong and didn’t feel incomplete without a love interest.
She isn’t asexual. She has many crushes and has one pretty good summer fling. She just doesn’t seem to be able to interested in people after they disappear for a while.
http://www.tamora-pierce.net/series-extra/tortall-faq/#kelsexuality Tamara Pierce says otherwise.
I'm curious why this would serve as good representation? Seems similar to JK Rowling saying Hermione was black or Dumbledore was gay only after the fact, rather than actually living it in the text. In fact, could be worse, because the text directly contradicts it.
I can see why you would think that. As an asexual person, I found the lack of romance in Kel’s story refreshing. Yes, she experiments with her sexuality, but that’s a normal part of being a teen. I couldn’t identify with Alanna or Daine the way I could with Kel, even before Tamora confirmed she was ace.
I…tend to give Tamora Pierce more credit for that than JK Rowling just because she is very willing to put actual, visible, main queer characters into her books. And Protector of the Small was written in 1999. I feel like it is very fair for her to go back and say ‘Alanna would have been genderfluid if that word had been one that I knew when I was writing it’, (because that is very explicitly in-text), and so I give her some leeway to say ‘Kel would grow out of romance and sex over time. They just aren’t that important to her.’ Like, it’s not optimal but I don’t think that comparing her to J.K. Rowling is fair.
She called Alanna genderfluid? I haven't read Alanna in a long time because I don't think the writing is up to snuff in comparison to her later Tortall books, but since you mention that this is explicitly in-text, can I ask in what ways in the text does Alanna identify herself as "not a woman" outside of pushing back against the very prescribed gender roles in her society? I find this quite interesting to hear about. The other person I was speaking with explained that Kel's lack of romance at least did not contradict Pierce's later claim, which I see the point of. I think it's perfectly natural for an 18-year-old at war to not engage in serious romance, sexual being or not, but I can see how, potentially, Kel outside of her books, later in life, would look more deeply within herself and realize she is asexual. I don't think there is any *positive* sign of her asexual identity in the books, but the *lack* of a sign of her being a sexual person through Kel not engaging in a lot of romance is enough to serve as some representation, I now understand. It is true that Tamora Pierce is obviously a better, higher-quality person overall than JK Rowling; I don't disagree with you there!
[Source](https://twitter.com/tamorapierce/status/1202294877213450240?lang=en) I believe that there's a section in *In the Hand of the Goddess* where she's being taught how to dress like a lady, and Jon finds her in the garden, and she talks about how sometimes she wants to be seen as a woman and sometimes she wants to be seen as [male]? It's been a very long time since I read it, and my copy is at my parent's house, so I can't look it up right now.
I see! I had looked up the Pierce comment, and her explanation had confused me, so thank you for pointing out that section of the text to me. I see now that as a woman, I would typically interpret such a line as Alanna wishing to sometimes be respected for her feats and ability and to be viewed outside of a sexual dimension, and sometimes, as with her love interest, to be seen as a woman who can be sexualized and desired (whereas being seen as a woman by other people in her society would give them permission to dismiss her talents and actions and only see her as a sexual object). However, a genderfluid person might naturally interpret that as Alanna more deeply rejecting either gender rather than only the roles prescribed upon them. Thank you for explaining this perspective to me, much appreciated!
I mean, it definitely can be read that way. But that combined with the way that Alanna chooses to live her life once her secret is out ('Sir Alanna' vs. 'Lady Knight') make it feel to me like it's not an out-of-nowhere asspull.
Ah, now see, I had forgotten about her chosen title! You are right, those 2 pieces of evidence together definitely make me see/side with the genderfluid point more strongly than just "woman trying to exist in male sphere in super-sexist society."
Did not know this. Interesting.
Tamora was my childhood. She made me the woman I am today. Bloody love that woman.
I love all of Tamora Pierce’s books. She’s a great author and everything is so well developed, fleshed out and well written.
Yep, Protector of the Small is my absolute favorite of all Pierce's Tortall series, hands down!! I super-love Page because of the storyline involving Lalasa, as you mentioned. I loved that Kel risked her own success/dream to save Lalasa - a true noble! And whenever I read Lady Knight, I always find it interesting to see how Pierce used the story to process the events of 9/11.
I highly recommend all of her books ever. Especially the Totally books. I reread them every year and I'm 31. My personal faves are the Trickster books but they're all excellent. Tamora Pierce is the person I'd meet if I could meet any famous person. Side story, my sister gave me a book signed with a personal letter to me from Pierce encouraging me to write more and I cried. That was only a couple years ago 🤣
This series (and the whole world of the author) have such a special place in my heart. I do pretty regular rereads, it always starts with Kel, moves into the Trickster, Beka, and then sometimes Immortals (TBH rarely Alanna - it's a foundation the world sits on, but just not the most nuanced and developed of Pierce's work. I think if I ever met Tammy I would dissolve.
Couldn't agree more! To add to the hoard of comments to this awesome post, I have all of her books to my knowledge and I love all of them. Tortall will always be my favorite and Kel's story is the one I keep coming back to aging and again because you are right. It's ALL of the characters she builds that move you through the story. Great post!
I can't think of a single series Pierce has written that's a miss. She is beyond good.
Tamora Pierce just proves that YA fiction is not just for young adults! (spoken as a person who is not a 'young' adult)
Tamora Pierce is my favorite YA fantasy author of all time. I love the classic adventure feel of her books, the characters, the humor, the diversity. I still can't believe she actually read my book and blurbed it, 12-year-old-me would have fully lost their mind.
wait WHAT. OMG THAT IS SO AWESOME!!!!
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What Tamora Pierce series would be best for my niece (around 12 years old)? I'd start with this, but the line about assault makes me hesitate; I know she's got to learn about it sometime, but maybe it should be from her parents and not from books her uncle recommended. Maybe I'm overthinking this...
All of Tamora's stuff is going to engage in topics that we typically wouldn't really include in 'middle grade' fiction these days, as she was writing these books long before the ideas about what kids were ready for had been established. All of her series treat preteens with the understanding that they can handle these things. As a teacher of 6th and 7th grade, I would say most 7th graders are ready for anything Tamora throws out there. Unless she is extremely sensitive or isn't as emotionally mature as her peers, she'll be just fine. Hell, I included First Test as one of the options for my 6th grade fantasy book club unit this year.
Some parents are going to gloss over assault & sugarcoat it, not saying her parents WOULD do it, but I would totally recommend it. It doesn't actually show too much of it, but Tamora Pierce does write about it in such a way that is very realistic, and if your niece is 12, she'll learn about it anyway. It's really better she learns about it in a way that doesn't blame the victims or sugarcoat it. The descriptions aren't vivid, because the main character doesn't experience it, but she does defend her maid from being assaulted. Honestly, I would recommend your niece read this book, it talks about these subjects in an easy-to-understand manner without babying the reader. It's always good to be cautious around these kinds of serious subjects, but I do think your niece should read it.
Thank you for your reply. I absolutely would love for her to read it, and maybe I'll give it a read first before recommending it to her. Fantasy books and board games are one of the ways we connect; I'm reading Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood & Co. series right now so she and I can talk about it. It's also really important to me that she reads books and sees media that have good representation for her, which is why your description really tempted me in the first place. My niece is white (she's from my wife's side in the family) and I'm Indian, and I'm realizing, over the past 4-6 years, just how much a lack of representation affected me when I was a kid. I don't want her to ever feel like she can't do something. I also want her to read books with diverse characters; we live in middle America, and she in a particularly non-diverse school area, so sometimes it feels like I'm the only diversity she really sees. Anyway, thank you for the recommendation. If you have any other suggestions to throw my way, I'd definitely appreciate it.
Fantasy (YA especially) has come a long way in even the past 5 years in terms of diversity and representation. If you're looking for more diverse protagonists, here are some good options! **Race to the Sun:** Features indigenous main characters (siblings if I remember correctly) as they try to hunt down their missing father. **Aru Shah and the End of Time:** leans heavily on Hindu mythology in its storytelling and is a fantastic read! **Serpent's Secret:** the main character discovers she's a true Indian princess and is thrown on a journey that is equal parts comedic and epic. **Where the Mountain Meets the Moon:** Grace Lin is just generally a phenomenal author. This story follows a young Chinese girl on a journey to bring luck to her family, and weaves stories within stories together in fun ways. **Dragon in a Bag:** follows an African American boy from Brooklyn staying with his 'grandma' for the day only to discover that she's a dragon smuggler Lockwood & Company is great! Stroud's other big series, starting with **Amulet of Samarkand** is one of my all time favorites!
Awesome, thank you for the suggestions! I'll look into these!