Tamora Pierce: Biography
Born in western Pennsylvania in 1954, Ms Pierce began writing when she was eleven. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she studied social work, film and psychology. Various jobs include a martial art movie reviewer, housemother in a group home, a literary agent's assistant, head writer for a radio production company and an investment banking secretary. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and a menagerie.
Her first book Alanna: The First Adventure was published in 1983, and she's currently at seventeen! Her books are published across the world (with many different covers), and have been translated into German, Danish, and many more.
The Books
Tortall
Song of the Lioness
Main Character: Alanna
Alanna: The First Adventure (1983)
First encounter with Alanna and the world of Tortall. She goes through her four years as a page in the palace disguised as a boy, having swapped places with her brother, Thom. As well as making many friends, both at the palace and within the city of Corus, particularly George, the Rogue, or King of Thieves and Prince Jonathan, she encounters Duke Roger, an evil sorceror. Roger sends Alanna and Jonathan to the Black City where they defeat the Ysandir (old evil gods).
In The Hand of the Goddess (1984)
Entering her years as Jonathan's squire, Alanna encounters her patron, the Great Mother goddess, who grants her a token. Alanna goes to war with the Tusaine, distinguishing herself with bravery, and excelling in her training. She falls in love with Jonathan, whilst preparing for her Ordeal of Knighthood. After the Ordeal, she discovers Roger's plots aginst the crown, and kills him, but not before her reveals her to be a girl.
The Woman Who Rides Like A Man (1986)
Travelling south, Alanna is adopted by a Bazhir tribe. She becomes the Shaman of the tribe, exploring her magical heritage, and training new shamans. After an arguement with Jonathan, she returns to the north and the arms of George. Returning to the desert, she is sent on a quest, whereupon she is given a mysterious map.
Lioness Rampant (1988)
The map turns out to be a guide to the Dominion Jewel, a powerful magical object. Alanna, accompanied by Coram, her manservant, and the Shang Dragon travel to the Roof of the World to retrieve it. They are joined by Princess Thayet of Sarain and her guard Buri. On returning to Tortall, they discover that Thom has resurrected Roger. He plots to regain the throne on the day of Jonathan's coronation, but is foiled by Alanna. Much chaos and death ensues as a result, however, and many friends and old enemies perish. But Jonathan decides to marry Thayet, and Alanna marries George.
The Immortals
Main Character: Daine
Wild Magic (1992)
Daine comes to Tortall following the death of her family and falls in with the Queen's Riders. They are led by Thayet and Buri, with help from Alanna. Daine is led by Numair, the King's chief mage to discover she has Wild Magic. This enables her to communicate with animals and the mythical creatures, or Immortals, that are popping up all over the place. Attacked by 'pirates', Daine uses her powers to help defeat them, and ends up adopting a baby dragon.
Wolf Speaker (1994)
Travelling with Numair, Daine is sent to Fief Dunlath, where they discover traitors plotting against the Crown. They are in the pay of the Emperor of Carthak, and are using immortals to do their dirty work. Daine, aided by the animals of the valley, as well as assorted immortals and a few humans.
Emperor Mage (1995)
Daine and a delegation from Tortall sail to Carthak to make a treaty with Carthak and her emperor, Ozorne. Ozorne is an old enemy of Numair, and makes life very difficult for them. He doesn't realise that the gods are angry, and have gifted Daine the power to raise the dead! After Ozorne imprisons Daine, she gets mad and destroys his palace with the aid of some fossils. Ozorne turns himself into a Stormwing, a particularly nasty type of Immortal.
Realms of the Gods (1996)
The barrier between the Realms of the Gods and the human realm is destroyed, and everywhere is beset by Immortals. They quickly divide into two sides, one led by Ozorne. Daine and Numair are transported to the Realms, where they discover that Daine's dad is a god. They decide that the best course of action is to ask the dragons to help Daine and Numair get home. After much perilous travelling, they get home with a couple of dragons. The big, final battle is happening, and Daine kills Ozorne in the end. And there's this big overarching conspiracy with the gods. And Daine saves the world, and gets smoochy with Numair.
Protector of the Small
Main Character: Keladry
First Test (1999)
Kel decides that she wants to be a knight, and is the first girl to take the King up on his offer. She and her family have recently returned from the Yamani Islands. As such, she gets put through a year of probabtion. She acquires a horse called Peachblossom, a horde of sparrows, and a few friends. She battles against bullies, all the time completing her training. In the end she gets taken on a huge Spidren hunt, and does really well.
Page (2000)
Finally a page, Kel distinguishes herself with the lance, getting through another three years, and fighting more bullies and acquiring a dog called Jump. She fights against some bandits, proving herself an able commander. She develops a huge crush on her fellow page, Neal, and gets chatted up obliviously by Cleon. She also gets a maidservant, Lalasa, who does lots of sewing. The day of Kel's examinations to become a squire, Lalasa is kidnapped, and Kel has to find and rescue her fromthe top of the highest tower in the palace. She is allowed to sit her examinations later, despite the rules saying she should repeat her entire page training.
Squire (2001)
Kel is picked by Raoul (one of Alanna's old friends and Commander of the King's Own) to be his squire. She is taken all over the country, as Raoul accompanies Jonathan on his Royal Progress. There is a Yamani Princess there, a bride for Prince Roald. She acquires a baby griffin, who is a nuisance, and has to be returned to its parents. She participates in tournaments, defeating more bullies. She has her first war, and then has her Ordeal of Kinghthood, and passes. And is triumphant. It's a big book.
Lady Knight (2002)
Now armed with her shield, Kel is sent to the north to nursemaid the refugees caused by the Scanran war. She does this, until they are captured by the guy making the machines that caused so much trouble in Squire. She goes AWOL to get him, and rescue her refugees.
The Trickster Series (No Official Title Yet)
Main Character: Alianne
Trickster's Choice
Forthcoming 2003.
Trickster's Queen
Forthcoming 2004.
Summersea
The Circle of Magic
Main Characters: Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar.
Sandry's Book (The Magic in the Weaving - UK) (1997)
The quartet are brought to the Winding Circle Temple in Summersea, and discover their magic and particular talents. They are led in this by Lark, Rosethorn, Niko and Frostpine and they adopt a dog called Little Bear. There's this earthquake, and they survive it against all odds, binding their magic closely together, and Sandry comes to terms with her fear of the dark.
Tris' Book (The Power in the Storm) (1998)
There's this pirate attack, and they survive by using their magic in new and powerful ways. They fight betrayal in the temple by Tris' cousin and Tris adopts a starling. There's this nasty fire stuff that the pirates are using and it's all bad, and Tris comes to terms with her feelings of abandonment.
Daja's Book (The Fire in the Forging) (1998)
The quartet go travelling with their teachers to aid with a drought in the North. They use their magic in new and never seen before ways. There's this fire, and Daja is especially heroic, coming to terms with her exclusion from her own people.
Briar's Book (The Healing in the Vine) (1999)
There's this plague, and everybody in the city seems to fall victim to it. The temple helps out to such an extent that it becomes overstretched and there's lots of shortages. Briar and Rosethorn are in the thick of it all, and when Rosie nearly dies, Briar and the others link togther to bring her back from the gates of death. And Briar comes to terms with his mistrust of people.
The Circle Opens
Main Characters: Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar.
Magic Steps (2000)
Sandry is attending her Uncle, the Duke of Summersea, after he is ill, and helps him out when a series of horrific murders strike the city. She also finds time to help out a young boy, who is not aware of the magical power when he dances. She helps catch the murderers, and grows up, realising that her place is at the side of her Uncle.
Street Magic (2001)
Briar and Rosethorn have travelled far to the east to Chammar, where Briar has to help out a street gang being victimzed by another gang. He finds an apprentice in the form of a young stone mage. He discovers that the source of all the gang's and his problems are one and the same: an evil noble woman. He rips her house apart with his plant magic, proving her to be the murderer of many people.
Cold Fire (2002)
Daja and Frostpine are in Kugisko, far to the north, when Daja discovers that their hosts' children are mages. She has to find them teachers, teach them meditation and deal with a firebug intent on burning up the entire, flammable city.
Shatterglass (2003)
Tris and Niko head for parts far south, where Tris ends up with an irascrible glass maker under her wing. Murders once more abound in this caste ridden city, and Tris works out how to solve them, and her new charge's magic.