#91 Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce
Daja Kisubo was only nine years old when her family's ship was caught up in a storm. As Daja was the only survivor, her bad luck was
considered responsible for the wreck, making her an instant outcast among all Traders. Now, she has found peace, family, and magic among her friends and mentors at Winding Circle, but part of her yearns to be a Trader again. When a magical mishap results in her creating a living vine out of pure iron, Daja's attracts the attention of a Traveling trader caravan. They wish to buy her work, but despise her for her cursed state. Will Daja be able to earn back the respect of her people?
Daja's Book is the third book in the Circle of Magic Quartet by Tamora Pierce. Although it isn't as strongly written as some of Tammy's more recent works, it's filled with the elements that make her books so enjoyable. Pierce has a real knack for crafting likable characters, which can be clearly seen with the four main characters of this series (Daja, Briar, Sandry, and Tris) as well as their four mentors (Frostpine, Rosethron, Lark and Niko). Although Daja's Book is a little on the predictable side, Pierce does a fantastic job of weaving together the three separate plot lines that make up this novel. These are the main atoryline about taming wild fires in Gold Ridge, Daja's personal journey with the traders, and the ongoing storyline which deals with the four main characters' unique magical abilities.
Daja's Book further explores the setting of Emelan by educating the reader more on trader culture, as well as the existing tension between the Winding Circle mages and mages that receive their magical training at the University. University mages ground their philosophy in logic, academic study, and uniformity, while Circle mages base their beliefs on flexibility, intuition, and religion. I love the fact that even though we're supposed to side with the Circle mages, that it's easy to see why the University mages feel the way they do. They are so used to everything fitting in a one size fits all box, that they are completely unprepared for when something unique comes long, such as Daja's magic.
This is my second time reading Daja's Book and my first time experiencing it as an audiobook. The full cast format really suits this series, which has a large cast a characters for a children's book. I'm quite impressed at how well the voice choices suit each character, and feel that Pierce does a solid job as narrator. Although Daja's Book is not the strongest in the Circle of Magic Quartet (my favorite is still Tris's Book) there is much about it I appreciate, from the multicultural setting, to the likeable characters, to the fast paced storytelling. I'm happy that I decided to pick up the audiobook, allowing me to experience the story again.
Rating: four stars
Length: I listened to the audiobook, although the print version is 240 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Similar books: Check out works by Gail Carson Levine, Diane Duane, and JK Rowling.
Other books I've read by this author: Below is a list of the series by Tamora Pierce that I have read. For her Tortall Universe: The Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Series, The Protector of the Small, Daughter of the Lioness, and the first two books of the Beka Cooper Series (see my review for Bloodhound). For her Emelan universe I've read Circle of Magic (including Tris’s Book- my review), The Circle Opens, and the stand alone books The Will of the Empress, and Melting Stones ( my review). I have also read the Young Warriors anthology, which she edited and contributed a short story to, and her short-lived Marvel Comic series White Tiger: A Heroes Compulsion. For short stories, I have read “Elder Brother” (from Half Human), “Student of Ostriches” (from Young Warriors), and “Huntress” (from Firebirds Rising).
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads
considered responsible for the wreck, making her an instant outcast among all Traders. Now, she has found peace, family, and magic among her friends and mentors at Winding Circle, but part of her yearns to be a Trader again. When a magical mishap results in her creating a living vine out of pure iron, Daja's attracts the attention of a Traveling trader caravan. They wish to buy her work, but despise her for her cursed state. Will Daja be able to earn back the respect of her people?
Daja's Book is the third book in the Circle of Magic Quartet by Tamora Pierce. Although it isn't as strongly written as some of Tammy's more recent works, it's filled with the elements that make her books so enjoyable. Pierce has a real knack for crafting likable characters, which can be clearly seen with the four main characters of this series (Daja, Briar, Sandry, and Tris) as well as their four mentors (Frostpine, Rosethron, Lark and Niko). Although Daja's Book is a little on the predictable side, Pierce does a fantastic job of weaving together the three separate plot lines that make up this novel. These are the main atoryline about taming wild fires in Gold Ridge, Daja's personal journey with the traders, and the ongoing storyline which deals with the four main characters' unique magical abilities.
Daja's Book further explores the setting of Emelan by educating the reader more on trader culture, as well as the existing tension between the Winding Circle mages and mages that receive their magical training at the University. University mages ground their philosophy in logic, academic study, and uniformity, while Circle mages base their beliefs on flexibility, intuition, and religion. I love the fact that even though we're supposed to side with the Circle mages, that it's easy to see why the University mages feel the way they do. They are so used to everything fitting in a one size fits all box, that they are completely unprepared for when something unique comes long, such as Daja's magic.
This is my second time reading Daja's Book and my first time experiencing it as an audiobook. The full cast format really suits this series, which has a large cast a characters for a children's book. I'm quite impressed at how well the voice choices suit each character, and feel that Pierce does a solid job as narrator. Although Daja's Book is not the strongest in the Circle of Magic Quartet (my favorite is still Tris's Book) there is much about it I appreciate, from the multicultural setting, to the likeable characters, to the fast paced storytelling. I'm happy that I decided to pick up the audiobook, allowing me to experience the story again.
Rating: four stars
Length: I listened to the audiobook, although the print version is 240 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Similar books: Check out works by Gail Carson Levine, Diane Duane, and JK Rowling.
Other books I've read by this author: Below is a list of the series by Tamora Pierce that I have read. For her Tortall Universe: The Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Immortals Series, The Protector of the Small, Daughter of the Lioness, and the first two books of the Beka Cooper Series (see my review for Bloodhound). For her Emelan universe I've read Circle of Magic (including Tris’s Book- my review), The Circle Opens, and the stand alone books The Will of the Empress, and Melting Stones ( my review). I have also read the Young Warriors anthology, which she edited and contributed a short story to, and her short-lived Marvel Comic series White Tiger: A Heroes Compulsion. For short stories, I have read “Elder Brother” (from Half Human), “Student of Ostriches” (from Young Warriors), and “Huntress” (from Firebirds Rising).
xposted to temporaryworlds , bookish , and goodreads