Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce
Bestselling author Tamora Pierce crafts a richly realised world in the highly anticipated first installment of The Numair Chronicles – a gripping fantasy series for young adults.
THREE STUDENT MAGES, BOUND BY FATE . . . FATED FOR DANGER
Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness – and for attracting trouble. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the ‘leftover prince’ with secret ambitions.
Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. But as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram realizes that soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.
My Blurb (4 stars)
Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series is one of my favourite ever. I first read it in school (that would’ve been over 2 decades ago) and have re-read it many times (I don’t even know how many now). And it is probably the reason why I love the girl-dressed-as-boy trope so very very much. Needless to say, I was very excited to see a new book by a beloved author set in the same universe as my favourite series ever!
The protagonist of Tempests & Slaughter is a teenage boy named Arram Draper and we first met him as he’s supposedly enjoying some bonding time with his father and grandfather at the Arena. What they didn’t know was that Arram dreaded seeing these bloody fights everyone is excited for. Still, he was determined to have a good time but then of course, the first accident happened.
Arram was an easily likeable protagonist though there was some time when he was a little obsessed with his ‘member’ that it was feeling a bit awkward to me… The number of times ‘his member’ (yes, that’s how it’s being referred to in the book) started to annoy me to no end but then again, maybe that’s how it is with teen boys? I don’t know… I was never a teen boy… Thankfully, we got through that phase just as I started to get really annoyed.
Reading Tempests & Slaughter is almost like putting on a much-loved-very-well-fitted glove. It fits me so very comfortably that I have really loved the whole book. When I try to step back and review it as a new reader though, I’m not sure if that may be the case for others. Despite the number of accidents Arram had with his gifts, he seems to be getting on too well. He seems to be a very well balanced character (which seems to not be what’s ‘in’ at the moment with all the antiheros happening). In any case, it did feel like nothing happened much. I also feel like Prince Ozorne may prove to be a much more interesting character. I am very much looking forward to get to know him better next time 😉
If you’ve never read Tamora Pierce previously, Tempests & Slaughter is really a new series and even though is set in a universe of earlier series, you can definitely pick this up without missing too much. You may want to pick them up to tide them over until book 2 is published though so bewarned! If you need anymore persuasion: magic school, Ancient Rome feels, & an old cranky crocodile (my most fave character in this book!).
If you’re a Tamora Pierce’s fan, you will NOT be disappointed. If you’re anything like me, this is a comfort read & an addition to your treasured collection.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for copy of book in exchange of honest review
About the author
Tamora Pierce is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over eighteen novels set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. She is the winner of the Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Award, the Skylark Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her ‘significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature’.
Pierce lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, and their cats, birds, and occasional rescued wildlife.
Find her on: goodreads | website | twitter | facebook | instagram
Tien's Blurb 