Tortall

January 15, 2011

In this collection, Pierce's fantasy worlds teem with a wide variety of heroines: math prodigies, shepherds and martial artists, primarily girls of color, mostly fighting sexism. In the lovely, necessary "Lost," abused young Adria is filled with despair when her teacher tells her she's incompetent at math. Adria, who believes "engineers are almost like gods," discovers a mentor—a female engineer—to nurture her talent. Teky, in "The Hidden Girl," secretly teaches girls to read holy writ, finding strength in her knowledge and her choice to wear a burqa. Teky provides a vital counterpoint to the disquieting, outsider perspective in "Elder Brother." Here Fadal, who chooses life disguised as a boy over the veil, hopes to travel to Tortall, which she (falsely) believes is a feminist idyll. Familiar characters return: Tortall fans will delight in new adventures of the darkings, Kitten the dragon and Aly the spymaster. Nor are young men neglected in these compact comings-of-age. Nawat (of Trickster's Choice, 2003), in the most adult of the tales, learns the harsh realities of fatherhood (and witnesses a remarkably physically explicit childbirth). Powerfully, he realizes his love for a child with a disability conflicts with his upbringing. Unusually for Pierce, one contemporary fantasy and one realistic fiction piece close out the collection. A mixed bag with many ardent, needful tales of girls discovering inner resources. (Short stories/fantasy. 12-16)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2011

Gr 7 Up-In this collection, Pierce limns the challenges and triumphs in the lives of several characters, many of them new to her readers. They meet a young woman who teaches herself to fight by observing the ostriches and zebras around her and a man transformed from an apple tree. Kitten, the young dragon ward of Daine and Numair, stars in one story while Nawat, the crow warrior and lover from the author's "Trickster" books, takes center stage in another. Pierce often chooses to feature a strong girl or young woman who must contend with the strictures of the society around her, whether it be a culture guided by a paternalistic religion or a competitive urban prep school. Quite a few of these stories occur in Tortall, where many of her novels take place, while other settings range from unspecified fantastic lands to present-day New York City. The final piece is semiautobiographical, which should delight Pierce's following. The author's legions of fans should enjoy this chance to return to Tortall as well as the opportunity to go to other realms. Those unfamiliar with her works will find these tales to be a splendid introduction. Any fantasy reader is sure to find something to delight among these engaging characters and lands of magic.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2011
Eight of these stories were previously published in various fantasy anthologies between 1986 and 2009; the remaining three were newly created for this collection. In all of them, Pierce remains true to the features for which her readers love her work: relaxed, accessible language; quickly delineated characters; plots that gallop along; and a warmth toward her readers that shows she's on their side. Almost every tale spins on a girl surmounting barriers to come into her power, whether it's the just-born Ochobai, whose crow-man father Nawat accepts her physical "otherness," or Adria, whose abilities with mathematics intimidate her punitive teacher. Bullying fathers, self-important wizards, repressive teachers, and arrogant alpha males are squelched and outwitted by clever, kind, and often physically powerful women -- young and older. Pierce offers glimpses into otherwise neglected corners of the fantasy world of her longer works, bringing familiar characters such as Daine, Numair, Aly, Nawat, and the Darkings back into play. The tales are easy in the reading and clear in their message, and Pierce's own brand of inventiveness is patent throughout. deirdre f. baker

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)