Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce Pages: 465
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on February 6, 2018
Series: The Numair Chronicles #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic
Source: Finished Copy from Publisher
Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.
Arram Draper is a boy 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 danger. 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. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.
In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.
Act fast! The first printing of the hardcover includes a collector’s edition poster!
Tempests and Slaughter is the first book in The Numair Chronicles by Tamora Pierce. Tempests and Slaughter is my first experience with a Tamora Pierce novel, but it will not be my last by a long shot. Before I get to my review, I wanted to first point out how absolutely beautiful the collectors edition is! I love all of the detail that went into the creation of this book- from the cover, to the poster to the beautiful map of the Tortall world. I really, really loved this book. The back describes it as the story of how Numair came to Tortall, but being new to the world it was just as really epic new fantasy.
Tempests and Slaughter is the story of three student mages- Arram, Varice and Ozorne. And…wait for it…they go to mage school!! Yes, you know this is right up my alley. The characters really shine in this story. The world is fascinating as well. I can’t wait to see the development as the problems progress and we get further into the plot of the series, but the characters were really the driving force throughout the novel. I can really see where the issues are starting to arise. Tempests and Slaughter was really interesting in the sense that we really got to see the characters grow up a ton. Arram was the youngest student in the school so watching him come into his own was great. He becomes more and more aware of the world around him. He also becomes more and more aware of the changes his friends are going through as they too grow up. All in all, this book is a really promising start to a series that I am sure is only going to get more interesting as it goes on.
Overall, Tempests and Slaughter was a really great start to a series I am really excited to read more in. There were a few times in first half of the book that I felt like the story dragged a bit, but it picked up a lot as it went on. I can’t wait to see how the characters and the world progress. There are some really serious and dark issues (like slavery) that are present in this world, so I am sure the books are only going to get darker and more intense as they go on. And I am so here for that! Bring on the next book Tamora Pierce!
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win 1 of 3 finished copies of Tempests and Slaughter (US ONly)
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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
2/1/2018- Fiction Fare– Review
2/2/2018- herbookstacks– Review
Week Two:
2/5/2018- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review
2/6/2018- A Dream Within A Dream– Review
2/7/2018- Book-Keeping– Review
2/8/2018- Eli to the nth– Review
2/9/2018- LILbooKlovers– Review
Week Three:
2/12/2018- Jump Into Books– Review
2/13/2018- BookHounds YA– Review
2/14/2018- Jessabella Reads– Review
2/15/2018- YA Bibliophile– Review
2/16/2018- Nerdophiles – Review
Week Four:
2/19/2018- Book Briefs– Review
2/20/2018- Smada’s Book Smack– Review
2/21/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader– Excerpt
2/22/2018- YA Books Central– Excerpt
2/23/2018- The Book Nut– Review
Week Five:
2/26/2018- A Backwards Story– Review
2/27/2018- The Book Shire– Review
2/28/2018- Falling Down The Book Hole– Excerpt
About Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is a bestselling author of young adult fantasy books that break past the traditions of the fantasy genre to feature teenage girls as knights, wizards, and above all: heroes. A #1 New York Times bestseller and the recipient of the 2013 Margaret A. Edwards award, Tamora has written over 30 books, including the upcoming TORTALL: A SPY’S GUIDE (Oct. 31, 2017) and TEMPESTS AND SLAUGHTER (Feb. 6, 2018).
Tamora was drawn to books from a young age. Raised in rural Pennsylvania, the child of a “long, proud line of hillbillies,” her family never had much. “We were poor, but I didn’t know it then. We had a garden where my folks grew fruit and vegetables and our water came from a well,” she explains. But one thing they did have was plenty of books. So Tamora read.
A self-proclaimed “geek,” she devoured fantasy and science fiction novels, and by the age of 12 was mimicking her literary idols and writing her own action-packed stories. It was thanks to her father that Tamora began writing. “He heard me telling myself stories as I did dishes, and he suggested that I try to write some of them down,” Pierce says.
But Tamora’s novels had one major difference: unlike the books she was reading, her stories featured teenaged girl warriors. “I couldn’t understand this lapse of attention on the part of the writers I loved, so until I could talk them into correcting this small problem, I wrote about those girls, the fearless, bold, athletic creatures that I was not, but wanted so badly to be.”
Seventeen years later, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, a brief career in teen social work and some time spent writing for radio, Tamora Pierce held true to her childhood crusade, and published ALANNA: THE FIST ADVENTURE, the first in a quartet about a valiant, young, female warrior. Pierce’s heroine struck a chord with readers across the country and quickly earned her a loyal following.
Now, with over 30 critically-acclaimed books to her name, Pierce lives in upstate New York with her husband Tim and their menagerie of nine cats, two birds, a flock of pigeons, various raccoons and squirrels, and one opossum. “It’s a pretty good life, if I do say so myself. Struggling along as a kid and even through my twenties, it’s the kind of life I dreamed of but never believed I would get. Yet here I am, after a lot of work, a lot of worry, a lot of care for details, and a massive chunk of luck, the kind that brought me such strong friends and readers. Pretty good for a hillbilly, yes? And I never take it for granted.”
I’d love to win a copy! But, in the meantime, I’m starting to read it today as I’d requested that my library add it to their collection and they did! AND I’m first in the queue!
I haven’t been this excited for a book in a long time! I’ve missed this universe.
I’m so excited for this!!!!
My favorite author! Can’t wait to read it!
I love when books include a map of the world of the story. They’re always so pretty.