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I'm truly astonished that I have to rate this book just one star. It's a Tamora Pierce book, for goodness sake! But unfortunately, I found this book to be extremely slow-paced, filled with an abundance of unnecessary details while lacking in the necessary ones. So much of it was just a tiresome ramble about the main character's everyday life. We're told who came to visit her, what they talked about, and so on.

Basically, the entire book focuses on the daily routine and line of duty of "Puppy" Beka Cooper. Don't misunderstand me; I actually liked Beka. She was well-developed, strong yet flawed, which is one of the things I really appreciate about Tamora Pierce's heroines. They're all strong believers in good, but not so overly perfect that they lose their sense of being real people. However, that's where the positives end in this series for me. I couldn't really form a connection with the other characters, and I found the whole plot to be tediously slow and boring.

This book was supposed to be about the mystery of who was stealing and killing the missing children. That sounds really exciting, doesn't it? But it wasn't at all. Somehow, the author managed to take what could have been an interesting mystery and make it dull. Instead of focusing on the mystery, the author chose to concentrate on the mundane aspects of Beka's daily life. I mean, really, who cares who comes to visit her and what time they arrive and what they talk about? And not only that, but I felt that this book, as a whole, was rather light for a story about dealing with criminals. I'm not saying this because I prefer darker books, but because it would have added so much more excitement and atmosphere to the entire book and the world if things had been a bit more gruesome. After all, she is patrolling the rougher parts of the city.

Another point I want to mention is that despite the book's size and length, there is absolutely no world building. I have no idea why this is the case, as there were numerous opportunities to include some world history. But we got practically none. Overall, I would say that this book needs more action and a more exciting, faster pacing. It should keep you on the edge of your seat, not knowing what's around the corner and always in a state of suspense.

This book had so much potential to be thrilling, dark, and full of twists and turns. Even when we finally find out who is killing all the children, it's not that much of a shock. It's just like, "eh, okay then." I had such high hopes for this book, but I was let down mostly by the slow pace and the lack of suspense in the plot and writing. Despite all these negatives, I still want to find out what becomes of Beka. And some people have said that these books get better. I just don't understand why so many people on Goodreads have rated this one so highly.

I truly relished this book.

I wound up reading it in approximately four sittings. Two of those were more like just skimming the surface, while the third and fourth were intense reading sessions.

What was truly wonderful about this book is that it boasted a clear plot, without a jumble of side plots to complicate matters. This author precisely knows which details are necessary to lead us to the climax and which ones are superfluous. Nevertheless, it still required over 500 pages to tell the story as it was intended.

I adored the plot. I liked the very distinct mystery and the unmasking of the villains. The cast of characters was also extremely charming and resourceful. I will most definitely be continuing with this series.

PS: Pounce is the absolute best cat ever, and no one can persuade me otherwise. (Except for that part where he doesn't hunt mice. That would be a deal breaker in my home, my friend.)

This was my very first encounter with Tamora Pierce's work, and I can firmly say that it will not be my last.

The world she has created in this book reminded me strongly of that in The Lies of Locke Lamora. However, what truly amazed me was that it hooked me right from the very beginning.

My only minor complaint would be the framework they set up at the start. A mom is telling her son about Beka Cooper, but then they just seem to... never come back to that. It felt a bit like a loose end that could have added an extra layer of depth if they had revisited it.

Anyway, despite that small flaw, I absolutely loved this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one in the series and continue exploring this wonderful world that Tamora Pierce has crafted.

I'm sure there are many more adventures and surprises in store for me, and I'm eager to see where the story takes me.

Reading a Tamora Pierce novel is always a special experience for me. Even when I pick up a new one, it feels a little like coming home. I have a deep familiarity with the Tortall universe she has created, which gives me a sense of comfort and connection. This time, it's Beka Cooper (and her friends) who have quickly won a place in my heart.

The first installment of this story is very solidly written. Pierce has a talent for bringing her characters to life and making the reader care about them deeply. Beka is a strong and independent protagonist, and her adventures in the city of Corus are both exciting and engaging. The world-building is also excellent, with detailed descriptions of the city and its inhabitants.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this new Tamora Pierce novel. It's a great addition to the Tortall universe, and I can't wait to see what happens next in Beka's story.

Back in 2006, I read this and was instantly smitten. Loved it then, and my affection for it has only grown stronger over the years.

Who could not be charmed by the young woman hell-bent on carving out her path in the bustling heart of the city? Bec Cooper, with her unwavering determination to seek truth and justice, truly stands alone in a league of her own. As part of the law enforcement group known as Dogs, these are her fledgling days as a trainee, affectionately called a Puppy.

She is a wonder, befriending all, whether they be rogues or mages. An honest, compassionate, and hardheaded young woman, she has a cat that might just be a god. She converses with pigeons that carry the spirits of those who cannot move on until justice is served, and she listens intently to the whispers of the whirlwinds. Her story is one that captivates and intrigues, drawing the reader in and refusing to let go.

Oh. My. GOD!

I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!!!!!!!

I was completely aflail, and I got so deeply into it that I was even yelling at the book last night!

Pounce is undoubtedly my favorite character. He is just so full of sass, and I simply adore it!

I truly wish I had my very own Breakfast Club.

It would be amazing to have a group of friends like that, who could come together and share their unique stories and experiences.

The book has really captured my imagination and made me long for something similar in my own life.

I can't wait to see what other adventures and characters await me in the pages of this wonderful book.

It has become a source of great joy and entertainment for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.

This book initially had a great start for me, and I truly loved it. However, somewhere in the middle, I got completely lost.

I couldn't remember who each character was or follow the specific directions of the story. It's really disappointing that my love for the book gradually dwindled as I continued reading.

On the bright side, I became a huge fan of Beka and Pounce, and I felt deeply invested in their stories. Regarding the other characters, I didn't really feel that I got to know them beyond a surface level.

This could be because this is the first book in the series, and perhaps in the subsequent books, readers will have the opportunity to learn more about the other players.

I really liked the world-building in this book, and I'm still glad that I read it. If anything, it introduced a strong YA female lead who learns to be independent and stand on her own two feet. We definitely need more positive female role models in books like this.

Overall, although there were some flaws, I still found this book to be an enjoyable read.

This is one of those captivating stories that immerses you immediately into its world, demanding that you, as the reader, pick up the thread and follow along. It doesn't ease you in by first meticulously explaining everything. Nevertheless, I found the world truly fascinating and absolutely adored Beka Cooper and her friends. She is such a resolute soul, just beginning to trust herself and have faith in her instincts. Granted, she has a touch of magic on her side, but ultimately, she also possesses excellent instincts as a cop. The advantage she gains from being able to hear the souls of the dead is merely one aspect of the skills she'll possess when she becomes a full-fledged Dog. Even as a Puppy, those skills are proving valuable to her Dog partners.

I liked the Evening Watch as a whole. They are a good group striving to do their best for their city, despite being spread thin. Sure, it's not the most perfectly law-abiding group in the world, but they have a system of checks and balances that everyone on either side of the law comprehends. As long as you play by the rules, you'll generally be left alone, but step over the line and the Dogs will hunt you down. There are numerous changes emerging in the Lower City, and Beka finds herself right in the thick of it all.

I relished watching Beka find her footing and discover the friends she has who walk on both sides of the line. Their little breakfasts together were simply wonderful. I appreciated how they were all able to come together to uncover the information needed to bring those who truly deserved it to justice. I can't wait to read the next novel in the series.

I've been an ardent Tamora Pierce fan ever since my childhood. It all began when I randomly picked up Wolf Speaker in the library, completely unaware that it was the second book in a series. At that time, wolves were my absolute favorite animal, and Daine's powers seemed like the most fascinating thing in the world to me. Ever since then, I've adored all of her Tortall books. Often, they were the only fantasy books I could find that featured the female characters I was so渴望 for.

That being said, "Terrier" was a refreshing change of pace for me. It's the first of the Tortall books where the cast is entirely unique. There are no cameos from Daine and Alanna. Moreover, it's a murder mystery presented in a first-person diary format. Basically, if I didn't have unwavering faith in Pierce's ability to charm me with her books, I probably would have never picked up something like this.

Terrier is extremely action-packed. Blink, and you'll miss something crucial. The dialogue is sharp and witty, leaving no room for zoning out. Pierce is a master at making me think deeply while reading. Often, the main characters will have a breakthrough or an idea, and instead of spoon-feeding me every detail, I, as a reader, have to do the mental work to figure it out. It's never overly difficult, but it makes me feel like I'm solving the mystery right along with them.

I'm one of those people who tend to zone out if there's a long passage describing what a building looks like. However, I didn't have this problem with "Terrier". I can't recall a single instance where I was consciously forced to read an info-dump, yet I have a vivid understanding of what the lower city looks like and can picture it in my mind as clearly as any movie setting. The world-building is truly exquisite. You get to know these people, this world, and this culture without having to be bombarded with explanations. Pierce is a master at world-building, much like Tolkien, but without the heavy-handed dumping of history in the middle of the text.

Beka is an amazing main character whom I can really relate to. She's highly skilled at what she does, yet humble. Her journal entries are bold and you can sense her rage, but in person, she's often shy. People underestimate and misunderstand her because there's so much more going on beneath the surface. In addition to being a remarkable Dog (book slang for guardsmen/women), she has magic to assist her in her duties. This magic is delightfully original, yet it also has its own limitations and drawbacks. Beka can listen to dust spinners, magical winds that collect scraps of sounds on street corners, and hear the souls that city pigeons carry. Obviously, both of these are invaluable resources, but they're also unreliable. Sometimes her magic gives her just the clue she needs, but more often than not, it's frustrating hints with nothing concrete. Despite all this, I never feel like Beka is overpowered. As I mentioned earlier, her powers have their drawbacks, and she makes mistakes. Particularly at the end, she takes an extraordinarily long time to figure out some things that I had already guessed from the start. She's clever, but her companions often offer ideas that she doesn't consider, and her shyness can actually hinder her ability to do her job at times, like when she has to testify in court as the only witness to an arrest.

I don't usually like mysteries, journal-format novels, or crime books, and yet I absolutely adore Terrier. It starts with Beka, Eskren, and Pounce, and as the cast grows, I find myself as attached to her companions as Beka herself is. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book because I loved being a part of her world and her mismatched family of dogs, star cats, ornery pigeons, and crime lords all living under one roof and desperately trying to keep a crazy city safe from itself. I love the language, the slang, the lower city cant. I even found myself slipping some of it into my own daily language, much to the confusion of my family. I love this book. I truly do. My only complaint is that despite being told early on that Beka is a blonde, she looks like she has red hair on every cover, and I refuse to believe otherwise.

Read this book, and then read the rest of Tamora Pierce's books. I've been reading her Tortall series since I was in 4th grade, and revisiting them in high school and now, as an adult, I love them more with each reading.

**Original Article**:
This is a simple article. It doesn't have much content. But it can still convey some basic information.

**Expanded Article**:
This is a rather simple article.

It doesn't possess an abundance of content.

However, it is still capable of conveying certain fundamental information.

Despite its simplicity, it serves a purpose in presenting the basic ideas.

It may not be elaborate or detailed, but it gets the point across.

Sometimes, even a simple article like this can be useful in providing a quick understanding of a particular topic.

It shows that even with limited words and a straightforward structure, communication can still occur.

So, although it may not be the most complex or comprehensive piece of writing, it has its own value in the world of written communication.

I first came across Tamora Pierce's remarkable writing in her captivating "Immortals" quartet of books. Subsequently, I delved into her other series set in the enchanting lands of Tortall and Emelan. However, for some reason, I never got around to reading the "Beka Cooper" series. Then, when some members of my book club on Discord expressed their desire to do a buddy reading of this trilogy, I eagerly seized the opportunity to finally fit it into my reading list. Having just completed the first book, I'm already filled with anticipation to discover what lies ahead.

It's quite an unusual experience to read a Pierce book where the main character doesn't possess a true and clearly defined source of magic. But Beka does have something that sets her apart and makes her highly valuable to her fellow Guards. This is also the first of Pierce's works that I can remember being written in the first person. So, right from the start, there was a fair bit to get used to. Fortunately, Pierce never makes it overly difficult. Beka is portrayed as shy yet strong, learning but intelligent, and somewhat isolated yet never truly alone. From being a fishpuppy to becoming a terrier, Beka is determined to carve out a path for herself on her own terms.

When Beka Cooper was just eight years old, she managed to foil a plot, which brought her to the notice of the Lord Provost. Impressed by her, the Lord Provost took in Beka and her family, elevating them from their humble origins in the Corus’ Lower City.

Now, at sixteen, Beka has no interest in a life of servantry. Her dream is to become a Dog, a member of the Provost’s Guard. But first, she must survive her first year of training as a Puppy.

Tamora Pierce is truly one of the best in the business when it comes to worldbuilding. With just a few words, she brings the Lower City to life, enhanced by a unique street dialect.

I adored Beka. She was very much a typical sixteen-year-old, yet also someone who was just starting out in her career and渴望被认真对待. Her magic abilities are truly unique. She can communicate with the dead ghosts that ride on pigeons and listen to the words trapped inside dust spinners. Her cat, Pounce (hello Faithful!), is also magical and adds another dimension to the story.

However, I have to admit that I enjoyed this book less than I did when it was first released in 2006 and during my last reread in 2013.

What I found enjoyable this time around were things that I didn't like 10 or even 15 years ago. My tastes and understanding of the world have definitely changed. Additionally, I didn't feel that the framing device of the journal format worked as well as it was intended to.

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