This was such a truly fantastic series.

I was completely captivated by Daine and her remarkable gift.

Her ability to communicate with animals was not only unique but also added a whole new dimension to the story.

It was fascinating to see how she interacted with the various creatures, understanding their thoughts and feelings.

Daine's character was so well-developed, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the series.

The adventures she embarked on were thrilling and full of excitement.

Each new challenge she faced only made her stronger and more determined.

I can't wait to see what other amazing stories lie ahead for Daine and her animal friends.

This series has truly become one of my favorites, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure.

Damnit, I completed this book some time ago. And you know what? The review just got forgotten because I'm such a failure, lol.

All that you need to understand is that this is an extremely good book. In it, you have the opportunity to witness Daine losing her temper in the most badass manner I've ever seen, lol.

Moreover, this became even more fascinating to read after having gone through Tempests and Slaughter.

The story in this book is engaging and full of surprises. Daine's character development is truly remarkable, and her outburst of temper adds an extra layer of excitement to the narrative.

I highly recommend this book to all those who enjoy a good adventure with strong and dynamic characters. It's definitely a must-read!

Reread this during a sick day.

Ohhh boy, it reads so differently as a 30-something than it did as a preteen.

Pierce almost always handles her non-European counterpart cultures in an awkward way, and it's no different in this case.

However, I do wish that other books in the series were more like this one in other aspects.

This book has pretty much the best pacing among all the books in the Tortall series.

It has a perfect blend of mystery, court intrigue, comedy, adventure, and so on.

The combination of these elements makes it a truly engaging and enjoyable read.

Whether you're a long-time fan of the series or a new reader, this book is definitely worth checking out.

It offers a unique and exciting perspective on the world of Tortall and its characters.

So, the next time you're looking for a good book to read, give this one a try.

You might be surprised at how much you'll enjoy it.

I truly relished this particular one. It was significantly better than Wolf-Speaker.

The story had its own charm and held my attention throughout.

However, I do have a wish. I really wish there was more interaction between Daine and Numair.

Although, it is quite evident that there is a change brewing between them, which is a bit ew.

Their relationship seems to be evolving in a way that I'm not entirely sure I like.

But still, the overall plot and the other characters in the story make it an enjoyable read.

I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops further and what other adventures Daine will embark on.

Maybe in the next installment, there will be more of the interaction that I'm渴望 for.

Overall, despite my minor gripe about the lack of interaction between Daine and Numair, I still highly recommend this book.

I listened to this audiobook mainly because it was the first TPierce audiobook that was easily accessible on Libby. I was about to take a train journey and I'm currently working on a Tortall-based game. So, I really wanted to get into the right mood. And I have to say, it was really good! Among all the characters, Daine is unfortunately the most relatable one. She has her own set of struggles and emotions that I could easily identify with. Her character development throughout the story is quite remarkable. As I listened to the audiobook, I found myself getting more and more immersed in her world. I could picture the scenes vividly in my mind. The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life. I'm really glad I chose to listen to this audiobook. It has definitely enhanced my experience of working on the game and has given me a better understanding of the Tortall universe.

Daine makes her return in the third installment of the Immortals quartet.

Here, she is enlisted for a diplomatic mission to a kingdom located south of Tortall. Strangely enough, this kingdom bears a resemblance to Egypt.

The all-powerful Emperor of this kingdom is hatching a plan for war, and unfortunately, that war is targeted at Tortall.

In an effort to prevent the potentially disastrous consequences of war on their small kingdom, a mission is assembled. It consists of all the knights that readers will remember from the previous books in the series. Their objective is twofold: to promote peace and to heal the Emperor's birds, which he treasures more than his own life.

The story is filled with fun and moves at a fast pace. Although it may not be on par with some of the other Pierce series, it has definitely left me eager to read the final book in this quartet.

Overall, it's an engaging read that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.

I still absolutely adore this book.

Wild Magic is dear to me because it was my first book by Pierce. It introduced me to a magical world full of wonder and excitement.

However, Emperor Mage makes my heart soar every time. The characters in this book are truly captivating. Zek, with his mysterious powers, Kitten, the cute and feisty feline, Bonedancer, the strange and enchanting creature, the hyenas, adding an element of danger, the Graveyard Hag, with her creepy presence, and the reanimated dinosaur bones! They all bring the story to life in the most vivid way.

The sumptuous surroundings described in the book are a treat for the eyes. The detailed descriptions make me feel as if I am right there in the story. But beneath the beauty lies a rot, a hidden darkness that adds depth and complexity to the plot.

And finally, some answers about Daine's father are revealed. This has been a long-awaited part of the story for me, and it does not disappoint. It ties up loose ends and gives a better understanding of Daine's character and her journey.

Overall, this book is a masterpiece that I will continue to cherish and reread time and time again.

Daine is 'invited' with a motley crew of Tortallian delegates to broker peace between Tortall and Carthak. She's meant to heal birds but discovers she can heal the dead and ends up in Revenge!mode after a series of (hilarious) mix-ups.

I'm being honest: I'm increasingly let down by these books. I can almost sense the captivating, detailed, complex story of a girl unknowingly becoming a link between the Divine and mortal realms, with powers that keep growing, isolating her from those around her (except her not-too-much-older mage mentor) as she tries to carve out a place for herself in the world.

But this isn't that story. Daine isn't that isolated - everyone adores her. Her mage mentor unfortunately is that much older. She hasn't fully accepted her situation as a half-deity. Besides hints of a homeland in the first book, books 2 and 3 have been in-between books, sending Daine to different places to explore and then leave.

As Andree said, I too want the in-between stories. What changed between Numair and Daine between books 2 and 3? What kind of home does Daine have in Tortall between books 1 and 2 that makes her so loyal to their cause? Those stories are absent, leaving the rest unanchored.

This is really unfortunate as I approach book 4. Which Daine will I get? What relationship will have changed? What new powers will Daine have mastered? THESE AREN'T QUESTIONS I SHOULD BE ASKING MYSELF BEFORE THE FINAL BOOK OF A QUARTET.

I still ship it, mostly in a "REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND THEY WERE PERFECT?" kind of way. The age difference is a total mess, and Daine seems to have no close relationships with anyone who isn't an animal or Numair, but I can't help it. I know what I want and it's a gangly mage?? Don't judge me too harshly, friends.

(That said: it bugs me more and more that Daine doesn't have any really close female friends. I'm ASSUMING because THIS ISN'T IN THE TEXT LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE that Daine doesn't need a "WHAT IS PERIOD" talk or a "BIRDS AND BEES ARE METAPHOR FOR PENIS-VAGINA" talk because of her ~commune with nature. Which: ugh. Give the intended audience of this series something to relate to, eh?)

I wanted more politics and less animal bonding.

KADDAR. Talk about an inconsistent character. He's hot and cold, yes and no, up and down, basically Katy Perry. I liked the bits of respect he showed for Daine at the end, but even that was too simplistic considering she'd just brought down the palace, witnessed the destruction of the former emperor, and raised the extinct from the dead. Would the heir-apparent really be like "WISH YOU COULD STICK AROUND FOR A FEW DAYS MORE ILU!!!"? I doubt it. ~~Teenage hormones (if not the politics) would make that situation extremely complicated.

I didn't like the basically lifted from a natural history textbook insertions of the fossils? WE'RE IN A FANTASY WORLD. CAN WE NOT. This also muddles the issue of the development of their Earth: dinosaurs ruled with Immortals? Before Immortals? And then Immortals and humanity roamed the Earth. And then humanity locked away the Immortals. And now they're back, but OH YES FOSSILS???

Kitten is a simple fix for just about every problem.

COULD HAVE HAD IT ALLLLLLL.

I received a free ebook version of this from Netgalley. Thank you to both the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this! My review is still honest.

Faith has been restored in this series! I had a rather good time reading book 1, a not-so-great time in book 2, but an amazing time in this one! I'm truly impressed and excited to read book 4.

Without spoiling this one, this series follows Daine, a young mage who possesses various cool, animal related powers. The country she lives in is facing conflict with a neighbouring country.

The plot in this installment was outstanding! There was constantly something interesting happening, with very few filler scenes. It all tied together so beautifully and I adored the direction it took. I liked the new creatures introduced and the new characters, especially Zek and Kaddar! I also appreciated Daine's growth and Kitten's increased intelligence. I was completely enthralled with this book, getting to explore parts of Tortall that I hadn't seen before.

However, I do have an issue that I was aware was coming but didn't think would appear so soon. So, Numair and Daine. Nothing technically occurs in this one, but it clearly shows that Numair has feelings for her. And I want to ship them because I think they complement each other well, but she is FIFTEEN! And he's almost THIRTY! She's a child, and I can't simply ignore that. I have been spoiled and know that their relationship doesn't truly begin until she turns 16, but even then, I'd like you to picture a 16-year-old you know and a 30-year-old you know in a relationship. It's wrong. If Daine was just a few years older, I could overlook the age gap, but he's already viewing her romantically when she's 15. I am going to read book 4 and just imagine that she's like 18, because those couple of years would make all the difference, but it does need to be acknowledged.

3.5 stars? These are not exactly standing up to rereading.

There are a few aspects that need to be considered. Firstly, Tortall has rather modern attitudes despite being vaguely medieval in many ways. While it's not too jarring when you're within Tortall, it starts to grate when compared to the apparently very different attitudes of every other country. In a sense, Tortall seems almost too perfect.

Secondly, there's the matter of GARY/HIS PAPERS.

On a more positive note, Alanna was fun, and I enjoy her friendship with Daine. Additionally, Daine and Kaddar had an interesting dynamic together, in a friendly way.

I also second what I said after Wolf Speaker. There really should have been a book that focused on Daine in Tortall. We needed to see her day-to-day life there. As it stands, the lack of knowledge about her real life is problematic.

And I think this will contribute to Daine/Numair not working for me this time around. The age difference and the teacher/student aspect are already quite problematic. However, I think I could have overlooked these in this instance, for reasons I will likely discuss after book 4, once I am reminded of exactly how it plays out (surprisingly, I have very little memory of book 4).

What I really can't get behind is that their relationship is essentially underdeveloped. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, Daine and Numair actually spend very little time together in books 2 and 3. You don't really get to see their relationship evolve and strengthen. You only see them in crisis situations. Based on the last few chapters of this one, it's clear there's a strong bond, but it would have been nice to see it develop a bit more. It would have been great if they were able to interact in a normal way, without the need to rush to meetings or never having time to talk. (This ties back to my idea of a mythical book that should have existed instead of Wolf Speaker.)

The second reason is that Daine has no other options presented to her. Kaddar is never portrayed as a viable alternative. Daine never spends any time with anyone else her own age. We don't see her learning to interact with boys as Alanna did (this may happen in book 4, but I can't remember). I do understand the logic behind having Daine and Numair end up together (in a sense, there were only two ways this could go, and TP took a different approach with Alanna), but surely Daine choosing (and fighting) for Numair would be more convincing if we got to see them interact more (and not just witness Daine's jealousy), and if we also got to see Daine interacting with other people, making it clear that Numair is the better fit.

Overall, the magic stuff in this one is cool (better than in Wolf Speaker, especially with the added complication of the Graveyard Hag), but a lot of the character development left me feeling rather indifferent on this readthrough.

Last month, I delved into Tempests and Slaughter, Tamora Pierce's captivating prequel that offers a glimpse into the younger days of the mage Numair as he studies magic at a Carthak university. After I finished reading it, I passed it on to my 15-year-old son. He devoured the book and then promptly headed to his school library to check out the entire IMMORTALS series. The other day, when he brought Emperor Mage home, I couldn't resist snatching it from him once he was done. I wanted to remind myself of what had happened with Prince Orzorne, the charming Varice, and other Carthaki characters that I had met in Tempests and Slaughter but had nearly forgotten due to the passage of time since I last read it. Surprisingly, it was like reading the book for the very first time as I remembered absolutely nothing about the plot!

So, here's the story: Fifteen-year-old animal mage Daine and her mentor, now 29-year-old Numair, embark on a journey with a delegation from Tortall to Carthak. Their mission is to negotiate a peace treaty with the Emperor Mage, Orzorne, who has changed significantly since his teenage years in Tempests and Slaughter. Daine is included in the delegation because Emperor Orzorne has a passion for animals, and his collection of exotic birds is mysteriously falling ill and dying. Despite the Tortall delegation's deep mistrust of Orzorne, he may have some unexpected tricks up his sleeve for them. However, he fails to consider Daine's wild magic, which means there are likely to be surprises on all fronts.

This is a middle grade book, and initially, I thought it was a bit simplistic. But as I reached the end, I found myself completely engrossed. I would rate it 4+ stars, and a full review will follow shortly.

There's nothing I can say that will adequately express how I feel about these books.

They have truly touched my heart in a way that words cannot fully describe.

I'm not even going to try to put it into words because I know it would fall short.

Besides, the fact that I read them all repeatedly is the highest form of praise I can give anyway.

I've lost count after the 10th time, but that just shows how much I love these stories.

Daine, Numair, and the others are not just characters in a book to me.

They are friends as dear to me as any in this world.

I feel like I know them personally and have shared in their adventures and struggles.

These books have become a part of my life and I will always cherish them.