Originally, when I read this back in 2008/2009ish, I rated it four stars.

Rereading the Tamora Pierce books has been a somewhat frustrating experience so far. I can see the good aspects, but there are also significant plotting problems in some areas, which is clearly demonstrated in the Immortals series. The first book is great fun, establishing Daine's amazing powers and a wonderful cast of characters. However, after that, Daine hardly develops as a character, aside from continuously acquiring new powers. There are some interesting moral discussions about her use of her animal friends, but that's about it. The romance with Numair is not developed, which is unfortunate considering the large age gap (he's 30 and she's at most 18).

In this particular book, Daine and Numair spend approximately 3/4 of it on a meandering journey through the realms of the gods. The objective is to escape that realm and return to the mortal realm to assist with the war. But why remove the characters from the interesting broader plot and place them in a dull, magical landscape? It's infuriating!

Now, to be clear, I don't think this book is terrible. However, as a conclusion, the way things are resolved and the way the time is utilized is not particularly satisfying. That's why I'm rating this one as just okay, because it had the potential to be so much more, yet I didn't dislike it either. My actual rating is around a 2.5.

Daine was truly an amazing character.

Her bond with the animals was simply enchanting. It was a joy to see how she interacted with them and how they responded to her.

Moreover, the way all her friends became significant in various ways throughout the series was heartwarming.

The world building in the story was so immersive that it pulled me in completely.

I was utterly fascinated by the Realms of the Gods. The descriptions were vivid and detailed, making it easy to imagine the different landscapes and creatures.

Clearly, I have an insatiable appetite for more of Tamora Pierce's works. Her writing is so engaging and her characters are so well-developed that I can't get enough.

I can't wait to explore more of the worlds she has created and see what adventures await the characters.

Tamora Pierce is truly a master storyteller and I highly recommend her books to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure.

5.0 stars - doesn't change and to some extent it's because of nostalgia.

I have a deep love for the exciting adventures that take place in the divine realms, along with the thrilling action and beautiful romance. Realm of the Gods is truly one of my all-time favorite books. It seems to have everything that makes a story perfect in my eyes.

I understand that some people have concerns about this book, especially when it comes to Numair and Daine finally expressing their feelings for each other. I can see that from a modern perspective, there is an unusual power dynamic at play. However, when considering the context of their story, I firmly believe that they have one of the most enchanting relationships. Their love and emotions for each other feel completely genuine and mutually respectful. This is the case even though there is a significant age difference and the fact that he was once her teacher. I have a personal theory that when they connected minds in Wild Magic (Daine when she called to Numair while he was trapped as a hawk and he when he constructed the wall between her magic and herself), it was a sign that they were fated to be together. I must also mention that the scene in Falling was one of the most influential moments of my middle-school years. After all these years and countless re-readings, it still has the power to evoke a flood of emotions within me. Even though it involves nothing more than a simple kiss, it is perhaps my absolute favorite romance scene of all time.

I think that despite the issues some people may have with the romance, what I truly admire about Tamora Pierce's writing in the Immortals and her broader Tortallan 'verse is her fearlessness in addressing tough, taboo, or sensitive topics in a thoughtful manner. As a preteen and teenager, I adored the fact that she didn't condescend to me but instead explored these themes through the experiences of strong, compassionate, and sometimes flawed characters. Even as an adult, I still respect how she handles these matters with care and thoughtfulness. These books are ones that I would definitely pass on to my own children if I were to have any. They are simply timeless tales that will continue to captivate readers for generations to come.

Listen, in my mind, Daine is 18 when the quartet starts. And it's important to note that she's only 5 years apart from Numair. However, their age difference really squicks me out. I have to admit that I don't know much about historical age gaps and what was considered common in different eras or cultures. Much less do I know what's typical for the fictional world of Tortall. But one thing is for sure, I'm really not okay with the idea of 16-year-old Daine and 30-ish-year-old Numair. I firmly believe that if we were to put Daine in her twenties for this book, the story wouldn't change all that much. Her personality would still shine through, as it is shaped by her upbringing in a small village.

I truly struggle with this book.

It's strange because I think about it randomly at times. The reason being that I have loved this series so deeply up until this particular installment.

I really have a great affection for the story. Daine, Numair, and the supporting cast are characters that I absolutely adore.

However, the romance in this book bothers me. It's not that I have an issue with romance in general in the Tortall books. In fact, in the later ones when everyone is an adult and making their own choices, it doesn't really bother me.

But the dynamic, especially in this book, is just not good. It feels off and it kind of takes away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I keep hoping that maybe in the next book, the romance aspect will be better developed or perhaps take a different turn that will make it more palatable for me.

Until then, I'll continue to grapple with my feelings towards this particular book in the series.

This is the very book that I was in desperate need of, as it fills in the crucial gaps between the Alanna series and Protector of the Small.

The latter constantly makes references to this War of the Immortals, which concluded with the immortals once again having a permanent abode in Tortall.

Consequently, I knew without a doubt that I had to journey back and peruse Daine's series to unearth the full story behind this war.

In this particular installment, Tortall finds itself under a fierce attack from the stormwing Ozorne, who was formerly the empire mage of Carthak, along with his fearsome allies, both mortal and immortal.

Daine and Numair are abruptly whisked away in the midst of the battle to the realms of the gods.

There, Daine discovers the truth regarding her parentage.

Numair is present, yet his personality seems to be lacking for the first half of the book.

Daine explores all the magnificent wonders of the divine realms, while Numair sort of just sits around back at the cottage doing nothing, which was a bit of a letdown.

However, when they visit the dragon realm and then return to the mortal realm to turn the tide of the war, his presence returns in all its glory.

Also, the romance finally blossoms in this book.

I appreciate that Numair acknowledges the power dynamics between himself and Daine as former teacher and student with an age gap and refrains from making a move until Daine does.

By this point, they have also advanced from being teacher and student to colleagues, although the age difference still persists.

You can truly witness Daine's growth throughout the series just by observing her opinion of Stormwings.

In book two, she displays absolute hatred and disgust for them.

Yet, by book four, we see her allying with them and even standing up for them to the Great Gods.

She learns to respect that many things cannot help but be what they were designed to be and cannot go against their natures.

Although I do have concerns that this logic could potentially be misused to excuse the actions of bad human beings.

If you have an affinity for any of the other Tortall books, the Immortals quartet is an absolute must-read.

Daine and Numair find themselves suddenly sucked out of Tortall and into the Divine Realms. There, they star in a rather strange sequence of events that can be likened to a travelogue, a romance novel, and the quickest war novel ever. Seriously, it's quite the odd combination.

The problem is that a lot of the main stuff happens off page. We don't get to see the details of the war, Daine's other suitors, or the various sicknesses that might have occurred. Instead, the book spends 75% of its time on the traveling across the Divine Realm and only 25% on finishing a war that seems far too big to be adequately covered in one book.

Overall, it comes across as sloppy, uninteresting, and simple. There's nothing truly at stake in these books. No deep relationships develop, no begrudging respect is earned, and no awkward rivalries emerge. The antagonistic relationships that do exist, like those with Ozorne and Rikash, are glossed over, leaving us with just the shells and expected to believe it's a full and satisfying story.

The romance in the books is also rather uneven. A younger, more confused version of myself might have shipped it, but even with a touch of nostalgia, it's hard to overlook the shoddy craftsmanship used to shore up a relationship that was neither well-planned nor well-characterized. The attempts to rebalance the power dynamics are laughable.

Surprisingly, the age difference between Daine and Numair still doesn't bother me. Maybe it's because Numair doesn't really seem like a 30-year-old man but more like a really studious 22-year-old. He's old enough to engage in certain things but still young enough to not know any better.

In the end, I'm just glad to be done with this series. And perhaps that's the most telling point of all.

A star docked for the love interest/plot. This decision seems rather unnecessary to me. I truly do not approve of such a choice.

In a story, the focus should typically be on the main plot and character development. While a love interest can add an interesting dimension, it should not overshadow the core elements.

When a star is docked specifically for this reason, it feels forced and detracts from the overall narrative. It may cause the story to lose its momentum and become less engaging.

However, aside from this one aspect, the rest of the work might be truly outstanding. It could have great writing, captivating characters, and a thrilling plot. If it weren't for this unnecessary addition, I would毫不犹豫 give it a 10/10. But as it stands, this one flaw does slightly diminish my overall impression.

The series had a great finale.

It was really cool to witness the realms of the Gods and encounter some new and fascinating creatures.

However, the one aspect that I didn't quite enjoy was the romance. It seemed rather forced to me and came out of nowhere.

Maybe I'm just getting old, but Daine still appears to be way too young for that kind of romantic storyline.

Otherwise, it was a quite interesting series overall. The characters were ones that I really enjoyed following, and the worldbuilding was also quite good.

The first series remains my favorite (so far!), but we'll have to wait and see what the next series has in store for us.

It will be exciting to discover new adventures and see how the story continues to unfold.

Hopefully, the next installment will build on the strengths of this series and address some of the areas that I felt could have been improved.

Overall, I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next in this captivating world.

So, not only do we encounter some typical fantasy issues here. There are overpowered characters who seem flawless, filled with truth, love, and virtue. But that's not all. There's also misused words, terrible description, and gaping plot holes. And now, a major SPOILER AND TRIGGER WARNING. We have a thirty-year-old teacher who is not only macking on but also making out with his sixteen-year-old student. BY THE WAY, they've allegedly been in LOOOOOVE since she was thirteen. There's just about one page of desultory, pro forma "oh huh this might be fucked up" discussion, and then suddenly EVERYTHING IS APPARENTLY FINE.

NO, TAMORA PIERCE. EVERYTHING IS NOT FINE.

Honestly, it's great to have a girl as the main character in a fantasy story. However, if the price for that is having this kind of disturbing and inappropriate shit happen, I THINK I'M OKAY WITH SKIPPING THE LADY HEROINES. Jesus fucking Christ.

AND THIS IS YA (Young Adult). Because THAT'S a great example to emulate. At least when Eddings does something similar, one, he's writing for adults, two, the characters actually grapple with the issue, and three, THEY'RE BOTH ADULTS AT THE TIME.

I have a particular pet peeve when it comes to books that resort to the "God Mode" solution at the very end. It feels like a cop-out, a lazy way to wrap up the story. Another book series that initially held my interest but then took a similar turn was "A Court of Mist and Fury." There are numerous creative and engaging ways to resolve conflicts and challenges in a story without simply summoning a god or having a character become one.

The book does have its redeeming qualities. The plot is filled with interesting twists and turns, and I especially loved the exploration of the Dragonlands. It added an element of mystery and adventure that kept me hooked. However, I was extremely disappointed and disturbed by the romance in this book. The main character, Daine, is only sixteen years old. At that age, most of us have a very limited understanding of true love and relationships. The character that Daine falls in love with, Numair, is between 28 and 30 years old. It's not just the age difference that bothers me; it's the fact that Numair seems to be taking advantage of Daine. The way he pursues her and the nature of their relationship is deeply unsettling. It's as if no one in the book is aware of the inappropriate nature of their connection. The romance scenes are cringe-worthy and make me uncomfortable. It reminds me of the disturbing relationship in "Lolita," where the older character has an obsessive and unhealthy love for the younger one. This aspect completely ruins the series for me. If we could somehow remove Numair from the equation, it would be a great story. But as it stands, I'm left very confused by the choices made by the author.

I hope that future authors will be more thoughtful and creative when it comes to resolving their stories and handling romantic relationships. There are better ways to tell a compelling and engaging tale without relying on tired tropes and inappropriate pairings.

This whole book started out badly.

It rambled aimlessly, as if the author had no clear direction or purpose. It went off into the bushes, taking detours that seemed unnecessary and only served to confuse the reader.

Then, out of nowhere, a page of cheap romance was added, feeling completely out of place and forced.

Finally, the author sloppily tied up the loose ends, as if just wanting to get the book over with.

I guess she had to do this book since it was in her contract, but it was truly badly done.

I was sorely disappointed in her for writing such slop after the previous Immortals series which I really enjoyed.

The previous series had been so engaging, with well-developed characters and a captivating plot.

But this book failed to live up to those expectations and left me feeling let down.

I hope that in the future, the author will return to the form that made her previous work so great and stop producing such subpar writing.