The Healing in the Vine

~Briar's Book~
Circle of Magic
Book 4
By Tamora Pierce
Amazon ~ Powell's

Former "street rat" Briar leads a comfortable life at Winding Circle Temple, learning plant magic from Rosethorn. But street kids are still his friends, and when one of them gets sick, she turns to Briar for help. When her disease proves beyond even Rosethorn's power, Briar realizes that all of Summersea is in danger.

As the mysterious illness spreads, Sandry, Daja, and Tris join Briar and their teachers to fight the epidemic. But just as the situation improves, the unthinkable happens.

Will Briar be able to save what he loves the most?


A fascinating look at disease and the steps taken towards finding a cure, Briar's Book serves as a staggering reminder of the mortality of even the strongest among us. Even being the longest story of the quartet, it's amazing how much is packed in. Besides plague and cure-working, there's quarantine, reflections on poverty, man-made diseases, and even a small bit on death and the afterlife.

The Fire in the Forging

~Daja's Book~
Circle of Magic
Book 3
By Tamora Pierce
Amazon ~ Powell's

Outcast Trader Daja, along with her fellow mages-in-training, journeys from Winding Circle to the Gold Ridge Mountains, where drought threatens widespread famine. There, Daja creates an astonishing object: a living metal vine. A caravan of Traders covets the vine, and Daja's dealings with her former people reawaken a longing for familiar ways.

Daja must choose—should she return to the Traders or remain with the Winding Circle folk who have become her family?


Though the other stories have dimmed in my mind a bit over the years, this story's great feat always stayed with me. There's just something about fire and bending it to your will that fascinates me. It mirrors life without having any. From working to tame a wildfire, or even simply stoking a fire in the hearth, you have to work with the fire instead of against it. I'm awed by its strength and simultaneous weakness.

But enough of my pyromania, back to the story. The jacket summary doesn't even begin to cover everything that happens in the book. Though it is the shortest of the series, there are a lot of fine details, cultural traditions, and magical workings packed in here. Fans of Pierce and her series will recognize and cherish the intricacies she puts into her world-building, language, and ever expanding magic. She knows how to pack a lot of punch in just a few pages, leaving readers more than satisfied.

The Power in the Storm

~Tris's Book~
Circle of Magic
Book 2
By Tamora Pierce
Amazon ~ Powell's

Earthquake damage leaves Winding Circle vulnerable to pirate attack, so everyone—including the young mages-in-training Tris, Briar, Daja, and Sandry—is working to strengthen the community's defenses. When Tris's cousin Aymery comes to visit, he advises the "weather witch" to return to the family that exiled her, but she doesn't wish to leave her friends to face the threat without her.

As the onslaught begins, two things become terribly clear: the pirates have a powerful new weapon, and they have an accomplice within Winding Circle. But the attackers have failed to reckon with the fury of a young mage betrayed once too often and her very stubborn, very loyal friends...


I've always related to Tris the most out of the quartet (or any of Tammy's characters, for that matter). She's bookish, intelligent, very much a realist, a bit chubby and insecure, but loyal and strong when she needs to be. That she has the most power in terms of destructive properties of the bunch only makes her more inspiring, having such a weight on her shoulders. But her friends are not about to let her carry it alone. And they're all stubborn enough not to take 'no' for an answer.

The Magic in the Weaving

~Sandry's Book~
Circle of Magic
Book 1
By Tamora Pierce
Amazon ~ Powell's

With her gift of weaving silk thread and creating light, Sandry is brought to the Winding Circle community. There she meets Briar, a former thief who has a way with plants; Daja, an outcast gifted with metalcraft; and Tris, whose connection with the weather unsettles everyone, including herself. At Winding Circle, the four misfits are taught how to use their magic—and to trust each other.

But then disaster strikes their new home. Can Sandry weave together four kinds of magical power and save herself, her friends, and the one place they have ever been accepted?


Though the story is titled Sandry's Book in the US, I kinda prefer the UK title, The Magic in the Weaving, because, well, this book isn't just about Sandry. All four of the children star in nearly every chapter, and the story is more about each of them finding acceptance than any one of them. Still, Sandry's skill is the weaving, which does assume an important role in the story, so titling the book after her isn't completely out of place.

Greetings Again!

Hello!!!

Phew, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry to have left you hanging these past couple months. I've been working out some personal things and have only just gotten back around to reading.

I know, I know - "How could you possibly not have been reading!?" you say. Well, the brain does funny things sometimes, like making you think that enjoyable things are too much trouble...

But I've worked through that and am currently in the process of working up my Tamora Pierce Challenge reviews! Okay, I might be a little behind, but better late than never, right? Look for a steady flow of TP reviews coming throughout the month of November, finishing up with a review of her recently released conclusion to the Provost's Dog (Beka Cooper) Trilogy, Mastiff!

Looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. Hope you've all been well. Signing off for now,

~Vicki