Tempests and Slaughter

"I received this ARC from Random House Books for Young Readers (Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this before the publication date!!!) back in November or December and I was so very excited! This, by far, was my most anticipated book for this year for at least a year or two. I am happy to announce that Tamora Pierce fans will NOT be disappointed! I know, it's about time I finished it but don't you ever come across a book with the most magnificent characters, grand settings and you just never want the book to end. Well, that is why it took me two months to read it. I would read a little here and there but I finally couldn't put off the inevitable any longer. I don't want to give anything away but finally getting Arram's (Numair's) backstory makes me want to go back into Wild Magic with a whole different vantage point into what Arram was like when he was growing up in Carthak. I loved him in Wild Magic and the rest of the quartet but fans never got a lot of information about him. I am so happy that I finally have some answers to some of my burning questions but this series has a very promising beginning. Varice and Ozorne's characters in many ways were very similar to their adult selves but in other ways very different and it was awesome to finally get an impression of them before the world and circumstances changed them. I was also delighted that other characters from the Immortals quartet have a larger role to play in this origin story than in their initial appearances and I can't wait to read more and find out how Arram came to Tortall! Highly recommend to fans of YA fantasy or fantasy in general."

"There's a full cast of well-developed characters, but none of the major plot lines resolve by the end of the book. <br/><br/>I also found the rigidly normal traditional gender roles to be a bit frustrating."