Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1)

Summary:

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This was a wonderful reminder as to why I love Tamora Pierce so much.  She’s so wonderful at making the ordinary extraordinary and giving clear insight into the day-to-day experiences of the characters.  It was interesting to hear her write a male character for the first time (in the Tortall realm) although I can’t say that I found any significant difference to her other books. 

Numair as a child is unusual and it’s interesting to see how different he is than the adult he becomes.  Of course, being a story about his early years, there’s a ton of foreshadow - particularly when it comes to characters and how their relationships intermingle.  The main reason this book didn’t hit five stars for me is because there wasn’t much of a conflict, climax or resolution.  Instead, this was a book of setup around Numair and who is about to become.  We know what will eventually happen (to some degree) in the next book, but this was the foundation for that to build upon.

Warning: Contains violence.

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Fans of the Tortall realm, but if you’re not familiar with the series, I’d recommend at least reading the “Wild Magic” books before diving into this series.

Want to read the whole series?

• The Exile’s Gift (The Numair Chronicles #2)