List of works by Tamora Pierce

This is a list of works by American fantasy author Tamora Pierce.

List of works

Tortall universe

The Tortall universe is a fictional setting shared by five book series: [The] Song of the Lioness; [The] Immortals, or Wild Magic; Protector of the Small; Daughter of the Lioness, or Tricksters; and Beka Cooper (Provost's Dog). It is named for the major country, Tortall, whose capital is Corus, located near the western coast on the Emerald Ocean. To the north is Scanra, a wild and somewhat barbaric country. Tortall and Scanra go to war in the last two Protector books and the first Trickster book, Trickster's Choice.

To the east are Galla, Tusaine, and Tyra, and past them are Maren and Sarain. Carthak is south of Tortall across the Inland Sea, while to the west lie the Yamani Islands and the Copper Isles. To the east of Maren and Sarain is The Roof of the World, a large mountain range. The Trickster books mostly take place in the Copper Isles, further south than the Yamani islands. In addition, Emperor Mage from the Immortals Quartet takes place in Carthak. Also, as the Beka books take place hundreds of years before the other books, Barzun, a nation between Tortall and the Inland Sea later conquered by Tortall, is occasionally mentioned.

Tortall is a place somewhat reminiscent of the European Middle Ages, with its monarchy, court, nobility, and knights, but is otherwise a completely different world. Magic is very real and practical to Tortallans, from the common hedgewitch to the King's court mages. Deities are revered and often play a part in human lives, sometimes choosing humans as champions, sometimes using them to further their own purposes. Though these deities are shown as powerful beyond belief, they rely on their human instruments to shape the world.

The Song of the Lioness

Main article: The Song of the Lioness

The omnibus edition of this quartet is Song of the Lioness (without 'The'), published in 2002 by Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC).

Alanna of Trebond (later Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau) is a ground-breaking female knight. Although noble-born girls traditionally go to the convent to learn how to be proper noblewomen and wives, Alanna desires to become a knight, a position only given to noble-born boys (although there had historically been other female knights and warrior-maidens in Tortall). In order to achieve her dream, Alanna disguises herself as a boy under the name of Alan and goes to the palace in place of her twin brother Thom. As Thom has no interest in becoming a knight, and is far more interested in his magic, Thom forges a letter so that he can go to a temple to become an enormously strong and skilled sorcerer. The twins' father is concerned only with his studies, and pays them little attention, which helps their masquerade. He is also very strongly against all various types of magic, as he believed that it should have saved his dearly beloved wife when she died in childbirth, so he is opposed to the idea of Thom becoming a sorcerer.

Alanna has quite a few strong romantic relationships throughout the series, including Prince Jonathan, George Cooper, and Liam Ironarm, the Shang (a martial arts society) Dragon. The series follows Alanna's training and the early years of her full knighthood, a time-span of ten years.

The Song of The Lioness was originally written as one single book for adults, but her literary agent suggested that she rewrite it into four books aimed at a young adult audience. Pierce literally cut up the manuscript and used the pieces to form four new books for teenagers. She has received numerous requests to publish the original manuscript, but claims it no longer exists, and wouldn't be worth publishing anyway.

• Alanna: The First Adventure (1983) – Alanna, a young noble girl, disguises herself as a boy with the help of her twin brother, Thom, in order to realize her dream of becoming a knight as Thom goes to a temple to become a mage. She makes powerful friends, including the crown prince and the Rogue (king of the thieves), along with tremendously powerful and dangerous enemies, (Duke Roger, the prince's first cousin whom she does not trust.)
• In the Hand of the Goddess (1984) – Finding life as a knight-in-training more difficult than she imagined but still in her disguise, (though several people, including Prince Jonathan and George Cooper, the Rogue, know her secret as a woman) Alanna serves as a squire to Prince Jonathan of Conté, fights in a war alongside her knight master and struggles with the attention of the evil Duke Roger of Conté all the while struggling to find her identity as a woman, including the romantic attentions of George Cooper and the Prince, as well as a relationship with the latter, in tandem with her dreams of becoming a knight.
• The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (1986) – After rightfully gaining her knight's shield, "Sir Alanna" travels south, meeting up with a Bazhir tribe. She learns to reconcile with her magic, a part of her she formerly despised, and becomes a shaman. Jonathan also becomes "The Voice," an honored Bazhir figure who is able to speak to every one who has performed the traditional Bazhir rituals. By doing this, he reconciles the Bazhir, who have long resented the Conté rule, to the capital city of Corus. Jonathan and Alanna also fight, and break up. Alanna soon finds another relationship with George, the Rogue, but continues to struggle with her romantic feelings for Jonathan, who has gone on to court a "proper woman," a princess of the Copper Isles.
• Lioness Rampant (1988) – Alanna travels to the "Roof of the World" in search of the mystically powerful Dominion Jewel in order to prove her worth as the first female knight in centuries. The Dominion Jewel is a legendary magical artifact rumored to unite any ruler who holds it with the land that he or she rules. During this journey she meets Princess Thayet, her bodyguard Buri, and the Shang Dragon, whom she develops a strong romantic relationship with, despite his open fear of magic. She later returns to Tortall to face an old nemesis, who threatens the entire kingdom.

The Immortals

Main article: The Immortals (series)

This quartet is also called Wild Magic after its first volume, published by Atheneum in 1992. Its omnibus edition is The Immortals (SFBC, 2003). The story features Veralidaine (Daine) Sarrasri who was orphaned when raiders attacked her village. Daine has an unusual (and extremely strong) gift of wild magic which is mistaken for insanity because she is unable to control it. Though convinced she has no magical Gift, it is discovered that she has 'wild magic' - a magic that is not uncommon, but for some reason is a disregarded branch of magic. What is rare is the amount of it that Daine possesses, and what she is able to do with it. This magic gives her a unique connection with animals. Her abilities manifest gradually throughout the series, allowing her first to speak with animals, to heal their injuries and eventually to shape-shift into animal forms. The series covers a timespan of four years, following Daine as she learns to communicate with humans, animals, and Immortals.

• Wild Magic (1992) – Daine, a 13-year-old girl, finds out that her knack with wild animals is in fact a rare and powerful form of magic. Under the guidance of Numair Salmalín (the most powerful mage in Tortall), she learns to control her magic, which proves very important for herself and her companions. This first novel in the quartet also reunites us briefly with the protagonist of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, formerly Alanna of Trebond.
• Wolf-Speaker (1994) – Daine travels with Numair to meet a pack of wolves that she knew from her home village. The wolves show her that the valley containing their home range is being devastated, and this is eventually connected with a treasonous conspiracy against her adopted king and country.
• Emperor Mage (1995) – Daine joins a delegation of Tortallan diplomats sent to Carthak, where she finally meets the Emperor Ozorne, of whom had previously attempted to execute her teacher Numair. Daine is caught up in a strange battle involving displeased gods and strange magics.
• The Realms of the Gods (1996) – Caught in a mysterious attack, Daine and Numair are snatched into the Divine Realms and struggle to make their way back to Tortall, where war is raging again. While in the Divine Realms, Daine discovers Numair's true feelings for her and works out her own. This book takes place in both the Divine (Immortal) and mortal realms.

Tamora Pierce will also be writing 2 books on Numair's last years at the University of Carthak, his clash with Emperor Ozorne, and subsequent flight to Tortall, the first of which will be titled Gift of Power and expected to be published in 2016. This was originally conceived with the working title 'Numair: The Early Years'.

A third, untitled book scheduled for 2015 will follow the coming-of-age of Lady Maura of Dunlath.

Protector of the Small

Main article: Protector of the Small

The omnibus edition of this quartet is Protector of the Small (SFBC, 2004). The story features Keladry of Mindelan, the first girl to follow in Alanna's footsteps—legally and without disguise, after a law is passed allowing girls to try for knighthood. As she begins her training, Kel is constantly harassed, injured, plagued by doubters and put on probation by her training master, who thinks a girl will never succeed. Kel discovers the hazing of young pages and fights the bullies to put a stop to it. Kel makes memorable friends throughout the series, including the wry Nealan of Queenscove, and also Lord Raoul of Goldenlake, an old friend of Alanna's. She meets some key enemies, including Joren of Stone Mountain, her fellow page. The series follows Kel's training and the first year of her knighthood, a timespan of nine years.

• First Test (1999) – Keladry of Mindelan, the first openly female page, faces giant spidrens (Immortals, see the Immortals series), hazing, bullying and the mistrust of her superiors in her first probationary year as a page.
• Page (2000) – Kel, to the surprise of many, is allowed to complete her page's training. In this second book of the series Kel faces dangers that will change the way pages are taught.
• Squire (2001) – In the second half of her training, Kel has a new master, Raoul of Goldenlake, who gives her new duties, and teaches her new skills. Alongside her own study, Kel becomes increasingly involved with the war that brews on Tortall's northern border, and her fellow squire, Cleon of Kennan.
• Lady Knight (2002) – Though she is now a knight, Kel is still inexperienced. She struggles with her sense of duty when her commanders assign her to manage a refugee camp instead of to the front lines. She struggles to find a balance between her duties and completing a quest assigned by The Chamber during her knighthood ordeal.

Tricksters

Main article: Tricksters series

This duology is also called Daughter of the Lioness from The Song of the Lioness four-book series. Its omnibus edition is Tricksters (SFBC, 2005). It is actually as long as the earlier quartets, because these books are about twice the length of the earlier works. Pierce explained that the greatly huge, popular success of the seven Harry Potter books finally showed publishers that young readers will read big books.

The duology is the story of Alianne (Aly) of Pirate's Swoop, the 16-year-old daughter of the legendary Alanna the Lioness. Disallowed work as a Tortallan spy by her parents, Aly leaves home only to be captured by pirates and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles. Under the guidance of Kyprioth, the god of tricksters, Aly involves herself with a conspiracy of the native raka people against their luarin conquerors, in accordance with a prophecy made by Kyprioth himself through one of his priestesses, centuries earlier. The duology covers a timespan of two years. Aly is a much different person from her mother, saying of herself, “Why, I’m just as true and honest as dirt. And I’m even more charming than dirt.”

• Trickster's Choice (2003) – When Aly is taken by pirates, she is sold as a slave in the Copper Isles and makes a bet with the god Kyprioth, to protect the children of the Balitang family from unknown dangers. She soon learns that two of the daughters, Saraiyu Balitang (Sarai) and Dovasary Balitang (Dove), are linked to prophecy predicting that one of them will become a queen capable of uniting the luarin conquerors with the oppressed raka. She learns to speak to crows, and makes a wonderfully close and dear friend, Nawat Crow, a crow-turned-man.
• Trickster's Queen (2004) – Returning to the capital city Rajmuat after the Balitang's short exile, the raka conspirators in the Balitang household prepares to overthrow the century long Rittevon ruled throne and replace the vicious monarchs with a half raka, half luarin queen. Alianne, Alanna's daughter, is the conspiracy's spymaster.

Beka Cooper

Main article: Beka Cooper

This trilogy is also called Provost's Dog. It is set in the realm of Tortall, 200 years before Alanna: The First Adventure. The first book in the series, Terrier, was released on October 24, 2006.

George Cooper is a young boy, six years of age, who is caught stealing. His ashamed mother then tells him about his famous ancestress, named Rebakah Cooper. "Beka" Cooper is a trainee for the Provost's Guard, which is Tortall's equivalent of a police force. In those days, they were called "Dogs" and trainees were known as "Puppies," both of whom were stationed at "Kennels" (this was where the term "Provost's Dog" came from).

The first book, Terrier, concerns Beka's first months as a Puppy. All of Pierce's previous books were written in the third person, but this series is told from a diary-style first person perspective. Beka's entries detail how hard she works to try to make her home, the Lower City of Corus, safer.

Beka's roots in the Lower City give her both a keen insight and a sense of empathy for the people she is there to protect. Beka is referred to as a "Terrier" for her youth and dogged determination despite her size.

The second book in this trilogy, Bloodhound, was released on April 14, 2009. Here, we follow Beka to Port Caynn, where a secretive ring of cole-mongers threatens to destroy the country.

The third and final book is Mastiff, formerly titled Elkhound. It was released October 25, 2011. An excerpt from Mastiff is included in Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales. After a devastating attack at the summer palace, Beka is assigned to recapture what was stolen, but a traitor will make the quest difficult.

Circle universe

The Circle of Magic quartet is set in the land of Emelan; the Circle Opens quartet, in various neighbouring countries.

The series tells the stories of four 10-year-old children: Sandrilene fa Toren, Trisana Chandler, Daja Kisubo and Briar Moss, known as Sandry, Tris, Daja, and Briar, respectively. They are discovered in various troubled circumstances and brought together by Niklaren Goldeye (referred to as Niko), a powerful mage, who tells them that they are "ambient mages," which means that they use magic derived from the environment. The four youths do not fit in with the other children of the monastic Winding Circle community to which Niko brings them and are put together in a separate cottage, called Discipline. Here they each learn of their hidden talents: Sandry with thread, Tris with weather, Daja with fire and metal, and Briar with plants. Lark, a gentle woman especially attentive to Sandry since she also has thread magic, and Rosethorn, a sharp woman who shares Briar's ability with plants, live with and instruct the children in their magical and personal growth. Also teaching and guiding them is Niko, technically Tris's teacher, but available to all four. Daja is taught by Dedicate Initiate Frostpine, a smith mage. At first it seems that a merchant, a street rat, a noblewoman, and a Trader (a trading race that is often hated by others) will never get along, but an extraordinary circumstance brings them together. Through an earthquake, they realize their full potential and are bound closely together forever. As children skilled in uncommon magics, they struggle to earn the respect of the adults they encounter and to fully understand and control their magical powers.

Circle of Magic

Main article: Circle of Magic

• Sandry's Book, United Kingdom title The Magic in the Weaving (1997) – The four young mages are brought together to learn about their newfound magic. When they are trapped in the midst of an earthquake, they must spin their powers together to survive.
• Tris's Book, UK title The Power in the Storm (1998) – Winding Circle is attacked by pirates with a strange new weapon and a spy amongst the mages. The Winding Circle temple faces complete destruction. What will the four do to stop the attack?
• Daja's Book, UK title The Fire in the Forging (1998) – Duke Vedris takes the four and their teachers to northern Emelan where wild grass fires had been ruining the harvest. Daja finds a Trader caravan and is torn between two fates, to be back with the people she was raised with but who labelled her an outcast, or to stay with her friends and teachers.
• Briar's Book, UK title The Healing in the Vine (1999) – When a deadly illness strikes Summersea, the four and their teachers work to stop it. Just as they begin to succeed, the illness strikes back at what Briar loves most.

The Circle Opens

Main article: The Circle Opens

The young mages, now 14 years old, are officially certified by Winding Circle and become teachers. In this quartet, each of the four protagonists travels with their mentor, taking on a new student and combating problems abroad.

• Magic Steps (2000) – Sandry finds a dance-mage boy in Summersea, the twelve-year-old Pasco Acalon, the son and grandson of two police families (known as "harriers" in Summersea). When a rich trading family falls prey to a serial killer, she and Pasco must work together to stop the killer mages who have a deadly weapon- unmagic, which is the absence of magic and life.
• Street Magic (2001) – In Chammur, Briar discovers a street girl named Evvy (Evumeimei Dingzai), and finds she has stone-magic. But the noblewoman-sponsor of the sinister Viper gang has her eye on Evvy, and Briar must protect his young student from the lady's greed.
• Cold Fire (2002) – Daja travels to Namorn in the far north, and discovers her host's twin daughters' magical talent: Niamara (Nia), whose magic is with carpentry and woodwork, and Jorality (Jory), whose magic is with cooking. All the while someone is setting fires throughout the city, despite the best efforts of Bennat Ladradun, head of the firefighters.
• Shatterglass (2003) – Tris encounters Kethlun Warder (Keth), an undiscovered glass mage who "lost" his glassworking talent when he was struck by lightning, but gained the ability to mix lightning and glass. Unaware of his new powers, Keth accidentally creates a living glass dragon, who Tris names 'Chime'. It turns out that Keth can also erratically create glass balls that contain visions of the work of a serial killer. Tris and Keth must work together to bring his power under control and expose the murderer.

The Circle Reforged

The Will of the Empress

Main article: The Will of the Empress

The initial working title for this book was The Circle Reforged. It is the first book in "The Circle Reforged" series. Sandry's cousin, the Empress of Namorn (Berenene dor Ocmor), has been begging her to come visit her for years. Finally the stitch witch agrees, but her uncle requests that her childhood friends accompany her. However, during the time they were separated the foursome has broken apart, and are now adults with secrets that they once would have shared. Sandry expects to visit her cousin for the summer then return home to her uncle in Emelan, but the Empress has other plans. As the four soon find out, the iron will of the Empress is considered law, and the four must set aside their doubts and trust each other as they once did if they are to escape. It is hinted throughout this book that Briar and Rosethorn had significant adventures in Gyongxe, the first home of the Living Circle temples. These events are now known to be the events that take place in the recently published Battle Magic.

Melting Stones

Main article: Melting Stones

This story was first released as a full-cast audiobook (produced by Full Cast Audio) to be followed by paper versions. This is the first full-length novel written expressly for audio. The recording date had been postponed, and the audiobook was finally released in fall 2007. Pierce herself directs the recording. The print version was released in fall 2008. The story is based on Evvy, who, with Rosethorn, goes to investigate the weird happenings of an island. Plants and animals are dying and the two mages are there to find out why. Meanwhile, Evvy meets two lava/magma spirits and is caught up in their quest to escape their mountain tomb.

Battle Magic

Main article: Battle Magic (Tamora Pierce novel)

This story follows Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy as they travel to the far east, through the sacred lands of Gyongxe and on to Yanjing. While visiting with the God-King in Gyongxe, the traveling mages are summoned to the Yanjing emperor's summer palace. Although treated like royalty when they first arrive, they soon discover that the emperor plans to invade Gyongxe, posing a fatal threat to the home temple of the Living Circle religion. Accompanied by one of the emperor's prize captives, the three mages rush to Gyongxe to warn its citizens of the impending attack. With the imperials hot on their trail, Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy must quickly help the country prepare for battle. But even with the help of new allies, will their combined forces be enough to fight the imperial army and win the war?

Forthcoming

Tamora Pierce currently has one Circle book in the works. The forthcoming Circle book is set after the events of Empress, and will follow Tris as she enrolls "at the mages' university in Lightsbridge under an assumed name, in an attempt to become an ordinary mage practicing normal academic magic (spells, charms, potions) with no one knowing her real name or power." She does so after realizing that her prospective employers only want to use her weather craft as war magic.

Short stories

• "Plain Magic" - A fantasy short story. (1986, first published in Planetfall, re-published in 1999 in Flights of Fantasy, republished in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Testing" - A contemporary, short story based on events that happened to the author while she was the housemother in a group home for teenage girls. (2000, published in Lost and Found, republished in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Elder Brother" - A Tortallan short story. (2001, published in Half Human, an anthology edited by Bruce Coville, also published in a two-in-one Circle of Magic book titled Books One and Two: Water and Fire and Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Student of Ostriches" - A Tortallan short story. (2005, published in Young Warriors: Stories of Strength, an anthology edited by Pierce and Josepha Sherman, republished in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Huntress" - A contemporary fantasy short story. (2006, published in Firebirds Rising, an anthology edited by Sharyn November, republished in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Hidden Girl" - A Tortallan short story, set in the same country as "Elder Brother". (2006, published in Dreams and Visions, an anthology edited by M. Jerry Weiss, republished in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Time of Proving" - A fantasy short story, about the coming of age of a young girl. (2006, published in Cricket, republished in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Slippery in the Stairwell, 1965" - A contemporary, real-life short story. (2009, published in My Little Red Book)
• "The Dragon's Tale" - A Tortall short story about Kitten (Skysong), Daine's dragon (2009, published in The Dragon Book, republished 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Lost" - A Tortall short story about a girl from Tusaine and a darking. (2010, published in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Mimic" - A fantasy short story about a girl named Ri and the animals she saves. (Published in 2010 in Tortall and Other Lands)
• "Nawat" - A character-driven Tortall story which takes place after the Trickster series. (2010, published in Tortall and Other Lands)

Comics

• At the 2006 New York Comicon, Marvel Comics announced that Pierce and her husband Tim Liebe would write a new series, starring former FBI agent Angela Del Toro as the new White Tiger. White Tiger launched as a six-issue series drawn by French artist Phil Briones in November 2006.