So I love books by Tamora Pierce. She is so creative. The worlds she creates are consistent, believable, and really like another world. I envy that ability in writing. Every time I try to write like that it turns into a History paper (curse my degree in History!!!!) The characters are believable and lovable, in their own way. On of my favorite of her series are the "Trickster's Choice" and the "Trickster's Queen". Mostly because they are more political histories rather than outright warrior women like her other books.
That is her only down fall...her characters tend to have the same driven personalities...She tries to change it up a bit, but they are basically the same. I think it is her own personality coming out in her characters, so it isn't a bad thing. Ms. Pierce is just putting herself into her stories, another thing that makes her characters so endearing.
The other thing that I struggle with is that her characters always seem far older than they actually are. In her "Circle of Magic" series, she has her ten year old characters dealing with things that any ten year old, no matter what their lives have been, wouldn't be able to handle. It is kind of like a 30 year old coming out of a 10 year old body. In spite of that, I still love those books, and the characters. I just feel that she expects too much of her young characters.
I am glad that she stopped doing the quartet series style of writing. I have found that Ms. Pierce is much more thorough in her story telling style by avoiding the quartet. Namely "The Trickster's Choice" series. The book and its sequel is full of color, intrigue, and a very believable revolution. The intricacy of the plot is never less than perfect. Makes me shiver with the complete order, just like a perfect 4 part harmony. I also have enjoyed the "Beka Cooper" series about a "Dog" (or law enforcer) in the slums.
The one thing that stops me from buying her books. I hate that she feels like it is necessary for most (not all) of her characters to have sex by the time they are 16 or so. I think this is the whole young adult novel thing coming out. (almost all YA novels I have read discuss sex one way or another...at least modern ones. Older ones just talk about relationships) I have gathered from reading Ms. Pierce's bio at the end of her books that she is rather feminist, so I think it is just her opinion coming out, but I still have a hard time when one of the character's mother is encouraging her to sleep with a lot of different men (or "try out" relationships) before settling down to just one. I actually find it tasteless to talk about sex at all in books (it is all about the shock factor, and it is getting old...at least I am getting bored) and talking about relationships is one thing, but since when did sex and relationships become synonymous?? I just don't think that it is very appropriate. But I also know I will be considered a prude for saying so.
Anyways, over all I find Tamora Pierce's books to be colorful, interesting with believable characters. She is a wonderful story teller and her books are always worth a read.
