Terrier

The first in a trilogy about Beka Cooper, a member of the provost's guard. A medievalesque fantasy world, centering around the working-class citizens that live within it. From goodreads:

Hundreds of years before Alanna first drew her sword in Tamora Pierce's memorable debut, Alanna: The First Adventure, Tortall had a heroine named Beka Cooper - a fierce young woman who fights crime in a world of magic. This is the beginning of her story, her legend, and her legacy....

Beka Cooper is a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost's Guard, commonly known as "the Provost's Dogs," in Corus, the capital city of Tortall. To the surprise of both the veteran "Dogs" and her fellow "puppies," Beka requests duty in the Lower City. The Lower City is a tough beat. But it's also where Beka was born, and she's comfortable there.

Beka gets her wish. She's assigned to work with Mattes and Clary, famed veterans among the Provost's Dogs. They're tough, they're capable, and they're none too happy about the indignity of being saddled with a puppy for the first time in years. What they don't know is that Beka has something unique to offer. Never much of a talker, Beka is a good listener. So good, in fact, that she hears things that Mattes and Clary never could - information that is passed in murmurs when flocks of pigeons gather ... murmurs that are the words of the dead.

In this way, Beka learns of someone in the Lower City who has overturned the power structure of the underworld and is terrorizing its citizens into submission and silence. Beka's magical listening talent is the only way for the Provost's Dogs to find out the identity of this brutal new underlord, for the dead are beyond fear. And the ranks of the dead will be growing if the Dogs can't stop a crime wave the likes of which has never been seen. Luckily for the people of the Lower City, the new puppy is a true terrier!

Full disclosure: I adore Tamora Pierce and most of her books. While this is not the most mature title in her Tortall universe, getting to explore the lives of every day people was fantastic, and while journals as a medium can be controversial, I love what using it allows in terms of dialect! It's also a solid mystery even if Beka is dumber than the reader. I'll just blame it on exhaustion

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This is a discussion thread for people who have read or are reading the book in question. With that in mind, there are likely to be spoilers throughout. However, in the event of major twists or “how it ends”, please wrap content in spoiler tags.

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[spoiler]Surprise!content here[/spoiler]

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

I also have to add a disclaimer to my post. I love Tamora Pierce, she was a huge influence on my love fantasy. I read all the Tortall books until Trickersters Choice, which I didn't like, although for just what reason I don't recall. For that reason I've actually steered clear of her books sense, leaving them in the realm of nastolga.

That being said, I loved going back to Tortall after nearly a decade, loved how it tied in to the Lioness Quartet. It was built very much like I remember the first book in each of her Tortall Quartets going. Light hearted and learning the job.

I was disappointed here and there. Beka is pretty draft as Kayte mentioned. As a reader I'm not a fan of picking up the end of the book 200 pages before I get there. I also felt it less a medium of journal than it ought to have been as a journal.

Overall I did enjoy reading it.

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Also, on the note of lady knights, I thought Alaina was the first one??? Anyone care to clarify? Also women's rights changed to be more rigid in 200 years or am I remembering the Lioness Quartet wrong?

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Also, on the note of lady knights, I thought Alaina was the first one??? Anyone care to clarify? Also women's rights changed to be more rigid in 200 years or am I remembering the Lioness Quartet wrong?

Alanna is the first since the "dark period" in which every sword was needed or some such. There's also mention throughout this series in particular about the "cult of the gentle mother" which is basically a huge push towards "women can do needlepoint but that is it"!

#TortallNerd

My biggest pet peeve with this particular book:

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If Beka ever bothered going back to read her journals, the killer would have been obvious to her xD

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Gotcha. Yeah I haven't read the series in over a decade so definitely rusty. The cult of the gentle mother was what Goodwin was in, right?

And I absolutely agree with that bit Kayte, I was a bit frustrated by that. Which of course usually makes me disappointed in a book. Do the next ones keep you guessing a bit more? This is making me wish I had more time to go back and read all the Tortall books. I adored the Kit ones.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Do the next ones keep you guessing a bit more?

The next ones are less mystery and more par for the course for Pierce, which I think helps!

  

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— Aldous walks with a cane and pronounced limp as the result of a splinching accident. —

— graphics by lady ❤ —

Oo there is hope at the end of the tunnel then!

I have to admit I did love the characters she developed for the book. Although they reminded me of the character types in the first book of the Lioness Quartet.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

So it's been ages since I read any Tamora books but I was really impressed with this one. I quite enjoyed it and as I got toward the end, I couldn't put the Damn thing down.

I do agree with the reading the journal bit and...honestly...

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I'm curious what happens with Rosto. I want more of him.

  

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

Hawke:

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Well she does have descendants somehow....

As much as I liked him it did remind me almost too much of Alaina and George, which I have mixed feelings about. Loved that but also it's the same type cast I remember from the Lioness Quartet.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom