Long time Tamora Pierce fan (since way back when I first read about Alanna) and she has never let me down. I was excited to hear of a new chapter in her world, and this book stood up to all my expectations.

Tamora Pierce's Tortall books are ones I have followed fondly for decades, and so I was thrilled for this book's release. It was certainly wonderful to be back in that world, if a corner of it we haven't spent much time in till now. I enjoyed a lot of the magical lessons aspects of Tempests and Slaughter, but ultimately I was disappointed in the narrative arc of this volume. There's a lot of heavy foreshadowing (even if you haven't read the Wild Magic quartet) that never pays off in this book. Overall the book's episodic nature, with minor events happening and being pretty quickly resolved, deny us a climactic scene or event and really make this book feel like we're only getting the first half of a story. I know Pierce usually writes in series but most of her books to this point have been better at providing a satisfactory conclusion to at least some part of the story. I'm still excited to read the next chapter in Arram's journey, but I wouldn't hand this book to anyone who hasn't already read and fallen in love with other books in this universe.

My first instinct is to five star anything by Tamora Pierce. Then I have to step back and really think about what I just read: 3.5 stars. There are enjoyable moments, and any Pierce lover or lover of YA or fantasy will enjoy this.

I am so looking forward to getting my students back into Tamora Pierce books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce. Arram, young and gifted beyond his age, attends Mage Academy with older students. He doesn’t have friends but that soon changes when he causes chaos with magic and has a conference with the Academy masters. They deem him gifted and place him with other students similar to him. Academy life becomes much more enjoyable and entertaining after the new placement. Arram, Varice and Zorne become great friends and when Arram is bullied because of his young age, his two new friends help him cope and discover how much fun their time at the academy can be. Varice is smart, fun and a very good kitchen witch while Zorne is seventh in line to the throne of the current prince. The three friends each have different gifts which grow in strength the longer they attend classes. The main focus of the story is on Arram, his powers, education and relationships but we do get a glimpse of the inner workings of the lives of Varice and Zorne. Arram has to learn to build the stomach for being around horribly injured people and his strength as a healer. Varice deals with being looked down on because she’s female and a lowly kitchen witch. Zorne is continuing to move up higher on the list of heirs to the throne, and is worried about his unhealthy mother and how to deal with his protective guards. The story is strong and the world building is a mix of renaissance and ancient Greece. I thought the whole approach to Arram’s puberty was odd and I understand that it will potentially help male preteens with their own changes. I did enjoy the Tempests and Slaughter. 5 stars for this fantasy and its underlying mystery!

I have been waiting for this book for twenty years and it did not disappoint me. In "Tempests and Slaughter," Tamora Pierce returns to her beloved fantastical kingdom of Tortall to tell the story of young Arram Draper, the boy who will grow up to become Numair Salmalin, mage extraordinaire and friend to King Jonathan and Alanna the Lioness. The book explores Arram's early years as a student learning the art of magecraft and his friendship with two other promising young mages: Varice and Ozorne, the boy who will grow up to become emperor of Carthak. We see other familiar faces as well and the beginnings of the madness that fans know will come later. New readers can rest assured, however, that they do not have to have read Pierce's backlist to understand and love this book. Adventure, intrigue, romance, and, of course, MAGIC-"Tempests and Slaughter" has it all! Thank you, Tamora, for giving us Numair's story. 5/5 stars.

Tamora Pierce was the first author I really remember liking as a teenage. I'm super proud to now stock her book in my store. I had sell her all the time. For Christmas I gave my daughter The Lioness Quartet to read, Which she LOVED. "Numair" was awesome. I read it on netgalley then bought myself a copy when they arrived in the store. I happy it can be read without reading her other books, so a new generation will hopefully discover Tamora. Thanks.

Let me first say that I have not read any of Tamora Pierce's previous books. I was unable to finish this one. There's no doubt she seems to have a gift for writing scenes involving magic, but my main issue was that the book didn't draw me in from the very beginning. The plot didn't draw me in right away. Perhaps part of the issue was Arram's age. I do not think the age-range for this book was properly marketed. It almost felt like it was written for older middle-schoolers rather than for what I typically think of as a YA audience. I didn't feel invested enough in the character to read 500 pages of what his life is like every day, growing up from 10 to 14 years old. I was very surprised at the beginning to find that he was only 10. Perhaps long-time Pierce fans would feel more invested in reading this story because they have seen him as a grown character in other books. I couldn't really get into the story this time around, but I may go back and try to finish the book later on.

This is everything I ever wanted from the Numair book: heartfelt and kind, with the kind of casual diversity Pierce has always been so good at, brilliant characterization and a cracking pace. I thought I was burned out on magic-school stories after years of Harry Potter, but this was an absolute delight. I can't wait for the next one.

Another Tortall gift!

So wonderful to be back in Tortall environments. This time in the neighboring empire of Carthak. Numair Salmalín's story is just beginning and already I'm deeply involved in the hints of plots and harsh realities to come. We knew Numair as a powerful Mage, and now we come to know him as the young student, Arram Draper attending the Imperial University of Carthak. Arram would have been a lonely, reclusive student but for his two close friends, Varice, a young, highly talented girl often dismissed, and Ozorne, a young mage-in-training prince who before our very eyes comes closer to the throne as accidents and tragedies befall those before him.
Not only does Arram attract trouble, he also attracts the attention if the gods--not a happy state of being. As Arram comes to understand the workings of the kingdom there are injustices that trouble his spirit. All this sets the stage for future unfoldings.
Another 'can't put down' and 'please can the next in the series happen soon!' wonderful yarn spun by the indomitable Tamora Pierce.
I have started to re-read 'The Immortals" series to reacquaint myself more fully with Numair's actions post this time. It's fascinating to see the back story to some of the characters we meet in 'Tempests and Slaughters', and Pierce's writing (if it's possible) seems stronger.

A NetGalley ARC

If you have read the Immortals series by Tamara Pierce is Numair Salmalín is a familiar name. In her new series, The Numair Chronicles do we get to know Numair Salmalín before he became a famous mage. When he was still Attam Draper.

Tempests and Slaughter is the first new book in a new series by Tamara Pierce, and when I got the chance to read this book couldn't I turn it down. And, I'm glad that I decided to go for the book because Pierce has written a fabulous YA fantasy book that can be read by young and old. The book is almost 500 pages thick, but it's never a dull moment. I have to admit that I got some Harry Potter vibes reading this book, two boys and one girl studying magic? However, storywise are they pretty different. However, I do think HP fans will love this book.

I found the story to be interesting straight through. When the book starts is Arram almost eleven years old and the story will progress until he's fourteen so one gets to follow him as he grows older (of course together with his trusted friends Varice and Ozorne) and reading about him becoming more and more powerful. Even as a teen is he a great mage that just needs to learn to harness his power.

There is a lot of events in this book and I particularly liked the latter part of the book, when Arram has to help the wounded gladiators. Gladiator games are a big thing in this book, and Arram has a hard time dealing with that since he is against slavery and the barbarity of gladiator games.

I found this the first book to be an excellent start of a new series and both new and old fans of Tamara Pierce will love it!

“It’s very interesting, where you live, isn’t it, Arram?” He tapped his forehead to show what he meant.

Arram has always been precocious with his magic and when he needed further attention than what was available in his home town, he was sent to the Imperial University of Carthak to further his education. Arram is the youngest student there and the other students go out of their way to let he know he doesn't belong. But what they don't know is that he is so full of magic it basically bursts out of him. After a disaster (one of many) caused by Arram, his teachers have realized his potential and soon his special training will set him on a path for his future.

I will admit that I am late to the Tamora Pierce party and I had never read any of her books- I had heard great things about them, but I just never picked one up. Well, a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet Tamora (or Tammy as she referenced herself) at an author event hosted by my local book store and I was completely charmed by her personality and the enthusiasm she shared for her worlds and character- they each meant something to her and she felt a great deal of responsibility towards her readers to create realistic relatable characters for her readers (and to represent some ahh "growing-up" changes appropriately). I just knew I had to read her books and it was the perfect time since I had a copy of Tempest in Slaughter, a brand new series I could jump right into without needing the backstory from her previous stories.

I found this book to be absolutely lovely, the closest thing I can relate it to would be Harry Potter, but even that is not quite right, but I have not been so immersed in a story about a school and magic and a special little boy since I picked up that series 20 years ago (yes, my age is showing). Tempest and Slaughter is a BIG book, at 455 pages, and it was a little daunting at the beginning when I started since I don't read a ton of high fantasy, but Tamora made it so approachable that I fell into the pages, the world, the characters, until it was hours later and I was half way through. Everything came alive for me, be it the magic, the three main characters, the animals, the gladiators, the "lesser" gods (by the way Enzi was the best!) and don't forget Preet (where can I get a sunbird??). It was so captivating, every minute, even the harsh events of death and sickness were handled in such a way that I could literally not stop reading. If this is how all Tamora's books have been, then I really have missed out.

​Overall I found this to be such a gorgeous, entertaining, ​magical adventure that I HIGHLY recommend for all fantasy readers. The world came alive and the characters felt like people that I knew and cared about, I rooted for Arram to succeed and prove to everyone what he is capable of. I watched him grow up and become capable, powerful, caring and yet still able to get into trouble through no fault of his own. Tempest and Slaughter is just the beginning of this journey and I am counting down the days until I can get my grabby hands on the next book.

Review on https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Die hard Tamora Pierce fans will devour this book, but for those who do not know the character Arram/Numair from Pierce's Immortal's series, may find this book a bit of a slog. I have been waiting a long time for the Arram/Numair's story and sadly I found the plot to be less exciting than Pierce's previous series. I'm still highly anticipating the next book in the series as I still have many unanswered questions about how the boy Arram become the powerful mage Numair.

Did not meet my expectations. I feel that as someone who works with younger and teen readers, most of them are going to be bored stiff with chapter one. I will, however, be recommending this book to adult fantasy readers, particularly those who like classics.

This was my first time reading Tamora Pierce! I was told her characters were typically centered around strong female. Her main character this time is a male, which did not bother me.
Arram is an eleven year old mage student when the book opens, and is joined by Ozorne, a Prince of the Realm, and Varice, a female kitchen witch who are also mage students.

This first book in the new series covers the differing years of The Imperial University of Carthak. Themes used are friendship, power, loyalty, the role of government, justice, revenge, and kindness. This should be a good series. I'm sure many YA readers will enjoy.

Tamora Pierce never disappoints. Reading T&S felt like a throwback to the Alanna days, and as a lifelong fan, I was into it. The novel does a lot of setting up, and the structure may not attract loads of new fans, but Pierce has plenty of devoted fans that I suspect won't mind the slower pace and will love the detailed worldbuilding. This Numair series was worth the wait, and I'm eager to find out how many more books we can expect.

I found this to be another delightful addition to the Tortall universe. I've been waiting years and years for us to learn more about Numair's backstory. In most ways this felt like the typical progression of a Pierce novel, but at the same time it felt like we were trying to cram all this background into a 400 page novel just so we could get to the good stuff...the eventual departure of Arram from Carthak, and the method in which he arrives in Tortall. While I am most interested in the intrigue that is sure to come in future novels, I did still quite enjoy the magic boarding school adventure that planted the seeds of what we know is coming for Arram and Ozorne.

The first few pages did not interest/hook me. Did not finish.