Numair is hands down one of my favorite characters in the Tortall universe. I was so excited when I heard he was getting a solo prequel series. I haven‘t quite finished this book yet, but the narrative has left me feeling quite disappointed. Pierce opines on Numair‘s “coming of age” (at 11 no less) that if felt inappropriate to read (à la Kvothe/Felurian nonsense). We get it. He‘s a male. I don‘t need to know every intimate detail.

Tamora Pierce is the queen of high fantasy. Her heroines are full of wit, grit, and soul. Every time I reread her books I feel like I‘m having a conversation with an old friend. What I love most about this trilogy is how I can see myself in Beka. The hallmark of a great author.

This series is one is my favorites. Period. It‘s a space opera with Game of Thrones level class warfare and political intrigue offset with dynamic characters (including some of the best written female characters I‘ve ever read). It balances the kitschy (aliens!) with masterful discourse about what colonizing galaxies *really* looks like. The stars may actually be better off without us.

Friedman is a master at crafting a compelling narrative. Although this book was written more than a decade ago, he chillingly depicted how progressive and fluid our society has become in regards to identity and technology. This is a book for intelligent readers who want to go beyond an epic and dig into the complexities of human nature.