Book Review: Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce
Arram Draper is a magical prodigy, but he’s still only ten years old (even if he tells his classmates he’s eleven.) So he’s really excited to be allowed to go to the circus with his father and grandfather while they’re in town. And yes, the elephants are really cool, especially when one saves him from a nasty fall. But this is the Carthak Empire’s imperial gladiatorial circus, and Arram soon learns what it means to have slaves fight to the death for your amusement. It’s a lesson he won’t soon forget.
Back at school, Arram embarrasses himself by being too powerful for the lesson he’s supposed to be learning, accidentally flooding the classroom. It turns out he’s grown faster than expected, and needs to be in advanced and personalized training rather than basic classes for beginners.
In his new placement, Arram finally makes friends; Varice, a “kitchen witch” who is specialized in cooking, herbology and other domestic magic…which may not seem impressive to young nobles like the majority of students, but should in no way be underestimated; and Ozorne, the “Leftover Prince” who is far away from inheriting the throne, but as a result has more freedom than his older relatives.
These three learn and grow together at the University of Carthak, but who knows what the future will hold…
This is actually the first book I’ve read by Tamora Pierce, a renowned author of children’s and young adult fantasy books, most set in a world named after the country of Tortall. I think she started coming to prominence just about the time I stopped reading young adult for a couple of decades, so this is a good chance to catch up.
I’m told that this book is a prequel to an earlier trilogy, which has both good and less good points. I don’t have to know what came before, but also certain scenes that will have resonance for readers of the previous series completely pass me by. I don’t know which characters will survive by their names or importance in the present, so I can worry for all of them. (I’m pretty sure Arram makes it, but I don’t know in what state.)
The book covers several years, marked by the device of showing Arram’s class schedule for each season. This allows for rapid character development, as Arram grows from someone who’s small for his age to excessively tall, even as his control and emotional maturity begin to catch up with his raw talent.
Conversely, Prince Ozorne takes on a harsher personality as he grows. Even at the beginning, Ozorne has a strong prejudice against a particular ethnic group he blames for the death of his beloved father. And as those who stand between Ozorne and the throne die, he starts to think more and more about what he will do if he becomes Emperor. Arram finds his new plans alarming.
Varice changes the least that can be detected, being the sensible one of the trio.
The rapid advancement does, however, mean that there’s not much of a plot for any given section. There’s scenes setting things up for later, or revealing character, but it feels more like this story is setting up payoffs than being a book on its own. The impatient might want to wait until the followup volumes are complete before starting this one.
This book is suitable for advanced middle schoolers on up, but there’s some frank discussion of puberty that might make some parents of young readers hesitant. There’s also violence (at least once gory), a look at slavery in the Empire, a reveal about the fate of Ozorne’s father that is disturbing, and Arram loses his cookies more than once.
Recommended to young fantasy fans, especially those that have enjoyed previous Tortall stories and thus will get the most out of this.
