Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com

Veralidaine Sarrasri--Daine to everyone who knows her--is thirteen years old, orphaned, and without a home. Her amazing rapport with animals gets her a job with a horsemaster named Onua, and the two women become fast companions during their arduous journey from Daine's homeland of Galla to the kingdom of Tortall, where they are to deliver their equine charges to the service of the Queen's Riders.

Along the way, Daine's gift for communicating with animals becomes more and more apparent, and when she alerts Onua to the approach of dangerous Immortals known as Stormwings, who feed off of fear and death, her talent can no longer be ignored. It is revealed that, while she does not have the magical Gift required to become a sorcerer, she does have a rarer form known as wild magic that connects her to the animals around her.

Under the auspices of one of the most powerful mages in the country, Daine begins to strengthen her natural affinity, but she's haunted by a past she won't share with anyone, and a secret fear that if she uses too much of her power to communicate with animals, even for the good of those around her, she might find herself losing her own humanity.

In the eyes of the Tortallan nobles, her training is of great importance in the ongoing effort to protect the kingdom against the vicious Immortals who have begun appearing out of nowhere in the last few years.

Pierce has once again delivered a plucky heroine that girls young and old can ally with. Daine's no-nonsense attitude, coupled with her na�ve fascination for the way in which business is conducted in Tortall, make her a completely likable character. For an experienced author, returning to an old fictional world and attempting to see it through new eyes can be difficult, but it also has manifold pleasures for both the writer and the reader.

In this first book of THE IMMORTALS QUARTET, Tamora Pierce returns to the world her LIONESS QUARTET first popularized, and fans of Alanna, Tortall's first female knight, will be pleased to see their favorite lady heroine appear in print once more, but this time as a secondary character to another young girl with the potential to become a strong woman in her own right. ( )

Even in a world filled with magic, Daine Sarrasi's gift with animals stands out, and between her unusual gift and having to hide the secrets from her past, it's easier for her to connect with animals than people. It takes time (and some gentle and not-so-gentle coaxing from friends and mentors) for Daine to come to trust her new acquaintances.

I really enjoy these books and always like the strong women characters that Pierce writes, but she does have a tendency to do things like pound us over the head with the idea that something bad had happened in her past, long before we find out what it is. A few fewer - or more subtle - mentions of how she can't trust these new people with her secret because they'd surely hate her would have been just as effective, if not more so. But things like that aside, it's a good story and a fun, easy read. ( )

A young girl with the ability to speak to animals comes to Tortall.

I can see why Tamora Pierce's books have gained such a strong readership. Daine, this book's central character, feels like an outsider. Throughout the course of the book, she comes to realize that she's found a home for herself, despite an unusual talent that has caused problems for her in the past. It's a solid scenario that a lot of readers, (especially young people), can really relate to.

Unfortunately, I found it impossible not to compare Pierce to Mercedes Lackey, an author who I feel has done a much better job with the whole outsider-finding-acceptance theme. It's all a matter of taste, I know, but I found Pierce's narrative just a little too simplistic for my tastes. Despite the strong themes she's working with, nothing goes very deep. I know this is a children's novel, but I don't think that's really an excuse. I wouldn't exactly say that Pierce has written down to her readers, but there's definitely room for more than she's giving.

I can see why others have really enjoyed the Tortall books, but this one just didn't click for me. I might try the rest of the series at a later date, but it's not a priority. ( )

I read this one a long time ago, so I don't remember all the details, but I do know this series was one of my favorites for a long time. This particular book was an amazing read. The type of natural magic the characters possess is fascinating as are the characters themselves. ( )

"Oh joy. Another Tamora Pierce novel with a female protagonist who's good at everything ever yet annoyingly modest." Or so I thought going into this-- about halfway through the book, Pierce pulled out a revelation that stopped me in my tracks and caused me to reevaluate everything that had gone before. Obviously Daine had had a secret, but I hadn't expected it to be that. The book doesn't capitalize on it much, unfortunately, but I'm only a fourth of the way into the story, so I'm willing to give it time. Add in unknowable powerful forces breaking into our reality-- one of my favorite sf&f tropes-- and this quartet is already shaping up to be much stronger than Song of the Lioness.