Wolf-Speaker

This is the sequel in Tamora Pierce's Immortals series.

The novel opens while Numair and Daine are on a discovery mission in Dunlath to find out what happened to seven of the Queen's riders, when Daine is approached by the wolf pack that cared for her and helped her avenge her mother's death in the beginning of the series. Something terrible is happening in Dunlath, and only Daine can help the wolf pack. What begins as a favor to her pack, ends up becoming about something far more important; protecting the lives and freedoms of all in the valley, mortal and immortal alike.

I loved this book. Granted, Pierce stole my soul with Wild Magic, but sometimes sequels disappoint and Wolf-Speaker did not. Pierce uses Wolf- Speaker to explore show more themes of good and evil, bigotry and prejudice to teach a valuable lesson about not judging everything based on what we've been taught or have heard previously. Considering this is a YA novel, I think that's a valuable lesson to teach growing children.

Numair and Daine have wonderful chemistry as usual, but in Pierce fashion Daine fought all of her battles alone, and is the heroine of the story.
Highly recommend and can't wait to get my hands on the next novel in the series. show less

If someone asks me what my favorite books were when I was younger, why I want to be a writer, why I love fantasy or why I still - as a 25 year old adult working in Finance - have an imagination, all fingers must be pointed at Tamora Pierce. I started reading her books when I was 9 or 10, and they have stayed with me and I am happy to keep up with her writing even now, and I have gone back a re-read her series many times. Pierce is a world builder, and an excellent one at that, and even though Daine is fourteen in this novel, it is easy to fall into her world.

The Immortals was the first series I read by Pierce, and relatively unique in its storytelling as the knights are side stories and her training is one-on-one and more nomadic, show more unlike the Circle of Magic series. Wolf Speaker is fun because Daine begins to fall into her abilities as a Wild Mage and finds a few fun surprises. As this book is written for children and not angst-ridden teens or scrutinizing adults, the tone is relatively light and her troubles are few as she adapts to the world around her and her abilities. Additionally, Pierce gives the underlying message of the importance of respecting the natural world around us and not succumbing to greed at any cost.

This gets three stars because Daine drives me nuts. She's very emotional and is written that way purposefully - the characters around her also get exasperated with her. Her abilities are interesting, the little dragon Kitten is interesting, the story is a bit light (as aforementioned - children's book), her teacher Numair is interesting, but Daine takes a little bit of patience at times, like listening to a self-righteous, whiny pre-teen (appropriately so) and I think perhaps the intentionality of this tied with my reaction just sort of goes to show how adept of a writer Pierce is....

My recollection of the series is that Wolf Speaker was my least favorite of the four and I look forward to Emperor Mage. show less

I enjoyed Wolf-Speaker even more than its predecessor. I felt like, in Wild Magic, Daine had come into her own without realizing it by the end of the story, and that Wolf-Speaker is the story of her testing, so to speak.

I enjoyed meeting the new (fully-fleshed-out) characters, but I enjoyed watching Daine fend for herself and protect others even more. She is, in the course of the story, separated from the adults that gave her guidance and support in Wild Magic, and the stakes become so dire that it is essentially a sink-or-swim moment. I liked watching her go from a confused newcomer to Tortall (in the first book) to a protector of both people and animals. It was an intensely satisfying read.

If someone asks me what my favorite books were when I was younger, why I want to be a writer, why I love fantasy or why I still - as a 25 year old adult working in Finance - have an imagination, all fingers must be pointed at Tamora Pierce. I started reading her books when I was 9 or 10, and they have stayed with me and I am happy to keep up with her writing even now, and I have gone back a re-read her series many times. Pierce is a world builder, and an excellent one at that, and even though Daine is fourteen in this novel, it is easy to fall into her world.

The Immortals was the first series I read by Pierce, and relatively unique in its storytelling as the knights are side stories and her training is one-on-one and more nomadic, show more unlike the Circle of Magic series. Wolf Speaker is fun because Daine begins to fall into her abilities as a Wild Mage and finds a few fun surprises. As this book is written for children and not angst-ridden teens or scrutinizing adults, the tone is relatively light and her troubles are few as she adapts to the world around her and her abilities. Additionally, Pierce gives the underlying message of the importance of respecting the natural world around us and not succumbing to greed at any cost.

This gets three stars because Daine drives me nuts. She's very emotional and is written that way purposefully - the characters around her also get exasperated with her. Her abilities are interesting, the little dragon Kitten is interesting, the story is a bit light (as aforementioned - children's book), her teacher Numair is interesting, but Daine takes a little bit of patience at times, like listening to a self-righteous, whiny pre-teen (appropriately so) and I think perhaps the intentionality of this tied with my reaction just sort of goes to show how adept of a writer Pierce is....

My recollection of the series is that Wolf Speaker was my least favorite of the four and I look forward to Emperor Mage. show less

Book two in my first adult re-read of my beloved Immortals series.

A few other reviews criticise the book for having Daine fend for herself for much of it, cut off from Numair and her other familiar friends. On the other hand, I kind of like the sense of solitude that permeates this book, and Daine's ability to find allies of all sorts in a strange and hostile land.

Overall an enjoyable and comforting book to return to.

This book is by far the most "self-contained" adventure of all of the Tamora Pierce I have read so far. Daine has to use her power to talk to animals to save her wolf pack, protect a valley, and prevent treason. The book brings up interesting questions of ecology, xenophobia, and the ethics of the relationships between man and animals, without harping on it overmuch. One thing this book did suffer from was a lack of "two-leggers" besides Daine - I missed Numair and Onua for most of the story, not to mention Alanna, George, Jonathan, et al. Still, an enjoyable fantasy - who hasn't wanted to be able to talk to (and run with) animals?

Daine's wolf pack from her former home asks her to talk to humans about the destruction of the land, the water, and the hunting grounds in the new valley they have moved to, but it turns out that the situation is much different - and much worse - than anyone could have guessed.

Wolf-Speaker is one of my favorite Tortall books. Although the main characters are (as usual in Pierce's books) just a touch too good to be true, Daine grows and learns and makes mistakes throughout the story, and people besides her play roles vital to the plot. I particularly like Maura, a young noblewoman who is terrified but brave, and Tkaa, one of the immortals that Daine meets and befriends.

Margaret Strom is an inconsistent reader. Often she's fine, even show more pleasant to listen to, but she also mispronounces words and pauses at odd times, especially during dialogue, which sounds awkward or even changes meaning. I recommend the Full Cast Audio version instead. show less