Circle of Magic: Tris's Book by Tamora Pierce

[meganbmoore]

As I expected, Tris and Daja grew on me when they stopped being prickly and unpleasant to everyone, though I still don’t like them quite as much as I do Sandry and Briar. Tris is also still a little too self-pitying for my tastes, though she seems to be getting over that. As I feared, though still an ensemble book, this is much more Tris’s story than Sandry’s was hers. It may just be my paranoia over common fantasy narrative tendencies speaking too loudly, but I can’t help but think Pierce is operating under the assumption that the traditionally feminine character who is nice instead of prickly is going to be less interesting than the other characters. I’d pass it off as my going “Wah! My favorite isn’t getting the most attention!” if it weren’t for the fact that her type of magic is also the least developed of the four.

I do like the books and the friendship between the characters, and I love their teachers, but the series isn’t getting to me as much as the other YA I’ve been reading lately have. Possibly, it just doesn’t cater to my inner 13-year-old as much as they do. 

Comments

[jennawaterford.livejournal.com]

Sandry is completely my favorite of the four characters, too. The one-shot Will of the Empress book has all four of them together, but Sandry gets to really stand out in that one. So do read that one when you get there. I didn't read the sequel quartet The Circle Opens, but I followed along just fine with Empress. I do think I want to read the Sandry book of the Circle Opens at some point...

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I plan to try to read them all in order, and then start trying to sort out the order and worlds of her 500000 other books.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

I like the sequel quartet so much more than the first four books. You should read them. Sandry's and Daja's are my favorites of those.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I very much like Daja now that I've read her book. Still having difficulty with Tris, though.

[jennawaterford.livejournal.com]

I read the description earlier when looking up titles and thought, "Now, why didn't I read this batch? Sounds great!" So I'll definitely be giving them a whirl.

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Does Sandry get short shift, or does Pierce just like Tris waaaaay too much? Jury's still out on that one.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Have you read the books? I kind of thought I was expected to be utterly in love with Tris(so far, I'm finding Daja much easier to sympathize with) but was worried I was projecting my annoyance at the seeming "traditionally feminine=dull" thing.

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

I have read the books. My take is that Tris is the character who comes closest to being an author self-insert -- at the very least, Pierce strongly identifies with her.

Daja, Sandry, and Briar were all my favorite at one time or another.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Tris definitely feels like Pierce's favorite. It's just that she and her problems are just so "average" compared to the others.

[bzoppa.livejournal.com]

I didn't like that series too much.

Again, I recommend The Song of the Lionness quartet instead of the Circle books. I've read all of them, and they're just okay. Those characters don't hold a candle to Alanna, or the high points of Protector of the Small.

I'm re-reading them again, I picked up the first on Saturday when I was feeling a little sad. They're some of my favorite books and I've read them at least 20 times each over the years. And, still, I cry happy tears when I get to some of my favorite parts. I really wish I was exaggerating, it can get a little embarrassing if I'm out reading them.

When I'm at home, I can talk back and react out loud much as I like.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Aye, I'll be working my way to the Tortall books.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

The Alanna books begin dreadfully. They do improve though. The "Protector of the Small" books are great, as is the new Terrier series. I didn't like the Lioness books as much, and I would avoid the meh Trickster books.

[estara.livejournal.com]

I only discovered any of Pierce's work last year and bought it all in short order: to my personal taste these books have their strengths and weaknesses but on the whole are part of the best YA books I've ever read, so I'm keeping/rereading them and the author is an autobuy now.