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Circle of Magic 1-3
May. 5th, 2013 01:04 pmAs a fan of Tamora Pierce, I wondered how I missed knowing about the Circle of Magic series. It's basically genre fiction for middle schoolers about four misfit mages who are mentored by adult mages in the way of their budding powers. Sandry has a gift for textiles, Tris can control the weather, Data makes metal sing and plants can help but grow in the presence of the lone boy, Briar Rose. Together they solve mysteries and magical problems while blending their magical talents. And that's about it.
The series suffers from the same problem as the Guardian of the Small series - too little action and too much time on day to day living. They are not so much stories but catalogues of chores and training. I know Tamora Pierce can do much better than this. Literature can either be writerly or readerly, and the books are definitely readerly - the reader is simply receiving information.
The first two books were just okay. It jumped out at me how much time Pierce spent in the second book describing the character's physical attributes, taking great pains to point out eye shape and skin colour. The third book, which focuses on Daja, was actually pretty interesting. She has been cast out from her society for being bad luck, and struggles with how her people treat her when she encounters them again. There are about eight books in the series, and hopefully it finds its legs.
The series suffers from the same problem as the Guardian of the Small series - too little action and too much time on day to day living. They are not so much stories but catalogues of chores and training. I know Tamora Pierce can do much better than this. Literature can either be writerly or readerly, and the books are definitely readerly - the reader is simply receiving information.
The first two books were just okay. It jumped out at me how much time Pierce spent in the second book describing the character's physical attributes, taking great pains to point out eye shape and skin colour. The third book, which focuses on Daja, was actually pretty interesting. She has been cast out from her society for being bad luck, and struggles with how her people treat her when she encounters them again. There are about eight books in the series, and hopefully it finds its legs.
