Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 25 Jan 2007
TERRIER is the latest from a brilliant author whose earlier works you've got to read if you haven't already! My expectations for this book, as it is by Tamora Pierce, were, of course, quite high, and I was not disappointed. This might be my new favorite of hers (though it still might be beat out by the SONG OF THE LIONESS quartet--it's close), which is certainly saying a lot.
It's the story of Beka Cooper, a Lower City girl and member of the Provost's Guard who lives centuries before Alanna the Lioness and those characters of her world known to fans of Tamora Pierce's other work. Beka lives in the dark time spoken of in one of the Alanna books when every sword, whether held by a man or a woman, was needed. Indeed, Alanna was not the first Lady Knight; hundreds of years before, women could earn their shields without having to hide who they were. In fact, one of the many fascinating characters known to Beka is a Lady Knight named Sabine. She reminded me of Alanna. Mattes, one of the guardsmen whose job it is to train Beka in their ways, reminds me of one of Alanna's friends, Raoul. Rosto is quite like George Cooper (whose ancestor Beka is!), as well. And fans of the SONG OF THE LIONESS quartet will also recognize Beka's cat, Pounce!
When Beka trains to be a Puppy in the Guard, she knows someday she'll be a Dog, and she wants to be a good one. She's quite excited to be assigned to one of the best pairs in the Lower City; indeed, in all of Corus! She knows it'll be hard work, that Mattes and Clary will work her hard, but she's ready for it. This is what she wants to do. She's aided by her friends, her cat, and her magical Gifts of listening to the winds and to the pigeons who carry the souls of the dead.
Soon after she starts her work, Beka learns of some dangerous goings-on in the Lower City, and it's up to her to stop it, as only a true Lower City girl could--one with Beka's listening talents, at that. She knows the people, she knows their ways, and she is uniquely fit for figuring out what's going on in her neighborhood, and that is what she will do.
The format of TERRIER is different from that of Pierce's other books. It's told as Beka's journal, for one thing, meaning it's in first person. All of her other novels are in third person! It's certainly a change, but she does quite well with it. The only problem is the length of some of these journal entries! Beka is tired from her work as a Puppy; she's not going to write twenty, thirty pages in her journal at night! She probably won't even remember enough to write such long entries! That is the only flaw I found in this book, and that's easy to overlook. This is a page-turner, a wonderfully written story, with amazing characters. Whether you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, of fantasy, or of books in general, read this book!
Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Provost's Dog, 15 Jan 2007
This is a completely new world to those of us who are familiar with reading Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. Yes it is vaguely familiar but it is also completely different. It's grittier and harder.
The story itself is in a completley new format; that of a journal. To be honest it takes a bit of getting used to- especially with the phonetic spelling in one journal entry. But once you get into it you discover that it really works and that it draws you more into the story.
The character of Beka Cooper is both what you expect and what you don't of one of Tamora Pierce's heroines (or Sheroes, if you prefer). She's shy to the point where it can be debilitating but she doesn't let that stop her. In many ways she is stronger than Alanna (from Song of the Lioness quartet) but she's got Alanna and Kel (from Protector of the Small quartet)'s love of what she does. It isn't just a job for her. She cares about the people she's protecting.
The other characters you meet in the story are interesting- especially the three new thieves she meets and befriends, surprisingly. Her siblings are ashamed of her because she doesn't follow the expected route but she doesn't let that stop her from being who she is. She's very aware of what's going on around her- she listens to the people around her. Her magic is cool and rather unusual- as is her cat, who I'm sure if you've read any previous books you'll be able to guess who it will be.
It is a genuinely good book- what better praise can I give it than that?
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrier; A really good read!, 14 Jan 2007
Terrier is the story of one of George Cooper's ancestors. Beka is a 16 year girl embarking ('scuse the pun!) on her career as on of Tortal's Dogs. She not only battle's the criminals of Corus, but incompetence, corruption and apathy within the Kennels. Written in first person format as Beka's journal, it nevertheless works suberbly and moves along at a cracking pace! This series promises to be one of Ms. Pierce's best. Enjoy!
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