Part of the 8-book Tamora Pierce reissue for Fall 2006, this title in the Circle of Magic quartet features spellbinding new cover art. Coincides with the release of WILL OF THE EMPRESS in trade pb.
Four elements of power, four mages-in-training learning to control them. In Book 1 of the Circle of Magic Quartet, gifted young weaver Sandry is brought to the Winding Circle community. There she meets Briar, a former thief with a way with plants; Daja, an outcase gifted at metalcraft; and Tris, whose connection with the weather unsettles everyone, including herself. The four misfits are taught how to use their magic, but when disaster strikes, it's up to Sandry to weave together four different kinds of power to save herself, her friends, and Winding Circle.
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Grade 6-9-Four children from different walks of life come to Winding Circle, a temple community where for different reasons they are sent to Discipline, a smaller cottage in which they gradually come to know and trust one another and, more importantly, to know themselves and discover their own magical abilities. Niko teaches them to control their impulses and focus their minds. When the four are trapped in a collapsing cave during an earthquake, they must combine their magic and the concentration Niko taught them to escape. This first book (Scholastic, 1997) of Tamora Pierce's popular Circle of Magic fantasy quartet features The Words Take Wings repertory group reading the dialogue and the author reading the narrative portions of the text. Dramatizing the dialogue makes the story more lively and immediate and will captivate listeners. However, the blend of narration and dramatized dialogue is not always smooth, and often the timing of the transition from actor to narrator seems slightly awkward. Most of the actors do a good job of creating distinct personalities for their characters, but they vary in skill. While Cynthia Bishop as Lark is excellent and her voice is very expressive, the actors playing the children are not as skilled. Pierce's voice lacks expression as the narrator. She is much better in the author interview at the end of the production which adds insight into her work. Technical quality of the production is excellent. While there are no sound effects or background noises to intrude, brief snatches of appropriate music mark plot shifts, a necessity here since the story shifts among the four children. This recording should prove popular where children are reading Pierce's books. Louise L. Sherman, formerly Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
Review
An exceptional match between voices and the character descriptions. -- Audiofile Magazine, October/November 2002
This enthralling production will be enjoyed by both children and adults. -- The Shy Librarian, Spring 2003--This text refers to the
Audio Cassette
edition.
Tamora Pierce is a bestselling author of fantasy books for teenagers. Her books, known for their teenaged girl warriors and wizards, have received critical acclaim and a strong fanbase.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tamora Pierce was drawn to books from a young age. Raised in rural Pennsylvania, the child of a "long, proud line of hillbillies," her family never had much. "We were poor, but I didn't know it then. We had a garden where my folks grew fruit and vegetables and our water came from a well," she explains. But one thing they did have was plenty of books. So Tamora read.
A self-proclaimed "geek," she devoured fantasy and science fiction novels, and by the age of 12 was mimicking her literary idols and writing her own action-packed stories. It was thanks to her father that Tamora began writing. "He heard me telling myself stories as I did dishes, and he suggested that I try to write some of them down," Pierce says.
But Tamora's novels had one major difference: unlike the books she was reading, her stories featured teenaged girl warriors. "I couldn't understand this lapse of attention on the part of the writers I loved, so until I could talk them into correcting this small problem, I wrote about those girls, the fearless, bold, athletic creatures that I was not, but wanted so badly to be."
Seventeen years later, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, a brief career in teen social work and some time spent writing for radio, Tamora Pierce held true to her childhood crusade, and published Alanna: The First Adventure, the first in a quartet about a valiant, young, female warrior. Pierce's heroine struck a chord with readers across the country and quickly earned her a loyal following.
Pierce is now a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has written twenty-five books, including her newest, BEKA COOPER #2: Bloodhound. "It's a pretty good life, if I do say so myself. Struggling along as a kid and even through my twenties, it's the kind of life I dreamed of but never believed I would get. Yet here I am, after a lot of work, a lot of worry, a lot of care for details, and a massive chunk of luck, the kind that brought me such strong friends and readers. Pretty good for a hillbilly, yes? And I never take it for granted," she says.
Pierce lives in upstate New York with her husband Tim and their three cats and two birds.
PRAISE
"[Tamora Pierce's heroines] faithfully reiterate an ideal of feminine power that relies on brains, not beauty; of feminine attractiveness that relies on competence, not helplessness; and of feminine alliances that grow stronger, not weaker, in the face of conflicts." -The New York Times
BEKA COOPER #1: TERRIER
"With its rollicking adventures [and] appealing characters . . . Terrier will be in strong demand by Pierce's fans. It will keep readers on the edge of their seats." -School Library Journal, Starred
YOUNG WARRIORS "Memorable characters and well-drawn settings. . . . This timely and appealing anthology will surely help swell the ranks of teenage fantasy readers." -School Library Journal
TRICKSTER'S QUEEN "The plot sweeps readers along in a whirlwind of court intrigue, deception, murder, and romance. The humor is wicked, and the plot twists will keep the pages turning to the supremely satisfying end. Teens will be inspired by Aly's determination, her resourcefulness, and her heart." -School Library Journal
TRICKSTER'S CHOICE "Aly arrives fully formed, a snarky, talented uber-heroine. Cameos of old favorites complement a rich cast of new characters. Aly's difficulty with the complexity of colonialism adds surprising, welcome depth." -Kirkus Reviews
LADY KNIGHT "Unrelentingly realistic in its depiction of the horrors of war, this novel draws the reader into a complete and believable fantasy world. Pierce provides exquisite details of the weaponry, topography, and culture of her world, and her control of a voluminous cast of characters is masterful." -Voice of Youth Advocates
110 of 113 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 starsTamora Pierce will not let you down, October 15, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
Okay, I have to admit it. At first I was reluctant to read this book. Actually that's putting it mildly. I did NOT want to read this book what so ever. And that's not because Tamora Pierce is a bad author. (Oh my gosh, NO! She is my favorite.) But her Tortall books had been so good I was afraid I would miss the other characters. (I obviously have some unresolved emotional problems somewhere) Anyway I decided to wait for "First Test" to come out. Then I realized I was too broke(or cheap) to buy it in hardcover and to make a long story short I broke down and bought the first two "Circle of Magic" books in the series. And I loved them. I especially love the characters. The whole story is about these four kids, who are very diverse and unique. They are found by this mage named Niko who brings them together at this really cool place called Winding Circle Temple The four kids don't fit in with the other children so they have to live in a cottage called Discipline which is how they are all brought together to form the "magic circle". Each kid has a special magical talent, (metalcraft, weaving, plants, and weather) and in the end they have to combined their powers to save their lives. Maybe the thing that appealed to me the most was how they all had to live together, (I'm a Real World fanatic, heh heh heh.) but the story is just very very interesting and moving and I really really love it. It's right up there with the Alanna and Daine Quartets, so RELUCTANT TORTALL LOVERS LISTEN TO ME: PLEASE GIVE THIS BOOK A CHANCE-READ A SENTENCE OR TWO JUST FOR ME, YOU'LL LOVE IT
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This review is from: Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
The Circle Opens Quartet is yet another successful series written by Tamora Pierce. However, this is not the normal heroine Tortall-set story that fans have learned to love. In this book, Tamora Pierce changes the setting of her story and instead of writing about one main character, there are four, one of them being a boy. This story was written for a younger audience, however this does not lessen Pierce's imaginative and colourful stories. The presence of a masculine character, Briar, as one of the most important ones in the story, is quite different compared to Tamora's previous series, and I welcomed this change.
Sandry's Book, being the first book in the Circle Opens, is basically an introduction to all four of the characters: Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar. All of these children are either orphaned or have relatives that do not wish to have them. Since they all come from different social classes and they all have different beliefs, their meeting is an awkward one, but since they were chosen to live in the same house, they must learn to at least respect each other. While they are staying at the Winding Circle Temple, they each discover that they have their own magical gifts: Sandry is gifted in working thread, Tris in changing the weather, Daja in working different types of metal, and Briar in taking care of plants. Since they were not born in an environment that was able to favour these magical gifts, they must now learn how to understand and control them.
I recommend this story to any Tamora Pierce fan, however those who are older than twelve-years-old might not enjoy this series as much as her previous ones, especially if they are avid readers. However, even though this book is destined to pre-teenagers, what the book lacks of in maturity and complexity is gained in the discovery of a whole new world. Enjoy!
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4.0 out of 5 starsCircle of Magic Sandry's Book, February 14, 2005
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Sandry's Book (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
Circle of Magic Sandry's Book
By: Tamora Pierce
Four friends with magical powers over weather and water, wind, earth, and fire are brought to Winding Tower's school. Tremors have been happening all summer. Then an earthquake was to hit Water Tower's school, sister school of Winding Tower. When the earthquake hit Water Tower's school the mages, people with the power of an element, tried to stop it but just made it stronger. Now the earthquake is heading straight for Winding Tower. When the quake hits most of the school's children are trapped including the four friends. Will they live? Will someone find them?
I liked the amount of description the author put into this book. I like the intensity of this book. I love the conflict that the author uses in this book. I love how the author keeps you guessing and wondering what will happen next.
This book made me realize that you can find friends in different places. This book made me think that you should not judge people before you know them.
I would recommend this book to anyone that needs to read a great adventure story. I would recommend this to children in the 4th grade to children in the 9th grade. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to read a series of books.
Sincerely,
Kid Reader
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