Author: Tamora Pierce
Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Quartet (Complete)

Wild Magic: ★★★★/5

Summary: Young Daine’s knack with horses gets her a job helping the royal horsemistress drive a herd of ponies to Tortall. Soon it becomes clear that Daine’s talent, as much as she struggles to hide it, is downright magical. Horses and other animals not only obey, but listen to her words. Daine, though, will have to learn to trust humans before she can come to terms with her powers, her past, and herself.

The Immortals Series has been one of my absolute favorites since I’ve started reading fantasy novels. It was the series that actually got me hooked on fantasy as a genre. I first read it in middle school and for the first time, 12 years later, I started to reread it. I remember loving it, but 12 years is a long time and whole different life stage. Mainly, I bought the series because a new edition with the amazing cover pictured above was released and I had to have it. I remembered the gist of the story and a few of my favorite characters, but I totally forgot the plot, which is exciting because I get to relive one of my favorite books for a second time, and that doesn’t happen very often.

I love this book because it has magic, mystical creatures, and amazing characters. The plot is well-developed and even though I’m 11 years older than the main character, I still found her enjoyable to read about. There were a few times her worries were juvenile, but overall Daine is a great protagonist, constantly looking to become a stronger and better, emotional enough that she’s not a stone, but logical enough to understand what needs to be done. I never found myself once bored with the story because it was always moving. Only what is necessary is included and the descriptions are both realistic and easy to follow. I enjoy a simple read from time to time so my mind doesn’t have to work so hard; it allows me to fall into the story even more.

DAINE: Daine is a 13-year-old girl who discovers she possesses something called “wild magic,” which allows her to connect with animals and immortal creatures in a way others cannot. She suffers a huge loss that you find out later in the book and experiences more than an average teen would. However, her ability to persevere through difficult situations is admirable and you continue to see her grow into the respect of her power. Though she may be young, she is strong at heart. You get a tiny glimpse (literally) of her roots and readers will be flipping through the pages to find out who she is and where she came from.

NUMAIR: Numair is the most powerful mage in all of Tortall and he’s a giant of a man who is also good-looking. I loved Numair when I first read him into my mind in middle school, and I still love him now. His character is humorous but he is a reliable partner and teacher to Daine. You can tell that even though he’s taken Daine under his wing as a student, he still cares for her deeply. He’s my favorite character in this series (minus some of the animals!)

ONUA: Onua hires Daine as an assistant and she’s the older sister Daine never had. I love her powerful presence despite her difficult past. She supports those around her and is one of the most loyal people. No matter how much Daine may retaliate, Onua understands and supports her in the best way possible.

There are a lot of characters I can talk about, but those are the three standout ones. Another unconventional character I do like is Cloud, Daine’s pony. She’s sassy in her actions and words (which only Daine can hear of course). There isn’t a set villain in this book, except maybe the Stormwings. The conflict was only just introduced in this book and will get more in depth through the part of the series. That might be my only warning to relay to other readers. There is some tension, but not as much as typical young adult readers are used to reading. So if you are reading this book, keep in mind that you are reading a MIDDLE GRADE novel. The main conflict in this first book is a battle at the end of the book, which gets resolved, but there’s really no information about what’s to come, only foreshadows suspicions readers may develop during their read. The lack of a deeper conflict to really satiate me as a reader is why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 stars. (Though 12-year-old me would’ve gave it 5 stars in a heartbeat)

Whether it’s nostalgia or not, I still loved this first book that I finished it in one day, and I’m itching to start the next one after I get some actual work done. I typically only enjoy writing young adult novels because I love a good romance, and one of the defining qualities of a middle grade is that there isn’t an explicit romance, but after re-reading this book I kind of feel like I would be interested in dabbling into the middle grade market!

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