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Wild Magic (The Immortals #1)

by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 · rating details · 29,206 ratings · 789 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 362 pages

Published May 31st 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published December 1st 1992)

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Jun 08, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who loves strong heroines and adventure tales

Shelves: wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, wish-i-had-read-it-earlier, writing-to-which-i-aspire, best-characters, 2011-reads, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, exceeded-my-expectations, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, heroes-i-love-and-respect, swoon-worthy-book-crushes, love-it-for-the-characters, soared-above-and-beyond, ultimate-favorites, wowed-me, worth-every-star, reviewed

I nearly kicked myself after finishing this book. My first thought after I got to the end: Why didn't I buy the next three books too? I need to know what happens!!

A lot of you are going to be very disappointed in me when you read this, so I'll just lay it out straight: this is the first book by Tamora Pierce that I've ever finished reading. Granted, I knew nothing about her until about three years ago (to which I say, "Blasphemy!" now since she's such an icon in young adult fantasy literature),...more

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Ka 25- or 30-year-old Jillian might be more aware of the writing issues with these books? XD Maybe you've gotta grow up reading them every few years or s...more
Mar 30, 2012 03:11pm

Lily I wasn't positive i would want to read this book, but when you mentioned numair being a cross between howl and rhys i ran to the library and got all o...more
Jul 04, 2012 06:24pm

Jan 20, 2011 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, on-my-shelf, available-for-swapping, children-s, not-for-me, series-lost-interest

So. I've read up to page 216 now and there isn't really anything that urges me to read on. I have heard so many good things about this book and Tamora Pierce's books in general come highly recommended by some of my Goodreads friends. But I fear that if I haven't found anything that makes me want to go on up until now, I probably won't find it in the next 150 pages either.

Please don't understand this as a discouragement to give Pierce's books a try - this is in no way a bad book, it's just not f...more

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Sagatiaej Yes, because a half read book is definitely a good basis for a well thought out review or opinion.
Mar 26, 2012 08:58am

Ka if you don't like characters who seem a little too smart, talented, and perfect, especially when they are in their early teens, then honestly I'd prob...more
Mar 30, 2012 03:23pm

Mar 26, 2013 Heather Aldaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-booklist, audiobook, fantasy, young-adult

Daine introduces a new form of magic that hasn’t been seen in the books (or in Tortall) before: wild magic. As an animal lover, this kind of magic is very intriguing to read about. As Daine transforms into other species, she takes on their mentality and personality. The way she gets inside animal minds is fascinating!

I greatly enjoyed the diversity among Daine’s companions. There were plenty of humans, but also a lot of animals and immortals. By giving voices to all manner of people, Pierce subt...more

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Jul 18, 2011 Book Elf rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-bookshelf

This is my first read of Tamora Pierce's writing and it didn't let me down. I like the flow of the story though it was not very action-packed within 3/4s of the book but I enjoyed it all the same. I was curious enough of the protagonist's past and secrets that led me to read on.

It was easy to follow even if the instructions were for drawing the wild magic and mastering it. The characters were all interesting. I really wanted to read the Lioness Quartet and was surprised to see Alanna in this bo...more

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May 10, 2011 Anila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: clone-the-guy-i-want-one, fangirl-alert, favorite-2011-reads, reviewed, once-upon-a-childhood, pre-college-summer-reread

I literally don't remember when I read my first Tamora Pierce book. All I can tell you is that it was Alanna: The First Adventure and it was probably an audiobook that my parents checked out for one of our infinite family road trips. I can't have been much older than, say, third grade at a stretch. After that first one, needless to say, I was addicted. (Yes, I read Lioness Rampant in elementary school. It was... educational. Then again, I was already into Pern by then, so...)

I also don't remembe...more

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Jul 31, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2010, books-i-own, finished-series, first-in-a-serie, five-star-rating

Beautiful, enchanting, magical, wonderful and endearing.

I have finally found a book to call it mine.
Yes, I have read fair amout of young adult books that I really enjoyed and loved but nothing has touched me so close to my heart than this book.

I knew I would like it before I read it, considering it was about a girl with power to convince, heal and converse with animals. As a little girl, I'd dream of such 'power'. There is no super hero(heroine) in this world I'd rather be!
I savored every pa...more

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Mar 24, 2009 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com

Veralidaine Sarrasri--Daine to everyone who knows her--is thirteen years old, orphaned, and without a home. Her amazing rapport with animals gets her a job with a horsemaster named Onua, and the two women become fast companions during their arduous journey from Daine's homeland of Galla to the kingdom of Tortall, where they are to deliver their equine charges to the service of the Queen's Riders.

Along the way, Daine's gift for communicating with an...more Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com

Veralidaine Sarrasri--Daine to everyone who knows her--is thirteen years old, orphaned, and without a home. Her amazing rapport with animals gets her a job with a horsemaster named Onua, and the two women become fast companions during their arduous journey from Daine's homeland of Galla to the kingdom of Tortall, where they are to deliver their equine charges to the service of the Queen's Riders.

Along the way, Daine's gift for communicating with animals becomes more and more apparent, and when she alerts Onua to the approach of dangerous Immortals known as Stormwings, who feed off of fear and death, her talent can no longer be ignored. It is revealed that, while she does not have the magical Gift required to become a sorcerer, she does have a rarer form known as wild magic that connects her to the animals around her.

Under the auspices of one of the most powerful mages in the country, Daine begins to strengthen her natural affinity, but she's haunted by a past she won't share with anyone, and a secret fear that if she uses too much of her power to communicate with animals, even for the good of those around her, she might find herself losing her own humanity.

In the eyes of the Tortallan nobles, her training is of great importance in the ongoing effort to protect the kingdom against the vicious Immortals who have begun appearing out of nowhere in the last few years.

Pierce has once again delivered a plucky heroine that girls young and old can ally with. Daine's no-nonsense attitude, coupled with her naïve fascination for the way in which business is conducted in Tortall, make her a completely likable character. For an experienced author, returning to an old fictional world and attempting to see it through new eyes can be difficult, but it also has manifold pleasures for both the writer and the reader.

In this first book of THE IMMORTALS QUARTET, Tamora Pierce returns to the world her LIONESS QUARTET first popularized, and fans of Alanna, Tortall's first female knight, will be pleased to see their favorite lady heroine appear in print once more, but this time as a secondary character to another young girl with the potential to become a strong woman in her own right.(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Khanh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school, magic, kick-ass-heroine, fantasy, alternate-universe

I hopped into this book hoping I would not be confused out of my mind. I have heard of her Tamora Pierce's other Tortall books, especially the enormously popular ones about Alanna, but the premise of those books didn't interest me. I hate to admit it, and this is terrible backwards of me, but books about cross-dressing, disguised characters do not interest me. This applies to manga as well; don't even get me started on how much I hated HanaKimi. This series about a young girl with animal magic s...more I hopped into this book hoping I would not be confused out of my mind. I have heard of her Tamora Pierce's other Tortall books, especially the enormously popular ones about Alanna, but the premise of those books didn't interest me. I hate to admit it, and this is terrible backwards of me, but books about cross-dressing, disguised characters do not interest me. This applies to manga as well; don't even get me started on how much I hated HanaKimi. This series about a young girl with animal magic seems more like my thing, so I tentatively read it and hoped that I would not be too lost. I was pleasantly surprised; it is set in the Tortall world, and presumably all the characters from the other books made an appearance, but I was not lost at all. There were just enough details given to give me an insight as to who/what each character did without giving their entire backstory. The slight insight into the previous characters so new readers would not get lost was very well done.

As to Daine herself...I loved her. She is strong, resilient, a bit wild, like her magic, and very uncultured, which makes sense, given her backwaters upbringing. She did grate on my nerves at time, especially with her constant secrecy and need to hide a certain aspect of her magic, but all that was very well explained by her backstory, and I found myself sympathizing with her once I found out what happened. All the characters in the book were immensely likable; there were no one major antagonist who made her life miserable, and I liked that. Not every story has to have a clear-cut bully. This is especially refreshing to me, coming from a glut of YA fiction where every main character has a beautiful, bitchy high school queen bee out for her blood.

The plot line was very well done; I was never bored, and I was never lost. I have weird thing for quick-paced plots where lots of action happen. They bore me to death. I know, weird, right? The action in this story, while fast-paced, was never boring, always made sense, and keep me interested. My only reason for knocking off a star was the last 1/4 of the book. The battle felt too rushed, the storytelling lost me at times, and I was confused by the action. Also, dragons, krakens, griffins, all got thrown into the mix. Not that I mind, considering I like mythical creatures, but it felt unrealistic and rushed. I'm starting the second book now, and I have high hopes.(less)

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Feb 23, 2013 Carlie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Looking for a feel-good fiction piece that doesn't suck? Snatch it up. It's classic fantasy in many ways and has some of the silliness of the genre: made up names, a manufactured religion, all the magic creatures of history in one place together etc. But it's fun and not astounding but solid and happy and warm.

I love that although she makes up a religion she doesn't spend pages wading through explaining it, it just is and we discover some bits of it organically and still wonder about a lot of i...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 8th-grade-3rd-quarter

When My friend told me about this book I was a bit skeptical. Though I usually trust my friend's judgement on other matters, books are usually off limits. Now I will read books when my friends really want me to, likeThe Green Glass Sea when one of my friends was literally trying to force us to read it, even threatening to read it allowed to us. I suppose I shouldn't say I don't like to read books my friends tell me to read, I just don't trust them when they start telling my that I will love a bo...more When My friend told me about this book I was a bit skeptical. Though I usually trust my friend's judgement on other matters, books are usually off limits. Now I will read books when my friends really want me to, likeThe Green Glass Sea when one of my friends was literally trying to force us to read it, even threatening to read it allowed to us. I suppose I shouldn't say I don't like to read books my friends tell me to read, I just don't trust them when they start telling my that I will love a book and it's in one of my special genres. These are just the genres that I like the most like Science Fiction and Fantasy. So when my friend told me that this would be the perfect book for me to read, admittedly I had my doubts. Now I could go on and on about why I doubt them and it would probably include some of my reading phobia's but I won't because you want to know about this book, not my life. In this book we meet a young girl named Daine, she is about 13 years old and has a special "knack" for animals. "Well of coarse! I read this on the back of the book already!" you say. Well I know. When Daine gets a job with a horse handler. It turns out she took a job with the horse handler for the Queen of Tortall, a different country from the one of her birth, but not an enemy. During their journey Daine and Onau have a run in with "Stormwings" and "Spidrens", Immortal Creatures from the realm of gods. They journey is exciting but it's nothing compared to the castle. Daine, being amazing with horses (for reasons I Will not state) and being one of the best archers they can find, not to mention that she is working for the Queen's horse handler, ends up helping to train "The Queen's Riders", the elite section of the Calvary that is comprised entirely of women riders. During the summer trip to the summer training camp, the riders, queen, and kings champion are attacked at the home of the king's Champion. The battle is costly, sudden and full of death of more than just humans. Now I could go on and tell you the entire plot, with all the characters and twists, but I think it would be easier for you and I to just read the book. It is an exciting and fun book that I would advise anyone with a love of fantasy and adventure books to read, just be sure to brush up on your medieval vocabulary because there are a few terms you may not know.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What I liked:
-Daine. She was a little younger than me, but she was intelligent, caring, and she had a unique bond with animals. I loved her powers and the bond she shared with Cloud.
-Secondary cast. One thing I like about Tamora Pierce is she includes her previous characters in her new series. Alanna has always been a favorite of mine, and she made an appearance in this book as well. George was also in this book, and he was always a favorite too, and it was nice to see how he and Alanna’s life w...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Levi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

I read these all the time when I was a young teen---to the point where apparently I remember where all the italics were, even though my e-book didn't display the formatting properly.

This is one of those books that's forever lost to you if you don't first read it before age 14. The three star review is a compromise between my younger self (who would have given it 4 1/2) and my present self (who wants to give it a 1 1/2) in acknowledgement that I'm no longer the target audience.

First, Pierce's boo...more

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Jun 24, 2012 R & rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: toxic-waste

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have greatly enjoyed many of Tamora Pierce's books, this was not one of those. I had trouble from the beginning, there are many little things I could point out, but things really started to get bad near the end. The story revolves around Daine, a thirteen year old girl who can talk to and influence animals. Having just suffered an incredibly traumatic series of events she leaves her village and finds work with the manager of the queens rider's horses/ponies. Stuff happens and to cut a long sto...more I have greatly enjoyed many of Tamora Pierce's books, this was not one of those. I had trouble from the beginning, there are many little things I could point out, but things really started to get bad near the end. The story revolves around Daine, a thirteen year old girl who can talk to and influence animals. Having just suffered an incredibly traumatic series of events she leaves her village and finds work with the manager of the queens rider's horses/ponies. Stuff happens and to cut a long story short Daine becomes a mages pupil, makes lots of friends, and gets over her trauma all while dealing with mythical creatures being brought into the world by the villainous Carthakians. It all finally culminated in two horrible moves on the authors part. First during the ending battle with the Carthakians Daine spend a lot of time and energy preventing the animals under her influence from fighting. However, after only one short, illogical, and down right irritating speech from a friend she immediately changes her mind, so much so that a few hours later she is planning on enslaving a bunch of pacifist whales, who she knows will subsequently starve themselves to death as recompense, into capsizing a bunch of ships. Then, to pile BS onto BS, a supposedly intelligent dragon commits suicide in a pointless attack upon the Carthakians. This dragon is a mage who can throw fire around at will and is seemingly imune to the enemies magic, so rather than flying in, setting fire to the catapults that were the only danger the ships posed and getting out of there, she decides to fly in, set fire to none of the catapults, dash about attack things at random and hang around despite repeated warnings to get out of there. Can you guess what happens next? That's right! She gets shot down by the catapults.

Soooooo basically don't read this unless you are skilled at turning off all reasoning faculties you have. Like I said, I like Tamora Pierce, I enjoy many of her books, but this one was simply terrible, I can only assume it was some sort of bet on how bad a book she could write and still sell.

Sorry if this review is a bit messy, it's 4:30 am and I haven't had any sleep.(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Mark L. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I happened across this book when I could not find the second book in the Protector of the Small series at my school library. I noticed that it was from the same author and decided that I would give it a try. This book is very much different from Protector of the Small, though it is set i the same world and appears to be the prequel series to that one now that I look back at it. The main character is Veralidaine Sarrasri or Diane for short. She starts off as being an assistant horse caretaker for...more

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Sep 30, 2011 athena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hola, schools out! I am very sorry, I accidentally lied in my second-to-last post, I haven't blogged Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce yet, so here goes! Daine is a thirteen-year-old girl with a plan and a knack for animals: get a job, go to Tortall. This works very well for her, soon she is hired by Onua to take care of her ponies as they go to the capital of Tortall. As she learns about this new land, she also discovers that her "knack" is really magic, wild magic. Daine loves her new home, from the...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Jemcat rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was, in many ways, a book that stole my readers virginity.

I picked this up in the school library when I was eleven years old, ten years ago. The cover, matching the one I now own, was a spider with a mans head, and in no way appealed to me. But the first chapter, titled 'A girl with a pony' drew me in immediately. Thank God for my horse obsession, or I'd never have discovered these books, and this wonderful author.

It was my first fantasy book. It was my first book not directly related to ho...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Wild Magic begins the second quartet featuring the land of Tortall. Although there are some familiar names in this novel - cameos from the Alanna quartet, such as Alanna herself, Jonathan and Thayet, George - a newcomer to the Tortall world could start here with absolutely no problems.

The level of reading is eight plus, I'd say. There are occasional moments of violence, as you'd expect from events in a feudal country that is beginning to descend into war, but nothing that I'd be worried about a...more Wild Magic begins the second quartet featuring the land of Tortall. Although there are some familiar names in this novel - cameos from the Alanna quartet, such as Alanna herself, Jonathan and Thayet, George - a newcomer to the Tortall world could start here with absolutely no problems.

The level of reading is eight plus, I'd say. There are occasional moments of violence, as you'd expect from events in a feudal country that is beginning to descend into war, but nothing that I'd be worried about a younger reader encountering.

Wild Magic is a very good novel in terms of feminism. The central character, Daine, is living her life without any direction from a man. She is independent, stubborn, loyal and simply fantastic to read about. Within the novel you also have the Riders, a military force that accepts women. The Queen of Tortall, Thayet, is easily the equal of Jonathan (the King) and shares all the duties of the monarchy. Thayet and Buri helped to create the Riders, and still assist with the instruction of the new trainees. And, of course, Alanna is the Lady Knight. In every walk of life, in every instance, Tamora Pierce introduces a world where sex is not important when considering what is achievable. The men and the women are equals in every respect. This, for me, is an exceptionally healthy attitude to bring to a novel that younger readers will enjoy. I only wish there was more enduring and potent feminist fantasy fiction like this.

Alongside this feminist angle, Wild Magic's principle 'lesson' is that people can be accepted, no matter their background or beliefs. I would be very happy if my daughter or niece (or son or nephew) were reading this take on life. It is a strong message, and one that can't be taught too soon.

The plot within Wild Magic is very much an introductory piece - we come to know Daine and the people around her, principally, but there are hints towards what is to come in the other three books of the quartet. (Interestingly, Tamora Pierce has celebrated J K Rowling's impact on the world of children's and YA fiction, in terms of making publishers realise that books don't need to always be 200 pages or less. She says that, if the Daine quartet were published nowadays, it would be a duology instead). Wild Magic can be read as a complete story, but you would miss much of the overall plot if you didn't then move onto Wolf Speaker.

Pierce's greatest strength when writing is a real ear for dialogue. A book can falter, no matter how strong the story is, if the dialogue feels stilted and unrealistic. Here, it is easy to speak the dialogue aloud, and have it sound as though real people would be saying it, including the little idiosyncrasies of speech and differences in dialect.

Wild Magic would find great favour with girls who love horses as well. Daine owns (or, rather, is the human of) a pony called Cloud, and she gains a job looking after the horses of the Riders.

Personally, I love this story because it's pure old-fashioned magic and adventure, with a dash of mythology. The characters are collectively incredibly strong, and make you want to read on to find out more about them. The animal aspect - and Daine's wild magic - is just the icing on the cake, as far as I'm concerned.

I marvel a little at the fact that Tamora Pierce's novels about Tortall aren't more popular, in all honesty. They are, above all, fun, and I would encourage you to immediately seek them out, if you haven't already tried them. Wild Magic is a great place to start your journey.(less)

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Dec 09, 2010 Terri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

This is one of those books that Susie lent to me when we did our “books we read when we were in middle school or thereabouts” swap. This series takes place a few years after the end of the Alanna series I reviewed last time.

The heroine this time around is Daine, thirteen-years-old, orphaned, homeless, and oh: she can communicate with animals. She can mind-speak with them, and therefore she understands much more about “the People” (as they refer to themselves) than your average human. This is Dai...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Deanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 19, 2010 Emma Michaels rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

After I finished the 'Song of the Lioness Quartet' the first time, I was anxious to read more about Tortall. At first I couldn't stop thinking 'But it isn't Alanna' for all of about a few pages before I was in love with Daine's story. She is someone who you can really relate to. She has such a sad background story that I won’t spoil but she is someone who you honestly feel with and her abilities only enhance the way that you grow to love her character. She is someone who has been through hard ti...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 4 of 5 stars

Since I was a little girl I've had a ridiculous love for all little furry, feathery or scaly beasties. I won't deny that it borders on ridiculous as I've spent copious amounts of time chatting to the neighbourhood cats, rescuing baby squirrels and damaged pigeons, adopting my own cats and generally fussing over every animal I come across.

Needless to say, my husband is an endlessly patient man, which isn't surprising since my eldest cat Topaz personally picked him for me. (You think I'm kidding...more Since I was a little girl I've had a ridiculous love for all little furry, feathery or scaly beasties. I won't deny that it borders on ridiculous as I've spent copious amounts of time chatting to the neighbourhood cats, rescuing baby squirrels and damaged pigeons, adopting my own cats and generally fussing over every animal I come across.

Needless to say, my husband is an endlessly patient man, which isn't surprising since my eldest cat Topaz personally picked him for me. (You think I'm kidding don't you? hahah, nope, she really did pick him)

I suppose this helps make Veralidaine Sarrasri my kind of girl. On the road with only her pony Cloud for company, Daine is looking for safety and employment after her life is upended by bandits who destroyed her home and family. Luck is with her when she meets Onua, Horse mistress of the Riders, Queen Thayet's personal troops. Onua quickly discovers that Daine's talent with animals is more than it seems, but can Daine learn to use it in time to save her new friends?

Tamora Pierce's second series is also a Tortall book, thank the goddess! Because I still can't get enough of Alanna and her friends. Following a whole new set of characters, this story is a richly different one from the Song of the Lioness Quartet, but with just the right mix of re-appearances from beloved Lioness characters.

I especially love the animal element in the series. Since Daine's Wild Magic makes her one with "the People" there is a large contingent of animal moments (my favourite being her conversations with her often cantankerous pony Cloud). Seeing how I talk to my cats on a regular basis, without hope of response, it's not surprising that i dig all the animal/Daine conversations, and am just a little bit envious. Though to be honest, I think I'm rarely confused about what my cats are trying to convey, demands for food or snuggles are usually pretty clearly stated despite the language barrier.

The start of another fantastic Tamora Pierce read, I highly recommend following up the Song of the Lioness Quartet with The Immortals series, especially if you're like me and were jonesing for more anyhow.
(less)

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Apr 19, 2010 Warnie B. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, fantasy, young-adult, animals, all-time-faves

This is, by far, my very favorite series of Tamora Pierce's, and I think this is my fifth time reading through it. They're totally comfort books to me. I did read the Song of the Lioness series first, but I don't think you'd really have to in order to understand and enjoy this one, though that series is definitely good background reading for this one, and introduces several of the characters and concepts that show up here. It's the main characters in THIS series, Daine and Numair, that I really...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Katie Hutchison Irion rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ok, so I just got home from visiting my family in Utah. While I was there I finished the book I brought so I visited my adolescent book shelf (still filled with all my books) and pulled out one of my favorite series: Tamora Pierce's Alanna series. I loved it all over again. The girl who trades places with her twin brother to become the first woman warrior in centuries. You know, woman power and fantasy at its best.
Anyway, I finished that series and found out that this is the second in a set of...more

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Feb 10, 2010 Hollowspine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I hadn't read this book since I was perhaps 12 or 13, but for my nostalgia month I dug it out from the back of the bookshelf since, I felt, it did have a distinct place in my mind and in my book history. I bought it one summer while my family was vacationing in Oklahoma. With it I bought two other books which I feel definitely had huge impacts on my interests and reading for years. Although, Wild Magic really wasn't a part of that transformation I did like the book and read the entire series whe...more I hadn't read this book since I was perhaps 12 or 13, but for my nostalgia month I dug it out from the back of the bookshelf since, I felt, it did have a distinct place in my mind and in my book history. I bought it one summer while my family was vacationing in Oklahoma. With it I bought two other books which I feel definitely had huge impacts on my interests and reading for years. Although, Wild Magic really wasn't a part of that transformation I did like the book and read the entire series when I was a kid. Since I have already read and re-read and re-re-read both Alanna books and Jirel of Joiry many times since that fateful summer, but I had yet to revisit Wild Magic.

Re-reading this book was nostalgic for me. I remembered my feelings with the book had been that it was a bit boring and that in a way I didn't really like Diane, so I decided that as I read the novel I would try to figure why I as a kid I had these feelings.

Now, I find that assessment I made to be slightly true, I still feel that the Alanna series (I believe Pierce's first series) was much more well written and interesting. Diane's adventures seemed a little drawn out to me and her inner dialogues a bit too long. Which, is the most likely culprit for my assessment that the book was a bit boring as a kid.

My other criticisms would be that Diane's accent seemed to shift from country bumpkin to more sophisticated and back throughout the book and truthfully reading the country bumpkin parts got to be more annoying throughout the book. In fact, I found in this book even (who became) a beloved character from the Alanna series, George, had an annoying accent (which I can't remember being annoyed with in the Alanna series).

When I read the Alanna series as a kid, I could really picture myself being Alanna (especially in the first two books where she was more my age), but in the Immortals series Diane is just so amazingly unique I could never imagine myself being her. Her 'specialness' and 'uniqueness' are extolled on every page, not only can she control every animal within a two mile radius at one time, but she is also a dead eye with the bow even in complete darkness, oh and she is so modest and acts so undeserving of all these talents that no one could possibly hate her. She has virtually no enemies at all, no one really dislikes Diane, whereas Alanna had many people she had to prove herself to, or who she just had to deal with so they'd leave her alone. Diane, despite murdering an entire crew of bandits while believing she was a wolf has no human adversaries (aside from one petty girl who is only mentioned twice and leaves half way through).

This review is making it seem like I didn't enjoy the book, but I did like it. And I remember liking it more as the novels advanced. But it's hard not to compare it to the Alanna series, which is really by far the better series. When I found a friend who had similar tastes in fantasy novels with female heroes I did not recommend reading the Immortals series. In fact, I went out and bought the Alanna series for my friend as a gift so enamored was I by what the series had done to me, a feeling I hoped to share with my friend.(less)

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Nov 08, 2009 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this first volume of a series, Pierce returns to the world and characters she introduced in her Song of the Lioness fantasy epic. Here, she tells the story of Daine, a 13-year-old orphaned girl with an extraordinary talent for communicating with animals. The teenager is swept up in the first skirmishes of a war, and is forced to master her fears and learn how to marshall her magical abilities. Trying to make the sequel to four previous novels stand on its own is no mean feat, and Pierce has a...more

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Jun 08, 2009 mrjasonedward rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wouldn't it be fun if you could talk to animals? What would you say? What would they say? Better yet, what if you could become an animal? How would it feel if you had the body of a hawk, but you still had your mind? That would be cool. You'd have the keen eyesight of the bird and the ability to fly. What if you could be a wolf? You'd have such a strong sense of smell. What instincts would you feel pulling on you? What would it feel like?

I have loved animals my whole life and I feel a strong conn...more Wouldn't it be fun if you could talk to animals? What would you say? What would they say? Better yet, what if you could become an animal? How would it feel if you had the body of a hawk, but you still had your mind? That would be cool. You'd have the keen eyesight of the bird and the ability to fly. What if you could be a wolf? You'd have such a strong sense of smell. What instincts would you feel pulling on you? What would it feel like?

I have loved animals my whole life and I feel a strong connection with them. Animals have always kind of liked me and even generally mean animals will be quite gentle around me. I like to think that animals are a good judge of character and that they know when you are a good person (though they can also smell fear and weakness). Maybe I'm just crazy. I talk to animals as if they were people. My favourite horse out in Jerudong likes that a lot. She is always excited to see me and she'll even nuzzle her face up against my chest as I pet her - it's like she's asking for a hug. It's so weird. Her neck is so soft, but she likes it best when I scratch behind her ears. Horses are amazing! I wish I'd appreciated them more when I had them. My cat, Cha-cha is a lot like a person. He does NOT like to be ignored. When I go out every morning I have to remove him from the hood of my car because he is determined to get at least 30 seconds of my time before I head to work. It's hard to ignore a cat when he is staring in the windshield at you. He's one cool cat with personality plus and a wicked attitude if you do something that annoys him. He's great.

Anyway, last year I came across Tamora Pierce's Immortals Series. If you enjoy the myth-science fiction stuff like Narnia (or the more sophisticated Lord of the Rings), then you should be able to get something out of Wild Magic. Even if you aren't into that type of book, but you like animals, you will still really enjoy it. When I read the book jacket, the idea that a thirteen-year-old girl would discover the magical ability to become animals really caught my attention.

Pierce creates an interesting world and it is fun to join Daine's journey as she discovers her magical abilities. I highly recommend Wild Magic. Read the set in order, though. You'll enjoy them more that way. I donated the entire set to the Reading Room and there are also some older copies in there so you should have a good chance of getting a hold of one. Look under "P" for Pierce.
BTW, I really like the cover art. Isn't it great? It looks so much nicer than the older versions. (less)

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May 23, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: can-t-stop-re-reading

Daine is alone in the world, and it takes all her courage to approach Onua at the fair to see if she can be hired on for work helping bring a herd of spirted ponies south to Tortall. She tells the horse-mistress that she has a "knack with animals." But it soon becomes clear that her knack is magical in nature, allowing her to speak with animals. As she learns about her Wild Magic, stranger things begin to appear in the world, Immortals that haven't been seen for hundreds of years. Will she be ab...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Maggie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved this book. It pulled me in by letting me find everything out right along with the main character, who also had a lot of secrets and a scary past that she was hiding. Those came out gradually. Very compelling.

Of course the next thing I did was go to the library and check out every other Tamora Pierce book on the shelf, only to find that a lot of the others are nowhere near as good. I thought at first it was that phenomenon where you think the first book you read by a particular author is...more I loved this book. It pulled me in by letting me find everything out right along with the main character, who also had a lot of secrets and a scary past that she was hiding. Those came out gradually. Very compelling.

Of course the next thing I did was go to the library and check out every other Tamora Pierce book on the shelf, only to find that a lot of the others are nowhere near as good. I thought at first it was that phenomenon where you think the first book you read by a particular author is the best, even though it's just the first. This happens with Tom Robbins and Neil Gaiman a lot, though I'm sure it's fairly common.

But no, it's my usual problem with magic. It has to hang together and it has to make sense. It has to have rules and logic and be consistent. In Wild Magic, all of that is true. Well, mostly, right up until almost the end. But in these others I'm reading, yikes. None of it hangs together, there are no rules, and anything anyone wants to do just works. I can't stand that. I've started and then put down four or five of her other books because of that hideous inconsistency.

There's no point to magic that can just do anything any time, with no cost or effort. It's like Crichton complaining about god-like aliens, isn't it? God-like aliens are just stupid because where does the story go from there? Same with this. With that kind of undefined and unlimited power, what can possibly oppose our characters? Well, then you start getting enemies with the same huge powers. It's frustrating because it's not grounded at all. It could be anything.

However, that's all about the other books I've picked up, which could easily be the terrible ones because apparently someone else in the YA section of the library has pulled most of the others from the shelf. Maybe that person grabbed all the best ones, right? Kids, man. Checking out library books and whatnot!

Magic needs a metaphor. Is it a credit card that you can spend with but have to pay back with interest? Is it like playing the flute, something you maybe have innate talent for but have to work on for years? Is it school, like in Harry Potter? Is it physical, like pushups, like maybe you can do one at first and later you can do a hundred, but you still have limits and will get tired? Is it money that you have to earn and then can spend? Is it cooking, where you need to assemble the right ingredients in the right order and cook at 350 for twenty minutes exactly or it'll burn? Is it science, where the truth is out there inherent in the materials but we have to figure it out over the years?

Honestly, the same need for logic applies to all sorts of fiction. This is one reason I appreciate Sarah Dessen's characters, all of whom have jobs to earn the money for gas for their crappy cars. They're grounded in systems that make sense. I can accept any kind of space travel or fantasy as long as it's grounded in some sort of system that makes logical sense.(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book and Tamora Pierce is as awesome as ever, but Daine was just a bit lacking in a way that I can only describe as being Not Alanna.
Daine is a great person who I like, respect, and enjoy, but sometimes I get a bit resentful - she is amazing at archery and can talk to animals and stuff which is cool, but she didn't really do any work to earn her powers that passed her all the heroism.
Unlike Alanna.
I'm being a bit unfair to Daine, but I just think of it as a bit unfair to Ala...more

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Oct 12, 2009 Clackamas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, fantasy, pre-teen-and-teen

My son has had this book for awhile and has told me to read it several times. I never bothered because I'm through my fantasy fiction stage and have heard Tamora Pierce described a feminist author. I've found that "feminist author" seems to translate to pointless sex scenes. However, Joe doesn't like that kind of thing and liked this one. Also, I was stuck at home due to an injury, my TV crapped out so I couldn't watch movies, and once the drugs kept me from any heavy reading so I decided to giv...more

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About Tamora Pierce

Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join gro...more Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!

Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!

I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.

I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.

Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!(less)

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Books by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1)

In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness, #2)

Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness, #4)

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness, #3)

Trickster's Queen (Daughter of the Lioness, #2)

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Quotes from Wild Magic

“Does anyone in this land act like they're supposed to?” — 156 people liked it

“Does your ma know you're this silly?" she demanded tartly.
He nodded, comically sad. "The few gray hairs she has on her head are my doing. But" — with an exaggerated change of mood — "I send her plenty of money, so she can pay to have them dyed!"
"I hope she beat you as a child," Onua grumbled.” — 155 people liked it

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Wild Magic (The Immortals #1)

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