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Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3)

by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 8,148 ratings · 895 reviews

The Hunt is on!

Three years have passed since Beka Cooper almost died in the sewers of Port Caynn, and she is now a respected member of the Provost's Guard. But her life takes an unexpected turn when her fiancé is killed on a slave raid. Beka is faced with a mixture of emotions as, unbeknownst to many, she was about to call the engagement off.

It is as Beka is facing these f...more

Hardcover, 596 pages

Published October 25th 2011 by Random House

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May 27, 2012 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

You know, I finished this a couple days ago, and I'm *still* upset about the 'twist' that both completely blindsided me and threw me out of the story altogether. The only reason I can really give this book as many stars as I did is Farmer, sad to say (I have finally found a character to rival George Cooper in my affections). The cheap shock value of the twist is going to color my subsequent re-reads of the series. I just...I think Ms. Pierce did the character in question a huge disservice, and I...more

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Dec 25, 2012 ~♥*Marianna*♥~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: started

Is it just me or is there something wrong with Beka's head?
Right there! On the cover.
It looks like something you'd see in a horror flick...

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Nov 25, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: honourable-mentions, ya-ya-ya

UPDATE 2/16/11:
HALLELUJAH a release date has been set! OCTOBER 25 2011, I await you eagerly!

UPDATE 1/1/11: But wait- what's this? According to Tamora Pierce's website MASTIFF will be published in 2011 after all! November...hopefully! :D

UPDATE 10/19/10: OH NO just read an Oct 2010 interview with Tamora Pierce and she says the release date has been pushed back to Spring 2012! Why oh why? If 2012, then when's the book after MASTIFF (different series, but still!) going to be released? Oh, the antic...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Hannah marked it as to-read

Shelves: tamora-pierce, series, fantasy, could-not-finish

Ergh. I sucked down all of Tamora Pierce's many books too quickly and I've been left with none to read for a while. I'm depending on you MASTIFF!

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Apr 21, 2011 Taylor marked it as to-read

Shelves: fantasy, tamora-pierce, unreleased

UPDATE 4/21/11: Ohmygoodness it has a cover! :)

Gotta read this!!! Can't wait!

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May 09, 2012 Jamez Beech rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I did enjoy this book, though it was somewhat disappointing. Beka makes a good protagonist, though not quite as good as Kel, but my favorite character in this series is still Pounce. The almost total absence of characters like Erskan, Goodwin, and Beka's rogue friends lessens the books ability to provide a satisfying conclusion to the series.
Tunstall's betrayal caught me off guard, but not in the pleasant, "Oh-ho! Now I see what you were doing, you clever author!" kind of way. More like the,...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Libby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: year-of-women, fantasy, childrens-and-ya

With this final installment of Beka Cooper's story, I can confidently say that this series of Tortall books is equal to the Protector of the Small books, which had been my runaway favorite series of Tamora Pierce's (and given how much I enjoy all of her books, this is high praise indeed). The protagonist, Beka Cooper, is the medieval version of an inner city cop. We follow her from her probationary days in the slums of Corus in "Terrier" to foiling a counterfeiting ring in "Bloodhound," to preve...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay. So I read it. I have completed the series. But, I have to say, something was a bit off with this book. I don't think it worked very well with the other two. Firstly; where did this Holborn fellow come from? At the end of the second book, there was no mention of him. None. At all. And, all of a sudden, at the beginning of the third book, she's fallen in love with him, fallen out of love with him, gotten engaged to him, and all of a sudden he's DEAD? Then there was Farmer. I liked Farmer, tr...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Rachael rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-without-magic

I rated it a one star because of the way the traitor part was written. It made it unbelievable, and I got detached from the story because of that. The motives were poorly put together seeing as the character had been told time and again that he had already gained the love of the one he sought. If I would have written the book, I would have made it so that he was doing it out of anger from a betrayal, not for the love of someone he already had. It was so pointless. Also, anyone else notice that h...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Wealhtheow rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

The king's only son is kidnapped, and Beka Cooper and her partner Tunstall are charged with finding him. From the first, it's clear that this was an inside job, and as the case continues, more and more obstacles are thrown in the Dogs' way. They must battle through swamps, ambushes, and controlling nobles. But at least they've got help: Tunstall's lover, the lady knight Sabine, Cooper's scent-hound Achoo, her powerful friend Pounce, and a mage named Farmer.

This was my least favorite of the Coop...more The king's only son is kidnapped, and Beka Cooper and her partner Tunstall are charged with finding him. From the first, it's clear that this was an inside job, and as the case continues, more and more obstacles are thrown in the Dogs' way. They must battle through swamps, ambushes, and controlling nobles. But at least they've got help: Tunstall's lover, the lady knight Sabine, Cooper's scent-hound Achoo, her powerful friend Pounce, and a mage named Farmer.

This was my least favorite of the Cooper/Dog series, for two reasons. One, the characterization felt unnatural. (view spoiler) I liked Farmer, but I would have liked him a lot more if it Pierce hadn't made him so perfect in so many ways. Plus, I missed all of Beka's friends: Goodwin, Rosto, Tansy, Anika, Kora, Ersken, etc.

And two, the ending was a anti-climax mixed with unbelievable plot twists, which is a terrible combination. If I don't get climactic show downs, I want it to be because the author has decided to be realistic and gritty--not because the author wants to tie up all the loose ends as quickly as possible, with little imput from the main character. Instead, we got (view spoiler) And then the crowd starts chanting "mastiff" at Beka, which comes out of *nowhere*. No where has anyone called her mastiff before, and she's nothing like a mastiff in personality or performance. Apparently the crowd just randomly assigns dog nicknames to people, in unison. (less)

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Nov 11, 2011 Telyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Mastiff is a somewhat disappointing conclusion to Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper series. I liked this entry better than the previous book in the trilogy, but neither approached the quality of the first book. There are many interesting and entertaining elements here—I enjoyed seeing how magic can be used for detective work and forensic investigation and was charmed by the new member of Beka's hunt team, but the book feels somewhat slap-dash despite its length and it has a number of odd inconsistenc...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Commodore rated it 1 of 5 stars

I've loved Tamora Pierce since middle school. I've had issues with her writing every now and then (trials and hazards of out-growing the age group a favorite author writes for), but by and large I know I'm in for a good read every time I pick up her books. Which is why I was so surprised to read the last book in Beka Cooper's series. For starters, part of the reason Pierce's books are so great is because of their strong supporting characters. Mastiff kept very few of the characters we've come to...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Echo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: old-magic

I gave this book five stars because for me, it was a good story. At first I was bothered by there being no Rosto, or really any of the original major characters exept Turnstall (who, honestly, was my least favorite of the majors) but it made sense. The first was all in Corus, then it moved to Port Canynn for most of the second. That the third was a major Hunt spread over the countryside involving the king was a nice progression. Because another big case in Corus would have been boring. Which mea...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Jake Rideout rated it 1 of 5 stars

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

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Sarah I find myself scared for the fate of any future books she writes/has written that I haven't yet read. I have been looking forward to the Tris at Light...more
Nov 13, 2012 03:36am

Jake Rideout Yeah, she had to have reconstructive surgery on her knee (or maybe both knees?) and asked to push the MASTIFF deadline back while she recovered. They...more
Nov 13, 2012 10:08am

Jan 18, 2012 Marilag rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, awwwness, adventure, fantasy, crime, female-leads

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness oh my goodness. Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. If I could give this more stars, I certainly would. It was just such a great end to the trilogy, and perhaps the best I've read from the fabulous Tamora Pierce herself (and this is saying a lot, because I will never ever ever think something could surpass my absolute love for the Song of the Lioness Quartet). But yes, she has definitely outdone herself this time.

Don't get me wrong, I think Alanna's story w...more Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness oh my goodness. Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious. If I could give this more stars, I certainly would. It was just such a great end to the trilogy, and perhaps the best I've read from the fabulous Tamora Pierce herself (and this is saying a lot, because I will never ever ever think something could surpass my absolute love for the Song of the Lioness Quartet). But yes, she has definitely outdone herself this time.

Don't get me wrong, I think Alanna's story will always be my favorite, hands down, and this was why I loved Mastiff in the first place. It was the past that would lead to Alanna's future. That said, the book was about Beka and her Hunt. And it was the most splendid Hunt imaginable. I was laughing and breathless and flailing throughout the story. I widened my eyes with disbelief from the plot turns and twists, giggled at the romantic interludes, blanched at the detailed descriptions of the murders and the bodies, cheered on at the battles. I have to admit, I kind of teared a few times, too (mostly at the end, but I was expecting the big unravel).

The epilogue was probably what set me over the edge, really. It's probably the only Epilogue I actually liked when it comes to stories. But I won't say more in the matter.

The characters were all lovely. No, really. Pierce has always had a way of creating such fantastic roles, and Farmer was just a bundle of fierce awesomeness. Sabine and Tunstall I loved, Achoo was a dear, Pounce was his usual self, and Beka Cooper minced no words. I loved her cursing, I really did. The Hunt could have been great with just ordinary characters, but Tamora Pierce gave us extraordinary ones.

And most importantly: I loved that she'd brought the magic back. I've already raved about Farmer so much that I almost think I'm cheating on Numair for it. But I absolutely loved, loved, loved that she featured mages prominently in this story. I knew it was lacking a bit in the first two novels, but Mastiff more than made up for it in the end.

Oh my goodness. That is what I call storytelling.

Okay, I need to actually stop now so I can breathe in a paper bag and stop flailing.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Carissa Anne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: unfinished, fantasy

I just had to put this down, as much as it pains me to do so. I've always loved Tamora Pierce - she's been one of my favorite authors for as long as I can remember. I was just so thrown off by the huge time jump between the second and third book, and annoyed that there was no warning, that it kept bothering me throughout the entire time I read. Why skip so many years and such a valuable plot line? Why keep referencing it when it has no relevance to the current adventure? It just seems so useless...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Divya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tweens, Teens, Young Adults, Adults Young At Heart.

Recommended to Divya by: Meryl Horesh

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

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May 14, 2013 Janine Coleman rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought this book was a fitting end to the Beka Cooper series. As the third and last novel, the stakes are the highest possible, the kidnapping of the Prince. Beka finds herself with her partner Tunstall, his love Lady Sabine (a fabulous character throwback to Lady Alanna) and a new mage, Farmer Cape. Though the fact that Beka saves the day is not surprising, the way in which we get there does manage to get a couple of shockers in.

The first and most notably is Tunstall as turncoat, ready to ki...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Jallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just so you know, I felt that it was necessary to create a goodreads account just so I could find somewhere to deal with all ALL OF THE SHATTERED FEELINGS I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING.

WHYYYYYYYYYY TAMORA PIERCE WHY

In all seriousness, though, this is the first trilogy that I read from Tamora Pierce, and I will be really sorry to say goodbye to Beka, who I've loved, respected, admired, and related to for three books. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the series, and I felt the last book offered en...more Just so you know, I felt that it was necessary to create a goodreads account just so I could find somewhere to deal with all ALL OF THE SHATTERED FEELINGS I AM CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING.

WHYYYYYYYYYY TAMORA PIERCE WHY

In all seriousness, though, this is the first trilogy that I read from Tamora Pierce, and I will be really sorry to say goodbye to Beka, who I've loved, respected, admired, and related to for three books. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the series, and I felt the last book offered enough excitement to keep me happy, even if it was a little predictable. Also, I found the focus on slavery very interesting.

Now, onto the shattered feelings.

(view spoiler)[
Did Turnstall really have to become a traitor? DID HE, REALLY?!? Was it REALLY necessary? Would the story have been incomplete if we had no traitor?

My heart was broken. It was much worse because Turnstall has been with Beka through so much, first as her mentor, and then as her partner. Along with Goodwin, he was the example of what a real Dog should be. I felt like this betrayal came out of nowhere. Honestly, it would be more believable if Sabine or Farmer were the traitors. Or both at the same time. If we had to have to have a traitor, why couldn't it have turned out to be that knight Normalla that was introduced like 15 pages ago? (Yes, yes, I know the concept of the traitor was introduced before we met Nomala or whatever her name is, but you know what I mean).

HE WAS LIKE A FATHER TO HER. Please excuse me while I find a corner in my room to sob.

Although, to be fair, we were reminded of the difference in class between Turnstall and Sabine several times during this book. I could see how that would begin eating at Turnstall... as a stretch, I can see him spying and giving information to the enemy, but trying to kill Beka for a position? Never. In fact, when he came acting suspicious I was certain that it was another mage disguised as Turnstall and only believed it was him when he confessed. Come on, would he really be the type of person to kill Daeggan after he spent around 20 or so years catching murderers or whatnot? Sigh.

I thought to myself, no problem. Turnstall will do something to redeem himself(although I don't know what can be done to redeem the murder of a helpless slave), and then he went ahead and DIED OF THE COLD. WHAT.
...Although I cried when he had his final conversation with Beka.

Soooo, about Holborn. I've read a few reviews where people were wondering why Beka stayed with him. I wonder that myself, but I don't think he was physically abusive. I've been in her position before, when I put up with someone's immaturity and fits of anger and verbal abuse by justifying that that person had good points and good moods to them as well. I think that's why she put up with him for as long as she did. I'm glad that she was definitely going to break it off with him though.

And I loved Farmer's character. He's kind, caring, and above all, FUNNY. I'm sad that he wasn't introduced earlier in the series. Although I do have a few comments on the pace of the romance... 400 pages of nothing but friendship... good, because we want to build his character... then a kiss in a stable... great, a bit of subtle romance... then BAM I love you, marry me.

Although I'm not complaining too much, because like I said I really like Farmer (Cooper, eheh) and I think they really suit one another.

I also missed all the other characters in this book. I feel like Rosto should've had a much more important role in the series as a whole, but ah well. Goodbye, Beka. I'll miss your stubborness, kindness to others, sensible thinking, shyness, and your pride in being a Dog. Looking forward to more Tamora Pierce novels.

(hide spoiler)](less)

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Apr 17, 2013 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-commercial, fantasy, youth

OK, I feel like I have to justify how much I enjoyed this book. I checked it out electronically from the library about 2 days after giving birth, and proceeded to read it fairly rapidly during those long nighttime nursing sessions.
Anyway, although it Is fantasy (which I've largely moved away from in favor of Sci Fi), and it's technically YA fic, and I was starting in the middle (end!) of the series, I found myself looking forward to it each night. It was just what the doctor ordered to keep me...more OK, I feel like I have to justify how much I enjoyed this book. I checked it out electronically from the library about 2 days after giving birth, and proceeded to read it fairly rapidly during those long nighttime nursing sessions.
Anyway, although it Is fantasy (which I've largely moved away from in favor of Sci Fi), and it's technically YA fic, and I was starting in the middle (end!) of the series, I found myself looking forward to it each night. It was just what the doctor ordered to keep me from being too terribly grumpy about all the midnight oil I was burning. That, and chocolate. Plenty of chocolate. And Advil. Did I mention the Advil? But I digress.
What I liked:
(1) Excellent characters, especially Beka and Farmer
(2) Generally good writing and pacing. No awkward turns of phrases, none of that annoying "telling instead of showing," etc.
(3) Established characters put at genuine risk with real consequences
(4) Decent pacing, with no drawn out dull parts, but still a hefty story at 400-some pages.
All this in a nice, comprehensible, cookie cutter "Wizards and Castles" fantasy world - which meant picking it up in the middle of a series really wasn't an issue.

What I disliked:
(1) The author tries to suggest a low-brow dialect, but all she really does is throw in a dozen or so made up words like "Mot," "Cove," "Gixie," "Scummer," etc. A little simplistic and occasionally annoying as one tries to figure out from context just what a "Mumper" is.
(2) The plot twist at the end - terribly surprising, but perhaps because it was not really telegraphed. I have difficulty believing that anyone could be as good an actor as was necessary to a certain deception...
(3) Honestly, the author is a screaming feminist with a serious ax to grind. For example, many of the least attractive characters are followers of the "Gentle Mother" goddess, who among other things abhors that delicate women might be professional practitioners of violence (like our hero Beka and her mentor / companion lady knight.) Of course, all the sensible folk see no problem with the practice, which perhaps makes sense in a world where - as far as we can tell - most women are just as physically strong and capable as their male counterparts, and able to take on nasty evildoers in droves, single-handed. Yeah. Believable? Not so much. Fun enough to read? Sure.

Anyway, I actually went out and got another book in the series after reading this one (of course it was #2, not #1!), and may well pick up others in the world as time and interest dictate. Not deep, not "great literature," and I have some worldview issues with the author, but they Are fun to read in the middle of the night.(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Ms. Okes rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say that I've enjoyed the Beka Cooper series more than the Alanna series that introduced me to Tamora Pierce. The two have commonalities: young women taking on and excelling at tasks typically not associated with women; finding a balance between a calling and love; the struggle to understand those who do not hold themselves to such unearthly standards.

But there are just as many differences, and these are just as important to the author's style and growth as a writer. Beka's tale is tol...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Aria rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was severely disappointed in this one. It felt disjointed from the other books featuring this character, and while Pierce's use of the cat was always pretty indulgent, it just hit ridiculous proportions in this one. I enjoyed the cat in the first series it appeared in, and even a little in the first of Becca's books. I was happy in the second book that the cat was marginalized, and in this one, I found the cat downright insufferable.

I guess they're her characters, to play with as she will, but...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book just didn't work for me. I like Beka. I like her determination and commitment to the Hunt. I enjoyed the development of her relationship with Farmer. I found the main plot to be rather flat, though. I didn't understand why Beka in particular was chosen for this Hunt. It seemed as though (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Jan 19, 2013 Charlie Head rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

I'd really love to give this a higher rating, I really would. If I could, I'd probably bump it up to three and a half stars. Somewhere between three and a half and four stars. Maybe that's just my admiration for Pierce's writing in general speaking.

Typing. Whatever.

Grrr, it's just so hard to rate because it all just depends on how you look at it. I found this book hard to rate because it is an awesome book by itself, but put with the other Beka Cooper books I found it a bit lacking.

I love Ms Pie...more I'd really love to give this a higher rating, I really would. If I could, I'd probably bump it up to three and a half stars. Somewhere between three and a half and four stars. Maybe that's just my admiration for Pierce's writing in general speaking.

Typing. Whatever.

Grrr, it's just so hard to rate because it all just depends on how you look at it. I found this book hard to rate because it is an awesome book by itself, but put with the other Beka Cooper books I found it a bit lacking.

I love Ms Pierce's novels to death (Protector of the Small being an all-time favourite) and I do really enjoy the Bekah cooper series, but there were just a few points in this book that just didn't quite mix properly. I don't know if it was because she wrote this final installment so long after the other two previous books, but it was just a little... off.

The twist at the end was completely... I don't have words for it. Unexpected? Random? Out of character?

Unbelievable is probably the best word. Very very sadly, I found it quite unbelievable, especially going on the characters she so carefully crafted during the first two books.

But some of those characters went AWOL on us. Rosto was practically non-exsistant and Aniki and Kora and Goodwin all but vanished. I understand that it was just Beka, Tunstall, Sabine and Farmer on the Hunt, but the book starts three years after the last one and a whole lot of stuff happened. Almost too much and I just... I just can't explain the loss I feel. It frustrates me to no end, the loss of those characters.

Not to mention Beka apparently falls in love and gets engaged then falls out of love with some abusive bastard. I understand Beka is tough and can take care of herself, so I hardly think she would put up with that sort of behavior. Now I think of it, I don't think Rosto would have cared much for that behavior either, but of course we don't know anything about Rosto because he was only MENTIONED IN PASSING!!!!

Ugh.

I loved the book in itself though. I just think it is a bit disjointed from the previous books, and would have done better as a one-off novel. It has a fast paced plot, plenty of fights and adrenaline shots, good old outdoorsy activities and torture chambers, etc. I loved Farmer too, I thought he was a brilliant character.

Looking back on this review, I feel I have only really looked at the negative points. Honestly, it was a fantastic read, it's just the fact that it didn't really connect on all that well to the previous books that brought the rating down.

If you're a staunch Tamora Pierce fan, then go ahead, read it. Even if you're new to her writing, go ahead, I highly advise you read the series. Not just this one, but her others too. The worlds she creates are fantastic and the characters are just... Brilliant. Fantastic. Vivid. Alive.
Yeah, alive. (less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Lindsay Pittman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-read

Let me start by saying that I am a lifelong fan of Tamora Pierce, and she'd most likely have to do murder to change my mind. When I was ten, and twelve, and fourteen, with not so many friends, her books comforted me through many a lonely recess. I've read her Alanna series so many times I've had to replace the books, and I gobble up every new book that comes my way.

MASTIFF -- and, indeed, Pierce's entire Beka Cooper series -- was written differently than her other books, in first person instead...more Let me start by saying that I am a lifelong fan of Tamora Pierce, and she'd most likely have to do murder to change my mind. When I was ten, and twelve, and fourteen, with not so many friends, her books comforted me through many a lonely recess. I've read her Alanna series so many times I've had to replace the books, and I gobble up every new book that comes my way.

MASTIFF -- and, indeed, Pierce's entire Beka Cooper series -- was written differently than her other books, in first person instead of third. And you know what? I enjoyed it immensely. Beka's voice was so enthralling, she might just have replaced Aly as my favorite. Until Pierce's next book, no doubt.

What made this series fantastic was not only Beka but the magic of Tortall, like all other books in this series (and I recommend the Circle books as well). I love travelling back there. And Pierce knew just how to weave in page-turning action. In this last book, I had to go hunting and squint by candlelight to finish when a storm took out my power. It was that good.

(view spoiler)

Thanks to that romance, and the victory Beka and Gareth gained, this book, like all of Pierce's others, leaves me with a warm feeling in my chest. I'm sad to see Beka go, but hey, I can always re-read it if I need to!(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy

This book was a satisfying conclusion to the Beka Cooper series [a bit surprising, since Tamora Pierce normally groups her books by fours, rather than the more common threes]. Still, Beka was in her fourth year as a police officer, so that counts for something.
The story begins with a mysterious emergency summons for Beka and her scent hound Achoo to the Summer Palace, home away from home for the king and queen. There she finds that a terrible crime has been committed, and that she and a small t...more This book was a satisfying conclusion to the Beka Cooper series [a bit surprising, since Tamora Pierce normally groups her books by fours, rather than the more common threes]. Still, Beka was in her fourth year as a police officer, so that counts for something.
The story begins with a mysterious emergency summons for Beka and her scent hound Achoo to the Summer Palace, home away from home for the king and queen. There she finds that a terrible crime has been committed, and that she and a small team are to investigate it, no matter where the trail leads. Murder, kidnapping, treason and a host of other crimes are a part of this elaborate tale, with much of it revolving around the skills of Beka and Achoo. Because of the nature of the crime and the criminals, a magician with the odd professional name of Farmer Cape is attached to the investigative team, and he turns out to be one of the most interesting characters Pierce has created in a while. The potential romance between him and Beka, worlds apart in many ways but alike in others, is set off by the existing pairing of two other characters with the same situation, making this secondary plot very interesting. There is less actual sexual content than in the second book, which has been criticized for its inclusion. I think that the balance in this book was a good one for the intended audience.
Pierce has continued to walk a very thin line, in terms of making a police procedural work in a world with magic. She has rules and limitations to both science and magic that make things work, even within a setting where gods and demigods might wander through the story.
By the end of the story, Pierce wraps things up with an epilogue that ties the whole thing in as a distant prequel to her original Alanna story. Yes, the George Cooper from those tales is a descendant of Beka's family, but there's another connection that readers will spot. They may also notice a county in the land of Tortall that is named for another very well-known writer of young adult fantasy tales...(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Jasmine Lawson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mastiff is very creatively written. I’ve always held an admiration for writers who can so completely create their own universes, including customs, languages, maps, gods, and curses. For reader reference and convenience, Pierce includes the relevant maps and character/language glossaries in nearly all of her books. And since the books are written in first-person, you really get into Beka’s head and how she sees the world and the things she would notice. In fact, the writing is very not-objective...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Caro rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't normally rate so poorly for Tamora Pierce. I've read all her works at least three times each, and they're some of my most favorite series. Mrs. Pierce is the best at writing female heroines that don't make me want to smack in the head.

Beka Cooper is another one of those very strong female characters that Mrs. Pierce is so excellent at writing. However, I felt like something went awry in this last book. Having come off the last Trickster series with more than exceeded expectations, I want...more I don't normally rate so poorly for Tamora Pierce. I've read all her works at least three times each, and they're some of my most favorite series. Mrs. Pierce is the best at writing female heroines that don't make me want to smack in the head.

Beka Cooper is another one of those very strong female characters that Mrs. Pierce is so excellent at writing. However, I felt like something went awry in this last book. Having come off the last Trickster series with more than exceeded expectations, I wanted Beka to show that same sort of intelligence and trickery that Ali of Pirate's Swoop showed. It's not that Beka didn't show it, but I think her circumstances made it difficult for Beka to show the same spirit as Ali.

This third book shows Beka as she now is a partner with Tunstall after Goodwin retires. Beka has to deal with the kidnapping of the prince of Tortall, all while trying to deal with an evil magician.

There is a small small romance, which I normally don't mind, but in this case, it seemed so forced upon. I didn't even think that he was a main contender for Beka's hand until somehow he confessed and they married.

That was such a surprise, and I remember thinking there had been no lead up to that point, which made it hard to like the character. I mean, he's a nice mage and all, but I honestly saw him as just a secondary character.

I think in other ways, the conflict wasn't as strong. Beka has no emotional connection to the kidnapped prince of Tortall, so she is mostly going about on another journey.

There is the aspect of slavery, which is touched upon in this book as the reason why there is no slavery in Tortall. Well, it's certainly not because Tortall is basically the European country's equivalent in this fantasy land setting, and therefore they can't have slavery, no no. They're much too civilized.

I know that's not what Mrs. Pierce intended at all, but I kind of honestly couldn't help seeing it that way after Tortall is honestly the only really civilized nation in all of the Tortallan universe.

I am still eagerly awaiting Mrs. Pierce's book on Tris and her dealings at university! I just thought this book missed its mark, which is a shame, but seeing as how it's probably the only book Mrs. Pierce has written which is really noncommittal to her usual standard of excellence, I will just assume it's a fluke, or my own changing tastes. (less)

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Oct 11, 2012 KK rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tamora Pierce has really outdone herself here. I almost didn't read this as I found Terrier and Bloodhound bordering on banal. However, this was amazing. The plot was multi-layered enough to be complex but not like some of the other books she has written which had so many sub-plots that I forgot what they were actually doing. As well as that, I loved the characters. Realistic - none of them were simply good or bad, they were a mixture (view spoiler)...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Beka Cooper Spoilers :3	7	53	Mar 04, 2013 07:11pm
Spiolers Anyone else more than a little ticked off at Tunstall?	6	69	Jan 29, 2013 08:49am
Feeling betrayed by a book	36	169	Jan 23, 2013 03:48pm
The Challenge Fac...: Mary and Lisa Buddy Read	5	29	Dec 02, 2011 09:26am
Title Change - Mastiff	4	202	Oct 12, 2011 01:52pm
Tamora Pierce: Mastiff out Oct.25!!!!	1	7	Oct 05, 2011 10:38am
Tortall - And Oth...: Mastiff out Oct.25!!	1	4	Oct 04, 2011 12:55pm

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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)

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Quotes from Mastiff

“A cat understands how to be pleasant in the morning. He doesn't talk.” — 64 people liked it

“Just because I'm no jaw clacker doesn't mean there should be a ruction put up whenever I have sommat to say.” — 24 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Mastiff Goodreads rating: 4.21 (8148 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2964700-mastiff?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1302921347l/2964700.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2964700-mastiff?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Mastiff by Tamora Pierce[/url]

Mastiff (Beka Cooper #3)

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