Amazon ~ Powell's

I've always related to Tris the most out of the quartet (or any of Tammy's characters, for that matter). She's bookish, intelligent, very much a realist, a bit chubby and insecure, but loyal and strong when she needs to be. That she has the most power in terms of destructive properties of the bunch only makes her more inspiring, having such a weight on her shoulders. But her friends are not about to let her carry it alone. And they're all stubborn enough not to take 'no' for an answer.

There's a ton more action and magic at play here, and not even the adults have all the answers. I think that's what makes the adults here so relatable and strong. Even with all their training, knowledge, and strength, they're not above listening to and learning from their students. And even adults can have a sense of humor. So even though most of them are over 30, they're just as much fun to read about as the kids.

Tammy always does a great job in setting up strong female characters in all her stories. But even more impressive is the equally strong emphasis she gives the males. She doesn't place her women among idiots, but gives them the ability to shine next to equally strong men. Briar and Niko are excellent examples. Briar is crafty and loyal, but he sometimes needs a little female common sense to keep him from getting into trouble. Niko is one of the most renowned mages in the world, but even he isn't invincible or limitless in his abilities. Even Frostpine admits when dealing with seasickness, "I need faults, to accent my excellence—otherwise—I would be too wonderful to live with" (pg 92). Brains, brawn, and humor? Count me in!

I remember on my previous reading thinking about how dark this book really was. It's a pirate attack, so the violence is much more prominent than before, though still not very graphic. Obviously I'm no authority on this kind of thing, but I was a little surprised thinking about 10-year-olds reading about characters getting stabbed, ships exploding, and floating among the dead... Then again, I didn't remember any of that from my first reading when I was in 8th grade, so perhaps it's not as prominent as the magic and humor of the characters.

Overall I'd highly recommend this to lovers of fantasy and strong females. Young characters and absence of strong language or romance still put this safely at Middle Grade level, but I believe it's just as enjoyable for Young Adult and older readers. If you haven't been hooked by these marvelous, magical characters yet, you surely will in Tris's Book.

Approximate Reading Time: 3 hours

Click here for my review of the audiobook.