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The Queen’s Readers: A Collection of Essays on the Words and Worlds of Tamora Pierce

Amanda Diehl (Editor),

Holly Vaughn (Goodreads Author) (Editor),

Diana Hurlburt (Goodreads Author) (Contributor)

3.76 · Rating details · 74 ratings · 13 reviews

Over the course of her career, Tamora Pierce has created two worlds that continue to inspire readers more than 30 years after her first book was published.

In The Queen's Readers, contributors explore a myriad of topics as only fans can: with love and a critical eye. With more than 30 essays covering topics from feminism to Pierce's mythical creatures Stormwings, no fiction ...more

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Kindle Edition, 301 pages

Published August 2014

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Nov 05, 2017 Becki rated it it was ok · review of another edition

THE QUEEN’S READERS: A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ON THE WORDS & WORLDS OF TAMORA PIERCE edited by Amanda Diehl and Holly Vaughn contains more than thirty essays about Tamora Pierce’s books. The essays cover a variety of topics from the author’s experiences with the book, to feminism and other academic based topics; each essay varies in length. They are described in the introduction as being “by her fans, for her fans.”[1] The collection also contains a foreword by Mark Oshiro about his experiences in THE QUEEN’S READERS: A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS ON THE WORDS & WORLDS OF TAMORA PIERCE edited by Amanda Diehl and Holly Vaughn contains more than thirty essays about Tamora Pierce’s books. The essays cover a variety of topics from the author’s experiences with the book, to feminism and other academic based topics; each essay varies in length. They are described in the introduction as being “by her fans, for her fans.”[1] The collection also contains a foreword by Mark Oshiro about his experiences in the Tamora Pierce fandom where he says fans “want to make sure that people are enjoying the books”[2].

Ever since I heard of THE QUEEN’S READERS it has intrigued me. As someone who loves the worlds and characters Tamora Pierce has written about, and someone who has studied English literature to the Masters level, I was drawn to this book. Unfortunately I was disappointed. If you are looking for a collection of mainly academic essays about Tamora Pierce’s worlds then look elsewhere. Which isn’t to say, that there aren’t any academic essays. Alyssa Hillary’s ‘Neurodiversity and the Works of Tamora Pierce’ is a thoughtful academic piece that talks about a subject I had never thought of before, but it is in my opinion the exception rather than the rule. Rose Flahive’s ‘Literary Mirrors and Academic Merit: Why YA Fantasy Has a Place in the Classroom’ is another example, although it focuses more on a general YA Fantasy.

A lot of my disappointment with THE QUEEN’S READERS does come from the fact that I thought it would be a lot more academically inclined than it is. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had realised that the essays in the book are often a lot more personal in nature. THE QUEEN’S READERS also suffers from what a lot of self-published books do (despite having two editors): it needed an edit. I noticed spelling mistakes in a few of the essays, and in others I really felt that they would have benefited from someone telling the author they were repeating themselves or they needed to explain or expand upon a point. All thirty-three essays are readable, but some of them do require work.

THE QUEEN’S READERS without a doubt includes a lot of different ideas and experiences in the Tamora Pierce fandom, and for that alone it is an interesting and informative read. I think a lot of people who have read Tamora Pierce’s works would find ideas and themes that reflect their own experience, as well as new ones for them to explore. I also think that as long as you cherry-pick the essay you can find some great starting points for academic explorations of Tamora Pierce’s works. I don’t think THE QUEEN’S READERS is for every fan of Tamora Pierce’s books, but I do think it is a good starting point and I wish there were more books like it.

[1] ‘Introduction’ by Amanda Diehl and Holly Vaughn in The Queen’s Readers: A Collection of Essays on the Words & Worlds of Tamora Pierce ed. By Amanda Diehl and Holly Vaughn, p. 1 (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2004)

[2] ‘Forward’ by Mark Oshiro in The Queen’s Readers: A Collection of Essays on the Words & Worlds of Tamora Pierce ed. By Amanda Diehl and Holly Vaughn, p. 4 (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2004)

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Nov 11, 2018 Clare rated it liked it

I went to this year’s Murderbooze with not a lot of reading material, because I had been intending on writing instead (which did not happen; thanks, body). This resulted in me resorting to reading stuff on the Kindle app on my actual phone, a thing I do relatively rarely even when I have taken Twitter off the stupid thing, because apparently I’d rather fuck around on social media when waiting for the bus instead of doing any of the million other things one can do on a phone, many of which I spec I went to this year’s Murderbooze with not a lot of reading material, because I had been intending on writing instead (which did not happen; thanks, body). This resulted in me resorting to reading stuff on the Kindle app on my actual phone, a thing I do relatively rarely even when I have taken Twitter off the stupid thing, because apparently I’d rather fuck around on social media when waiting for the bus instead of doing any of the million other things one can do on a phone, many of which I specifically downloaded as alternatives to fucking around on social media (apologies to my flashcard apps).

I don’t remember when I’d actually started reading The Queen’s Readers: A Collection of Essays on the Words and Worlds of Tamora Pierce, but I do remember deciding to make it the iPhone book because it was a compilation of short essays and I didn’t want to risk getting too lost if I went months or years without opening it in between reading sessions, which I did on several occasions.

I remember when this book was first being put together and I didn’t get around to coming up with an essay to contribute, possibly in part because I wasn’t sure I had anything good enough to say. To be entirely honest, I regret my shyness here, because the quality of the essays that were accepted is pretty uneven, and I’m reasonably sure that if I had drafted off a quick ramble about something it still would have ended up in the middle of the pack. I could also have offered to line edit, or copy edit, or at least proofread, since there are a lot of language errors, ranging from dropped words to one essay where every single dependent clause has been turned into a sentence fragment.

While some of the essays are analytical, others are personal, and still others are essentially book reports, listing data on a specific character or theme and not doing a whole lot with the information. For some essays, the fact that they’re short is therefore a blessing; for the more interesting ones, though, a bit more length would have allowed them to develop their arguments in more depth. The result, essentially, is that this is an amateur work, and therefore it was frustrating as a publishing professional to experience it as something already published and therefore that I can’t fix. On the other hand, as a member of the Tamora Pierce fandom, a lot of the personal essays were very heartwarming and it was nice to see how much of a mark these books have made on so many people.

The essays were split about evenly between ones about the Tortall books and ones about the Emelan books, which, despite my being a lifelong devotee of the Tortall series, I’ve never gotten around to reading. I read one of them, once, but I am under the impression they’re pitched to a slightly younger audience, and I didn’t really feel like reading younger for a while. I’m actually now considering that it might be worth checking them out, which goes to show how mentally and emotionally exhausted I am lately.

Originally posted at In which a fandom fangirls.
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Dec 28, 2014 Alessandra rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, nonfiction, young-adult

Too many of the essays felt like the stopped before they really got started, skimming the surface of things without exploring them in any depth. Others just offered a retelling of events, without drawing any conclusions or assigning any significance to them. And finally, there were the articles that seemed to be more about the writer listing off the traits they shared in common with specific characters, which was just dull. All in all, very few of the essays in this book contained the depth I wa ...more

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Sep 14, 2014 Stephanie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2014, non-fiction

I enjoyed reading this, but would really only recommend this to hard core Tamora Pierce fans.

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Feb 20, 2019 Adam Windsor rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019, non-fiction

This is a collection of essays that examine Tamora Pierce's various works. Many are personal reflections about how a particular character or narrative impacted the life of that essay's author, but a few adopt a more formally academic approach. I think overall it's probably more interesting / valuable for existing fans than anyone else, but I've been reading Pierce since Alanna first hit paperback, so I definitely fit in the group.

If nothing else, it's made me want to re-read the Song of the Lion ...more

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Jan 18, 2015 Beatrice rated it it was amazing

!!!!!

That was my reaction when I heard of this book’s existence, it was my reaction upon receiving it, and it’s still my reaction after reading it. I have loved Tamora Pierce’s books since I picked Alanna up by sheer chance when I was in elementary school, and as I get older I only see more good things about her universes. One of my favorite things about all her books is the inclusion of everyone. And The Queen’s Readers holds itself to that standard. Just read the dedications in the back of thi !!!!!

That was my reaction when I heard of this book’s existence, it was my reaction upon receiving it, and it’s still my reaction after reading it. I have loved Tamora Pierce’s books since I picked Alanna up by sheer chance when I was in elementary school, and as I get older I only see more good things about her universes. One of my favorite things about all her books is the inclusion of everyone. And The Queen’s Readers holds itself to that standard. Just read the dedications in the back of this collection- there are so many different people with vastly different experiences, identities, and lives, all coming together to give their perspective on these formative works. It’s really touching and inspiring to me. Bravo to all the contributors and to the hardworking editors.

Remembering this universality helped me when some of the essays dropped below what I would think was a standard of quality. I will say this: not a single essay was bad. However, a few of them lacked deep analysis, leaving them a list of facts and incidents without a concrete point that is expanded upon. I found that the essay on femininity as utilized by Pierce’s villainous women fell down there (its lack of counterarguments also hurt its point- another flaw stemming from little analysis), as did the essay on Nealan of Queenscove. Juvenile would be the word I would use. However, I recognize the differences in writing skills, and both the aforementioned essays were good enough, just lacking in some finer rhetorical points. This collection was not limited to scholars or academics, it was open to everyone with something to say, and I really appreciate that, even if the quality differed from essay to essay. (There were a few actual SPAG errors, and a few words that clearly had been deleted by accident. This I find harder to gloss over- an extra look-over might have benefited it?)

BUT LORD. Were there some gems of perfection in here. The twin essays on WOC in Tortall, the essay on the veil in her Tortall and Other Lands short stories, the one on MOGAI characters… perfection. Everything I could have needed. Mark Oshiro’s foreword was lovely, and I feel as though Rose Flahive, Jeremy Gwinner, Sabrina Neo Zhi Wei, Diana Hurlburt, and Mercy Wakholi really deserve praise for their scholarly work. Meanwhile, Jasae Bushae, Andrea Bootsma, Ayarri Brisbane, and especially Amanda Diehl (also an editor of the collection) deserve special shout-outs for their gorgeous personal testaments to the influence of Pierce in their lives. Minuiko's gorgeous cover art is amazing too! IT'S THE CIRCLE KNOTS ON THE LADY KNIGHT, THAT'S SO COOL.

This is such an important collection. In terms of how incredibly happy it made me, 5/5. In terms of its thought-provocation 5/5. I don’t even care about the little grammar errors and some of the rhetorical weaknesses. Tamora Pierce is for everyone, and prescriptivism is so not something ANYBODY from her books is here for. 5/5 and my heart forever. ...more

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Sep 20, 2014 Chelsey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: subject-children-s-lit, z-read-2014, genre-non-fiction

It's hard for me to come at this unbiased, because I spent so much time wishing for more Tamora Pierce scholarship while I was pursuing my MA in Children's Literature; and while The Queen's Riders does contain several essays that could be built upon in future scholarship, the majority of the content is more amateur-ish than I wanted; however, this does not negate the fact that it is a highly praiseworthy work.

The amount of effort the editors must have put out to organize an anthology of fan ess It's hard for me to come at this unbiased, because I spent so much time wishing for more Tamora Pierce scholarship while I was pursuing my MA in Children's Literature; and while The Queen's Riders does contain several essays that could be built upon in future scholarship, the majority of the content is more amateur-ish than I wanted; however, this does not negate the fact that it is a highly praiseworthy work.

The amount of effort the editors must have put out to organize an anthology of fan essays cannot be ignored; and the diversity of the essays' content does a truly amazing job of representing both the complexity of Tamora Pierce's work and the devotion of her fanbase. The problem is, as a long-time fan, I already knew these things existed, and I think many readers will, too. The people who come across this book will mostly be either scholars or those who are already familiar with Pierce's work and fandom. The latter will have little need for thesis-less essays that tend toward summarizing elements of a particular book or series. They may appreciate the first-person narratives about how a character helped the writer feel less alone in the world--there is comfort in knowing that others have been affected by a book you love--but such identification will hopefully spur said reader to turn to the fandom for further companionship, and so the number of such essays in this work is extensive.

For the scholars, there are quite a few pieces here that stand out--particularly Sabrina Neo Zhi Wei's essay "(dis)empowerment women in hiding: mobility, femininity, and hiding in 'Elder Brother'/'The Hidden Girl,'" a fantastic look at feminine spaces in two of Pierce's short stories. It's the kind of piece that one would expect to find in a work born of a call for papers circulated in academic venues, which I had to remind myself this volume wasn't. Essays The Queen's Riders were found via fan-space promotion, particularly on Tumblr, and so the work produced is fan-centric. The fact that there is a good amount of scholarship within speaks to the intelligence and thoughtfulness of Pierce's fans.

I think, more than anything, The Queen's Eiders paves the way for a future anthology wherein more academically-minded contributors feel comfortable delving into these niche themes, since the quantity of essays in The Queen's Riders proves that they will have a broader audience than a lot of scholarship finds. The next effort could also benefit from requiring a certain amount of copyediting (every fandom has at least one!) as well, since several grammar and typographical errors in the work served as an unnecessary reminder that this was not a professionally-produced work.

Overall, this is an amazing book created by fans, for fans, but it isn't the collection of Pierce scholarship that I hope one day to see. ...more

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Sep 27, 2014 Lynn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: essential

The Queen's Readers is a book for fans by fans and for the most part is a very enjoyable read for those who have taken the plunge into any or all of Tamora Pierce's work. Like many such books the insight into the stories is a wonderful thing to experience, for who better to delve deeper and explore the themes and characters at work than those who love them most. As a fan you get the unique position, should you choose to take it, to take a critical eye to the stories that you love and still be ab The Queen's Readers is a book for fans by fans and for the most part is a very enjoyable read for those who have taken the plunge into any or all of Tamora Pierce's work. Like many such books the insight into the stories is a wonderful thing to experience, for who better to delve deeper and explore the themes and characters at work than those who love them most. As a fan you get the unique position, should you choose to take it, to take a critical eye to the stories that you love and still be able to appreciate the stories when done. This being said, not all of the essays were equal in the depth of analysis as others. Some of the better essays I thought were "Neurodiversity and the works of Tamora Pierce", "(dis)empowered women in hiding: mobility, power and feminism in "Elder Brother"/"The Hidden Girl"", "Nealan of Queenscove: The Value of a Dutiful Man", "The Magic in the Weaver: A Discussion of Sandry and Her Relationship to the Rest of the Circle",and "A Person, Not Just a King: Women and Jonathan IV of Conte". Unfortunately there was also a great deal of essays purely of plot summarization and personalized essays of how one person is just like one character, while there is certainly nothing wrong with closely identifying with any of these characters, goodness know I do, they didn't really hold to the same standards set by others, nor did they really add much insight into the nature of the character or the world they reside in.

The other only problem I have with The Queen's Reader is the unsurprising general popularity of certain characters and worlds over others, Beka is only discussed a hand full of times, as was Aly, Emelan focused essays were mostly focused on Sandry and Briar, with little mention of Tris, Daja was mentioned more often because of her race and her sexuality. But all in all I truly did enjoy The Queen's Readers but for spoiler reasons and pure context reasons I wouldn't recommend this book to many people, only those who have found a home in Emelan and Tortall, however I would recommend reading the body of Tamora's work and then indulging in The Queen's Readers. ...more

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Nov 22, 2015 Sorcharei rated it it was ok

This book was by turns awesome and frustrating. Like many anthologies, the pieces were of varying quality. Some were insightful, others deeply moving. And then there were the ones that were dull of overly sweeping gneralizations, claims about the texts that were not supported (and in at least two cases, are directly refuted by the text).

My biggest complaint is that it's poorly edited. As far as I can tell, the editors collected pieces and provided proofreading, but there can't have been made ch ...more

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Sep 28, 2014 Rai rated it liked it

A really great book if you're a fan of Tamora Pierce's work. It contains quite a few essays that are good on personal and academic levels, and speaks to the influence Pierce's work can have on individuals and on society at large.
It's a very professional book for something that was made by fans for fans, and the physical book itself is of good quality. There were some editing errors which are what caused me to only give it 3 stars, but still, I have seen worse errors in more professional books.
If ...more

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Jul 21, 2015 Madison rated it really liked it

Shelves: anthologies, nonfiction, read-in-2015, essays, feminism

While these essays certainly vary in quality (and all of them desperately needed a solid copyeditor - typos and style inconsistencies everywhere!) for the most part, they were strong. I found myself much more interested in the straightforward analysis than I was in the essays that dealt with the personal struggles of the individual authors. I was particularly drawn to those about the Protector of the Small series, but I think that's just my Kel bias showing, as she was the first Pierce heroine I ...more

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Jan 11, 2016 Shelby rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed these essays. I would only recommend this book for hardcore Tamora Pierce fans though. If, like me, you have lived in the worlds of Tortall and Emelan and loved every moment of it, you will fly through this book. The feelings of instant companionship with all the writers based on the feelings of acceptance and inspiration they received from Tamora Pierce's books brings you right back into those worlds I fell in love with. ...more

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Jun 30, 2015 Wednesday rated it really liked it

Overall, an excellent collection of essays from readers.
It's obvious a few writers were less-experienced with writing and would have benefited from a bit more editing to crystallize their points more effectively, but it didn't lessen the enjoyment any.

It'd be lovely to see more such efforts from other fandoms too! ...more

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