Emelan Series by Tamora Pierce - Reading from 'Magic Steps (The Circle Opens #1)' from October 1st 2018

[Natalie]

10% (view spoiler)[Okay, I really love that in this one we essentially have a watch like in the Beka Cooper series (with the Provost’s guard), but here they’re ‘harriers’ (after the hawk ;D) rather than dogs - love that Tamora Pierce is keeping the same kind of thing though. Even the watch houses are called ‘coops’ whereas in Beka Cooper they were ‘kennels’ XD (hide spoiler)]

19% (view spoiler)[Looks like the Duke is training Sandry to take over as leader of the realm when he passes ;D
Good choice. Not sure you could do much better.
(hide spoiler)]

49% (view spoiler)[And as always, Tamora Pierce does NOT pull her punches ._. Poor little innocent baby (literally) just got killed by one of the villains, along with their older (but still very young) sister, and both parents ;-; (hide spoiler)]

65% (view spoiler)[I really love Yazmin - both as a dancer teacher, and as a potential romantic partner for the Duke. She’s just a tiny ball of awesome and I love her. Can’t wait to see more of her teaching of Pasco ;D (hide spoiler)]

84% (view spoiler)[Holy crap, all these visions that the unmagic is making Sandry see is just nuts, wow o.o They’re definitely very specific and descriptive of their nightmarish qualities 8’D (hide spoiler)]

95% (view spoiler)[Really Pasco? Just couldn’t resist the cake, huh? I know you’re 12 and all but... idiot 😐 (hide spoiler)]

97% (view spoiler)[Can I just say... ouch? O.o (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Well done XD and hopefully you can find the audiobooks! Are paperback an option if there are no audiobooks? c:

It’s really busy this time of year I swear XD I’ve been sneaking in chapters wherever I could but reading is slow going lately ._.

[Dr. Andy]

If I can find a physical copy I'll try to read it but I'm rereading the Throne of Glass series before the last book comes out. And the last 2 are super long haha

[Natalie]

Oh gosh, yeah o.o

I haven’t even started my read for those yet, I know I need to but with how busy things are right now I don’t want to add those MASSIVE books to the list. Not until things quiet down a little, y’know?

[Natalie]

22% (view spoiler)[Well, it looks like Briar might end up with his own student - just like Sandry did in the last book. Think this’ll be a pattern in this series? O.o Evvy’s rock magic is pretty intriguing too. Seems to be the same sort of magic that Briar and co have too. And the idea of using the rocks as mini explosives to escape the Vipers was genius. (hide spoiler)]

52% (view spoiler)[Yikes. Someone fails to get Evvy because Briar prevented them from doing so (using their own allergies against them - smart!) and then this lady has them killed for not only their failure, but they ‘disrespecting’ her? WTF. All the girl said was that NO she was not on drugs. Allergies are real dammit! And being against a plant Mage when you have hay fever is genuinely NOT going to go in your favour 8’D (hide spoiler)]

70% (view spoiler)[So... this so-called rich food that the plants are getting... it wouldn’t happen to be the bodies of those that lady Zenadia has had killed, would it? :| (hide spoiler)]

91% (view spoiler)[Briar is pissed, and Lady Zenadia is going to end up rather sorry that she messed with him and his new student. Not sure she’s going to have much of a house left by the time they’re done with her... and on top of all his Briar has found some bones in the garden... wonder how many there are there ._. (hide spoiler)]

Finished! (view spoiler)[Definitely a bit of an abrupt ending there tbh XD I would’ve liked to have a bit more on the aftermath of the ‘battle’ with Briar and Lady Zenadia but meh. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Natalie wrote: "Oh gosh, yeah o.o

I haven’t even started my read for those yet, I know I need to but with how busy things are right now I don’t want to add those MASSIVE books to the list. Not until things quiet..."

Totally get that! I'm probably going to push KoA off until November since my copy is coming from Australia in a special edition box and then I can count it for challenges haha

[Dr. Andy]

Natalie wrote: "

22% [spoilers removed]

52% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Briar's allergy attack was freaking epic!! You never mess with a plant mage! (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Currently reading through the third book, though it's sadly taking a while because the event I was organising happened 8'D

The event is now over. But I am SO TIRED.

[Dr. Andy]

Yay!! I need to find a copy once I finish Empire of Storms

[Natalie]

8% (view spoiler)[I really love how in these books we’re getting to see all these different parts of Emelan and the neighbouring countries c: This one here seems pretty interesting and I love the idea of just being able to skate to wherever you want to go (though and someone with really crappy balance I imagine I’d spend more time falling or on the ground than I would skating 😂). I’m assuming there’s going to be some fire or fire starter as the ‘villain’ of this book? (hide spoiler)]

15% (view spoiler)[Ooh... cooking magic and carpentry magic - neat! Looks like Daja is going to have her work cut out for it in comparison to Sandry and Briar though - she has TWO potential students! (hide spoiler)]

20% (view spoiler)[This “hero” is starting the fires, isn’t he? The one that Daja was contemplating making a suit for. But WHY? Is it because of the death of his family years earlier? Someone DID say they thought it had broken him (or something along those lines), right? (hide spoiler)]

52% (view spoiler)[AHAHA I KNEW IT. Ben IS the one setting the fires! Apparently to test the people in charge of fighting them and making sure they’re prepared to fight fires or some shit like that. Seriously dude, wtf is wrong with you? Did your family’s death make something go wrong in your head? ._. Curious how long it’ll take for someone in this novel to work it out...
But also... the penalty for arson is being burned alive? What the hell! That seems a little harsh, right? O.o (hide spoiler)]

87% (view spoiler)[Poor Daja. She now knows what Ben has been up to, following an explosion that killed 33 people (so far) and left many more wounded. An explosion that HE caused, after using the gloves that SHE made in order to help people and save lives. And he twisted their purpose to do the opposite... and liked it ;u; (hide spoiler)]

95% (view spoiler)[Well fuck. I mean sure, Ben’s dead but did he really have to go out in what was basically a “blaze of fucking glory” while “rescuing” children from a hospital fire? One that HE started might I add. How many people died as a result of this final fire? And how many more will die as an after-effect what with there NO LONGER BEING A HOSPITAL?! D: (hide spoiler)]

98% (view spoiler)[I’m really glad that Ben DIDNT die in the hospital fire, because it means that he can be tried and sentenced for his crimes and have people see him for what he truly is. He killed over a hundred people and injured many, MANY more with his fires. I’m glad that justice is to be done. And while I wouldn’t normally agree with burning someone at the stake... this is very “eye for an eye” and considering what he did it really does make sense :|
...I’m still glad it was over with quickly though ._. (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

How’s Empire of Storms going? c:

[Dr. Andy]

Natalie wrote: "How’s Empire of Storms going? c:"

Very slowly getting through I will hopefully get halfway through it this weekend. If I don't get to book 3 and 4 in october I'll read them in november

[Natalie]

6% (view spoiler)[Okay, the glass dragon thing is freaking awesome and kinda puts Daja’s living metal tree to shame a bit... this thing can FLY! And I’m so excited to see what part it’s going to play. Tris seems to be getting all the “animal sidekick” luck in these books :P (hide spoiler)]

22% (view spoiler)[Looks like Tris now officially has her first student... though they didn’t get off to the best start ;D
Curious to see how this will turn out, and how this will tie in with the murders takin place in the city... (hide spoiler)]

60% (view spoiler)[It was Yali that was killed? ;-; But she was the one that was taking care of the newly orphaned child! Who’s going to look after her now? ;-;
It seems a rather odd coincidence that two of the women killed live in the same place as Keth... while I don’t believe he’s the murderer, he may have a connection to the murderer considering how close he was to some of these victims... what’s going on here? (hide spoiler)]

92% (view spoiler)[Dammit! Keth was so close to getting the Ghost! D:
I’m really glad that he was able to save the woman’s life but I’m so mad that they don’t have anything to go on to find the killer because neither the woman nor Keth got a good look at them, and he went through an area that “cleansed” him (...if it even is a ‘him’) so they can’t even track the killer magically! (hide spoiler)]

94% (view spoiler)[So the killer WAS a prathmuni after all... makes sense honestly (hide spoiler)]

Finished! (view spoiler)[And I am so glad that Tris is going to take Glaki with her back to Discipline and Winding Circle ;-; (hide spoiler)]

[Natalie]

Andrea wrote: "Natalie wrote: "How’s Empire of Storms going? c:"

Very slowly getting through I will hopefully get halfway through it this weekend. If I don't get to book 3 and 4 in october I'll read them in nove..."

Sounds good to me! :D I just really wanted to finish this quartet first before I went onto the next thing ;D If you're keen to read the sequel series to this one too after you've finished this quartet, let me know? ;D

Still really interested in reading your thoughts on these books <3

[Dr. Andy]

Natalie wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Natalie wrote: "How’s Empire of Storms going? c:"

Very slowly getting through I will hopefully get halfway through it this weekend. If I don't get to book 3 and 4 in october I'll re..."

Yesssssssssssssssssss

[Dr. Andy]

I'm almost to 25% in Empire of Storms hahahaha