I'm reading through the Circle series first simply because it has fewer books - 11 books to be exact. It consists of 3 quartets and, for the most part, the publication order is the same as chronological order. The last quartet (so far) only has 3 published books but she's supposedly working on the fourth book. The most recent book published is the third book (Battle Magic) of the third quartet (Circle Reforged). It is the only book not in chronological order - it is actually the first book in The Circle Reforged Quartet (instead of the third). I plan on reading this series in publication order instead of chronological order.
After I finish reading through the Circle universe, I will then read the Tortall universe. This series has 20 books in it and at least 1 book that is, again supposedly, being worked on. The publication order and chronological order of this series are also close to the same. I am planning on reading this series (mostly) in publication order starting with the Song of the Lioness Quartet through Tricksters. Then I'll read Bekah Cooper, the 2 short story collections, and finally The Numair Chronicles - all of which actually happen before the Song of the Lioness Quartet.
Note: Tamora Pierce (American, 1954- ) has published several other works, but these two series are her main works. For now, I'm planning on just reading through the Circle and Tortall universes, but I might read her other publications when I finish with these.
CIRCLE UNIVERSE (publication order)
The Circle of Magic Quartet:
-The Magic in the Weaving (1997) - Sandry
-The Power in the Storm (1998) - Tris
-The Fire in the Forging (1998) - Daja
-The Healing in the Vine (1999) - Briar
The Circle Opens Quartet:
-Magic Steps (2000) - Sandry
-Street Magic (2001) - Briar
-Cold Fire (2002) - Daja
-Shatterglass (2003) - Tris
The Circle Reforged Series:
-The Will of the Empress (2005) - Sandry
-Melting Stones (2008) - Evvy - Simultaneous to The Will of the Empress
-Battle Magic (2013) - Briar - Prequel to The Will of the Empress
-Unfinished series? TBD
Mini-Review of The Circle Reforged Series:
This series felt very disjointed. It's a trilogy instead of a quartet. Empress has all 4 of the original characters, Battle Magic only has Briar, and Melting Stones doesn't have any of them. It felt like Tamora Pierce couldn't decide if she just wanted to wrap up the Circle Universe, or if she wanted to try to continue on with a new set of students. This series was also published in reverse chronological order, which is also different from the first 2 quartets. The individual stories were good, but they just didn't flow with the rest of the Circle Universe. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing ending.
Mini-Review of the Circle Universe:
Overall, this is a great universe! I loved the in-depth worldbuilding and the different cultures. I loved how there were 2 different types of magic (academic and ambient) and that there were many specialties within those. I liked that 3 out of the 4 main characters were female and each character was unique. The characters are relatively one-dimensional and the stories are predictable, but you need to keep in mind that these are children's stories. It wasn't until the third series that I remember there being any sort of romantic relationships and, even then, they weren't the main plot point. The last series should be read: Battle Magic, Melting Stones, then, finally, Empress (see mini-review above). I highly suggest reading at least the first 2 quartets!
TORTALL UNIVERSE (chronological order)
The Bekah Cooper Trilogy:
-Terrier (2006)
-Bloodhound (2009)
-Mastiff (2011)
Extra Stand-Alones:
-Tortall and Other Lands (2010) - Short Story collection
-A Spy's Guide to Tortall: From the Desk of George Cooper (2017)
The Numair Chronicles:
-Tempests and Slaughter (2018)
-The Exile's Gift (TBD) - not yet published
***
Song of the Lioness Quartet:
-Alanna: The First Adventure (1983)
-In the Hand of the Goddess (1984)
-The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (1986)
-Lioness Rampant (1988)
The Immortals Quartet:
-Wild Magic (1992)
-Wolf-Speaker (1994)
-Emperor Mage (1995)
-The Realms of the Gods (1996)
Protector of the Small Quartet:
-First Test (1999)
-Page (2000)
-Squire (2001)
-Lady Knight (2002)
(Bone's Day Out (2014) - Short Story in Protector of the Small omnibus)
Tricksters:
-Trickster's Choice (2003)
-Trickster's Queen (2004)
Have you read any books from the Circle and/or Tortall universes?
What do you think of them?
Do you have a favorite?
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