The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

Title: The Will of the Empress - Sandry's Book

Author: Tamora Pierce (American, 1954- )
Originally published: 2005
Page count: 539

Dates read: 12/26/2021-1/10/22, 1/17/22-1/22/22

2022 book goal progress: 1 out of 20

Back to the Classics category: x
Author Challenge: Tamora Pierce

Mindful Readers' Family Bookclub genre/theme: x

Read my other book reviews for my 2022 goals HERE.

Description on back of book:
For years the Empress of Namorn has pressed her young cousin, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, to visit her vast lands within the Empire's borders. Sandry has finally agreed to pay the overdue visit. Daja, Tris, and Briar go with her, but Sandry hardly knows them now. They've grown up and grown apart. Sandry isn't sure they'll ever find their old connection again - or if she even wants them to.

First sentence(s):
"Lady Sandrilene fa Toren sat in the room that was her study in her uncle's palace. In her hands she held a thread circle, one that included four lumps spaced equally apart. It was a symbol not just of her first magical working, but of the magical bond she shared with her foster-brother and two foster-sisters, who had been away from home for many months,"

Favorite quotes:
"Some things you can't fix by making excuses for them."

"I... forget. I have a terrible memory when it comes to secrets I don't wish to tell."

"People shouldn't always get what they want. It's very bad for their character."

"Not being able to forgive ourselves isn't the same as understanding each other. We're a lot easier on each other than we are on ourselves."

CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 9
Atmosphere   - 8
Writing Style - 8
Plot                - 7
Intrigue          - 5
Logic             - 5
Enjoyment     - 7
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Review:

I enjoyed this book - it was fun to get back into the world of Emelan again! The 4 mages were annoying in not wanting to reforge their bonds due to each having their own traumatic experiences they didn't want to burden the others with. As the 4 mages are older, a bigger focus was put onto romance - I wish that was more in the background instead.

As with the previous 4 books, there is a new mage student for them to teach. He is a minor character and I really wish that he had been more of a focus. The way he was handled and seemed to not get the training he needed was really bothersome due to the level of importance given to that in the previous books.

There was a point where a swear word was used (by an antagonist), which was a little shocking since I don't remember any swears in the earlier books. It was at an appropriate time to use a swear word, but, in reality, the whole scene probably would have been flooded with swears from people of both sides - so the use of the 1 swear just fell short and felt unnecessary.

There kept on being implications of Briar's experience, which I didn't remember. I think that it's referencing the events in the book Battle Magic. If Tamora Pierce already had an idea for that book, I really wish she just wrote them in chronological order instead of publishing a 'prequel' later on. It made the book a bit confusing and I kept feeling like I had missed something important.

Overall, it was a good book!

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Tamora Pierce have the last words:

" 'You'll be seeing a mind healer when we get home,' Tris said firmly. 'I've heard of this. People who have been through some terrible thing, it leaves scars where no one can see. The scars hurt, so they dream, and they snap at people for doing things that seem silly compared to the horrors. Sometimes they see and smell the thing all over again.'

'So I'm just some boohoo bleater, looking for a mama because I have bad dreams?' Briar asked rudely, though he didn't open his eyes.

'If the scars were on your flesh, would you even ask me those things?' retorted Tris.

There was a long pause. At last Zhegorz said hesitantly, 'She's right.'

'She 'most always is, when it comes to other folk,' replied Briar softly."