(3) YA Numair Chronicles series. Arram, a young and powerful mage student at the Imperial University of Carthak, befriends Varice and Ozorne, two similarly powerful students. But Ozorne's status as the "leftover prince" (third in line to the throne) means dark undercurrents swirl around them. This entertaining magic-school story, first in a series, mixes school high jinks with more sinister forces, making for a quick, engrossing read.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA Briar Moss (from Pierce's Circle Quartet books), his mentor Rosethorn, and his protégé Evvy receive an invitation to tour Emperor Weishu's private gardens. Although the Imperial hospitality is bountiful, they can't help but notice the Emperor's cruel streak, and they aid in the escape of the Emperor's most valuable captive, Parahan. Pierce achieves an epic sweep of cultures and intrigue in this wide-ranging volume.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2014

(2) YA Eight of these stories were previously published in fantasy anthologies; the remaining three are new. Almost every tale spins on a girl surmounting barriers to come into her power. The tales are easy in the reading and clear in their message, with Pierce's relaxed, accessible language; quickly delineated characters; plots that gallop along; and warmth toward her readers patent throughout.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2011

(3) 4-6 Beka Cooper series. When a noble couple's son is kidnapped into slavery, Beka and her fellow Guards must retrieve him. Their journey reveals--and ultimately ends--the oppression of slaves in Tortall. In her third high-fantasy adventure, Pierce's tough leading lady once again proves her mettle.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(2) 4-6 Beka Cooper series. Beka Cooper (Terrier) is making her mark as a Dog, a member of the nation's police force. While investigating the provenance of some counterfeit coins, she faces a new enemy in Pearl Skinner, the Rogue of Port Caynn. Juggling an extensive but vivid cast of characters, Pierce brings to life a squalid, colorful world brimming with magic, misdeeds, and ordinary folk.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2009

(3) YA Apprentice stone mage Evvy travels with mages Rosethorn and Myrrhtide to a remote island troubled by magical dead zones. There Evvy's magic uncovers volcanic spirits waiting to erupt. While dealing with the fiery island forces, Evvy makes human connections that help her recover from previous traumas. Pierce's accessible characters, vivid writing, and appealing emotional themes make this a winner.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Beka Cooper series. Sword-and-sorcery meets police procedural. Set some two hundred or so years before the Song of the Lioness Quartet, this new series introduces readers to sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper, a Puppy (trainee) in Corus's Guard who narrates her story via a diary. Perhaps the book's greatest strength is its raw portrayal of the fine line between law and lawlessness.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2007

(4) YA Aly, the hero of Trickster's Choice, continues her work for the raka rebellion, using her spying network to overthrow the evil regents and bring her mistress, Dove, to the throne. The flaccid plot and the cookie-cutter sameness to the characters make this 400-pager drag, but the magic and exotic settings, plus Pierce's trademark quips and strong female characters, give the book bounce.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Daughter of the Lioness series. Alianne, daughter of the woman-knight Alanna from Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet, finds herself to be the brains behind a large operation conspiring to return the Copper Isles' subjugated native class to power. Pierce convincingly portrays a girl raised to espionage and combat, but secondary characters are less convincing. Readers hooked on Pierce's spunky heroines will have more adventures to anticipate in this new quartet.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2004

(2) YA Immortals series. Like Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, these offshoots of that series are being reissued and repackaged in handy rack-size hardcovers. These first two titles in this series are well-written, suspenseful fantasy novels. [Review covers these Immortals titles: Wild Magic and Wolf-Speaker.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1994

(2) YA Immortals series. Like Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, these offshoots of that series are being reissued and repackaged in handy rack-size hardcovers. These first two titles in this series are well-written, suspenseful fantasy novels. [Review covers these Immortals titles: Wild Magic and Wolf-Speaker.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1993

(2) YA Song of the Lioness series. Like Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, these offshoots of that series are being reissued and repackaged in handy rack-size hardcovers. These first two titles in this series are well-written, suspenseful fantasy novels. [Review covers these Immortals titles: Wild Magic and Wolf-Speaker.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1989

(2) YA Song of the Lioness series. The third and fourth books in the popular series continue and conclude the adventures of the warrior maiden Alanna. Like the previous reissues of the first two books in the series, these editions are repackaged as handy rack-size hardcovers. [Review covers these Song of the Lioness titles: Lioness Rampant and The Woman Who Rides like a Man.]

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 1986

(2) 4-6 Circle Opens series. In this fourth book in the quartet, Trisana Chandler, a plump, headstrong weather mage, takes on a student and stops a murderer while abroad in Tharios, a hot, Mediterranean/Indian-flavored culture obsessed with castes and the uncleanliness of death. Pierce has quite a few balls to keep in the air; that a few drop before the end won't bother fans of her down-to-earth characters, earnest magical effects, and low-key mysteries.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2003

(2) YA Immortals series. Like Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, this offshoot of that series is being reissued and repackaged in a handy rack-size hardcover. This third Immortals title is a well-written, suspenseful fantasy novel.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 1995

(3) YA Immortals series. Like Pierce's Song of the Lioness series, this offshoot of that series is being reissued and repackaged in a handy rack-size hardcover. This fourth Immortals title is a suspenseful fantasy novel.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) 4-6 Circle Opens series. Daja, the magical young metal smith, faces down an arsonist in this addition to the series. The main tension is in the relationship that forms between the young mage and an older firefighter whose passion for training and leading fire brigades borders on obsession. The novel is filled with tactile descriptions that help develop a full picture of Daja, her passion for her work, and her interactions with the snowy and fiery environments.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002

(3) 4-6 Protector of the Small series. To her dismay, Keladry's first assignment as a knight is to run a refugee camp. Not only would she rather be in the thick of battle, but she longs to be about the task an oracle has charged her with--finding and stopping a sadistic mage who uses the souls of children to craft killing machines. As in the previous volumes, Kel's compassion for those who have been victimized drives her actions. Fans will be pleased with this conclusion to her tale.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 Song of the Lioness series. Pierce's popular novel introducing Alanna, the fiery red-haired girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to train as a knight, has been repackaged as a handy paperback-sized hardcover. This new edition will attract new readers to the fantasy, which is as enjoyable today as when it was first published twenty years ago.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(2) YA Song of the Lioness series. The sequel to Alanna: The First Adventure follows Alanna as she struggles with her training to learn knightly skills while continuing to conceal the fact that she is a girl. While similar in many ways to Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword, this tale is more dependent on action and adventure and less on character and setting, making it more accessible to somewhat younger readers.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1984