Thanks, Unbound Worlds, for naming Alanna: The First Adventure among the 100 Best Fantasy Novels of All Time! From the article:
Alanna is [ . . . ] one of Pierce’s most compelling protagonists: stubborn, Gifted, and unwilling to let the world dictate who she should become.
Of course, Alanna is in fine company on this list. If you’re looking for some more books to read, check it out!
Last month, Meghan Ball at Tor.com wrote a wonderful, personal article about her experiences with Tamora’s books, and the ways in which they’ve made an impact.
Tamora Pierce should be a household name. We should all be crowded around our TVs every Saturday night watching The Song of the Lioness show on HBO. Her works should be considered a cultural touchstone that inspire generations. Prog rock bands should be creating epic concept albums based on her stories. There should be Funko Pops of Alanna of Trebond, Numair Salmalín, and Keladry of Mindelan.
But there aren’t. (At least, not yet.)
Thank you, Meghan, for the kind words!
Read the entire article here: Tamora Pierce Writes Fantasy That Changes Lives
If you weren’t able to see Tammy when she was in Seattle, you can still read about her University Bookstore event! The Daily has a write-up of the event, which also featured authors Rachel Hartman and Lish McBride. Check it out for some highlights of the event. As the author notes:
YA fiction, which is full of brave, headstrong, mostly female heroines who stand up to authority and earn the right to be taken seriously, has been one of the most positive forms of media that I consumed while growing up. And I still do read it, despite snide comments from adults and peers that they “don’t count” as “real” novels.
Remember: you’re never too old to read YA!
Click here for more: Tamora Pierce book reading emphasizes the importance of YA for all audiences
There’s a lot of advice to be found in books for women who work in male-dominated workplaces: lean in, be a girlboss, find your magic, etc. But, to be honest, I learned the most about working in male-dominated spaces from books I read while I was still a child — namely, Tamora Pierce’s fantasy novels, and especially the Protector of the Small series.
The excerpt says it all! In this article, Melissa Ragsdale over at Bustle delves into Kel’s experiences in knight training, and how they reflect some real-world challenges women face in male-dominated industries.
Click here to read it in full: This Tamora Pierce Series Helped Me Understand How It Feels To Be The Only Woman In The Room
A big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to see Tammy on the first leg of the Tempests and Slaughter tour! Though she’s resting now, in a few days, she’ll be on the road again. From the 16th – 18th, Tammy will be at Boskone, New England’s longest-running sci-fi & fantasy convention. After that, the Tempests and Slaughter tour will continue, with a stop in Brookline, MA on the 19th!
In the meantime, if you’re wondering what books Tammy’s reading between stops, you can check out this interview with Goodreads:
Pack Your Bags: The Books Tamora Pierce Is Bringing on Tour
And, if you want to see more of what Tammy’s reading, her list of Favorite Books of 2017 is up!
In the lead-up to Tempests and Slaughter, Tammy did a series of short video interviews with Penguin Random House, available exclusively at Unbound Worlds! Check them out: Tamora Pierce on Her New Book, Tempests and Slaughter.
That’s not all, however! Tammy also sat down for a Q&A with Underlined, where she talked about writing– and even shared some teenage anecdotes. You can read all about it here: Exclusive Q&A with Legendary Fantasy Author Tamora Pierce.
Tempests and Slaughter is just around the corner, and it’s already generating buzz around the internet! Here’s a roundup of a few links…
The countdown to Tempests and Slaughter begins! With the book’s release just days away, the hype’s spread worldwide! Just last week, the Times of India covered Tempests, calling it:
[A]n enthralling fantasy full of adventure. A perfect read for all those looking for a good fantasy fiction.
Upon hearing the news, Tammy had this to say: “I’m a major Bollywood fan, and a fan of numerous Indian movies and books, so to be carried in an Indian magazine is a major thrill for me! One day I’ll get to visit India in person!”
You can read the article here: Tempests and Slaughter – A New Addition in Tamora Pierce’s Tortall Universe
[T]here are certain ugly truths about the world that children and teens will grow into that books like The Hate U Give and the Protector of the Small series address – issues readers will eventually face in one form or another.
In a thoughtful and sobering article, Feliza Casano at Unbound Worlds shares her experiences with Tammy’s books, and the lessons she took from them. You can read it all here: How a Lady Knight Prepared Me for America in 2017
If you’re a fan of Tammy’s, you may be able to relate to this article in the LA Review of Books! In Growing Up Female, Josephine Wolff delves into the “thread of pragmatic feminism” in Tamora Pierce’s books, beginning in the very first adventures of Alanna, and continuing in heroines like Daine and Kel.
It’s an intense and cult-ish thing to discover Pierce’s books as a young girl. Pierce is a fantasy writer beloved by many readers who do not consider themselves fantasy fans. This is because, for all their sorcerers and dragons, her books, at their core, are about young women growing up and figuring out who they are: how to be weird and stubborn and heroic and angry, how to deal with getting their periods, how to control their tempers, how to handle jealousy, how to decide whether to sleep with their best friends or their teachers, how to prevent pregnancy, how to navigate romantic relationships with men many years their seniors, how to challenge and defeat men many years their seniors, how to be women who don’t conform to the rigid expectations of their (entirely imaginary!) world and time.