And for fans of Pierce’s original work – fear not as the knight Alanna does make an appearance in this novel. Although there aren’t pages and pages of description, there is certainly enough to be able to picture this world and its inhabitants. Daine is our guide through the story as the kingdom, wild magic and the various creatures are new experiences to her just as much as they are to first time readers. I was unfamiliar with Pierce’s kingdom of Tortall before reading Wild Magic but new readers like me don’t need to be familiar with the previous Lioness Quartet to be able to understand and enjoy what is happening. I also believe it is important for young readers to be able to read about a young female protagonist who shows them that a person can be strong and vulnerable, intelligent and still have fun, as so often characters in children’s and young adult fiction are stereotyped into a specific category. Daine is a fully three-dimensional character whose strengths and weaknesses are both believable and relatable, which is wonderful to see as a reader. She gets upset when forced to confront her past and scared at the thought of being alone and losing her new friends. She is intelligent and eager to learn about magic and healing yet on occasion would rather spend more time enjoying herself than doing lessons – a recognisable trait to any student. She displays strength and bravery through her archery skills and fearlessness when fighting the Stormwings. Daine also struggles to hide that her magic and magical connection to animals goes far deeper than any of her new friends realise.Īs a heroine, Daine is utterly engaging. On her journey, Daine battles against Stormwings and Spidrens and other monstrous beasts known as Immortals which plague the kingdom.

Daine gains employment with Oona, the Horsemistress who trains new recruits for the Queen’s Riders (a group of mounted soldiers). Wild Magic follows young teenager Daine and her loyal pony Cloud as together they try to find a place in the world where they might belong after their families (human and horse) are killed. The story takes place in the fantasy world of Tortall and is set a few years after the events of Pierce’s previous quartet: Song of the Lioness. Wild Magic is the first book in Tamora Pierce’s series: The Immortals Quartet.

Wild magic book series