Previously Published Review: Page, Tamora Pierce (Protector of the Small, Book 2)

I gave the first of this series 5 stars, and reluctantly subtract one for the execution of her second. The premise is sound - she planned to deal with Kel as a child, a Page, a Squire, and finally as Lady Knight, but the pace and high drama of this book left many things feeling a bit rushed.

Firstly, expect the content to be notably more mature than in First Test. Kel deals with hitting puberty, hitting boys, being hit by boys, and a brutal regimen of forcing down her phobias. This, in addition to intense training, having (and dealing) with crushes on her fellow Pages, and proving over and over and over that she can and will "run with the big boys."

Despite cramming several years worth of experience (literally) into this book, Pierce does an admirable job of containing and streamlining it. The years are well defined, and the individual 'quests' are tightly written and clear. This book also handles the development of Kel's unique abilities in command. Her growing sympathy for commoners and the weak is showcased in a series of growing climaxes. The ending sequence is especially well-done, and younger readers will be very impressed with Kel's maturity and self-sacrifice.

Again, I find that Pierce writes extremely appropraitely for the age-level (estimating by Kel's own age, the pre-teen market) and I find that her focus on morality and strength of conviction in difficult circumstances is fitting for younger readers. I wholeheartedly suggest these books for parents wishing to instil those ideals in their children, in addition to reading them because they are simply VERY nicely crafted books.

**Lastly, as I warned for First Test = Parents who are very careful of the sexual, homosexual, or magical encounters their children have - PLEASE read these books before handing them over to your kids. I personally see nothing wrong with her handling of delicate issues, but you might. And to set your child on a series of entertaining books, and then later ban them for dealing with unfortunate subjects - this makes rebellious and NEEDLESSLY unhappy children. Please, if you are sensitive to sexual references (including a brief mention of homosexuality and extremely frank dealings with rape) and/or the use and presence of magic, please make sure YOU read this first.