This book may have been Middle School Patricia’s favorite of the Daine-centered “Immortals” series. I think I know why: 1) Numair is gone for most of it, 2) Daine mostly just hangs out in the woods with animals, and animals are awesome, and 3) Daine’s complete inability to deal with other people is less in evidence.
This book takes place entirely in Dunlath valley, a small fief in the north of Tortall where Daine’s old wolf-pack decides they need her help. When she gets there, she discovers not just rampant deforestation for secret mines, but also a strange amount of Carthak mages who are clearly UP TO SOMETHING. Numair goes for help before the mages conveniently seal off the valley, leaving Daine and her band of furry friends to save the day.
Since Numair is hardly present for most of this book, I’m going to bring the creepy factor down to 0 out of 5.
Tamora Pierce Checklist
Animal Companion(s): Cloud (horse), Kitten (dragon baby), Brokefang + his whole pack (wolves), Tkaa (basilisk), Flicker (Squirrel)
Magical Bling: Silver badger claw/animal god pager
Love Interest(s): None, but Brokefang’s mate is still totes jeal
Song of the Lioness Character Sightings: Alanna and Raoul come to the rescue!
Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce
Book 2 of The Immortals
Play-By-Play
Chapter one: Encounters
Daine and Numair meet Daine’s old wolf pack in their valley that “humans are ruining”. Stormwings are patrolling the valley and Daine finds the charred remains of a patrol of Queen’s Riders. Suspicious? Numair thinks maybe. But he has to wait a few chapters before actually doing anything about it. Read the rest of this entry »