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Summary: PEOPLE OF STONES!!
Review: Briar Moss is in the land of Chammur which is next to Sotat. He and his teacher, Rosethorn are there to stay to help the people of Chammur when they see the land is poor. At the market one day Briar meets the girl Evvy who is unknown to her magic. She is an "ambient"of stones. When Briar discovers that all the stone mages except for one whom he dislike immensely he decides to teach her himself. Suddenly they are swept into a toy gang war. Briar then discovers that he must react quickly to save her. Who is this mysterious woman who supports the gang wars?
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Summary: "Street Magic" Review by Esmeralda, 13 years old
Review: Briar, the boy with plant magic and the former child-gang member from the Circle of Magic books,is traveling to Yanjing in the east with his teacher Rosethorn the plant mage; the teachers of Briar and two of his foster-sisters, Daja and Tris, have agreed that the three need to see new things. Four years have passed since Briar, Tris, Sandry, and Daja came to Winding Circle in "Sandry's Book"; Briar is now fourteen. Briar and Rosethorn have stopped in Chammur, a huge trading city in Briar's hometown of Sotat, southeast of Emelan. While Briar is wandering the jewelry and stone marketplace, he sees a gang, all wearing gold nose-rings with garnet drops. Next Briar notices a ten-year-old street girl,Evumeimei Dingzai of Yanjing, polishing stones with magic. Briar approaches the girl, forgetting the gang, but the girl (known as Evvy) flees. Briar chases her, but she loses him when she gets to her home, or "squat," in Chammur Oldtown, a part of the city tunneled into the cliffs of Chammur. Briar gets to the house where he is staying. First, he asks members of a local gang with whom he is friends, the Camelguts, if he knows anything about the gang in the marketplace. Briar is informed that the gang, the Vipers, work for a rich woman, who gives them weapons. Next he tells Rosethorn about the little girl, and is informed that since he discovered Evvy's magic, he must be her teacher! Briar finally gets to know Evvy, who is an escaped slave. Briar, though, doesn't want to teach a child magic. "I'm a plant-mage," Briar tells Evvy. "You're a stone-mage!" But Briar tries to ask the only stone-mage in Chammur, Jebilu Stoneslicer, for help with Evvy. Jebilu refuses. Then he agrees, but is so mean to Evvy that Evvy resolves to stick with Briar. Meanwhile, the lady who controls the Vipers, Zenadia doa Attaneh, has made up her mind: the gang must first beat the Camelguts into submission so that the Camelguts will be forced to join the Vipers. Then, Lady Zenadia wants to capture Evvy and make the girl work for her and her gang. Briar knows this and feels torn. Should he get caught up in gang warfare yet again? He thought that part of his life was over. But he decides to; he must protect Evvy. The Camelguts finally join the Vipers, who capture Evvy while Briar is lured out of the house by a Viper. Evvy is taken to Lady Zenadia's house. But Briar and Evvy destroy the house together, and the Vipers are broken up forever. Evvy decides to come with Briar and Rosethorn out of Chammur...and that's the end. I hope I haven't given too much away! The characters in this book are better drawn than they are in "Magic Steps," the first "Circle Opens" book. The descriptions of Chammur Oldtown are amazing, and I liked Evvy at once. She is so brave but so childlike at the same time. Every part of the book that shows Evvy's thoughts, feelings, and cats is the best! I gave this book four stars, though, because I felt Evvy and Briar overcame Lady Zenadia too easily. If you haven't already, I'd recommend reading the "Circle of Magic" books before reading "Street Magic." "Sandry's Book," the first in that series, is incredibly good!!! And yes, I'd recommend "Street Magic." Though it is not the best of Tamora Pierce's books (but it's definitely one of them!), it is well worth reading.
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Summary: An excellent continuation...
Review: Four years after his previous adventures in the Circle of Magic series, a now teenaged Briar has graduated to magehood and is now traveling with his beloved teacher, Rosethorn, continuing to hone his skills in his powerful nature magic. When they stop for a while in the city of Chammar, Briar discovers a powerful young mage, as unaware of her power as he once was, living on the street. Reminded vividly of his own days as a street rat, Briar determines to find young Evvy a teacher in her own kind of magic, only to be informed that the only other fully trained Stone Mage in town is a total jerk and idiot, which means that the task inevitably must fall to Briar, young as he is. Meanwhile, unbeknowst to Briar, warring street gangs are planning to use Evvy to help them locate treasure. Briar must rise above his dark past once and for all, to save himself, and Evvy... This book was excellent, a true blessing to the series! Once again, Sandry, Daja, and Tris are missing, but since Briar was my favorite to begin with, it was fun just watching him for a while. Evvy as well was a fun and unique character, different enough from all of Briar's "foster sisters" so one wouldn't feel irritated at her replacement of them in this tale. While this book had the same basic premise as it's predecessar "one of our young mages is forced to take on a student of their own" it's also very, very different from Magic Steps, so the similarities are charming rather than tedious. These books would be good for anyone twelve on up, especially those who've already read the Circle of Magic series, and Magic Steps, though this book is easily read on it's own as well.
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Summary: really liked it
Review: i didn't really like Squire, but this book made up for it totally. Tammy's books are getting a bit more gruesome, but i don't care. I really like this new series because we find out more about different kinds of magic. it's obvious that each of these books is going to be about our 4 favorite mages getting students and coming to terms with the students and themselves. I really like Briar, I think he's totally cool even though everyone's ragging on Tammy cuz he's a boy. So what? It adds a little variety to the series. Let me tell you, having a series with 4 girls would make me gag. I may be female, but I find something without even a marginal bit of a male point of view boring if it's supposed to be in third person. There are plenty of well-developed female characters in this story to keep most TP fans interested anyway. Notice how in Alanna there were a few times when it was from a male point of view? didn't that add a little more color to the story? Having the entire series on girls focuses just on their problems and i like reading about boy's problems, too, since i already have girl problems. one thing that made me dislike protector of the small was that there were less POVs. the immortals series kept me hooked because there was a lot more action, even though the focus was mainly on the female protagonist once again. This book may have no romance but it more than makes up for it with the mystery, intrigue, and adventure. a superb read! i liked it much better than magic steps and am looking forward to the next book in the series! oh yeah, and don't you just love when we have the POV from the baddie in the story? I just love books that have that! read, people! order now!
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Summary: Street Magic...
Review: I found "Street Magic" to be entertaining and interesting. It was nice to have Briar's life further explored as he moves on from where you first meet him, in "The Circle Of Magic." While parts of this book were a little jarring, since it deals with street life in a very straitforward and blatant way, it tells a kinder tale than you would expect. I can't wait for Book Three of "The Circle Opens!"
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Summary: I love Briar's character!!!
Review: I have always thought Briar was a very great character despite him being a boy. And me a girl. I really don't care what a book is about even if it's kinda bloody. Like this book. Tamora is a gifted author who can capture a character in twisted plots where they end up nlowing things up. I don't care if no one likes my review but I think this is one of Tamora's best books since Sandry's book and Briar's book. Briar having to teach a young girl when ( this is what I have noticed) he doesn't really like girls. This Book reminds me of Magic Steps. Because in both books the young mages have to become teachers to younger mages.
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Summary: Pretty Good...
Review: I liked it! It was sort of dissapointing that there was no romance, but I didn't expect any. It was pretty bloody, like Sandry's book, but it didn't make me throw up or anything. It isn't Tamora' Pierce's best book, but I didn't really expect that...Alanna and Daine can't be surpassed.I thought it was funny in some parts when Briar flirted with a girl, cause I didn't expect that of girl-hating Briar. LOL. I loved Evvy! She is so spunky and determined. This is a great book to read if you liked the Circle of Magic and Tamora Pierce, who is my favorite author!
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Summary: Okay book
Review: I love this series of books. This one is pretty good, though very slow in parts.
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Summary: Circle Opens
Review: I loved the Circle of Magic books and am patiently awaiting the arrrival of the next in the series of the Circle Opens! This book was pretty good, I think it lacks the detail that the Circle of Magic books put forth but picks up in feeling. Description and detail make Tamora Pierce a wondeful author and this as well as her other books depict that. ....
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Summary: A let down
Review: I loved the Magic Circle series, and couldn't wait for these books to come out. I'm sorry to say it was a let down. I think Pierce is losing her touch, or is puting less time into her books, because these recent ones are not full of her regular magic. To cover it up, she adds more violence. For me, that's an ugly substitute. Read the other Tamora Pierce books, but avoid this series.
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