Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales

Tortall

by Tamora Pierce

Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy.


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Short Stories, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic, Anthologies

Audio

First published February 22, 2011

About the author

Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!

Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!

I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.

I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.

Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So what's the protocol if you're reviewing a book, and you're married to the writer? Should I not review or rate at all since, well, I'm not about to give any of Tammy's book less than five stars, am I? I do live with her, after all - and I have to sleep sometime .... :o :o :o

EDITED TO ADD: Seriously, is it okay for me to review a book Tammy's written or not?

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're new to Tortall, this book contains huge spoilers for the Immortals series and the Trickster duology, so you probably want to read those first. Tortall veterans, though, should love this book. It continues the stories of some familiar characters and creatures, and introduces others for the first time. I'm going to review each story on its own.

Student of Ostriches: Tammy takes a character who was mentioned ONCE in Lioness Rampant and gives her a complete and awesome backstory. I won't spoil which character it is--in fact I had to look her up to figure out where I had heard her name before--but I loved this story. It's set in what is obviously an analogue for Africa, where a girl learns first to run, and then to fight, from studying the ostriches and other animals she observes on the plains near her village. She looks to her future and sees only marriage and boredom, but when she is given a chance to show her skills, she discovers there might be another option.

Elder Brother: Finally, the story of the tree from Wolf-Speaker! Ever since I read about Numair turning a man into a tree and how that would turn a tree into a man somewhere, I've wanted this story. It's from the tree's perspective, which is fascinating, but it also contains a Tammy staple: a girl who dresses as a boy to avoid her culture's restrictions on what girls can and can't do. Qiom, the apple tree, at first thinks he will forever be a tree trapped in a man's body, but Fadal, the girl, helps him learn to be human in more ways than one.

The Hidden Girl: This story is a continuation of "Elder Brother," but expands more on the religion from that story, which has shades of Islam. It requires that all women be veiled and covered at all times. While "Elder Brother" features a girl who rejected the veil entirely, at risk to her life, "The Hidden Girl" shows the other side: a girl who doesn't see the veil as a bad thing, and in fact uses it to her advantage. I am so glad that Tammy included this story. While her tales of girls dressing as boys are some of my favorite stories, not all girls are able or willing to do that, and many of them still want to change the sexist cultures they live in. Some women choose the veil, and that's okay.

Nawat: NAWAT AND ALY HAVE KIDS! It was delightful to see some of the characters from the Trickster duology again. This story is from Nawat's perspective, which is really cool to see. The crows decide Nawat is being too human and not crow enough, and he has to decide which of those sides of him is more important: Will he abandon his human family, or lose the community of his flock? There's also a really sweet note here about disability and what it means to have children who aren't considered "normal." And a surprisingly large amount of poop jokes.

The Dragon's Tale: KITTEN!! Finally we get a story from Kitten's perspective, and discover how frustrated she is that she can't communicate directly with humans or animals, even though she understands everything they say. While Daine and Numair are on a diplomatic mission with Kaddar, Kitten grows supremely bored and decides to go exploring. She finds a young, starving mother who has been cast out of the village, and sets about trying to help her, with the assistance of Spots, Numair's patient horse. There's lots of delicious magic in this one, and it's great to see a continuation of Kitten's story.

Lost: This was one of my favorites. A girl with an abusive father and a talent for mathematics thinks she'll never be able to follow her dreams of studying at the University, until she meets Lost, a darking who helps her gain the confidence she needs. Darkings are so awesome.

Time of Proving: I felt like I was missing something with this one, like it was incomplete or there was some kind of context in which it would make more sense. I'd like to know more about the Wind People and the Veiled City, and the image of a bull-man who wears silk and loves art and poetry was pretty great, but the story as a whole fell flat for me.

Plain Magic: Embroidery magic is one of my favorite things Tamora has written about. A poor girl from a small town is set to be sacrificed to a dragon, but a peddler woman from out of town comes to her aid. Another story about a girl choosing a future other than the one her family and/or society has chosen for her.

Mimic: A young shepherd rescues a helpless lizard-bird-creature from becoming an eagle's snack and tries to heal it of its wounds--but what type of creature is it? A dragon, or something else? To the shepherd, it doesn't matter, and she(? I don't think the gender of the narrator is mentioned) keeps working to heal it, even when it develops a life-threatening fever and her grandfather advises her to put it out of its misery. She names the creature Mimic for its habit of imitating the calls of birds and even a dog's bark, and Mimic becomes her friend and helper as he heals. Then, during a wild storm, something awesome happens. I don't think this story is set in Tortall, but the landscape is richly painted and it's easy to imagine everything that's happening. In the end, both Mimic and Ri must make choices about the kind of future they want to have, and the kind of people they want to be.

Huntress: A story set in contemporary New York! The narrator desperately wants to be part of the cool kids' crowd at her high school, but discovers that the price of acceptance is one she's not willing to pay. She ends up fighting for her life, and calls on the Goddess to help her. Haunting and evocative. Does my favorite "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" trick of taking a high school trope to its metaphorical extreme.

Testing: LOOK TAMMY WROTE A STORY WITHOUT ANY FANTASY IN IT. It's partly based on something that happened to Tamora herself, but really it's about the need for stability and the power of Not Leaving, which as Markus Zusak says is "an act of trust and love, often deciphered by children."

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

A collection of stories set (mostly) in and around Tortall, Tamora Pierce's amazingly rich fantasy world -- plus two contemporary stories as well. For fans of Pierce's Tortall books, these stories are fun and engaging, and offer more glimpses into the lives of young women overcoming obstacles to become who they are meant to be.

Full review posted at Bookshelf Fantasies.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I would have loved as a girl growing up. I have this feeling I would have eagerly read every book by this author I could have gotten my hands on. As an adult, my feelings aren't that different. She understands the magic and awe inherent in fantasy. I'll definitely be reading more by Tamora Pierce.

Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.

[Arie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I absolutely adore Tamora Pierce, and her Lioness books (actually, all her books) defined my childhood, I was less thrilled with this short story collection. I enjoyed it, yes. Newcomers to her work would not do well to start here, as most of the stories require knowledge of not only her worlds but also the characters, and characters stories, in order to really appreciate these tales.

For example, one of my favourites in the collection is from the point of view of Kitten, Daine's dragon. Doesn't ring a bell? You probably won't really get the story then. A few other characters flit in and out of mention - a Shang dragon, Numair (a number of times), Nawat the crow man whose story I was not at all familiar with making his "tale" a struggle to get through (one of my least favourites).

Also the pacing was really odd. I can pin-point exactly why, but something to do with the ending feeling like it sneaks up and then suddenly is over and you aren't quite sure what happened. No, not in a good way either.

Still, I did really enjoy most of the book. There were some real gems, especially one set in the contemporary world involving the testing of "housemothers" at a girls home. Again the pacing here was a little odd but it was a lovely read. I would simply recommend only picking this up if you are very familiar with Pierce's work and are as excited as I was to add to your Tortallian collection.

[Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just a great compilation of stories. I have never read any of her other books, so this was a great primer, in my opinion. I can't wait to read more of her stories.

She has such great female characters, imo.

[S.N. Arly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of short stories; Pierce knows her trade and her audience.

Six of the twelve tales occur in the Tortall world Pierce is so well known for. These give further voice to some of the side characters whose point of views haven't previously made it onto the page. The other stories are not placed in one of Pierce's standard worlds, and one isn't speculative fiction, though it's still a good read. "Huntress", a contemporary urban fantasy tale is something of a stand-out in the collection. While it feels very much a short story, I would enjoy seeing more of this character and this world.

This is probably a must have for die-hard Pierce fans, and perhaps a paperback or library book introduction to Pierce. Those unfamiliar with Tortall may feel like the only kid sitting at the grownups table during a holiday dinner, a bit confused and not quite grounded. "Elder Brother," "Nawat," and "The Dragon's Tale" in particular may be problematic, as there really isn't enough world information for those who haven't been here before. As a long time fan, I really enjoyed them, but I know how magic works and who many of the people are. "Student of Ostriches" and "The Hidden Girl", however, should stand very well on their own, and both are excellent examples of one of Pierce's strengths: well-developed worlds with complex and diverse cultures. When she uses components from cultures that may be familiar to us, cultures that we see in our modern world, it is not mere appropriation. In one story she has a character who hates the requirement of a veil. In the next story, something of a sequel, we see the opposing point of view, handled deftly and sensitively.

[Hyzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid collection of stories. I enjoyed them all, with one rather shocking exception which I am afraid that I will go on at length about in a bit. None of them became instant favorites, but I am glad I read them.

As is par for the course with Tamora Pierce, there is a preponderance of strong female characters, many of whom are of the old-school Alanna the Lioness kick-ass warrior lady variety. I enjoyed seeing a few old friends and just the general tone of most of the stories. Elder Brother and The Hidden Girl were especially intriguing--I'd like to see more of this part of the world.

And then there was Nawat.

I was really excited when I saw the title--the Daughter of the Lioness duology might be my favorite Tortall books, and I couldn't wait to see what would be done with these characters that I had grown to love so much.

I wish I had not read this story.

There is this moment in Rilla of Ingleside where

this little boy, deeply saddened by the fact that his older brother is away at war, drowns his kitten, whom he genuinely adores, in a pond in the hope that by giving up something he loves, God will let his brother come home. And everyone treats this as just a sad fact of life, that silly little fellow thinking that could work.

It hit me with such horror that when I think back on that book, that is almost all I remember. I have read worse things in terms of horror, perhaps, but this hit me right in the gut, hard, and still makes me sick to think about. I have never and will never re-read that book, and that scene is a large portion of the reason why.

Chunks of Nawat hit me the same way. It changed the ways I saw those characters, and not for the better. I don't think I will be re-reading this, and honestly I think I am going to pretend to myself I didn't read it in hopes of being able to continue to re-read the duology without having to think about any of the horrors apparently being carried around in the thoughts of some of these characters. The severity of the problems I had with the story are probably due to personal circumstances, but I defy anyone to believe that the concepts presented are fluffy, happy things that make you think better of the characters.

If you're looking to pick up Tamora Pierce for the first time, this is not the place to start. This is not just because it is darker in tone than much of the rest of her work, but also because the Tortall-related stories in here would majorly spoil the ending of at least two of her series, possibly three depending how carefully you read. Taken together, though, they are a pretty good example of Tamora Pierce's primary driving theme, which is that women can be awesome in pretty much any way they want.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting point -- Pierce's feminist POV really pops from the pages in these shorter stories. Most of all in a pair in which she is grappling with a fantasy-version of Islamic culture. But knowing her agenda hardly hurts the narrative, or her ulterior cause. I like the way her back-to-back protagonists played off each other. In fact, that was an aspect of this collection I was surprised to like. I *knew* I would enjoy stories like "Nawat," which explores the post-happily-ever-after for the heroine and her consort from Trickster's Queen. I didn't know how much I would appreciate the varied things Pierce does with the same general theme (bad@$$ females) when they were all nestled together like a sampler of chocolates. Empowerment means a hundred different things to a hundred different girls, and sure enough, while some of her protagonists boldly cut ties to their old lives of cramping expectations (Elder Brother, Lost, and Plain Magic) other young women stepped up take on their expected duties and rise to family pressures (Hidden Girl and Mimic), while another (Student of Ostriches) manages to defy all expectations while maintaining the loving support of her family -- and saving them. Several of the other stories simply chart out fantastical occurrences in the lives of characters Pierce has already made readers fond of, including the point of view of a mute dragonet, but the stories are wonderful whether the protagonists are familiar or not.

Oh, and, sneak peak for Mastiff. Very kind of her! :)

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's what Tamora Pierce does well: Girl-power YA fantasy (with significant improvement in quality the more she writes). Also, she's pretty good with animals--you can tell she's lived with dogs & cats and really gets them.

Here's what these short stories are: Girl-power YA fantasy, occasionally with animals thrown in. This is a win.

I'm not usually a fan of short stories; I find them distracting, poorly fleshed out, & not rich enough to leave any scope for the imagination. I was pleased to find Pierce avoided all these pitfalls, and at most lunchtimes over the last couple weeks I've started and finished a different story. If you're already a fan of Pierce's books, I think you would definitely enjoy most of these stories, and possibly--like me--all. (If you only have time for one though, read "The Dragon's Tale".)

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really a fan of short stories. However, Pierce can turn out good short stories as well as longer fiction. As usual with a collection, some resonate more than others. "Mimic" was definitely a favorite. "Testing" also attracted me, although the two stories are completely different. The stories from the Lioness world were of course, fun to read. Lost was another that resonated with me, and perhaps shows Pierce's feminism the most obviously. I deliberately did not read the introduction to the Beka Cooper novel since I haven't read any of that series. This was good but I would recommend it mostly for absolute Pierce fans.

[Linaria · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK this book is really, really hard for me to review.

The short stories, with a few exceptions were amazing. They introduced new characters who were fleshed out and interesting. The stories took place in (and around) Tortall. They were absolutely captivating and I would definitely read a full novel about almost any of them.

Except three.

Let's start with the two contemporary stories. While they seemed well-written and compelling, they were jarringly out of place in a compilation of novels taking place in a fantasy land. I went from a bull-man to a girl in eighth grade and the transition was not smooth. This is a pretty minor complaint to what I have to talk about next though.

Let's talk about the story of Nawat.

I was probably the most excited for this one since I loved Aly and Nawat so much. Instead this is half a graphic birth story (Complete with after-birth!) where Aly has triplets. Yes, triplets. Two babies were just not enough. Then we get to the second, most disgusting part of this story. Nawat, being magical, can tell that there is something not quite right about one of the babies. Crows want to cull less than perfect babies...so then the story takes a turn where Nawat makes a choice between the crows or literally killing his infant daughter because she will grow up disabled. Oh, and he does contemplate it. In detail. Of how he could drown her and lie to Aly about how it happened. Fuck. I get what Pierce was trying to do with this but it just came off to completely tone-deaf and offensive, I'm tempted to change my rating to one-star.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tortall and Other Lands is a collection of short stories by the wonderful and inspiring Tamora Pierce. It features stories with new characters and many with our favorite old characters. Most of the stories are set in the Tortall universe, a place all Pierce fans know very well, but there are also 5 stories not set in Tortall, they take place in a variety of other locations (some real and some fantasy).

Since there was such a fantastic mixture of stories I wrote a separate review for each one.

Student of Ostriches:
Set in the medieval world we know and love, Student of Ostriches tells the tale of an innovative young girl and her journey educating herself by watching and learning from the life around her. I absolutely loved this story! It was just as empowering and captivating as Pierce’s full novels. I fell in love with the character within a few pages and once I finished reading I wanted to read more about her.

Elder Brother:
This tells the story of a tree mistakenly turned human by Numair. This was a fantastic and touching tale about friendship and finding yourself. Just like the first story I found myself desperate for more. I would love to read more on the characters in Elder Brother, I can totally see them in a book of their own.

The Hidden Girl:
This story is a follow up to some of the events that took place in the previous story. While I like that Pierce packed it full of meaning and purpose, I can’t say that I actually enjoyed the story. This one moved slowly and I really had to force myself through it. It may have had a good message about gender roles and such, but unfortunately the entire story was rather boring.

Nawat:
I can’t really talk about the plot of this one without ruining the Trickster books for those that haven’t read them. But the story is about Nawat, as the title clearly states. What I can say is that, well, I loved Nawat in the previous books but I did not like him very much in this one. It was nice seeing his point of view and I understood his feelings and where he was coming from, but this story bummed me out. The beginning was hilarious, but it quickly got very dark and depressing. Definitely not a favorite of mine.

The Dragon’s Tale:
A story about Kitten, Daine’s dragonling and the new friends she makes. I LOVED this story! The Immortals series have been my favorite of all of Pierce’s books since I was a kid, so seeing Kitten, Daine and Numair all together again was wonderful. This story was fantastic, it was adorable and hilarious all at once. It was great seeing inside Kitten’s mind and hearing her thoughts. Loved it. This one is my favorite story in the book.

Lost:
A story about one of my favorite creatures from Pierce’s books – a darking! The story is about an adorable darking that helps out a shy math genius. It was a short, sweet and pleasant read. Even though I hate math with a fiery passion I still enjoyed this story.

Time of Proving:
A very short story about a nomad that helps a poet survive the harsh wilderness. This story was pretty bland and blah compared to the others. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t anything special either.

Plain Magic:
We all know the classic story of the damsel in distress being saved from a dragon by a knight in shining armor. Well, this story was similar to that, but with Pierce’s own fantastic spin on it. It was great read.

Mimic:
About a girl who will help any injured animal, no matter now hideous and strange it is. This was a sweet story that put a smile on my face. There was a good lesson in the story as well, which was an added bonus.

Huntress:
This story is actually set in modern day New York, which is incredibly different for Pierce. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one and was pleasantly surprised. The story is about a high school girl who gets mixed up with the wrong group. It was good, very good. Action packed and fast paced, this story was just as great as Pierce’s medieval ones. One of my favorites for sure.

Testing:
Inspired by the Pierce’s own life experience, Testing tells the story of a group of troubled teens living in a home and the housemother that must take care of them. Also set in the modern world, this was another good story. I liked it because it let readers see the author on a more personal level.

And that’s it!

I loved this book. There were a few duds in there but for the most part this is a truly fantastic collection. Not only were the stories entertaining but like all Pierce novels they were also packed full of female empowerment. It’s a must have for all Tamora Pierce fans.

[Caliclia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamora Pierce has been entertaining teens for years, especially those who are female. Most of her books have avery strong feminine main character who struggles through the world of men to show that they are just as good as any male. Tortall and Other Lands : A Collection of Tales, doesn't focus on any particular character as it plays with many different characters in its many short stories. Many of the main characters are still female, but that is not the purpose of these stories, these stories take characters who are not centralized and puts them in a more center position.
The first short story is called “Student of Ostriches” and while it does not deal with any characters we may know from her other books it is placed in a location we are at least semi-know about. Based in the savannah outside of the Tortall kingdom with a Shang warrior making his presence known in the last third of the story. We are put into a familiar world with unfamiliar people. The basic premise of this story is learning to fight not from a teacher, but from the nature and animals around the main character. She is a mere girl who watches the savannah animals around her and learns ways to fight from them. The end of the story shows how she takes what she learns and puts it into practice to protect the honor of her sister and her family.
The second short story is “Elder Brother” and was hinted about in one of the Immortal Quartets when Mage Numair has to do a devastating bit of magic and turns an enemy into a tree. The knowledge is given that halfway around the world there would be a tree who all of a sudden was a man to keep the balance of nature. This is the story of this tree-man and how he deals with being human. Not only is the story about this, but also about a “boy” who finds him and the challenges of a world who believes females should be hidden behind veils. There are a couple of female characters in this story who show you two different views of women in this world. One wishes to escape and the other embraces it and shows the advantages of being hidden behind a veil.
The final story is completely different and is loosely based on her experience as a house mother in a group home. Showing a different side to her writing. She takes her experience and instead of telling you exactly what happened, compresses it and changes the way she handled it to fit the way her character would have handled situations. She says in her note about the story that what she writes about were similar to things that happened to her, but thankfully they had not happened over only a week long trial as what happens in her story.
While I could go through all of the stories and give you an idea of what is going on in all of them, it just isn’t as fun as actually reading the stories. The one thing these stories did all have in common is making it incessantly hard NOT to pick up Tamora Pierce’s other books again. While it is not necessary to have read all of the other books before reading this one and actually this would make a wonderful introductory book for anyone who has not read the other series yet; it does make understanding what is going on a little easier to understand. There is a story which includes Darklings and if you have not seen what they have done for the kingdom of Tortall, then there is a disconnect of why these blobs are not immediately feared and fought with.
I am a fan of Tamora Pierce and cannot wait for her next book in the Beka Cooper books. It comes out in October of this year and while I await for that one I will reread the rest of her books now that I have a taste of the stories again in my mind. Love it when a book makes me want to read the rest of the series again (and thankfully they are not very long… well most of them).

[Minli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guys, this is Tamora Pierce. Tammy Pierce could write a blender manual and I would read it and love it.

Tortall and Other Lands is what it says--a collection of tales, though more emphasis on the "Other Lands" than the Tortall. Say what you like about Tammy Pierce's worldbuilding, I think she does a good thing by incorporating non-European medieval culture into her own fictional countries. The majority of stories take place outside of Tortall--whether that's the Copper Isles (really, Indonesia), Carthak (Carthage, that one was easy), Tusaine (not sure, medieval Germany?), and others taking place in her version of medieval East Asia, Persia, the desert peoples, etc. Because at their heart, her stories are about awesome women: young girls, new mothers, girls who cross-dress, girls who choose to wear a veil, girls who do math, girls who nurse dragons, GIRL DRAGONS OMG, and so on. When discussing books and authors that had a formative influence on me, it's impossible not to bring up Tamora Pierce. (I'm a Kel girl.)

My favourite of the bunch is probably "Student of Ostriches," which gives us some more info on the Shang Unicorn (though imo she would have been way more awesome as the Shang Ostrich). I also loved "Lost," "The Dragon's Tale," and "Hidden Girl." I suspect "Nawat" did not gel with me because I'm just not at that point in my life yet, but some passages gave me absolute shivers--if you read it, you know where. "Huntress" was truly creepy.

I need more Tamora Pierce. Why isn't Mastiff out yet? Still waiting for that story about Kel training a girl squire. And Maura of Dunlath!

[Christey Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tortall and Other Lands was written undoubtedly for those of us who cannot get enough of Pierce’s writing. This book contains interesting stories, many of which add depth and solve some minor questions that are formed when reading any of Pierce’s series that were set in the land of Tortall. For example, previously, Numair, a great and powerful mage, turned an enemy into a tree, which is a dangerous feat and will have consequences, but it is left unsaid what these consequences were. In Tortall and Other Lands we find the story of “Elder Brother”, which explains that as a result of this deed, in return a tree has been turned into a man elsewhere in Tortall and must learn how to act as a human. This book of short stories proves that not only can Tamora Pierce write great young adult series, but also some inspiring short stories like this one, a piece in which one cannot help but sympathize with the tree-turned-man as he struggles to understand these new and sudden changes. In the tradition of Pierce, most of her stories, such as “Huntress” and “Student of the Ostriches,” provide strong female heroines that young girls may truly look up to, which is always lacking in young adult fiction. Tamora Pierce is a prime example of how to write truly inspiring young adult fiction and, as a writer, I hope that I can take what I have learned from Pierce and apply it to my own writing.

[aforestofbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did enjoy some of the stories, I honestly think this book isn't necessary to read at all. Barely any of the characters that we've been introduced to were actually the main focus of the short stories. And the ones that were, well...they were okay. Nawat's story was just weird and kind of worrying...like I'm seriously concerned for Aly and Nawat's relationship in the future. And the one about Kitten was nice, but confusing cause it was hard to picture. I found the second and third short stories to be slightly problematic. Though in the afterwards it was somewhat explained what Tamora Pierce was trying to do, I just don't know if it was executed that well. The Huntress story has to be the weirdest thing I've ever read. It doesn't even take place in Tortall, but in New York?!! It was kind of creepy and shocking, but also drew me in, so I guess that's a good thing. One thing I wish was added was a map and like points on the map showing where each story takes place, cause I have no idea if some of the stories take place in the Circle Universe or not. Overall, I don't think this book is necessary to read at all, and I'd honestly skip it. It's not going to be something I'll pick up again and again like Tammy's actual Tortall/Circle books.

[Xan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this collection was mixed for me.

The contemporary tales didn't work for me. I needed more from them, more characterization, more complexity.

I had a real hard time with the tales that were clearly a critique of veils; this issue is really complex and it is troubling to take it on so simplistically from a western point of view. I had a similar issue with "Time of Proving".

I enjoyed the story "The Dragon's Tale" very much, and loved the way it took me back to characters I have great affection for.

I found Lost thoughtful and compelling, though I dream of stories which depict victims of abuse as taking actions on their own behalf and not just rescued.

I found Nawat compelling and challenging, as a depiction of acculturation and struggles with that, in a cross-species metaphor.

I find Pierce's work compelling and have great affection for it even as I find it troubling, particularly about race and colonialism. This collection inspired less affection in me than her novels, which may be about the medium of short fiction not being the place where she does the things I enjoy about her work.

[Gwendolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales is just that.

Old friends and new; short stories that have appeared in other anthologies, as well as new stories appearing for the first time in print.

As the title of the collection implies, not all of the stories take place in Tortall, nor are all of the characters you will meet within these pages familiar ones for readers of her novels.

What is unusual in this collection is that unlike most anthologies, the stories come first. The authors comments that typically serve to set the pieces, to place them in context, are instead appended at the end of the last story... but that is neither here nor there.

What is important is that these are stories worth reading.

They are about coming of age, about learning to trust and believe in yourself, about learning to find your own way, about bravery, and of course... about magic.

Whether you are a long-time fan or a first-time reader of Tamora Pierce's work, this is a collection of wonderful, powerful stories that will warm your heart and stir your imagination.

Enjoy!

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales is a selection of ten short stories from Tamora Pierce. This young adult collection puts Pierce's ability to draw the reader into the lives of her characters on display perfectly. Pierce consistently writes compelling tales for children and young adults that make the readers really care about the characters and the bigger picture of the world that they live in. While eight of the stories in this book are fantasy, taking place in Tortall and surrounding lands, there are also two works that take place in the real world. Fans on Pierce will be thrilled to see some stories about favorite characters, and some new characters. There are also two stories that take place in modern time and real places, rather than the fantasy realm of Tortall. I count myself among Pierce's fans, and fully admit to suggesting her work to many people when they ask for reading recommendations for their children or themselves.



Read my complete review here.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unequivocably delighted with this book. Normally I'm less impressed by short story collections, if only because for most of my favourite authors I've usually read a couple before. For this, however, all of the stories were new to me.

It was increasingly clear with this book just how much Tamora Pierce has grown as a writer since the Alanna quartet, and how increasingly aware her writing is of both feminism and social justice issues in general.

I flailed in real life at the story of the man who was a tree - what a gorgeous pickup of a tiny detail from the main book series', and it made me like Numair better for trying to help him, too - and Kylaia's story was wonderful as well. I also really appreciated the pair of stories tackling life i na socciety where women are veiled, and it was fantastic to see multiple points of view there, especially in a YA story.

Additionally, the tiny snippet at the end for Mastiff made me desperately want that to be out already omg.


Trigger warning for one story which has a threat of rape.

[Liz Witkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Tammy fan should read this book. It's an amazing mix of nostalgia with old friends and exciting new settings.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all novelists can write short stories. Tamora Pierce can.

[Beka]

Tamora Pierce was a formative author for me as a young girl, and I can’t wait to “rediscover” her now that I’m older. Seeing a friend reading one of her books on here reminded me of how much I’ve missed Tortall. 💖

[Danie ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so wonderful.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy the last 2 tales, so it's 4/5 stars 💙

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall this one just didn't do it for me. If you're a huge fan of Tamora Pierce then sure, give it a read, otherwise this is a book you can easily miss out.

Student of Ostriches
This one is about Kylaia and unless you've got a good memory (or just really like unicorns like me) you might not remember that she's the Shang Unicorn. Basically this is her backstory. Nice bit of girl power fluff but nothing exceptional.

Elder Brother
A character who's a little easier to remember this one deals with the tree that Numair caused to become human when he turned a man into a tree. To save time and to make it easier to write as a short story Qiom just automatically can know things because of magic. He meets Fadal who claims that he'll help turn him into a man, yet doesn't do much of that they just go place to place with the plot twist centring on Fadal. Typical Pierce twist with a typical forced change to the main character's feelings.

The Hidden Girl
Largely this one dealt with women wearing a veil and how it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It also talks about fighting corruption in religion and helping people to not be ignorant about their religious teachings. Which contrasts nicely with the previous story and for me says that neither idea is necessarily wrong.

Nawat
I can't stand Nawat, I can't stand his relationship with Aly, it's beastiality it makes me feel sick. This story did not make me feel any less sick with how long it lasted and how much it dealt with 'splooting'. I was also under the impression that Nawat had given up being a crow and was now a man as he claimed in the Trickster series but here we see him take a 180 and go back to being a crow and demanding that his human children be raised as crows.

The Dragon's Tale
This one felt a little flat to me. I enjoyed the difficulty Kitten had in trying to communicate, but overall I felt that near the end when things were happening the background characters were just sanding doing nothing which considering the circumstances I'd have expected a bit more action from everyone involved.

Lost
I don't like Darkings, I felt in the first place their introduction was very convenient and their 'cuteness' is not appealing to me. This story in particular involves the friendship between a Darking befriending an abused girl who loves maths, but for me the story went on for a bit too long to be really enjoyable.

Time of Proving
This was one of the stories I really liked, only a few pages long but it had such power to it A girl befriends a strange poetry loving creature and there's just enough story to see the turning point of the girls life, how she will prove herself and what she'll take back to her people.

Plain Magic
This was another story that I liked reading, it was very simple, involved a dragon, involved some simple magic and the kindness of a stranger given simply because someone was happy enough to talk them about their village life.

Mimic
Girl finds strange creature, girl looks after and helps strange creature, many long pages, danger happens, conclusion happens.

Huntress
This story is based in modern New York and makes me very intrigued in if Pierce is going to write more stories with a modern real world setting. This was easily my favourite in a collection of mediocre stories. A lonely girl with a love for running befriends some people who are not what they seem.

Testing
This story revolves around a real life situation that Pierce had been in. Normally I'd hate a story in which the author self inserts, but this one was ok. A new housemother in a girl's home gets tested by the girls to see if she's fit enough to be their housemother but she ends up finding a way to intrigue the girls to make them want to keep her (not that it stops that from playing all sorts of pranks on her).

Although there were stories in this collection that in some cases I managed to enjoy it was still not enough to make me like the book on a whole.
Anyone interested in Pierce shouldn't make this one of their first books to read, take the time to read her other series before trying to get into this one.

[Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of this collection of short stories, anything for more adventures into Tortall. It was nice to see familiar characters from new perspectives. My favourite stories with known characters were The Dragon's Tale from Kitten's perspective and Nawat about his first days as a father. One step away from characters we already know, Elder Brother finally tells the story of the tree that became a man when Numair turned Tristan into a tree in Wolf-speaker and Student of Ostriches tells of the early years of the Shang Unicorn referenced by Liam Ironarm in Lioness Rampant . So many of these stories were different takes on oppressed young women overcoming obstacles; The Hidden Girl covers religion, Lost, with darking cameos, tells of an overpowering and ignorant father withholding education, which is also covered in Plain Magic, along with the expendable nature of women. Completely unique, I really enjoyed Time of Proving and Mimic.

If only the collection ended after these stories. Unfortunately, the last two, Huntress and Testing broke the spell the others were so subtly weaving. The contemporary setting was too modern, they felt jarring and out-of-place in the collection. Huntress especially was quite dark. It was intense and creative and captivating, but very dark considering the age demographic of the other stories.

Overall, an excellent collection of short stories with some familiar and not-so-familiar faces. For the Tortall-only experience I'd skip the last two stories, or consider them separate from the others.

Other books in the Tortall Universe:
#1: Alanna: The First Adventure ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#2: In the Hand of the Goddess ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#4: Lioness Rampant ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#5: Wild Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#6: Wolf-speaker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#7: Emperor Mage ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#8: The Realms of the Gods ⭐⭐⭐
#9: First Test ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#10: Page ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#11: Squire ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#12: Lady Knight ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#13: Trickster's Choice ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#14: Trickster's Queen ⭐⭐⭐
#15: Terrier ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#16: Bloodhound ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#17: Mastiff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#19: Tortall: A Spy's Guide ⭐⭐⭐
#20: Tempests and Slaughter ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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[Kayt O'Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamora Pierce is best-known for her YA fantasy novels set in the land of Tortall, and all but two of these stories (the other two being modern-day tales) take place there. Fans of hers will devour this in a snap, but you don't have to be familiar with her work to enjoy them.

For this review, though, we're operating on the assumption you're familiar with Pierce's work. The majority of the stories are, for the reader, going to be great fun--the backstory (or side story) that you didn't you you wanted.

Student of Ostriches Although the book won't tell you, this is the story of the Shang Unicorn mentioned in the Lioness quartet (a famed and powerful martial artist). Kylaia al Jmaa isn't pretty, like her sisters, but when she's out with her herd, she learns from the animals around her how to defend herself.

Elder Brother When a mage is turned into an apple tree (Immortals quartet), an apple tree half the world away turns into a man, and has to deal with the strange world he now lives in.

The Hidden Girl Set in the same country as Elder Brother, the story of a girl who must live within the society's strict religious rules. A thinly-veiled commentary predominantly on Islam (although Pierce's end notes mention Judaism and Christianity as well) and extremism.

Nawat The story of Aly's first children, and how Nawat Crow deals with having children (Trickster series). One of the weaker stories, because Nawat can be unbearably thick at times, and it probably doesn't make as much sense as it *should* unless you're familiar with the backstory of the crows, the Copper Isles, and everything else.

The Dragon's Tale A 15-year-old Kitten (a.k.a Skysong, Immortals quartet) and what she gets up to when her foster parents are distracted. Hey, it's not *her* fault the silly humans think she's a lizard and don't believe that she's more intelligent than they are...One of the best stories, and easily understandable without knowledge of the series.

Adria Not related to any of the series, a young mathematics genius learns about the outside world. Short, sweet, and more filler than anything else.

Plain Magic A girl loses a lethal lottery, but all is not as it seems. The first short story Pierce wrote, which you can tell when you try to figure out why the dragon in this story is much different than the established, intelligent and curious dragons of canon. Still, it's actually very good and makes you want a continuation.

Mimic In an undisclosed valley, a girl finds a curious lizard nearly dead, and nurses it back to health. Again, short but makes you want more.

Huntress A modern story set in New York. Corey is accepted to the elite Christopher Academy and its track team, but discovers a vicious secret. Also a fairly weak story.

Testing At the Smithton Home for Girls, every new housemother has to go through the girls' rigorous testing before being accepted...and no one's made it through yet. Based on Pierce's experiences as a housemother.

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales was a gift from my Goodreads Secret Santa, so thank you, whoever you are! Like any anthology, some stories were better than others so I decided to do a mini review of each one so other readers know what characters from Pierce's writing come up and what to expect in general. Mild spoilers for other books in the Tortallan universe.

Student of Ostriches

This story details the childhood of Kylaia al Jmaa, the Shang Unicorn, who is mentioned, as I recall, in Lioness Rampant. It took me a while to remember exactly who she was as I don't think we ever actually met her in Lioness Rampant, but it was perfectly clear that she was going to become a Shang warrior because of the way in which she trains herself, punching trees to toughen up her hands. I remember Liam teaching Alanna to do the same.

Fair warning: a couple of animals are killed in this story. Other than that, the story has a pretty distinctly middle grade feel. It reminded me a lot of Girls to the Rescue. Middle grade, girl power. I probably would've enjoyed it more twenty years ago.

Elder Brother

Do you remember when Numair turned Tristan Staghorn into a tree in Wolf-Speaker? This story is about the tree that was turned into a man in exchange. I felt rather sorry for him - what a trauma it must be to suddenly find yourself uprooted from all you know - literally! How much more peaceful it must be to be a tree than a man. It reminded me of Half Lost, although I'll try and resist the temptation to explain why... Pierce has has used this rather unique world view - a man with no social/cultural preconceptions - as a way to look at how religious extremists restrict women's lives. It's a shame that Qiom didn't feature in any of her other books. He'd've been rather an interesting character to explore further.

The Hidden Girl

This story gives a different perspective on some of the events of Elder Brother. I got the sense that Pierce was trying to show that she doesn't object to religion, just extremism. It shows a young woman who finds freedom and power in religious clothing - a garment similar to a niqab, as far as I can tell. It also denounces people who twist religious texts to exert control over others and shows the importance of being able to read - something I can definitely get on board with.

Nawat

At the end of Trickster's Queen, Aly is pregnant. This story shows her in labour and the early days and weeks with the children (three!) that she delivers. As always with Nawat, it's quite entertaining seeing the differences in crow and human behaviour - this time with him holding the babies out the window so they can pee and poo "outside of the nest", with unfortunate consequences for passersby! It does have a serious message too - the importance of accepting our children for whoever they are, no matter what. Aly is one of my favourite of Pierce's characters so it was great to see some more of her. Great, too, to see some more of the darkings!

The Dragon's Tale

I LOVED this! I am a massive dragon fangirl and to spend some more time with Kitten (Skysong) was brilliant! Daine has raised her so well - she's so kind and friendly and cheeky and I absolutely love it! And... more dragons! Yay!

Lost

Another one that reminds me of Girls to the Rescue! This is the story of Adria, a very intelligent girl from Tusaine, whose father is cruel and controlling. This is a beautiful story that values education. The darking, Lost, so profoundly says that young people shouldn't be jumpy or afraid and that it is never their fault when adults treat them badly. Tamora Pierce tells us at the end of the book that she hates people who try and clip children's wings and I could not agree more.

Time of Proving

I must admit - I'm not sure what Pierce was trying to do with this story. The other stories could largely be described as fables - all with a moral message of some kind. But truthfully, I can't see much of one here. That poetry won't keep you alive? That minotaurs are thoughtful beings? That hunting for pleasure is screwed up? Not sure.

Plain Magic

This harkens back to The Woman Who Rides Like a Man and Alanna teaching Ishak the value of women's skills and, specifically, the magic tied into thread. Or trying to, at least! I really liked Plain Magic. That the "plain" can have power. That we shouldn't judge by appearances. That virgin sacrifice is stupid and misogynist! Because...dragons! Yes, that's right - I said dragons! I wish Tamora Pierce would make this short story into a full length book!

Mimic

Wait for it... DRAGONS! DRAGONS! YES, MORE DRAGONS! Anyone who enjoyed Wild Magic will like this story. As far as I can tell, the heroine doesn't have wild magic as per se but she loves animals, cares for them and tries to heal them when they're wounded. The magic in Mimic is so lovely - this idea of a community having a pact with the birds, that they will feed the birds and care for them and the birds will keep their crops and their people free of pests. It's charming and beautiful and I adored it.

Huntress

Huntress is a modern day tale, although its main character and her family have pagan beliefs that I suppose could refer back to some of those held by Tortallans. It's a pretty left field story compared to the rest of the book and is rather fucked up in a vaguely Battle Royale/The Hunger Games kind of way. I'm not going to lie - I definitely did not see that coming! I'm not going to go into further detail as the value of this story is in its shock value.

Testing

The final tale of the book is a semi-autobiographical based on one of Tamora Pierce's first jobs after college, working in a group home for teenage girls. I was ever so interested to learn that The Song of the Lioness was originally going to be one adult book and that it and her future writing career were shaped by her time working with these teenage girls. Perhaps it's why she writes for young people so well and why there is such a focus on female empowerment in her writing!

[Eva Mitnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half of these 11 stories take place in or near Tortall, the kingdom that fans of Pierce have come to know well, but four of them are non-Tortall fantasies and one of them is not a fantasy at all.

Strange to say, but though I have read both Beka Cooper books, all four of the Protector of the Small quartet, the Circle of Magic quartet, AND the Circle Opens quartet, I have never read either the Immortals or Song of the Lioness quartets. Weird, huh?

However, it does put me in a good position to tell you that no familiarity of those last two quartets (or indeed, any of Pierce's books) is needed to thoroughly enjoy this collection of stories. Certainly, fans will recognize themes from Pierce's work. Girls and women in these stories use inner strength and any available resources to overcome obstacles placed in their way by society, religion, their families, or their own fears. There is plenty of Girl Power here, shining from almost every page.

Folks who have read all the Tortall books will no doubt recognize some familiar characters - I didn't, needless to say. But I did fall in love with the blobby, adaptable creatures called Darkings, and would love to read more about them. And Nawat (a crow who takes human form) won my heart, with his loyal, loving, and birdlike approach to his human wife Aly and their three new triplets. There are parallels to the Taliban and Islam, and several powerful stories that take place in dry, desolate places where self-reliance must be cultivated. The two modern stories (one a rather intense urban fantasy thriller and the other about girls in a group home trying - and failing - to "test" a new housemother) did not appeal to me nearly as much. Although they do show Pierce's range, her world-building is one of my favorite things about her writing.

Included is a snippet of the third Beka Cooper novel, to come out later this year. I can't wait!

Recommended for fans ages of Tamora Pierce ages 12 and up, and also for readers who have enjoyed Ursula Le Guin's story collection Tales from Earthsea.