Parents' Guide to

Tortall and Other Lands

By Betsy Bozdech, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Short stories feature strong heroines, some mature content.

Book Tamora Pierce Fantasy 2011
Tortall and Other Lands Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

TORTALL AND OTHER LANDS collects 12 of author Tamora Pierce's short stories. About half take place within the broader reaches of the world of Tortall, where most of Pierce's series (including the Alanna, Daine, Keladry, and Beka Cooper novels) have been set. A couple feature characters readers will know from earlier books -- including Kitten the dragon, Nawat the crow man, and the intrepid darkings -- but most focus on new heroes and heroines (mostly the latter) faced with their own particular challenges. Most of the stories not set in Tortall all take place in similarly fantasy-friendly lands full of magic and dragons, except for two: "Huntress," which follows a modern New York City girl's attempts to join the cool crowd ... or die trying, and the non-fantasy "Testing," which takes place in a group home for teen girls. Typically for Pierce's work, most of the protagonists are girls who are driven to prove themselves -- to their communities, their families, or themselves.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

If your teens like short stories, there's lots to enjoy here, whether they're longtime Pierce fans or new to her work. The stories set within the Tortall universe are entertaining in their own right, as well as fun for fans who are always eager to read more about characters they know and love. Fans will appreciate being able to see things from Kitten's point of view in "The Dragon's Tale," for instance, since her previous appearances in Pierce's books have never given readers her perspective. And the darkings are always great comic relief. The least successful -- and longest -- of the Tortall-set tales is "Nawat"; the pacing is off, and some of the plot points are a bit murky/confusing. "Elder Brother" offers a pointed-but-not-overdone message about what it really means to be human; its follow-up, "The Hidden Girl," is more heavy handed but will have a lot of resonance in today's world.

Among the non-Tortall stories, "Plain Magic" (which is one of Pierce's first fictional pieces) has echoes of the themes that would appear later in her Circle of Magic series, while "Time of Proving" and "Mimic" are entertaining, if not stand-outs. "Huntress," which takes place in our contemporary world, is one of the most violent of the stories; it's exciting to see Pierce tackle a different type of fantasy, but those who know her Tortall books are likely going to keep their fingers crossed that she chooses to keep returning to that land. Which circles around to what may by the book's single biggest flaw for existing Pierce fans (and/or those who don't gravitate toward short stories): Just when you're getting back into the groove with characters you enjoy, the story's over.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how these stories portray girls and women. Are the main characters all role models? How do the heroines compare to the heroes?

  • What role does violence play in the stories? Is it necessary to the plot in some/all cases? Why or why not?

  • How does "Huntress" compare to the other tales in the collection? What sets it apart, aside from its setting? What about "Testing"? If you're a fan of Pierce's previous work, how do these two stories fit in?

Book Details

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