- Hardcover: 592 pages
- Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition (Oct 24 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 037581468X
- ISBN-13: 978-0375814686
- Product Dimensions: 14.9 x 4.4 x 21.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 1.6 Kg
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #289,531 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 7 Up—Orphaned Beka Cooper, 16, is a trainee-a "Puppy"-in the Provost's Guard. Having spent the first half of her life in Tortall's slums, she is driven by the need to do what is right and see justice done. Paired with two of the best Guards, or "Dogs," in the organization and aided by her own gifts of magic, Beka learns her job, makes friends with two mages and a thief, and uncovers two serial killers who prey on the poor and unnoticed. With Terrier, Pierce tries out a new style of storytelling and succeeds admirably. Beka, the ancestor of George Cooper from the "Song of the Lioness" series (S & S), tells her story through journal entries, making for a thoroughly engaging read. The characters are recognizable types, but all have their own personalities. Readers will enjoy meeting the Lady Knight Sabine of Macayhill, Alanna's precursor in profession and temperament; Rosto the Piper; and Beka's friends. The level of violence is comparable to that found in "The Circle Opens" series (Scholastic) but isn't as gratuitous. This seems mostly to be due to the journal format, which gives readers only Beka's thoughts and feelings as opposed to those of the killers as well. With its rollicking adventure, appealing characters, and inclusion of Tortall's history, Terrier will be in strong demand by Pierce's fans. It will keep readers on the edge of their seats.—Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Having followed her signature heroine into the next generation with her Trickster duet, Pierce now looks back into the history of Tortall and finds another fierce, lovable gal who won't take any guff. Sixteen-year-old Beka Cooper, born hundreds of years before Alanna drew her first sword, has just signed on as a Puppy (trainee) with her city's crime fighters, unofficially known as the Dogs. Beka's extrasensory gifts and a firsthand understanding of her tough beat help her to "scent" two heinous criminals, whom she delivers to justice--despite the limitations of her apprentice role--by rallying a lively network of informants, mentors, and allies. Pierce deftly handles the novel's journal structure, and her clear homage to the police-procedural genre applies a welcome twist to the girl-legend-in-the-making story line. Leisurely infusions of detail frequently slow things down, but homely, often comic pauses interspersing epic deeds have become touchstones of Pierce's storytelling, and not even the strained surprise ending will prevent fans from begging for more about the avenging pup known as a "Terrier among Dogs." Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too,
By TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beka Cooper: Terrier (Hardcover)
TERRIER is the latest from a brilliant author whose earlier works you've got to read if you haven't already! My expectations for this book, as it is by Tamora Pierce, were, of course, quite high, and I was not disappointed. This might be my new favorite of hers (though it still might be beat out by the SONG OF THE LIONESS quartet--it's close), which is certainly saying a lot.It's the story of Beka Cooper, a Lower City girl and member of the Provost's Guard who lives centuries before Alanna the Lioness and those characters of her world known to fans of Tamora Pierce's other work. Beka lives in the dark time spoken of in one of the Alanna books when every sword, whether held by a man or a woman, was needed. Indeed, Alanna was not the first Lady Knight; hundreds of years before, women could earn their shields without having to hide who they were. In fact, one of the many fascinating characters known to Beka is a Lady Knight named Sabine. She reminded me of Alanna. Mattes, one of the guardsmen whose job it is to train Beka in their ways, reminds me of one of Alanna's friends, Raoul. Rosto is quite like George Cooper (whose ancestor Beka is!), as well. And fans of the SONG OF THE LIONESS quartet will also recognize Beka's cat, Pounce! When Beka trains to be a Puppy in the Guard, she knows someday she'll be a Dog, and she wants to be a good one. She's quite excited to be assigned to one of the best pairs in the Lower City; indeed, in all of Corus! She knows it'll be hard work, that Mattes and Clary will work her hard, but she's ready for it. This is what she wants to do. She's aided by her friends, her cat, and her magical Gifts of listening to the winds and to the pigeons who carry the souls of the dead. Soon after she starts her work, Beka learns of some dangerous goings-on in the Lower City, and it's up to her to stop it, as only a true Lower City girl could--one with Beka's listening talents, at that. She knows the people, she knows their ways, and she is uniquely fit for figuring out what's going on in her neighborhood, and that is what she will do. The format of TERRIER is different from that of Pierce's other books. It's told as Beka's journal, for one thing, meaning it's in first person. All of her other novels are in third person! It's certainly a change, but she does quite well with it. The only problem is the length of some of these journal entries! Beka is tired from her work as a Puppy; she's not going to write twenty, thirty pages in her journal at night! She probably won't even remember enough to write such long entries! That is the only flaw I found in this book, and that's easy to overlook. This is a page-turner, a wonderfully written story, with amazing characters. Whether you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, of fantasy, or of books in general, read this book! Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce
5.0 out of 5 stars
Already read it three times!,
By
This review is from: Beka Cooper: Terrier (Hardcover)
This is Tamora Pierce's best book yet, and I've read them all over the years as I urged them upon my kids. There's enough in here for adults to love (especially those who like Terry Pratchett's NightWatch) and great for kids, too.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A lovely start to a new trilogy,
By rabidreader "rabidreader" (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Beka Cooper: Terrier (Hardcover)
Tamora Pierce has an unusual ability to write fantasy for young adults within a realistically portrayed society. Many authors sugar coat the harsh practicalities of life in a medieval world, setting their stories in a quasi-medieval society with surprisingly modern mores and standards. Pierce avoids this temptation, with her characters encountering the good, bad and ugly of life. She did this in the Trickster duology, handling political intruigue and the darker side of staging of a rebellion, and she does it here in law enforcement, in a world where police brutality, torturing prisoners for information, and bribery are part of the job and the difference between the cops and criminals is not necessarily all that large.Beka Cooper, ancestor of George Cooper, is a rookie cop in a Tortall 200 years before the time of Alanna. She is sent out on the beat in the rough part of town, the world into which she was born, with a pair of tough but good cops. This book covers her first few months of her job and the unravelling of a particularly nasty case involving the kidnapping and murder of young children. Beka is a lovely character - dedicated, intelligent and tough, but shy to the point of incoherence in front of strangers and possesing a strange magical power and the ability to hear ghosts. She is also fiercely loyal to the world of her childhood and the protection of those who do not have the resources to buy protection or justice. This book isn't just for young adults - it's also a very good read for adults who like well written, subtly drawn fantasy.
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