Circle of Magic #01 S -Nop/107 [Audio Cassette]

The book centers around four young outcasts named Daja (a Trader), Briar (a street thief), Sandry (a noble) & Tris (a commoner). All, for one reason or another, are basically on their own and have experienced far too much pain and disappointment in their young lives. They're unwanted, unloved, and unable to fit in. A mysterious man named "Niko" discovers and delivers each of them to a place called "Winding Circle Temple" where, once again, none of them are quite able to fit in with the other residents. They are eventually separated from the other (bratty and snooty, if you ask me) kids living at Winding Circle and are sent off to "Discipline", a cabin where they're pretty much isolated from the other residents at Winding Circle.

While at "Discipline" each discovers a previously untapped talent for magic. They spend their days learning to develop their own particular talents and becoming an unlikely group of close-knit friends. Eventually their bond and talents are put to the test as they must use their newly developed powers of meditation and concentration to face a natural disaster.

Pierce brings her world alive with vivid imagery and well described settings and the story moves along at brisk clip but I would have enjoyed it more had it been just a mite longer. Though the book is titled "Sandry's Book" it was as much about Briar, Tris and Daja as it was about Sandry. Though all of these characters come to life in this production the focus switches all too often between them (and not always smoothly) and their individual stories are spread a bit too thin for my liking (I was also confused at times as to which child was currently speaking which didn't help matters). Tamora Pierce serves as the narrator for the piece along with a full cast of actors supporting her. Pierce's narration comes across as a bit bland and monotonous when compared with the vivacious children but despite it all I found myself anxious to hear how it all turned out.

The story has humor, the kids are survivors both wise and emotional and I'm anxious to check out the other books in the series to learn more about prickly, guarded Tris, kind-hearted Sandry, plucky Briar and Daja (I can't wait to see where her interesting version of magic leads).

Sandry's Book, being the first book in the Circle Opens, is basically an introduction to all four of the characters: Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar. All of these children are either orphaned or have relatives that do not wish to have them. Since they all come from different social classes and they all have different beliefs, their meeting is an awkward one, but since they were chosen to live in the same house, they must learn to at least respect each other. While they are staying at the Winding Circle Temple, they each discover that they have their own magical gifts: Sandry is gifted in working thread, Tris in changing the weather, Daja in working different types of metal, and Briar in taking care of plants. Since they were not born in an environment that was able to favour these magical gifts, they must now learn how to understand and control them.

I recommend this story to any Tamora Pierce fan, however those who are older than twelve-years-old might not enjoy this series as much as her previous ones, especially if they are avid readers. However, even though this book is destined to pre-teenagers, what the book lacks of in maturity and complexity is gained in the discovery of a whole new world. Enjoy!