Lady Knight: Book 4 of the Protector of the Small Quartet (Hardcover)

Lady Knight is the 4th book in Tamora Pierce¡¦s latest quartet, ¡§Protector of the Small.¡¨ Living in New York as a well-known fantasy writer who is known for her books of heroines, she has also wrote two other quartets, also set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. As well as these, she has also wrote the quartets, ¡§Circle of Magic,¡¨ and ¡§The Circle Opens.¡¨

This story took place several years after the first lady knight in a hundred years was knighted. Keladry, called Kel by her friends, strived to become a knight and after a troublesome four years, she was finally knighted. Finally she became what she had wished for all her youth, and was thrown into a war between the barbaric nation of Scanra and the Kingdom of Tortall. She went north with all of her fellow knight friends to help out with the war and she later found herself with a task like no other. She was to be in command of a refugee camp, named Haven, equipped less than 40 soldiers and 500 refugees.

Her task was made even harder when she found out that the Scanran mage, Blayce, was using the souls of children to fuel his ¡¥metal-killing devices.¡¦ What better place to get children souls then at a refugee camp with lots and lots of people compared to almost no guards. Along with her were her friends and fellow knights, Nealen of Queenscove and Merric of Hollyrose. Together they attempted to defend this camp from Scanran raids. However as the commander, Kel was obligated to report her progress to her superiors. Unfortunately for her, this was when Scanrans along with several metal devices decided to pay a visit to her camp and captured all the children with them. Being the loving and caring knight she was, she decided to avoid orders, risk being tried for treason, and went after the captured refugees. Fortunately for her, help came her way and together they went and battled Blayce and his henchman, Stenmun.

In my opinion Tamora Pierce likes to write fast-paced, suspenseful books. Along with her books being of a fantasy nature, I got hooked reading the book right from the first book of her series. Also there are many battle scenes which are described in some-what detail which adds to the suspense. In addition to this there is a glossary and information about each character which is quite useful if you ever get lost. All in all a very good book and luckily there are two more quartets waiting for you to further explore the world of Tortall!

So, Kel enters the very chamber that she's dreaded...the chamber where the giant metal monsters are made. So, I'm thinking, "At last!! The climax of the book!"

So, the mage turns himself invisible, but luckily Kel has her griffin feather band and she kills him. Just like that!! There was no suspenseful fight or even much suspenseful dialogue. I know being a mage, fighting's probably not his forte, but still...

Other than that letdown, the book was a great one. I know some people don't like Kel, but I really admire how hard she works and how she values other people who have good values, be they commoners or nobles. I also liked how she didn't follow the trends of Alanna and Daine and get a guy in the end. I guess that's life...it made her charachter all the more realisitic. Although, I am sort of hoping she and Dom will get together in other books that take place in Tortall. *crosses fingers*

Happy reading!