Daja's Book (Circle of Magic Series #3) by Tamora Pierce

From the Publisher

The magic is out of control!On a journey to Gold Ridge, the four young mages-in-training—Daja, Sandry, Tris and Briar—find their special magics overlapping, sometimes in frightening and destructive ways. One burst of this combined magic leads Daja to create an astonishing vine made of living metal.Her creation is worth a small fortune. But can Daja bargain with the Traders who cast her out without losing her soul'Once again Tamora Pierce, America’s most popular writer of young adult fantasy, leads the Full Cast Family in a thrilling exploration of her intricately woven Circle of Magic.

Children's Literature

This is the third in Pierce's new fantasy quartet, which began with Sandry's Book. Four young friends are blessed and cursed with specific magical skills, which they must learn to manage for the betterment of their world. Daja has a way with fire. She uses this gift as a blacksmith, and at the story's start she finds herself mysteriously making a plant of living iron. How this creation helps Daja to overcome the blight of her young life-being an outcast from her trader clan-is the grist of the tale.

VOYA

This third volume in the Circle of Magic quartet tells the story of Daja, who comes to live with her friends and fellow mages at the Winding Circle Temple. The sole survivor of a shipwreck, Daja is banished according to the Trader custom that her bad luck could affect others. Daja, Sandry, Tris, Briar, and their mentors journey to a land that has been struck by a terrible drought. When a caravan of Traders arrives, none of the Traders will acknowledge Daja-but because Tris has something they want, the Traders perform a ceremony so that one of them, a woman named Polyam, is able to speak with Daja. As Daja is befriended by Polyam, the rest of her friends continue to worry about the threat of fire in a valley that has not seen rain in three years. The villagers' own mage, who has managed to keep them safe so far, dies when the fires get out of control. With Daja and the band of Traders surrounded by flames and trapped in the forest, all of the Winding Circle friends-adults and children-combine their magic to force the fire underground toward a glacier. When the flames meet the ice, the result is an end to the drought, neatly tying up the strings of the story. Pierce continues to put forth fine works of fiction; Daja's story is the strongest book in the series, if a bit predictable. Most readers will be satisfied, although not surprised, when Daja is redeemed for saving the Traders during the fire and her banishment is lifted. With lots of action, drama and excitement, vibrant characters and fascinating detail, this is a sure winner. Pierce fans will be impatiently awaiting this volume. VOYA Codes: 5Q 5P M J S (Hard to imagine it being better written, Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Tamora Pierce's magic series continues with the third book of the series (Scholastic, 1998) focused on one of the young super-talented magicians, Daja, the only surviving member of a band of sea-going traders lost in a shipwreck. Each of the four has a specific talent, but unplumbed depths of hidden abilities continue to emerge as the foursome explores the unusual ties that have linked them mentally, emotionally, and magically. Their four mentors are here too, with assorted dukes, ladies, academic mages (lacking the "wild" talent of these young people), and many other characters. This full cast production performs a great service for listeners by using a different voice for each character and audio effects to highlight the mind-talking. Music cues at the beginning of each tape are helpful, but there are no chapter listings to coordinate following along with the book. The readers give lively and engaging performances, and the part of the narrator is read by the author, who adds depth to the telling and provides a nice touch for fans. Pierce's pace and emphasis are deliberate, helping to keep the complex interrelationships of mages and their magic in the listeners' minds. Familiarity with the previous two books is not necessary to understand this title. A popular addition to libraries with fans of the previous books in the series as well as for those new to this fantasy series.-Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0590554107
  
• ISBN-13: 9780590554107
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 240pp
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Pub. Date: March 2000
• Sales Rank: 20,684
• Age Range: 12 and up
• Series: Circle of Magic Universe Series, #3

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents