Tamora Lovers discussion

What is the difference between these books? I noticed that people prefer the Tortall books better than the Circle books.

I personally like both, but I must admit that I do enjoy Tortall series better.

I could only make myself read the first 2 of the circle books. They just don't do anything for me. I didn't become invested in the characters. Maybe it was because the circle books you have to focus on 4 different main characters and each of the Tortall quartets there is only one main player. I love a great female heroine. Alanna, Daine, Kel, Aly, have all consistently been kick ass characters. I just didn't feel that with the circle books.

I like the circle books. I loved them so much, I read the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd serries. The 1st one is most assuredaly the best, though.

maybe I should go back and give them another try

You should. ^v^

You definetley should go back and read them, they are great books.

I agree with what you said though, they are really kick ass main heroines and there is only focus on the main once.

But Tris is definetly a kick ass heroine in my opinion.

I love them both too, but like Tortall a bit better. I love Daine!

I enjoy the Circle of Magic books but could live without them. There is something about Tortall that just fascinates me. However I will say that the most recent CoM (The Will of The Empress) was my favorite so far so maybe it will keep getting better. Maybe it is harder to read them now because I'm so much older than the characters whereas when I first read them I was the same age.

I read the first couple CoM books when I was...I don't know, probably between 8 and 10. I thought they were interesting, but I couldn't keep all the characters straight and got bored with them. Then I discovered Tortall a couple years later when I stumbled upon the PotS series and have been a fan ever since. I never had enough interest in CoM to try reading them again.

I also prefer the Tortall series. Would I be right to say CoM seems to be aimed at a slightly younger audience, with the exception of the latest? The characters are all unique and well-defined, as usual, but the plots in the first two series seemed to followed similar, predictable patterns, unlike most stories in the Tortall series.

I think I must agree with you, Lee. Except for The Will of the Empress, they are targeted for the younger audience.

i agree. just def. NOT WOTE.

i just started the tortall books, and therefore cannot form a proper opinion, but i really liked Circle of Magic.

I like the Circle of Magic.
Weather!
Cloth!
Metal work!
Plants!

I've always liked Sandry.

Sandry'd probably be my pick. Briar's maybe next.

Briar's cute...
I like Evi

I've always liked Tris.

i like Daja. She's so... idk... different.

I've always liked Sandry. Do you guys remember that scene in the first book where she sticks up for Daja 'If i say my friends a lady, then you better start lapping, kitty' ?. I'm not so sure about the younger audience. I don't think that she was really aiming for an audience. Younger people need more action to keep them intrigued. The books followed a pattern, and were slow at points. I didn't like the Cicle Opens. It was good, but just really... unsettling. It felt wrong to have them be apart. THat's what I like about that series. You feel a real connection with the characters, and I feel like there is more character development. I feel as if they may be more "sophisticated', as one of my friends put it, even though they are more simple.

Sandry is my favorite from the circle books, but in general I like the Tortall series much better. It was much more entertaining and I felt closer to the characters. I had more things in common with Sandry and if more of the books were about her (her as the main character) I would love them. But the series was just a bit to slow for me. Not enough romance, action, or just story in general. But Tortall wins by far!

I personally love Tris. I just can't wait for her book to come out. Also I started reading this series before I heard about the Tortal series. I love the Circle of Magic better than Tortal.

The Circle of Magic books were good, but they just didn't feel right to me. I personally got confused and really wanted my Tortall back. Tortall had the knights and such. Circle of Magic: none.

I love them both, but Tortall more. Sandry is my favorite, same reasons as Amy said, and she just seems really nice. I like Triss too tho...

Ya i guess i enjoy the setting of tortall better it was more described, you really had a good picture in your mind or at least I did.

I like what Marissa said about "wanting my Tortall back." I'm in my 30s, and have just discovered Tamora this year, but I couldn't make myself finish the Circle series(es. What's the plural of series? Huh.)

But I did enjoy Will of the Empress.

I love Tortall the best. I can't get myself to read Circle of Magic, i started with the first book, but i couldn't get drawn into it like the tortall series ones.

I really think that both series are really interesting. Now, I read the Circle books first so that might have something to do with it, but I really like Sandry. Tortall is great though. I lvoe the strength of the female characters and I like how some of them have magic, but some of them don't so you get both sides.

Circle of Magic books are for slightly younger readers, I thought. The Tortall books are more suited to Teens.

I've been a Tammy fan since 1992, and I just finished reading all the Circle books, many of them for the first time. While I originally thought they were for a younger audience, I've since changed my mind. The initial quartet is written in a slightly more simplistic style, mainly because the four lead characters are 10 or 11, but the rest of the books are just as grown up as any of Tammy's Tortall books. Aside from Melting Stones, which I didn't particularly care for, I think this is a very strong series. I'll never love the four young mages as much as Alanna, but I met Alanna when I was 13, and I didn't meet these four until I was in my late 20's. Give them a chance; they are well worth it.

I loved the Circle of Magic books but I havent read them for a while...

I think Sharrina has a point with saying that maybe it's the first series that you read that has people hooked. I didn't even know that the Tortal existed utill a couple of months after I read the Circle series; then I read the Lioness series out of order.

I'd DEFINTETLY have to say the Tortall books are better than the circle of magic, but I LOVE both!!

It's hard to tell, I love them both, but I gotta say I like that Tortall books better. Especially the Beka Cooper books. I can't seem to fine the 'Melting Stones" book, which is Circle.

Lee wrote: "Sandry'd probably be my pick. Briar's maybe next."

Briar would be my first pick. I have always had an affiliation with thieves.

Actually I changed my mind. I like the Tortall books.

I like the Circle books the best. You get to see what it's like to be a young mage and learn about different types of magic. In the Tortall books there seems to be just a general type of magic.

Well, there's the Beka Cooper books where you get to learn about that Air Magic thing she has, that's different.

I love all of tamoras books but i think the tortall ones are more popular because the main hero is a woman in all of the stories.

If you didnt like the Circle of Magic because there were to many characters to focus on, try the Circle Opens it singles them out in their own adventures

That's one of the reasons that I like them. I am actually writing a paper about her. (Tamora Pierce)

Really cool what exactly is the topic?

Why she is the most awesomest author in the world. (Yes, i do know that "awesomest" isn't a word, but it should be.)

I love Briar. More than any of her other characters, Briar is everything I ever wanted.
Plus I like the more scattered, intertwined story patterns of the Circle.

But Tortall is amazing, too...

One of the different things about Briar is that he is male, and a main character. Most of the other ones are female. Daine, Alanna, Kel, Beka, Aly...

Anne wrote: "One of the different things about Briar is that he is male, and a main character. Most of the other ones are female. Daine, Alanna, Kel, Beka, Aly..."

I know that, and I'm ashamed that out of all her characters, he's my favorite, but he just seems the most real to me. Plus I was super interested in the whole "gang" thing, for a while.

Yeah, but Melting Stones isn't of the same caliber as the other "Briar" books are.

Melting Stones is definitely not of the same caliber, but Briar is not in it.

He's not? I haven't actually read it, but from what I have read on the book, I did not feel the urge to read it. Briar WAS in the Will of the Empress, and that wasn't as good either.

I loved the Will of the Empress. It seemed like the perfect progression of their friendship, of their lives and of their magic.

Really? It sort of bored me. I liked it better when they were younger.