Briar's Book (Circle of Magic Series #4) » (1ST)

Tamora Pierce lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, five cats, two birds, and various freeloading wildlife. Visit her online at www.tamorapierce.com.

As a strange plague settles over the land and threatens their very existence, Briar, Daja, Sandry, and Tris must use their magic to find the source of the sickness...fast.

VOYA

It has been almost a year since Briar, Tris, Sandry, and Daja came to live at Winding Circle Temple. In that time they have learned a great deal about themselves and the magic they all hold. By combining their talents, the four have overcome earthquakes, raiders, and forest fire. In this fourth and final volume in the Circle of Magic series, it is Briar's turn to feature as the main protagonist as he and his friends face yet another even more threatening foe: plague. Even the most powerful healers in the kingdom have never seen this plague before. Briar and his guardian, Rosethorn, are enlisted to help in distilling the essence of the pox from hundreds of patient samples in hopes of finding an antidote. Even though utmost care is taken, Rosethorn is accidentally exposed to the pox. When she comes down with the plague, everyone, especially Briar, is devastated. Rosethorn has been the anchor in Briar's life ever since he came to Winding Circle. When she succumbs to the disease, Briar is determined to bring her back. Magically, he anchors his essence in the world of the living and crosses over into the world of the dead. Without Tris, Sandry, and Daja to hold onto him, Briar would also be lost, but with their help he is ultimately able to find Rosethorn and convince her to return. Pierce continues to put forth excellent work. Her detailed settings are fascinating, and her knack for establishing powerful relationships between her characters is unrivaled. A book about the intricacies of a plague has the potential to be tedious, but that never happens here. Readers will be drawn in from the very first, in this satisfying ending to an excellent series. 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).