Daja's Book (Circle of Magic Series #3) » (Reprint)

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.

Four friends. Four elements. A world in the balance. When Daja is exiled by her people, the Traders, she embarks on an epic adventure which will forge her fate in fire.

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).