Pierce, Tamora, ~ Mastiff ~ Random, 2011 ~ no numbered chapters, 593 pages ~ map of Tortall and of the Three Rivers Hunt in the front matter ~ Detailed cast of characters glossary and list of Achoo's commands in the back matter ~ Audience: some tweens, teens, adults, ~ Rating: excellent.
Opening:
“The burying ground has no trees in it, no shade for us Lower City Dogs. Becaue most of us work in the dark, we want our bodies to lie in the sun.”
Publication History:
This is the third and final volume in the Beka Cooper trilogy. The first volume was Terrier, and the second was Bloodhound.
Setting:
Tortall is a kingdom that will be familiar to Pierce's readers. This story appears in a diary format written by Beka with each entry dated. Most entries appear shortly after the day written about.
Torall is a kingdom with King, Queen, and a four-year old Prince as well as a variety of relatively strong and independent lords and ladies. The King has recently declared that a tax will be placed upon magicians so that they may contribute to the welfare of Tortall. They are unhappy as are lords who would prefer to see the King replaced by another.
The major theme of this story is how cruel and evil slavery can be and how it can influence a variety of political and governmental decisions, especially away from the capitol.
Plot:
The King, Queen and the Prince have moved to the summer palace on the ocean. They are attacked by unknown forces that nearly destroy the palace, kill a large number of those there, including the palace guard, and kidnap the only Prince. Many questions remain unanswered: who did it? how did they do it when the palace was protected by strong magics and a strong guard? Is the young Prince still alive? If so, where is he?
Lord Gershom, besides being Becca's patron, is the Lord Provost of Torall and responsible for the kingdom's law enforcement. He quickly asks Becka [a fourth year Provost's guard or "dog,"] her older partner Matthias Tunstull, and her scent-tracking dog Achoo Curlypaws to quickly and silently go to the summer palace to begin the "hunt" for the missing Prince.
While at the summer palace, a third human member is added to the hunt. Farmer Cape is a Provost's mage from near-by Blue Harbor.
The hunt is a lengthy one. Many dangerous, and unexpected challenges await the small but exceptionally talented "dogs." Besides powerful and sneaky mages, uncooperative lords and ladies make life difficult. Along the way, the "dogs" encounter slaves young and old, often badly treated, which remind the reader of how difficult and deadly slave life can be.
Since the book is narrated as a diary, the reader sees the story through Becca' eyes, so it is a very personal account.
Major Characters:
1. Rebakah Cooper has gone through many difficult challenges and has proven herself to be unusually effective as a law enforcement officer in very difficult circumstances. She is thoughtful, self-critical, makes friends easily, and certainly knows how to protect herself with a variety of weapons. Besides her physical skills, her scent-hound Achoo is clearly the best in the kingdom and the two work very, very well together. In addition, Pounce [a cat who is really a constellation] lends advice and some protective influence from time to time. Beka also has an unusual magical ability. She can speak with and hear pigeons who represent the spirits of the dead and learn from them.
2. Matthias Tunstel has been Beka's partner for some time. Originally a Hillman, he too has exceptional tracking skills as well as being quite a warrior "dog." He is getting on in years and has some physical problems.
3. Farmer Cape is a Provost's mage from Blue Harbor. While he gives the impression of being a bit of a country bumpkin, he is much more of a mage than the company or others expect. Farmer is mostly self-taught or learned via apprenticeships. He has little regard for the arrogant mages from the famous schools.
4. Lady Sabine of Macayhill, is a Knight and a well-regarded one. Her family is an important one with considerable influence in the Kingdom. Tunstall is her lover even though their status is dramatically different.
As expected, there is a very large cast of characters. Most are quite well developed. A few of the uncooperative lords and ladies seem a bit stereotypical but fit well into the plot.
The Reading Experience:
The front matter maps are large and helpful. The Hunt map is more detailed and makes it easy to follow the trail as the hunt procedes.. The list of major characters is unusually detailed and most helpful.
Recommendation keys:
Story length: The story seems longer than the two earlier volumes in this series. However, pages turn quickly and it is difficult to stop reading.
Theme: Experience, training, and constant practice allow the "dogs" to face fearful enemies with a good chance of doing well. Slavery is a terrible crime against all and those that support it also support other evils.
Sex: Sleeping together without any specifics.
Violence: Individual and group violence is threatening and exciting, but not so explicit as to overwhelm younger readers.
Reading difficulty: Some young adults with find the story length somewhat overwhelming, but the text itself should not be a problem.
Summary: Strong page-turning story with appealing, thoughtful heroes. Beka is an unusually strong and thoughtful character. While this trilogy is certainly darker than Pierce's earlier stories it should have considerable appeal for several age groups. I practically read it at one sitting.
Tamora Pierce is a dominating presence among fantasy authors who write for tweens and teens, but whose work also appeals to most adult fantasy readers. She is famous for her strong, believable, and appealing female heroines. This series should be in YA collections while also being promoted for adults.
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