Page

1: First Test ★★★★
#2: Page ★★★★
#3: Squire ★★★★★

This review can also be found on my blog.

cw: past abuse, attempted assault

For the first time she could understand how someone in a rage might do murder. “How dare you touch an unwilling woman?” she asked.

This book follows Kel through her second, third, and fourth years as a page. I was surprised that this was all to be packed into one book, but it made sense that there was only so much to be covered once the probationary period was out of the way. We get to see the return of all Kel's friends along with meeting some new ones, including her new maid Lalasa.

Lalasa is a great character in her own right, a young woman who has suffered from great abuse at the hands of men. She is timid when she first enrolls in Kel's service, but quickly comes into her own with the page's encouragement. We get to see Lalasa develop alongside Kel in a mirror image of sorts. It's really nice to see this friendship between women blossom in such a male-centric environment.

Kel also has to deal with the beginnings of puberty while undergoing her trials as a page. One thing I love about Tamora Pierce is that she's not afraid to write the real stuff. She's blunt and honest without being crude. Kel begins to grow breasts, experiences several jumps in height, and gets her first period. If only we also lived in a world where a magical talisman was the solution, but I guess we have birth control!

It's also really great to see Kel further dealing with her phobia. As revealed in the first book, her terror of heights came out of previous emotional abuse she experienced from her brother. While resistant at first she knows that overcoming, or at least confronting, these fears are key to her becoming a knight. As someone who has dealt with severe anxiety, I think it's really important to see strong characters who struggle with it as well.

Overall, I continue to adore Kel as a character and find her story fun to follow. I usually don't tend to like lawful good characters as I find them a bit boring, but Tammy is a master of developing people you love to read about. I mean, how can you not love a girl knight-to-be taking down abusers? I'd definitely recommend this book, and the series, to any lovers of Tamora Pierce as well as readers of YA fantasy.

Re-read of books from my childhood! I actually was gifted this book as a kid before the rest of the books in the series– which may be why I didn't read them quickly– I had to buy the others and had no money at the time!
Anyhow, I love how this is different from Alanna's story. Also, as a Japanese major, I now feel like I have secret knowledge of the world because Yamani is based on Japan– not sure about the glaive, but at least the language and dress.
Looking forward to the next book!!