Emperor Mage (The Immortals, Book 3)
Grade 6–10—Tamora Pierce's third title (Atheneum, 2003) in the series continues the riveting story of Daine, a Tortallan girl with wild magic—the ability to communicate with animals and shape-shift into their form. This power earns her a mentorship from Numair Salmalin, a mage, and a fast friendship with Alanna the Lioness, the King's Champion (and the main character from Pierce'sSong of the Lioness Quartet). As a developing mage and healer, Daine is invited to Carthak to meet with Emperor Ozorne, also known as the Emperor Mage. Unfortunately, he has angered the gods, especially Carthak's own Graveyard Hag, and Daine is tapped as a vessel for the goddess, quickly managing to become embroiled in the battle between Emperor and gods. Given a "gift" by the goddess, Daine is able to raise creatures from the dead. When Ozorne threatens Numair, Daine becomes so angry that she raises an army of dinosaur skeletons that destroys the Emperor's palace. In the aftermath, Ozorne escapes and Daine discovers that Numair is still alive. This full-cast production is narrated by the author. They all do a wonderful job, especially Carmen Viviano-Crafts, who voices Daine, and Mike Komurek as Daine's new friend, Zek the Marmoset. All the drama, humor, anger, and romance come across clearly. While the audiobook could stand on its own, it is recommended for libraries circulating the previous volumes.—Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CTCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theAudio CDedition.