My first introduction to Tamora Pierce was in her Beka Cooper series. (You can read a review/movie rant here where I sort of talk about Terrier.) I was hooked and then delighted to discover another two dozen books by the same author, many set in the same world. I had reading to do!
Last year I binge read The Song of the Lioness Quartet and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then, last week, feeling under the weather, I got all four of The Immortals books from the library and promptly devoured them.
The Beka Cooper books (Terrier, Bloodhound and Mastiff) are, so far, still my favorite – as an adult. The Song of the Lioness quartet I enjoyed, but would have loved as a kid. The Immortals? The Immortals main character can talk to animals. I’d have been over the moon to have discovered this when it was written!
Would I recommend it? These are the kind of fun, strong, female character books that I can’t wait to introduce my own girls to. When I hand the first of these to them I’ll be crossing my fingers that at least one of my girls will like it as much as I do!
Behind the Willows 
You’re so right! Raising four kids (three of them girls) meant a constant quest for strong female characters. At Chateau Taub, Tamora Pierce was a goddess who shared her pantheon with
Patricia Wrede (Dealing With Dragons series), and Robin McKinley (Hero and the Crown series). Of course we all had a soft spot for the strong young women in the Shoe books, Anne of Green Gables, All of a Kind Family…
Something must have worked because my daughters are all strong independent women–and are all writers themselves.
Sounds like a recipe: How To Season Your Daughters With All The Right Books
I’m familiar with most of those (Patricia Wrede being my favorite) but I’ll have to check out the ones I don’t know. After all it sounds like it was a successful recipe! 🙂
It sounds like you’ve not yet read my favourite Tortall series – Protector of the Small. Keladry is a completely brilliant heroine, and if you like the others, you must, must check out these. Book one is First Test, (followed by Page, Knight and Squire).
Well now I know which ones I need to read next – thanks!