Tamora Pierce is a writer of Young Adult Fastasy novels. Got a bookworm in the family and want to get them something nice? I definitely suggest these series. For a summary of world these books are based in see my post on The Realms of Emelelan

Cold Fire

The events in this book occur after Briar, Rosethorn and Evvy leave Chammur in Book Two. Daja and Frostpin have been meandering slowly north in order so that Daja can learn different methods of smithing from people who tend to be masters of a specific type of smithing, be it specialised like the worlds best farrier (horse-shoe smith), or jewellers to smiths who specialise in a particular metal. They have finally arrived in the Namornese city of Kugisko to stay with old friends of Frostpines to sit out the winter.

They are not to be idle however. Frostpine has been called on to assist the magistrate in tracking down someone who has been making false goid coins. Daja meanwhile is to study and assist with Teraud, a master ironsmith to learn his methods. Kugisko being in the far north, only the nobility tend to build their houses of stone. The rest of the city is built with wood which poses a major threat should fires break out, and it just so happens that Kugisko has a firebug.

Whilst people are putting two and two together to come to the conclusion that they have an arsonist in their midst, Daja sees Jory (Jorality)one of the daughters of the family they are staying with use magic to turn sauce that had gone lumpy into smooth sauce. Only thing is Jory has a twin, Nia (Niamara) and if one twin has magic, so too does the other. Daja already figures that Jory is an ambient cook mage but she has no idea what Nia might be, so she creates a scrying mirror that is able to detect and tell what kind of magic they have. When Nia holds the mirror they find that Nia is an ambient wood/carpentry mage.

Now since Daja is one who discovered them, then it's Daja who has to begin teaching them the basics Jory is a fidget who can't stay quiet or still. Nia is the absolute opposite and is quiet and composed by nature. Teaching Nia meditation is simple and she takes to it like a fish to water. Jory on the other hand Daja gives up teaching the standard way and decides to try a method that takes more time to master but might be the only option for Jory. Combat Meditation. Teach some one the same motions over and over until they can do those motions without thinking. Once they are able to do it without thinking then they are able still their mind in order to be open to sense the next attack. A bit like when you catch something that's falling off a table before you've even mentally registered that it's falling. It's at that point that they are able to meditate in motion.

In the mean time Daja is attempting to build living metal gloves for Bennat (Ben) Ladradun the self made fire chief of the city. Bennat is a local hero who taught the locals how to fight fires & risks his life going into burning buildings to help save people. He recently burned himself trying to move a burning beam and Daja hopes to help him avoid such injuries again in future.

Thoughts

I'm honestly a bit miffed with this book. In all the other books of the circle opens the original four foster kids (Briar, Sandry and Tris) all show or do something to prove that they have grown into their power. Sandry is able to coccoon people to apprehend them using their own clothes and is able to spin and weave unmagic. Briar is able to make plants grow so fast as to be used as very effective weapons, literally growing through people when needed. Tris we'll come to in the next book but believe me she's gotten good.

Daja on the other hand we don't really get to see much of anything outside of that she's found out how to make living metal on demand, making the scrying mirror, able to keep herself warm in the cold and the combat meditation. Outside of those few little things we see nothing new. NOTHING. No bad-assery, or at least no bad-assery that wasn't already seen three/four years earlier. The city of Kugisko is on the edge of a massive frozen lake (think Hudson Bay).

With an arsonist on the loose I was expecting Daja to plunge fires into the frozen lake, to create or stop explosions, to pull particulate metals together to create a shell/skin/cover protection whatever, to have the ability to stop someone from moving by manipulating the iron in their blood. You know, growth in knowledge powe and control of her elements. NOTHING.

Rant over, outside of the above the plot line is good, the characters are interesting. I wish Pierce let it be a murder mystery and not informed the reader exactly who the arsonist is. That being said, being put into the mind and perspective of a criminal is interesting.

I give this book 7.4/10. It's a good read and I love the idea of combat meditation.