Pierce, Tamora. Wild Magic. 1992. Random House, 362 pages. $16.25 ISBN: 9780756955083
Plot Summary:
After her family is murdered and Daine is banished from her village because the villagers fear her, Daine is left with no one except for her loyal horse Cloud. Daine has always had a unique ability with animals so she applies for a job helping herd and group of ponies from the horse fair in Galla to neighboring Tortall. Onua is impressed with Daine’s ability with the animals and agrees to hire her even though Daine is younger than she claimed. Not far into their journey they encounter an unusual site: a hawk being chased by two foul smelling bird-like creatures with steel feathers and the heads of humans. The women chase off the creatures, Stormwings, Onua calls them, and retrieve the hawk that has taken cover in the grass.
The bird’s wing is broken and Onua seems unusually concerned and sends for the help of a friend. Before Daine knows it, she and Onua are joined by a contingent of the royal army and Alanna the Lioness, the sole female knight of the realm. With Alanna’s assistance not only is the hawk healed, but his true form is revealed. It turns out the hawk is not a hawk at all, but actually the powerful mage Numair Salmalin, who had been poisoned and trapped in hawk form. Numair recognizes that Daine’s ability with animals is something more; it is a type of wild magic. Numair offers to teach Daine how to harness and control her powers as they continue to travel back to the capital, Corus. When they reach Corus, Onua agrees to keep Daine on as her assistant and Daine will travel with Onua and the Queen’s Riders to their summer training camp. Daine is thrilled as the trained camp is located at the Lady Alanna’s home at Pirate’s Swoop and Numair lives nearby so Daine will be able to continue her studies. At first training camp goes as planned, but with no warning the untrained Riders find themselves under attack from magic, Stormwings and other immortal creatures. Everyone’s survival may depend on Daine’s ability to harness her magic.
Critical Review:
Wild Magic is one of my favorite fantasy novels; I cannot remember how many times I have read it and every time I have enjoyed it. Daine is very introverted and lives in a state of fear; she knows she is unusual and is afraid someone might notice how unusual she really is and she is terrorized by the memories of her family’s murder. It is amazing how Daine changes and develops as a character as she finds a community that accepts and supports her. Pierce has an ability to create characters that readers bond with and remember long after the last page is read and readers of Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series will rejoice at seeing familiar characters in Wild Magic. But these characters do not over shadow Daine’s story, which if filled with as much adventure and excitement as Alanna’s story was.
Genre:
Fantasy
Adventure
Reading Level:
6th to 10th Grades
Similar Books:
Alanna: the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
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