The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

Moreover, I take issue with the way the book tries to sell itself as 'romance,' with 'marriage' as part of the pitch, and only touches lightly on a sort of relationship far from expectation and unsatisfying to anyone who was in it to see the reports of 'forced marriage' turned on their head by something genuine and beautiful. Tame though the lesbian relationship may be, it comes off as manipulative and downright creepy, as it's only barely possible one of our 'heroines' isn't being just as tricked as we are, not to mention there are still families in this world who DON'T approve of such things, and there is no hint at it on the cover to warn readers what they're getting into, whatsoever. Parents would be ill-advised to blindly let their children read this book.

oh, except for a surprise kidnapping which managed to actually seem emotionally wrenching for a few minutes or so. Not only does it flop, it festers, shrivels and disperses into ash, taking with it the only salvageable and interesting part of the story.

The enticing (read: only interesting) prospect near the beginning that seemed set up specifically to allay all the silly (yes, I said it, SILLY!) gripes revolving in the four main characters' heads, and it flops. When I picked up this book, I read 'romance' on the back and thought: 'Gee! Isn't that great? Tamora Pierce, an accomplished author, is writing a serious teen book with adventure AND romance! What could go wrong?' Unfortunately, the only 'romance' involved was the aforementioned tame lesbian relationship. This could lead to discussions of other forced marriage situations in today's world. The main characters are very much against this and oppose it in the book. There are very strong themes of women's rights based around the tradition of kidnapping women and marrying them. However, it is implied that Briar is sleeping around. However, be warned if this is not something your family wants to read about.

I think it is very important to expose children to a more accepting view of differences. There is a lesbian romance here but this was one of the best parts in my opinion. I think the message of family always sticking together is really strong. It does have a slow start and I was a bit annoyed by the way the main characters were arguing all the time - but this is a realistic portrayal of what happens when people grow apart and how they are able to get back together. While I feel that this book isn't as strong as her others, there is a some great writing here.

The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce