Tamora Pierce has done it again. She is the author of great fantasy novels with very strong female characters. The Alanna series is the first in the kingdom of Tortall, with Wild Magic, Protector of the Small, and the two Trickster books also based there. Beka Cooper Book One: Terrier is the first in a planned trilogy which takes place 200 years before Alanna in Corus, the capital city of Tortall. Beka is just starting her job as a Provost (similar to police) guard, otherwise known as Dogs. She is working in the Lower City; streets of slums and thievery. Assigned to two veteran Dogs, she is eager to learn all she can. Beka has a gift (or curse), she understands the spirits carried by pigeons, and the voices carried on the air by dust spinners. From them, she hears about mass murders and the unknown villain known only as the Shadow Snake. When the Dogs are unable to fully investigate, Beka knows that she cannot let the common people suffer, and joins forces with her new ruffian friends.
Pierce excells at creating heroic characters that are real. Beka makes mistakes and suffers from shyness, which hampers her ability to make friends and perform all duties of her job. The secondary characters lend needed humor to the book, and help carry the story along. There is a lot of action and enough magical elements for fantasy lovers. It was a treat to read about the early years of Tortall, and I'm looking forward to the next book
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