Wild Magic: A spellbinding fantasy epic

I read this series as a teen and periodically read it again many times over the years. I’ve loved it every single time. Emotionally compelling with a great story, characters, dialogue, romance, humor, world building, and more. And who doesn’t love magic and talking to animals? I’ve read several of Tamora Pierce’s other series and none connected like this Immortals series. This series is just special. Rarely are books so good that they stay with you for life, but this is one of them. Definitely recommended. Trigger warning though: If you are buying this book for a minor, there are offscreen non-explicit but implied sexual references in the series with the main character remembering her mother having relationships with different men, as well as content regarding contraception, criticism of marriage, and an age gap romance later in the series. This content is minor and not intrinsic to the story so older readers who dislike such content could ignore it, but it might make some uncomfortable.

Daine is a young girl, newly orphaned who applies for work at a horse fair. The horse trainer, Onua doesn't want to take on such a young girl but gives her a chance and sets her in among the horses she has already purchased. It's not a problem for Daine that those horses are wild, untamed and unruly because Daine has wild magic and can speak to the animals. Onua takes her on and they set off for the capital of Tortall because Onua is the horse-mistress of the Queen's Riders. Daine makes herself invaluable on the way by keeping the horses in line and fighting off immortals. She meets Numair who plays a huge role as her teacher in the rest of the series. Numair is 27 at the start of the series and Daine is 13 so there is a huge age gap there. Daine's magic grows leaps and bounds under Numairs tutelage and Daine's wild magic becomes instrumental in saving Tortall from Carthaki invaders. Daine is probably my favorite character in the Tamora Pierce world of Tortall. She's got this natural thing with animals that I would love to have... She's not overly stubborn (like Alanna) or boring (like Kel - she was my least favorite heroine) or mischievous (like Aly, who is my second favorite (^_^) ) or even determined (like Pierce's newest heroine Bekka). Daine is just nice and has a lot of common sense and is brave.

I loved these books as a teenager, I have now got my niece hooked, bought this for her. The wild magic books focus on a teenager mage who can talk to animals, shoot arrows like the best of them, comes from difficult past but finds friends, acceptance and herself while on exciting adventures. I still reread these books two decades after I first read them.

FANTASTIC! this will get anyone young or old hooked on reading! As a girl learns she has magic with animals

I loved this book and promptly ordered the next in the series! The character development of the protagonist is fantastic and I especially loved the magic system, as well as treatment of the inner thoughts of the animals and their interaction with the protagonist. I also loved the theme and plot of this novel: the story of an unexpected hero, nurtured by the greatest in a caring and forthright society, with a love of animals and an insight into souls and importance of animals. Additionally, although this book is written for 12 years of age and up, I found it quite intelligent and satisfying even for this 50-year-old!