Amelia's Book Room: Beka Cooper

Hey, guys! I'm back with one of my favorite authors again: Tamora Pierce!

I first introduced you to the amazing Ms. Pierce with her Song Of The Lioness Quartet, in which we got to know Alanna, a young girl in the kingdom of Tortall who dared to go against tradition and become a knight. The Beka Cooper series also takes place in Tortall; a hundred years before Alanna's story!

Starting with Terrier, we meet Beka Cooper (anyone who's read Alanna or the Trickster series may recognize the name; she is George Cooper's ancestor!), a trainee Dog in the Lower City. The Dogs are the police of Beka's world, and despite her shyness and poor background, she is determined to become one of them. As a Puppy in training, she is paired up with Tunstall and Goodwin, two of the best Dogs in the city, who were reluctant to get a trainee in the first place.

But Beka proves herself worthy not only with her skills, but her Gift: she hears the voices of the murdered that ride on the backs of local pigeons. This can come in handy when there's a mysterious kidnapper calling themselves the Black Snake, and something fishy going on with loads of precious stones, pretty enough to kill for.

OK, I made that sound a little morbid, but it's a very enjoyable book! The series continues in Bloodhound, and there is a yet-to-be-released third novel, Mastiff. These Tortall books are quite addicting!

Happy reading, everyone!