Sandry's Book

Despite my love for fantasy, I had grown tired of stories set in a generic Europe of the Middle Ages. So when I discovered this book, I was delighted to find that it drew on something entirely different: a re-imagined “crossroads of the world” based on the Byzantine Empire.

It felt entirely fresh to be immersed in this fertile place and time that had such an impact on world history but that had been largely ignored in most modern fantasy. I was further intrigued by the intricate forms of magic Pierce developed for her four mages-in-training–distinct and carefully designed things… show more.

Don’t tell anyone else, but Tamora Pierce might be one of my all-time favorite authors. Her world-building pulls the reader in, and the fact that basically all of her books take place in the same world (just different times and places) is the best.

The Circle of Magic series helped me not just as a writer but as a teenager. I was the weird kid who knit, so I identified with Sandry, whose magic shows up through her weaving. Something about taking a big ball of string and turning it into a sweater is just magic.