The Will of the Empress

The Will of the Empress, by Tamora Pierce, is a tale of magic and politics. The four main characters have been featured in 8 other books by Pierce (the Circle of Magic and the Circle Opens books), but it is not necessary to read them to enjoy this novel.

Sandry (Sandrilene fa Toren) must travel to Namorn to see to the lands she inherited from her mother. The lands are being well cared for by her cousin Ambros, but the taxes are becoming outrageous. The taxes, set by the Empress, are a ruse to get Sandry into Namorn. She intends to entice or trick Sandry into marrying a Namonese man so that the profit from her land will be kept with the empire.

Sandry is accompanied by her circle of friends: Daja - a metal mage, Briar - a plant mage, and Tris - a weather mage. Sandry herself is a stitch-witch. The four have been friends most of their lives but have been separated for the last couple of years due to travel.

Now they are back together, but will their bonds be strong enough to overcome the tension that has developed between them? Can the others possibly understand the experiences each has had to live through during the last years? Will they be strong enough to escape the Will of the Empress?

Pierce, Tamora. (2005). The Will of the Empress. New York: Scholatic.