Tamora Pierce’s The Immortals is a blueprint for epic level druids

 I’ve been slowly making my way through Tamora Pierce’s work. 2024 was my year to read The Immortals series, her second series in the Tortall universe.

The Immortals is about Daine, who starts off as a near-feral child who grows into a powerful mage. Or, if Pierce was playing Dungeons and Dragons, an epic level druid. Seriously, Daine is a better example of how to depict a druid the TSR’s Moonshae books.

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While The Song of the Lioness was Pierce’s breakout series and a darn good read, I am going to argue that The Immortals represents a major step and a significant improvement in her writing.  

I also went into The Immortals thinking that this was where Pierce went high fantasy, with magical creatures breaking into the human world. However, I realize that there is a lot of high fantasy in the Song of the Lioness. The Immortals just has a much tighter structure describing the fantastic. And has dragons.

Daine was also a more engaging character than I expected. Each book marks a major step in her growth as a character and as a world-shaking power. (More spoilers) We eventually learn that she is a flat out demigod and the scope of her powers end up being nation-wide if not global. But by starting off as a homeless orphan who barely has control of her abilities, Pierce is able to take us convincingly on her journey.

(This is by no means an original method. Van Vogt used it in 1940 in Slan and I’m sure it was old as the hills even then. Pierce just uses it very well)

Emperor Mage, the third book, is my personal favorite. (Even more spoilers) Daine is in a country that the gods themselves are very angry with and the prophetic signs are the stuff of nightmares. (A statue coming to life and chastising the emperor is a particularly memorable one) 

While Daine ends up doing epic level stunts, reanimating an army of dinosaur skeletons to destroy the imperial palace, the almost unseen but always felt presence of the gods adds a lot of tension. When she actually hobnobs with the gods in the last book, it feels less fantastic.

I admit I went into the Immortals with so-so expectations. My entry point to Pierce was Protector of the Small, which grounded to the point of visceral. I didn’t think a series about dragons and metal harpies coming into the world could be as strong.

But, yeah, Pierce knocked it out of the park.