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Book Review of The Realms of the Gods (Immortals, Bk 4)

The Realms of the Gods (Immortals, Bk 4)
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Helpful Score: 1


Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com

It's been a year since wild mage Daine, now sixteen, helped topple Emperor Orzone of Carthak, but at that time his consciousness was trapped within the body of an immortal flesh-eating bird known as a stormwing, and therefore his presence is still integral to the story. In fact, Orzone has teamed up with Uusoae, the goddess of chaos, and together their power threatens to destroy everything Daine knows and loves.

Daine may be young, but she and those around her all accept that she has an important part to play in this fight, defending the kingdom of Tortall that became her home four years ago.

This final book in Tamora Pierce's THE IMMORTALS series is literally out of this world, with Daine and Numair spending the majority of the narrative in the titular realms of the gods. They are taken there by benevolent forces who seek their safety and remove them from their world when they are on the brink of death.

Although many of the mysteries of Daine's past begin to unravel due to the information she gathers, both she and Numair wish to return home to their own world to do their part in the battles that are raging between Tortall and the forces of chaos. To do this, they'll have to journey through the immortal realms to the land of the dragons, since Daine's friendship with the dragon Kitten makes them the only immortals who might be able to send Daine back to her world.

Though it isn't my favorite volume in the series (that would be EMPEROR MAGE, the third book), this book does a good job of concluding the quartet. Many of the major questions that have been left open by the earlier books are answered, and the development of Daine's character continues to present her as a solid human being with strengths and weaknesses, both of which she must learn to harness to her advantage.

In this series, Pierce introduces another strong young woman whose life and adventures will make for an exciting read and a real inspiration at any age.