The Realms of the Gods (Tamora Pierce)

Author Biography

Tamora Pierce has written numerous renowned fantasy novels, set in either the “Tortall” universe or the “Circle” universe. In 2013 she received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her body of work.

Published By: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Year: 1996

ISBN: 0-689-86209-I

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

Transported to the Divine Realms to save their lives, Daine and Numair must find their way back to Tortall, where their friends need them. But can two mortals survive all the dangers that litter the realms of the gods, or the dangers awaiting them back home?

Plot Summary:

The barrier that once sealed the dreaded Immortals away from the mortal world has now dissolved completely. The monsters are appearing in untold numbers and have allied with Tortall’s enemy kingdoms, launching a terrible war. Among the fighters for Tortall are sixteen-year-old Daine Sarrasri, mistress of wild magic, and her friend and former teacher, the wizard Numair. But in a battle against unkillable chaos beasts, all seems lost for them – until they find themselves swept into the Divine Realms.

There, Daine reunites with her dead mother Sarra, now a fertility goddess, and finally meets her father, the hunting god Weiryn. But despite her parents’ objections, she and Numair are both anxious to go back to the mortal world and help Tortall to win the war. Accompanied by Daine’s guardian Badger god, Broad Foot the platypus god, and strange creatures called darkings, they set off for the Dragonlands in hope that dragons will carry them back to earth. But the Divine Realms hold many dangers for mortals. And even if they survive the journey, does Tortall stand a chance against enemy forces that threaten both mortals and gods with ruin?

Critical Evaluation:

The Immortals quartet reaches its grand finale in this high-stakes adventure tale. The plot itself is simple: Daine and Numair journey across the Divine Realms to find their way home, then arrive home just in time to save Tortall from the deadly Immortals War, led by their old enemy Emperor Ozorne and the chaos goddess Uusoae. But Pierce not only infuses this plot with her usual exciting action, fantastical charms and engaging characters, she uses it as an intriguing exercise in world-building, for the first time painting a complete picture of the divine forces that rule the Tortall universe. The Divine Realms are inhabited by a wide array of gods and goddesses both major and minor, human and animal, whose lives are surprisingly earth-like, yet are still full of wonders from a human perspective… and deadly dangers too. Pierce also reveals the social structure of dragons, introduces still new creatures, and brings the Immortals’ invasion of earth to a conclusion we never would have guessed at the beginning, but which feels natural and right.

Through all of this, we see that Daine has fully come into her own, both as a mage and as a true heroine. Wielding her wild magic with utmost ease and ingenuity, she braves every danger, never stops striving to save the day, and achieves supreme understanding of the Immortals, at last fully realizing that, as with animals, even the most dangerous are never innately evil. Meanwhile, her friendship with Numair finally evolves into a heartwarming romance – yet their love never becomes her only priority, and even when it influences a heavy sacrifice she makes near the conclusion, her choice explicitly isn’t just for Numair, but for the sake of the entire life she’s built. Readers will be eager to see the direction her life takes in future Tortall books.

Curriculum Ties:

•Fantasy worlds

•Feminism

•Animal behavior

Challenge Issues:

•Mild profanity

•Violence

•Disturbing imagery

•Nudity

•Bodily function references

•Sexual and rape references

•Illegitimate birth references
•May-December romance

Why This Book?

Both as an engaging, heartfelt adventure and for providing Tortall with intriguing new world-building, The Realms of the Gods is every inch the strong ending that the Immortals saga deserves.