Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!

QUESTION FOR SHELF CONTROL PARTICIPANTS: Would you like me to add a “this week’s participants” section with links back to your posts? The basic idea would be for you to link back to me when you publish your Shelf Control post, and then I’ll add a list of participants and their links in the body of my post as they come in. I’ve used a link-up platform in the past, but found it was just extra work that didn’t seem worth it. Please let me know your preferences in the comments! 

Title: Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles, #1)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Published: 2018
Length: 465 pages

What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.

How and when I got it:

I bought a “special edition” version of this book during the 2018 holiday season — it’s a hardcover with a fold-out poster inside. A little holiday treat for myself!

Why I want to read it:

I spent about half of 2018 and the first few months of 2019 reading the entire Tortall body of works by Tamora Pierce. For those who don’t know. Tamora Pierce writes excellent young adult fantasy, with a major portion of her work set in the fictional kingdom of Tortall. I’ve read three quartets set in Tortall, a duology, a trilogy, and assorted other stories too. My daughter feel head over heels with Tamora Pierce’s books back in her tween/teen days, and finally, FINALLY, I decided to see what I’d been missing all these years.

What can I say? I fell in love. Pierce writes wonderful, complicated characters, and revels in having strong young women break down barriers and have their voices and their strengths recognized. Plus, awesome magical systems, complex family dynamics, magical creatures, and even a few dragons. The only Tortall book I haven’t read yet is Tempests and Slaughter, the newest book set in this world. Numair Salmalin is introduced in the Immortals quartet as an adult mage with unrivaled powers, serving as mentor (and eventually lover) to a young student new to her magical abilities. Numair is a terrific character whose history is only referenced in these books, but in Tempests and Slaughter, we get his backstory. The new book tells the story of Numair as a boy, and I’m incredibly excited to finally read it.

So why haven’t I read it yet? Well, two reasons, really. One, the same reason I haven’t read most of my Shelf Control books — so many books, not enough time. Second, though — I’ve been trying to more or less stick to my policy of not getting involved in open-ended or incomplete series without at least knowing when the next (or final) book will be released. In this case, I believe there are supposed to be three in all, but have not yet heard a definite release date for the 2nd book. So yes, I intend to read Tempests and Slaughter for sure. I just don’t know when!

What do you think? Would you read this book? 

Please share your thoughts!

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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:

• Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
• Add your link in the comments!
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Have fun!