-Tamora Pierce is, hands down, one of the most gifted young adult fantasy writers alive today; all of her series that I have read (with my daughter) are well-written, with complex characters that grow with each successive book...her females are strong and independent, and the quality of magic is addictive. The books were written as her initial audience "grew up", so the characters do encounter more mature themes as the quartets progress; as a parent and teacher, I was glad to be able to share these with my students. (FYI: these particular books, bound together as "duets", must have been a mis-print - as the descriptions on the fronts do not match the "elements" associated with each mage - and there are no maps (which you can find online anyway), but this did not detract from the quality of the material contained within.)

ISBN: 9780760742501