PierceFest: The Realms of the Gods

Joining us for the first time? Here's what you've missed: 

Pierce Fest Kick-Off

PierceFest: The Immortals Kick-Off

PierceFest: Wild Magic

PierceFest: Wolf-Speaker

PierceFest: Choose Your Own Magical Power

PierceFest: Emperor Mage

PierceFest: Companion Talk

Title: The Realms of the Gods (The Immortals #4)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Release Date: March 15th, 1996
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Originally)
Page Count: 288
Source: Purchased
Rating: THE KISSING. AND THE EVERYTHING ELSE. MY HEART. MY. HEART.

During a dire battle against the fearsome Skinners, Daine and her mage teacher Numair are swept into the Divine Realms. Though happy to be alive, they are not where they want to be. They are desperately needed back home, where their old enemy, Ozorne, and his army of strange creatures are waging war against Tortall. Trapped in the mystical realms Daine discovers her mysterious parentage. And as these secrets of her past are revealed so is the treacherous way back to Tortall. So they embark on an extraordinary journey home, where the fate of all Tortall rests with Daine and her wild magic.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

*Lets out the world's biggest sigh*

I'm not sure if you guys know this, but my favorite kissing scene of all time takes place in this book. I'm sure you guys can guess it's between Daine and Numair, but I'm not going to say ANOTHER WORD, just in case you haven't read this book yet (I will never spoil such a brilliant moment in fiction. Not ever). But for serious. It's worth it to read all 7 books before THIS ONE SCENE (because, like, you havta read Alanna if you're gonna read Daine. I mean, you don't ACTUALLY have to, but it's better that way). And all the other scenes in this book are pretty amazing as well. So let's get into that.

This book starts fairly dramatically. The barrier between the REALMS OF THE GODS and the mortal world DROP and all of the immortals can go back and forth AS THEY PLEASE. Chaos is fighting the gods to get out of her prison and Ozorne's gone cray. The world's pretty topsy turvy aaaaand of course Daine and Numair get snatched out of thin air and into the realm of the gods. Because, like, they're about to die and all that. 

So who does the Daine and Numair snatching? Daine's Ma and Da. Obvs. OBVS. We know for sure they're gods now but we get a little more on that in the final installation of this series. We also get a little more on the gods, the realm of the gods, immortals, dragons... AND MORE ON DAINE AND NUMAIR'S RELATIONSHIP. Even beyond the kissing. Even. Beyond. Because this is the first book where Daine and Numair are really together the whole time. 

Okay, book one Numair's fairly present. But books two and three he steps back to let Daine mature or whatever. But now in book four it's a SERIOUS and AWESOME and DELICIOUS partnership. Numair sets the pace, Daine covers the back. They pack up camp so well they never bump into each other. They never fail to save each other from Immortal-shaped shenanigans. They're a delightful unit of awesome and you just want them to not have any hang ups about being together because there's nothing on planet earth that makes more sense than the two of them together, EVEN THOUGH DAINE IS STILL HALF HIS AGE.

I feel like the presence of most of my old favorites from The Song of the Lioness totally adds to my complete adoration of this book. Yeah, they're around in the other books, but hey, Jon's got the Dominion Jewel in action. And Daine makes a BIG, HERCULEAN (see my Disney reference there?) decision at the end of the book, which was decided in part by on her love for the characters I love too. And that's genius because I obviously try to put myself in the protagonist's position when I read and that final decision Daine makes at the end (WHICH I AM NOT GOING TO SPOIL SO BLATANTLY ON MY BLOG EVEN IF I DON'T MAKE SENSE) totally pulls out my heartstrings because I love the same people she loves. I get Daine. I have always gotten Daine and I will always get her for the rest of time.

*Sighs again* This book is just so action packed and dynamic. There's a bit from the gods and the mortals and so much from my favorite couple and it all just works so much for me. So much. It's the perfect end to the series. A perfect end to Daine's personal story. And as much as I OBVIOUSLY WOULD WANT MOREMOREMORE, Daine's really matured to the point where, if there was another book, it would just be adventures and relationship fluff and not growing-up centric. It's like with Alanna. Once she found her place, the series ended. Now Daine has her place and her series can end too. They're still there. They pop up in later books. But now it's time for Daine, like Alanna before her, to pass off the baton to the next girl whose story Tamora Pierce needs to tell.

Which basically means: GET READY FOR KELADRY OF MENDELAN LOVELIES.

Guys. The reviews of the series are over. I'm crying. So do me a favor and comment below to make me feel a little better about the end of my gush-sessions over these books, okay? (Although don't worry too much, I still have a discussion post and a wrap  up to go ^_^)

AND BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL LOVE GIVEAWAYS:
THE PRIZE:

1 set of any Tamora Pierce series (which is, at max, FOUR books)

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