The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce is due out in November. I was lucky enough to snag an ARC at ALA.
This novel returns us to the beloved characters of Briar, Daja, Sandry and Tris who have already been featured in two cycles of books by Pierce. The four of them are reunited after their separate travels but they no longer have the same connection, magical and personal, than they did before. They worry that all of the experiences they have had in their travels will change the way that the other three view them, so they shut themselves off from one another.
Sandry, a wealthy noble, needs to visit some land holdings she inherited from her mother in a neighboring land and the other three are sent along as her escort. When they arrive in Namorn, they find a royal court seething with intrigue where the Empress wishes only for Sandry and her friends to remain there forever.
This novel is wonderful filled with great adventure, magic, complex villains, and favorite characters. The settings are vivid and the situations are complicated. Recommend this to teens who have read the first two series and make sure to purchase it where Tamora Pierce’s books are popular. It is sure to be a well-received addition.