PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL
by Tamora Pierce

The PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL quartet of books tells the exciting and adventurous tale of Keladry of Mindelan. Kel has just one dream: to become a knight. Her hero is Alanna the Lioness, the first woman to ever become a knight in the kingdom of Tortall. Kel has one advantage over her idol: Alanna had to disguise the fact that she was a girl throughout her training, but now the King has decreed that any nobly-born girl can enter the palace school.

Kel knows that she will not exactly be welcome in the all male domain. Kel is a force to be reckoned with, however, and FIRST TEST is the story of her probationary year at the school, the hardships she endures and the friends (human and otherwise) that she finds. PAGE, the second book, details Keladry's years as a page. Among other problems, Kel has to face a disobedient stray dog, a company of bandits, the onset of puberty and her crippling fear of heights. SQUIRE, the third book, describes Kel's next four years, as she is introduced to life away from the palace by her knight-master. Kel must also prepare for her final task: the Ordeal.

In the fourth and final book, LADY KNIGHT, Kel completes the Ordeal, meaning that she finally achieves her dream of knighthood. But things don't go as smoothly as she thought they would. Immediately thrown into the fray, she watches over a refugee camp near the war between the Scanrans and the warriors of Tortall, where a nagging vision continues to haunt her. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty and destiny.

Fans of all sorts of stories will love the PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL series. Kel is a hero for everybody: tough, spunky, caring and unafraid to fight for her beliefs. Teenreads brings you all the info about this awesome series so get reading!