BECKA COOPER BOOK THREE: MASTIFF: A TORTALL LEGEND

Author (last name first):
Pierce, Tamora
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Random House/ 2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level: 
6th and Up
Classification: 
Fiction  


Rebeka "Beka" Cooper has slowly worked her way into becoming one of Tortall's great legends. She has made a name for herself with the Provost Guard where they are called "Provost Dogs" and solved many high profile case with the help of her former trainers Clara Goodwin and Matias Turnstall. This case is about to be her most challenging and gut wrenching yet. 
Beka and her equally famous partners Turnstall and the tracking dog Achoo are called on a special mission. The son of the king is missing and a spell has been put on the Monarchs. Beka and Turnstall must find the Prince in time or the Monarchs die. Accompanying them is the Lady Knight Sabrine who is also Turnstall's love, and the mage Former. They follow the kidnappers, and track them with Achoo and protect themselves with Farmer's magic. As they travel, they also begin to see and expose, in debt, the child slavery life that the Monarchs have so far ignored. Beka herself has a personal hatred against it. 
To keep everyone up to date, Farmer sends messages back to the Capital but these messages are being interrupted by rogue mages more times than not. He does manage to get an important message through and just in time. The king is able to send soldiers on to deal with the renegade Dukes and Beka finally finds the Prince. Here she also has to face an internal betrayal. Turstall seeks status to make himself worthy of his Lady Knight. In so doing he joins forces with the rogue Dukes. As a result, Beka is forced to apprehend him but he is injured and dies in the end. 
She sees this as a blessing as he is well respected in the Capital as a "Top Dog". 
Beka also manages to change the way things are done in Corus. The young Prince speaks on behalf of himself, Beka and all Children when he request that Slave Laws be established to protect children.

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student)