First Test

First Test
Tamora Pierce

Kel will not allow this first test to be her last. The adventure begins in the New York Times bestselling series from the fantasy author who is a legend herself: TAMORA PIERCE.  A powerful classic that is more timely than ever, the Protector of the Small series is about smashing the ceilings others place above you. HER FIRST TEST WILL NOT BE HER LAST. Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of the new rule that allows women to train for knighthood. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon the training master, who is dead set against girls becoming knights. A woman should be lovely. A woman should be charming. A woman should not be deadly. Wyldon demands Kel pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. Kel must prove herself twice as good as her male peers just to be thought equal. But she is not to be underestimated. Kel will fight to succeed, even when odds are stacked against her. Book one of a powerful and classic fantasy quartet about smashing the ceilings others place above you, by the bestselling author of the Song of the Lioness series and Tempests and Slaughter. A powerful classic that is more timely than ever, the Protector of the Small series is about smashing the ceilings others place above you. In a landmark quartet published years before it’s time, Kel must prove herself twice as good as her male peers just to be thought equal. A series that touches on questions of courage, friendship, a humane perspective – told against a backdrop of a magical, action-packed fantasy adventure. ‘I take more comfort from and as great pleasure in Tamora Pierce’s Tortall novels as I do from Game of Thrones’Washington Post

FIRST TEST

BOOK 1 OF THE PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL QUARTET

Tamora Pierce

Copyright (#u3fb4c574-a243-5a3a-ac75-02b8b1e1c065)

HarperVoyager

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

Copyright © Tamora Pierce 1999

Map copyright © Isidre Mones 2017

Jacket design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

Tamora Pierce asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008304195

Ebook Edition © September 2019 ISBN: 9780008304201

Version: 2019-06-25

PRAISE FOR TAMORA PIERCE (#u3fb4c574-a243-5a3a-ac75-02b8b1e1c065)

‘Tamora Pierce didn’t just blaze a trail. Her heroines cut a swathe through the fantasy world with wit, strength, and savvy. Pierce is the real lioness, and we’re all just running to keep pace.’

LEIGH BARDUGO, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘Tamora Pierce creates epic worlds populated by girls and women of bravery, heart, and strength. Her work inspired a generation of writers and continues to inspire us.’

HOLLY BLACK, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘Tamora Pierce’s books shaped me not only as a young writer but also as a young woman. Her complex, unforgettable heroines and vibrant, intricate worlds blazed a trail for young adult fantasy – and I get to write what I love today because of the path she forged throughout her career. She is a pillar, an icon, and an inspiration.’

SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘I take more comfort from and as great pleasure in Tamora Pierce’s Tortall novels as I do from Game of Thrones.’

Washington Post

‘Tamora Pierce and her brilliant heroines didn’t just break down barriers; they smashed them with magical fire.’

KATHERINE ARDEN, author of The Bear and the Nightingale

Dedication (#u3fb4c574-a243-5a3a-ac75-02b8b1e1c065)

To Mallory, who totally made it happen

Contents

Cover (#u8c62c155-a259-5910-88de-1330fcc9dceb)

Title Page (#ue9a571bd-5cdf-569e-b389-8ac23342b549)

Copyright

Praise for Tamora Pierce

Dedication

Map

Chapter 1: Decisions

Chapter 2: Not So Welcome

Chapter 3: The Practice Courts

Chapter 4: Classrooms

Chapter 5: Kel Backs Away

Chapter 6: The Lance

Chapter 7: Kel Takes a Stand

Chapter 8: Winter