Squire. Tamora Pierce

      

      SQUIRE

      BOOK 3 OF THE PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL QUARTET

      Tamora Pierce

       Copyright

      HarperVoyager

      An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      1 London Bridge Street

      London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

      Copyright © Tamora Pierce 2001

      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: 9780008304256

      Ebook Edition © September 2019 ISBN: 9780008304263

      Version: 2019-06-25

       PRAISE FOR TAMORA PIERCE

      ‘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

       To Ms. Gloria Barbizan and Miss Dorothy Olding—Strong businesswomen long before the women’s liberation

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

      Copyright

      Praise for Tamora Pierce

      Dedication

      Map

      Corus, the capital of Tortall; Summer, in the 17th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 456 H.E. (Human Era)

Chapter 1: Knight-Master

Chapter 2: The King’s Own

Chapter 3: Centaurs

Chapter 4: Owlshollow

       Chapter 5: The Griffin

       Chapter 6: Lessons

       Chapter 7: Old Friends

       December, in the 17th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 456

       Chapter 8: The Price of a Maid

       Chapter 9: Midwinter Luck

       Spring, in the 18th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 457

       Chapter 10: The Great Progress Begins

       Chapter 11: Cleon

       Fall-Midwinter, in the 18th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 457

       Chapter 12: Tournament

       Chapter 13: The Iron Door

       Chapter 14: Friends

       In the 19th and 20th years of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, Spring 458-Spring 459

       Chapter 15: Tilt-Silly

       Chapter 16: The North

       Summer, in the 20th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 459

       Chapter 17: The Kraken

       Winter, in the 20th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 459

       Chapter 18: Ordeal

       Cast of Characters

       Glossary

       Acknowledgements

       Read on for a Preview of Lady Knight

       Also by Tamora Pierce

       About the Publisher

       Map

Corus, the capital of Tortall; Summer, in the 17th year of the reign of Jonathan IV and Thayet, his Queen, 456 H.E. (Human Era)

       CHAPTER 1

       KNIGHT-MASTER