“Daja doesn't exactly need to be tested on whether she's honorable or not." "Doesn't she? Don't all of you? This is your first taste of the things which may come from your being powerful mages. People will offer you gold, status, even love. I want to know how you will react. If want to know if your teachers will release greedy, thoughtless monsters into the world.”

American fantasy writer

Tamora Pierce is an American fantasy writer best known for fiction for teenagers. She was born in 1954 and became widely known through her first book series, The Song of the Lioness. That series, published from 1983 to 1988, follows Alanna as she trains to become a knight and faces the tests that come with that path. Pierce is especially associated with stories centered on young heroines, and her work has often spoken to courage, growth, and the demands of finding a place in a rigid world.