SQUIRE
BOOK 3 OF THE PROTECTOR OF THE SMALL QUARTET
Tamora Pierce
HarperVoyager
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
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
‘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
To Ms. Gloria Barbizan and Miss Dorothy Olding—Strong businesswomen long before the women’s liberation
Contents
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
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