The first book, First Test dealt with Keladry in her probationary year in knight training. This second book deals with her three years as a page--and with her growing up with all the changes that come with puberty. And she still has to deal with resistance as the first openly female knight-in-training in a century. But she not only defends herself, but others as well. (Thus, earning that title "Protector of the Small") I was skeptical of this series coming to it from Pierce's first books, The Lioness Quartet with its lady knight, Alanna, who had to disguise herself as a boy to undergo this training. What? This again? And unlike those books, there's little magic here. Keladry's qualities are quieter and a lot less flashy. But in the end she's probably my favorite Pierce character, and that puts her in very good company and this installment is even better than the first.
