Provost's Dog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Provost's Dog trilogy is an incomplete series of young adult fantasy novels by best-selling author Tamora Pierce. The series is a prequel set in the fictional kingdom of Tortall, two hundred years before Pierce's first quartet, The Song of the Lioness. It details the adventures of Beka Cooper, a sixteen-year-old recruit of the Lord Provost, originally from a lower city family and now in service to the Provost's Guard.
Contents |
[edit] Novels
[edit] Characters
Rebakah (Beka) Cooper - a young, up-and-coming member of the Provost's Guard and protegee to the Lord Provost. Ancestor of George Cooper. Beka has magic that allows her to hear restless spirits on the backs of pigeons and dust spinners. She is sometimes referred to as Fishpuppy, a reference to her first night as a puppy, when she was tripped while chasing a cutpurse and landed in a pile of fish guts. She is also sometimes referred to as Terrier, due to the fact that she "sticks her teeth in and never lets go," a reference to how she never stops until she has brought criminals to justice. She is also the object of Rosto's flirtations; although she discourages him.
Lord Gershom of Haryse - the Lord Provost, in command of Corus's city guard, and Beka's benefactor.
Pounce - a black cat with purple eyes, Beka's foundling pet, whom only she can hear speaking like a human being. (Presumably another incarnation of Faithful from the Song of The Lioness series)It has been suggested by some characters that Pounce is a constellation (called the Cat) that has come to live on Earth. (This is in fact a retcon as at when Faithful dies in Song of the Lioness a new constellation called the Cat appears. In Provost's Dog it is explained that in fact The Cat is a constellation that disappears for decades at a time.)
Acton of Fenrigh - Watch Commander of the Jane Street Kennel, where Beka is posted.
Kebibi Ahuda - constantly beleaguered Watch Sargant. Sargeant.
Ersken Westover and Verene - trainee guards from Beka's year.
Matthias (Mattes) Tunstall and Clara (Clary) Goodwin - veteran guards assigned to train Beka during her probationary year.
Rosto the Piper - protagonist, comedy relief, and potential romantic interest. He is a Scanran Rusher who encounters Beka. Originally she is not attracted to him, but as they meet and when he eventually moves into her boarding house with Kora and Aniki, they become slow friends. As the Shadowsnake case becomes more serious, their relationship grows. With the book's progression, his appearances in the book and importance to the plot increase as well. Rosto is described as a twenty two year old who stands at five feet and ten inches. He is skinny but well muscled. Extremely pale with nearly white hair but black eyes. On his left eyebrow he has a sideways forked scar. First Appearance in book one: Terrier.
Aniki Forfrysning - Scanran rusher and swordswoman, friend of Kora, Beka and Rosto.
Koramin (Kora) Ingensra - rogue and mage. Ersken's lover, as of Terrier.
Sabine of Macayhill - lady knight, and Mattes' love intrest.
Phelan - second year Dog, friend of Ersken and Beka, Verene's lover.
Ammon "Crookshank" Lofts - slumlord in Corus's Lower City.
Tansy Lofts - Crookshank's grandson's wife and Beka's childhood friend. Tansy's son, Rolond, was killed by a mysterious "Shadow Snake".
Annis Lofts - Crookshank's daughter-in-law, mother of Herun Lofts, and Tansy's mother-in-law.
Kayfer Deerborn- King of the Rogues in the Lower City.
Deirdry Noll- Lower City baker, has several stands throughout the Lower City's markets.
[edit] Terminology
- Birdie - Provost's Guard nickname for informants
- bugnob - a person with little brains
- cages - holding cells for prisoners of the kennel
- cityman - a person who is noble
- cove - male
- cracknob - a madman
- cuddy - slob
- Dog - member of Provost's Guard
- douse - murder (to murder)
- doxie - female prostitute
- ducknob - a person with little intelligence
- filcher - small-time criminal
- foist - master pickpocket
- gixie - girl
- hobble - to tie up or arrest
- Kennel - prison/police station
- mot - female
- Puppy - trainee of Provost's Guard, not yet a full Dog
- Rat - Provost's Guard nickname for criminals
- spintry - male prostitute
