Provost's Dog
The Provost's Dog trilogy is a series of young adult fantasy novels by best-selling author Tamora Pierce. The series is a prequel to Pierce's first quartet, The Song of the Lioness, and is set in the fictional kingdom of Tortall two hundred years earlier. 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.
Series
Characters
Major characters
- Rebakah "Beka" Cooper – A young, up-and-coming member of the Provost's Guard and protegée 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 (beings of air that catch sounds and conversations on breezes). 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", because she "sticks her teeth in and never lets go", a reference to how she never stops until she has brought criminals to justice, shown by her tedious pursuit of a drunk mot through the entire length of the Lower City. Later she is also referred to as "Bloodhound", due to her searching out and bringing down Pearl Skinner, the Rogue of Port Caynn and counterfeiter. She is also the object of Rosto's flirtations; although she discourages him and for a brief period of time even has another lover, Dale Rowan.[3]
- Pounce – A black cat with purple eyes, Beka's foundling pet, who can choose if humans or other creatures can hear him. It has been suggested by some characters that Pounce is a constellation (called the Cat) that has come to live on Earth. This is actually the same cat known as Faithful from the Song of the Lioness Quartet.[4]
- Matthias (Mattes) Tunstall and Clara (Clary) Goodwin – Veteran guards assigned to train Beka during her puppy year or years.
- Rosto the Piper – Potential romantic interest to Beka and occasional comic relief, Rosto also moves the plot along first as a Scanran Rusher and later, as "the Rogue" (king of the lower city). As the Rogue, he maintains order among the lower city "Rats," and doles out justice on matters in which the Provost's Dogs can't or won't become involved. Rosto moves into Beka's boarding house with Kora and Aniki, and 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 22-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.
- Sabine of Macayhill – A lady knight, and Tunstall's love interest.
Minor characters
- Lord Gershom of Haryse – The Lord Provost, in command of Corus's city guard, and Beka's benefactor.
- Acton of Fenrigh – Watch Commander of the Jane Street Kennel, where Beka is posted.
- Kebibi Ahuda – A constantly beleaguered Watch Sergeant that is said to have a soft spot for Beka.
- Ersken Westover and Verene – Trainee guards from Beka's year.
- Aniki Forfrysning – Scanran rusher and swordswoman, friend of Kora, Beka and Rosto.
- Koramin (Kora) Ingensra – A rogue and mage. Ersken's lover, as of Terrier.
- Phelan – A second year Dog, friend of Ersken and Beka, Verene's lover.
- Tansy Lofts – Crookshank's grandson's wife and Beka's childhood friend. Tansy's son, Rolond, was killed by a mysterious "Shadow Snake".
References
- ^ Readergirlz live chat on December 16, 2009
- ^ Tamora Pierce's website
- ^ http://tamorapierce.wikia.com/wiki/Rebakah_Cooper
- ^ "The dreaded Movie Question". Dare to be Stupid (Tamora Pierce's LiveJournal). March 26, 2008. http://tammypierce.livejournal.com/9409.html. "Beka's books ... don't have any characters from the other Tortall books except Pounce."
External links