Terrier
A Novel of Tortall
Content
Protagonist	Rebakah Cooper
Antagonist	The Shadow Snake, Crookshank
Setting	Tortall (Corus in 246 HE)
Attribution
Author	Tamora Pierce
Cover Artist	Jonathan Barkat
Publication information
Publisher	Random House
Release Date	Oct. 24, 2006 (hardcover and audio book) Oct. 23, 2007 (paperback)
UK Release Date
Pages	592 (hardcover) 608 (paperback)
Chronology
Series	Provost's Dog
Preceded by	'
Followed by	Bloodhound

Terrier is book one in the Rebekah Cooper trilogy by Tamora Pierce. It centers around protagonist Rebakah Cooper, ancestor of Eleni Cooper and George Cooper. Her story takes place about 200 years before Alanna: The First Adventure. The book is about Beka's first weeks as a puppy, or trainee, in the Provost's Guard.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Narrative technique 2.1 Diary form 2.2 Terminology 3 Publication details 3.1 Series 3.2 Other editions 4 Characters 4.1 Major characters 4.2 Other characters 5 Reception 6 Notes and references 7 External links 8 See also

SynopsisEdit

Beka Cooper is placed with Senior Dogs Matthias Tunstall and Clara Goodwin, two dogs famous for their work in the Lower City. Soon, they begin investigating the murder of three-year-old Rolond Lofts, son of Beka's friend Tansy Lofts and great-grandson of Ammon "Crookshank" Lofts, a rich criminal. This leads them to the realization that many children have been kidnapped and held for ransom in the last three years. If the child's parents pay the ransom, usually a valuable item in the parents' possession (such as a lily necklace, a ruby pendant, fire opals, curses, etc...), their child is returned to them. If not, the child is killed, and they have a new week to pay.

Supposedly, the villain behind these kidnappings is the Shadow Snake, a being from a legend used to scare young children into behaving. Beka, however, does not believe this and sets out to learn what's really happening.

Meanwhile, things are unstable in the court of the Rogue, a league of criminals. Kayfer Deerborn, the current king of the Rogue, is old and frail, and young hopefuls flock into town. Notably, one such hopeful, Rosto the Piper, and his two female friends, become friends with Beka.

Soon, Beka realizes that the Shadow Snake, or whomever is posing as the snake, is not the only crook working on a large scale lately. She suspects Crookshank of hiring workers to dig up rare fire opals from him - and killing the workers afterwards. However, there is little proof for either mystery and Beka, as a puppy, cannot go after them as she would like. Still, she continues to hunt for clues.

Narrative techniqueEdit

Diary formEdit

The story is told through the diary entries of Rebakah Cooper, which leads to a first-person narrator. It also allows for some special formatting like ink splatters or cat paws on pages. There aren't any real chapters. Instead the book is divided in diary entries for the day in question. The language, too, is more colloquial because of the diary form as Beka herself grew up in the Lower City of Corus and now works and lives in it, she also uses some of the terminology. This doesn't only include the usage of certain words, but also short, simple phrases as well as punctuation.

TerminologyEdit

Terrier and the other books of the Rebekah Cooper trilogy follow a special terminology due to the setting in a lower social environment than Pierce's other books.

Some of the slang words are:

• birdies - informants
• cages - jail
• cove - man
• dog - guardsman or -woman who has gone through puppy training and achieved dog status
• doxie - female prostitute
• filcher - small-time criminal
• foist - master pickpocket
• gillyflower - carnation
• gixie - girl
• hedgewitch - worker of small magics with little formal eduation
• hobble - tie up or arrest
• hotblood wine - wine spiked with amphetamine-like substance
• kennel - law enforcement station
• minnow - very small-time criminal
• mot - woman
• mumper - beggar
• nob, noll - head
• puppy - guardsman or -woman in training
• puttock - low-level female prostitute
• rat - criminal
• river dodgers - hard men and women working on and around the river (boats, shipping, trade and smuggling)
• rushers - thugs
• spintry - male prostitute
• twilsey - refreshing drink made of raspberry or cider vinegar and water

Publication detailsEdit

SeriesEdit

Terrier is book one in the Rebekah Cooper trilogy and was published in hardcover on October 23, 2006^[1]. The publication of the trade paperback edition followed a year later, on October 23, 2007^[2]. Book two, Bloodhound, had a tentative release date of Spring 2008 but was actually released on April 14, 2009. Book three, Mastiff, had an original release date for 2010 but has been pushed back to Fall of 2011.

Other editionsEdit

Except from being published as hardcover and paperback books by Random House, the book has also been made into and audiobook by Listening Library. The reader is Susan Denaker and the audiobook is about 15 hours long. It was published simultaneously to the hardcover edition and is available on CDs as well as for download.

There also exists a Danish translation by Bjarne Skovlund, published with Tellerup, in which the novel has been split in two parts called "Duernes hvisken" (Whisper of the Doves) and "Duernes råb" (Cry of the Doves). The Danish cover art was designed by Stefan Rosenbech.

CharactersEdit

For a full list of characters see Characters in Terrier.

Major charactersEdit

• Rebakah "Beka" Cooper: Beka is a trainee guard, partnered with Goodwin and Tunstall. Due to her inherited ability to understand the ghosts riding on pigeons and the voices caught in the breezes called dust spinners, she refers to those unusual informants.
• Matthias Tunstall: He is Goodwin's dog partner and one of Beka's training partners. Tusntall is more easy-going than Goodwin and Beka compares him several times to an owl.
• Clara Goodwin: She is Tunstall's dog partner and one of Beka's training partners. At first Goodwin is against having a Puppy, because she thinks a trainee would slow them down.
• Pounce: Pounce is Beka's advisor, a constellation come to life in the body of a black cat with purple eyes. He is also known as Alanna's traveling companion Faithful in The Song of the Lioness-quartet.

Other charactersEdit

• Kebibi Ahuda: Watch Sergeant on Evening Watch in Jane Street kennel; conducts combat training for Puppies.
• Gershom of Haryse: Lord Provost, took Beka and her family in after she had helped him to capture the Bold Brass gang.
• Ammon "Crookshank" Lofts: Landlord in the Lower City as well as a criminal.
• Tansy Lofts: Tansy is Beka's friend from childhood. She married Crookshank's son Herun Lofts and had a son with him, Rolond Lofts. Rolond was taken by the Shadow Snake when Tansy was pregnant with her second child.
• Rosto the Piper: Rosto came along with Aniki and Kora new to Corus from Scanra. All three move in at Beka's lodging house. He is a thug and employed to one of the Rogue's chiefs.
• Aniki Forfrysning: She came with Rosto and Kora to Corus and now makes her living as guard to one of the Rogue's chiefs.
• Koramin Ingensra: Kora came with Rosto and Aniki to Corus. She is a mage.
• Shadow Snake: The Shadow Snake is a creature of ledgends, now appearantly come to live and steal children of the Lower City.
• Deirdry Noll: Mistress Noll is a baker. She has stalls both in the Nightmarket and in the Daymarket. Her son Yates and her daughter Gemma help her there.

ReceptionEdit

• 2009 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award - "Best Book for Older Readers"
• Six weeks on The New York Times Children's Chapter Books bestseller list - #2 on 11/12/06, #4 on 11/19/06, #4 on 11/26/06, #10 on 12/03/06^[3], #5 on 12/10/06, #9 on 12/17/06
• Publishers Weekly Children’s Fiction bestseller list, December, 2006^[3]
• A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, American Library Association, 2007^[3]

Notes and referencesEdit

1. ↑ Terrier Hardcover on Random House
2. ↑ Terrier Trade Paperback on Random House
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Tamora Pierce's Website

External linksEdit

• Excerpt of Terrier
• Excerpt from the audiobook (might need to scroll down a bit)
• Excerpt of Terrier read by Tamora Pierce
• Continuation to the link above

See alsoEdit

v · d · eBooks v · d · e Tortallan Books The Song of the Lioness Alanna: The First Adventure • In the Hand of the Goddess • The Woman Who Rides Like a Man • Lioness Rampant The Immortals Wild Magic • Wolf-Speaker • Emperor Mage • The Realms of the Gods Protector of the Small First Test • Page • Squire • Lady Knight Trickster's Trickster's Choice • Trickster's Queen Beka Cooper Terrier • Bloodhound • Mastiff Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales v · d · e Emelan Books The Circle of Magic Sandry's Book • Tris's Book • Daja's Book • Briar's Book The Circle Opens Magic Steps • Street Magic • Cold Fire • Shatterglass The Will of the Empress • Melting Stones • Battle Magic (2012)

v · d · eProvost's Dog Books Terrier • Bloodhound • Mastiff (2011) Places Corus Barrel's Bottom • Cesspool • Dancing Dove • Flash District • Glassman Square • Jane Street kennel • Lower City • Mantel and Pullet • Market of Sorrows • Mutt Piddle Lane • Naxen's Fancy • Nightmarket • Nipcopper Close • Olorun River • Sheepmire Tavern • Waterfront District Port Caynn Waterlily • Eagle Street Court • Guards House • Ladyshearth Lodgings • Merman's Cave • Rattery Prison Events Opal Murders • Dead Men's Riots • Bread Riot • Counterfeiting of 247 HE v · d · e Characters v · d · eResidents of Corus Nobles King Roger • Queen Jessamine • Lady Sabine • Sir Tullus • Acton of Fenrigh • Lord Gershom • Lady Teodorie Guards Kebibi Ahuda • Wulfric Birch • Rebakah Cooper • Fulk • Clara Goodwin • Ercole Hempstead • Hilyard • Jakorn • Nyler Jewel • Otelia • Phelan Rapp • Rollo • Silsbee • Matthias Tunstall • Verene • Ersken Westover • Osgyth Yoav Rogues Kayfer Deerborn • Dawull • Ulsa • Rosto the Piper • Aniki Forfrysning • Koramin Ingensra • Bold Brian • Fiddlelad • Lady May • Reed Katie Commoners Jack Ashmiller • Orva Ashmiller • Ashmiller children • Jungen Berryman • Diona Cooper • Fern Cooper • Ilony Cooper • Lorine Cooper • Nilo Cooper • Philben Cooper • Willes Cooper • Tomlan Goodwin • Vrinday Kayu • Ammon Lofts • Annis Lofts • Herun Lofts • Rolond Lofts • Tansy Lofts • Uta Norwood • Inman Poundridge • Deirdry Noll • Gemma Noll • Yates Noll • Gunnar Espeksra • Amaya Painter • Mother Cantwell • Myaral Fane • Ulfrec Fane • Master Sholto • Otho Urtiz • Ashmari • Garnett • Geraint Pell • Madon Pell v · d · eResidents of Port Caynn Guards Lionel of Trebond • Nestor Haryse • Terart Axman • Enno • Ives • Anglesea • Shales Rogues Pearl Skinner • Hansevor Remy • Zolaika • Jurji • Steen Bolter • Torcall Jupp • Fair Flory Others Isanz Finer • Wenna Finer • Meraud Finer • Okha Soyan • Truda • Haden • Dale Rowan • Durant Elkes • Serenity Animals Pigeons Ashes • Fog • Inky • Mumper • Pinky • Slapper • Spangle • White Spice Others Achoo • Fuzzball • Laddybuck • Pounce