Riftwar Legacy
fantasy
Series · fantasy
Protector of the Small
The Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with First Test (1999).
- Books
- 4 known books (4 novels)
- Published
- 4
- First published
- 1999
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: First Test (1999) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
First Test
Tamora Pierce began Protector of the Small with First Test in 1999, a 240-page opener. It introduces Keladry of Mindelan, the first girl to train openly for knighthood in Tortall after a law change, and puts her through a probationary first year specifically designed to make her quit -- a deliberate contrast to Alanna's disguised struggle a generation earlier in Song of the Lioness.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of First Test - Book 2:
Page
Page followed in 2000, growing to 268 pages as the second book. Kel continues her training under the visible, sustained prejudice that defines her path, developing the reputation for standing up for people smaller or weaker than herself that becomes as central to her as swordsmanship.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Page - Book 3:
Squire
By 2001's Squire, the series had lengthened considerably, reaching 404 pages as its third entry. Kel advances from page to squire, her training bond with a formidable sparrow flock and a griffin chick she's saddled with protecting continuing alongside her rise through Tortall's knighthood ranks.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Squire - Book 4:
Lady Knight
Pierce closed the quartet with Lady Knight in 2002, its longest volume at 429 pages -- published annually across all four years. It builds to a genuine large-scale war, testing Kel's leadership under conditions the earlier training arc could only prepare her for in theory.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lady Knight
About the Protector of the Small series
Protector of the Small follows Keladry of Mindelan, the first girl to train openly for knighthood in Tortall since a law change opened the pages' training to girls -- unlike Alanna, who had to disguise herself as a boy a generation earlier, Kel trains as herself, in full view of instructors and fellow pages who range from supportive to openly hostile. That difference reframes the same basic knighthood-training premise Song of the Lioness used: where Alanna's struggle was concealment, Kel's is enduring visible, sustained prejudice, including a probationary first year specifically designed to make her quit, while never losing the steady, stubborn decency that gives the quartet its title. Across four books she rises from page to squire to knight, developing a reputation for standing up for people smaller or weaker than herself -- refugees, animals, younger pages -- that becomes as central to her character as swordsmanship, alongside a training bond with a formidable sparrow flock and a griffin chick she's saddled with protecting. Pierce wrote Kel as a deliberate contrast to Alanna: less naturally gifted, more methodical, and more overtly concerned with fairness and leadership than personal glory, giving Tortall's central knighthood narrative a second, meaningfully different take a decade after the first. The series builds to a genuine large-scale war in its final volume, Lady Knight, testing Kel's leadership under conditions the earlier training arc could only prepare her for in theory.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I read Protector of the Small in?
Publication order: First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight.
How is Keladry's story different from Alanna's in Song of the Lioness?
Kel trains for knighthood openly as a girl, without disguise, after a law change -- her struggle is enduring visible prejudice and a hostile probationary year rather than concealing her identity.
Do I need to read Song of the Lioness first?
Not required, but it adds context, since Protector of the Small is set roughly a decade after Alanna's story and references the law change her example helped bring about.
Do Daine and Numair from The Immortals appear in Protector of the Small?
Yes, as established supporting adult characters, though prior knowledge of The Immortals isn't required to follow Kel's story.
How many books are in Protector of the Small?
Four, published between 1999 and 2002.
If you like the Protector of the Small series
Reading order last verified .