Emelan

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Fandom
Name: Emelan
Abbreviation(s):
Creator: Tamora Pierce
Date(s): 1997 - present
Medium: books
Country of Origin: United States
External Links: http://www.tamora-pierce.net/series/the-circle-universe/
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Emelan is a universe created by Tamora Pierce. It is also known as the Circle of Magic universe.

Canon

Tamora Pierce's Emelan universe, also known as the Circle universe, is named for the fictional country of Emelan, in which many of the books take place. Other nations include Namorn, Yanjing, Tharios, and Sotat, each with their own unique cultures and dialects. Traders move between regions and serve as a clear allusion to Roma.

Circle of Magic, published in the late 90s, consists of four books, each named for one of the main four characters, Lady Sandrilene "Sandry" Fa Toren, unwanted child Trisana "Tris" Chandler, Trader outcast Daja Kisubo, and street rat Briar Moss (originally Roach). The four are teenage ambient mages, meaning they have magic which does not conform to the traditional expectations of academic magic. They're taken in and fostered by Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn, a couple (confirmed in later books) who live in Discipline Cottage at the Winding Circle Temple. Lark and Sandry have magic with thread and sewing; Rosethorn, Dedicate Crane (Rosethorn's occasional lover and rival), and Briar have it with plants; Tris is tutored by Niklaren "Niko" Goldeye in weather magic; and Daja and her teacher Dedicate Frostpine have magic with metalworking and fire. Supporting Discipline characters include their dog, Little Bear, and Tris's starling, Shriek.

The Circle Opens shows the main four mages getting apprentices of their own. Sandry teaches dance mage Pasco Acalon with help from Yazmín Hebet. Briar and Rosethorn find stone mage Evumeimei "Evvy" Dingzai in Sotat, Daja teaches twins carpenter Niamara "Nia" and cook Jorality "Jory" Bancanor in Namorn, and Tris helps glass mage Kethlun "Keth" Warder with his new lightning magic while looking after young academic Glakisa "Glaki" Irakory. Evvy continues travelling with Briar and Rosethorn, Glaki moves into Discipline Cottage with novice Comas, and Tris acquires a living glass dragon named Chime.

The Circle Reforged begins with the reunion of the original foster siblings in The Will of the Empress in the capital of Namorn as political diplomats. While they're there, Daja falls in love with Rizuka "Rizu" fa Dalach, resulting in a short-lived sapphic relationship. Namorn's leaders betray them and they're forced to flee the empire, and Sandry gives up her title as Lady. The second book, Melting Stones preceeds the events of the last and follows Rosethorn, Briar, and Evvy in the events immediately following their traumatic involvement in the Gyongxin War. Battle Magic is set during the war and has even darker subjects than what many of the earlier books had dealt with.

Pierce has plans to write another book in the Emelan universe that centers on Tris learning academic magic under a pseudonym at the University of Lightsbridge, where her mentor Niko studied.

Fandom

A large part of the appeal of Emelan is the found family trope, and fics featuring a platonic relationship between the 4 main characters or others are common. There is also a subset of fans who ship these characters, and most permutations of the four exist, as well as those who ship all four (often referred to as circlecest.

For other ships, see List of Tamora Pierce Relationship Names.

Fanworks

Archives and Communities

Resources

References

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