Squire: The Protector of the Small Series

I recently finished a book by Tamora Pierce called Squire.  It is the third book in the series The Protector of the Small.  The Protector of the Small series tells us about Keladry of Mindelan (called Kel)'s journey as the first female page, squire, and knight in the realm of Tortall.  (Alanna (see below) was the first female to try for knighthood, but she was pretending to be a boy.  Kel is the first known female to try for knighthood).  In this book, Kel is now a squire.  She has passed the Final Exams at the end of her four years as a page, and if she can make it through the next four years as a squire, and pass the rigorous knighthood test, she will be a female knight.  As squires, knights choose the boys to be their squire, and the squires are kind of like an apprentice and helper to their knight.  Lord Raoul of Goldenlake is a knight (also a close friend of King Jonathan and Alanna) who is the commander of the King's Own, an elite group of armed men who hunt bandits, build barriers for floods, fight against countries who try to sneak across the borders, and attend banquets at the palace.  The King's Own is hard to get into, because they do so much for the people of Tortall and the king.  As Raoul's squire, Kel gets to hunt bandits herself, and she also experiences a life of parties and banquets.  (The king, queen, and the whole court is on progress, to see all of Tortall--the king makes the King's Own travel with them, but they leave to rescue people often) :).  On the Grand Progress, Kel also gets a chance to joust against other squires and knights.  Lord Raoul has been training Kel to joust, and she is very good for a young squire.  Lord Raoul is the best jouster in the whole kingdom, and hasn't lost a joust in 10 years.  Kel thinks she can't ever win a joust in the beginning, but then she realizes the only person she's ever jousted against is Lord Raoul-- the best jouster in the realm.  Kel wins at least 2 out of 3 jousts, and gets a very fine reputation as a jouster.  I won't tell you the adventures she has next, because that would ruin the end of the book, but I will tell you it is very exciting and suspenseful!  I would recommend this book, and any book of Tamora Pierce's (I have read most of them :)). She is an excellent author!  Enjoy!!