The Realms of the Gods

Infobox Book |
name = The Realms of the Gods


image_caption = Original Simon & Schuster/Atheneum U.S. hardcover of the book featuring the title character.
author = Tamora Pierce
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = The Immortals
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Atheneum
release_date = 1996
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback
pages = 209 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 0689319908
preceded_by = Emperor Mage
followed_by =

"The Realms of the Gods" is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the fourth and last in a series of books, The Immortals.

Plot introduction

--From the back of the book cover--

Daine and the mage Numair are faced with certain death when they are suddenly swept into the mystical realms of the gods, where Daine learns the secrets of her past. But she and Numair are both needed in the mortal world to help fight the desperate war that is raging in Tortall. And so they undertake the journey home- a dangerous journey that will teach them about life and about each other. Their path leads them to the final clash, which involves both mortals and immortals- a battle in which the only chance for Tortall's future lies with Daine and her wild magic.

Set in Tortall during the reign of King Jonathan IV and Queen Thayet, "The Realms of the Gods" is the final book in The Immortals series, which chronicles a time when the world is invaded by immortal creatures.

Plot summary

In this final book of Daine's story, she and Numair are transported to the Divine Realms,or the realms of the gods themselves through a very unusual agency- Daine's mother Sarra, now the Green Lady, a minor goddess of healing and childbirth in the northern provinces. Although it has been hinted at before, Daine's father is revealed in this book as none other than the minor Northern God of the Hunt, Weiryn. Despite her happiness at being reunited with her long dead mother, Daine must return to the mortal realms in time to help fight the Immortals attacking Tortall, including the former Carthaki Emperor Ozorne, who is now a harpy-analogous Stormwing in league with the queen of Chaos, Uusoae.

However, getting into the realm of the gods is much easier than getting out and so, aided by the badger god and the god of platypi, Daine and Numair must travel a perilous road to the realm of the dragons, to petition them for help in getting back to the mortal realms. Throughout their journey, they encounter an alarming number of Chaos vents, "windows" that look into the Chaos realms. As a demigod, Daine is particularly vulnerable to them.

It is revealed that Numair Salmalin harbored very strong feelings for Daine, though she had not believed it to be anything serious. After saving her life from spidrens (giant spiders with human heads), Numair forgets himself and kisses Daine, admitting he loves her. Daine also loves him, but the two have doubts about a lasting relationship because of their age difference; Daine is sixteen, and Numair is thirty. Despite this, in the epilogue of the book, Numair asks Daine to marry him. Daine does not agree yet, but it revealed that they do live together in another one of Tamora Pierce's books, First Test. In Tricker's Queen, another one of Tamora Pierce's books, they are married and have children.

They go through many perils to finally reach the Dragonlands. After some arguing, two dragons agree to bring them back. In the mortal realms there is a major attack on Port Legann, a city in Tortall. In this fight Daine defeats former Emperor Ozorne. Uusoae ends up trying to kill Daine but she is saved by Uusoae's and the gods's mother and father; Father Universe and Mother Flame. Daine then has to decide whether to stay in the mortal realms as a mortal or live in the Divine Realms as a minor goddess with her mother and father. With some discussion with her mother and Weiryn, her father, she decides her true home is the mortal realm. Her mother promises to visit when she can.