Originally published: 1983-1988
Page count: 1,206 total
Dates read: 6/9/24-6/16/24; 6/20/24-6/29/24
2024 book goal progress:
11, 12, 13, 14 out of 24
Read my other book reviews for my 2024 goals HERE.
Overall Review:
1. Alanna: The First Adventure (1983) - 274 pages
Description:
Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So, one day, they decide to switch places; Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy named Alan, heads to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page - to become a knight.
The road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins - one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.
First sentences:
"That is my decision. We need not discuss it."
Favorite quotes:
" 'Tis not my opinion that matters. The only way you'll win is if you think you're ready."
"That is my decision. We need not discuss it."
Favorite quotes:
" 'Tis not my opinion that matters. The only way you'll win is if you think you're ready."
This was a little disappointing since it was written for kids. I first read it when I was a kid myself, so my opinion was a bit skewed. It's simple, direct, and predictable. Alanna starts the book being about 10.75 years old and ends a little before her 14th birthday. The fact that the knights, who are supposed to stand against anything wrong, are all friends with the King of Thieves, just isn't believable/logical. That the King of Thieves is just a friendly guy who's only a few years older than the main character is also very far-fetched. Nonetheless, I still plan on finishing the series for nostalgia's sake.
2. In the Hand of the Goddess (1984) - 264 pages
Description:
Still disguised as a boy, Alanna becomes a squire to none other than the prince of the realm. Prince Jonathan is not only Alanna's liege lord, he is also her best friend - and one of the few who knows the secret of her true identity. But when a mysterious sorcerer threatens the prince's life, it will take all of Alanna's skill, strength, and magical power to protect him - even at the risk of revealing who she really is.
First sentence:
"The copper-haired rider looked at the black sky and swore.".
"The copper-haired rider looked at the black sky and swore.".
Again, this was OK. These are children's books and Tamora Pierce's first books, so she becomes a better writer later. Hopefully, the books published after this initial quartet will have improved writing. This book starts about a year after the first book finished, so Alanna's about 15 and it goes until she's about 18.5 years old. The romance seems very forced and I'm having a really hard time rooting for either of the potential love interests. She seems to overcome all her very extreme obstacles very easily - everything is just too pat, perfect, and predictable. As I said, though, I still intend to finish this quartet.
3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (1986) - 284 pages
Description:
Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes - for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.
First sentence:
"Alanna of Trebond, the sole woman knight in the realm of Torall, splashed happily in the waters of an oasis, enjoying her first bath in three days."
Favorite quotes:
"Alanna of Trebond, the sole woman knight in the realm of Torall, splashed happily in the waters of an oasis, enjoying her first bath in three days."
Favorite quotes:
"You won't always be able to stand between another person and his fate. You mustn't think you can look after the world."
"It does not hurt men to know women have power, too."
"You're brave to admit you don't know everything and then do something about it."
"Have you ever noticed that when you try to deny some part of yourself, things fall out so you need that part more than any other?"
Some logical things just didn't make sense for certain characters or plot points. An example is that the timeline has gotten a bit muddled. The book mentions multiple times that the beginning of the third book is both 4 weeks after the end of the second and 6 years after the end of the first book, but those timelines don't line up. Due to other clues, I'm inclined to go with the third book being 4 weeks after the end of the second book, which means it's 4.5 years (5 max) after the end of the first book. The third book spans a year when Alanna is about 18.5-19.5 years old.
This book started pretty bad, but about a quarter in it actually got pretty decent. I really liked some of the characters, though some were also very whiny. The characters are one-dimensional and caricature-like, there is no depth, subtlety, or complexity to any character. I don't like how the prince, Jon, was written in this book, but I've started to really like George, the King of Thieves. George's personality/character in no way fits what he would have to be like as the King of Thieves, though. I enjoyed the feminism and cultural progression represented in this book.
4. Lioness Rampant (1988) - 384 pages
Description:
Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. Alanna must push her uncertainty aside when a new challenge arises. She must recover the Dominion jewel, a legendary gem with enormous power for good - but only in the right hands. She must work quickly, for Tortall is in danger, and Alanna's archenemy, Duke Roger, is back and more powerful than ever. In this final book, Alanna discovers that she indeed has a future worthy of her mystic past - both as a warrior and woman.
First sentence:
"On a March afternoon, a knight and a man-at-arms reached the gate of the Marenite city of Berat."
Favorite quote:
"On a March afternoon, a knight and a man-at-arms reached the gate of the Marenite city of Berat."
Favorite quote:
"It always comes to this. A god can guide a mortal, nurture, and teach. And yet there comes a moment when the god must stand away from the fosterling and let the inevitable happen. That's how the universe is fashioned. There are moments when only a human can affect the outcome of events."
This was a disappointing ending to the quartet. Almost everyone ended up with a romantic partner. Death was brushed over and not dealt with. They traveled through a war-torn country with minimal issues. They traveled to the Roof of the World in about two months, which was supposed to be the furthest explored area on maps. It was all very pat and predictable.
The timetable was not particularly clear in this book. My guess is that it started about 2 months after the end of the third book and lasted about 5 months, so she's about 20 in this book. The second half of the epilogue time jumps another 3 months ahead.
Overall Review:
Overall, this is more of a kids (maybe middle school) book. I wouldn't consider this a young adult series, never mind an adult series. It's pretty direct, straightforward, and predictable. The editing/grammar also isn't good - there are multiple errors in all four books. It doesn't quite hold up to what I remember as a kid, but I recommend it for those who have kids and want to share fantasy with them!
Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Tamora Pierce have the last words:
"Ye'll be happy only when ye learn t' live with who ye are."
-Alanna: The First Adventure
"Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult? Alanna shook her head, smiling a little. In the three years she had been disguised as a boy, she had learned that boys know girls as little as girls know boys. It didn't make sense - people are people, after all, she thought - but that was how things were."
-In the Hand of the Goddess
" 'You are a terrifying creature. You do not take your place in your father's tent, letting men make your decisions. You ride as a man, you fight as a man, and you think as a man.'
'I think as a human being,' Alanna retorted hotly. 'Men don't think any differently from women - they just make more noise about being able to.'
'Have you not discovered that when people, men and women, find a woman who acts intelligently, they say she acts like a man?' "
-The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
" 'I know I'm a hero. I think about marrying, though, if I could do it and still see the world. It wouldn't be such a bad thing. Not if it was someone I liked and loved. Someone I could laugh with. I want to be a warrior and a woman. I want to travel and serve the king. Who says I can't have a little bit of each?' When she realized what she'd said, she began to grin. 'That's right - why can't I? And I've done pretty well I think!' "
-Lioness Rampant
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