Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Book 1)
by Tamora Pierce
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This review is really a general review fo all of the Tamora Pierce books I have on my shelf. These books are some of my favourites ever. The Song of the lioness and protector of the small series are probably my favourite. They're both about girls a long time ago who become nights.In the song of lioness series Alanna pretends to be a boy for four years untill she is a proper night when she tells everyone shes a girl. In The protector of the small series girls are allowed to become knights because...more
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recommended to Antigone by:
Bellaire Library
recommends it for: girls, kids, Big kids,
recommends it for: girls, kids, Big kids,
I first read this book in Jr high in the 80's like many a reviewer here. I rediscovered this series 2 years ago when I was going through a difficult time at my job and would find solace in the arms of my lunchtime bookstore. I walked in to the YA section one day and saw Tamora Pierce's Trickster book displayed in hardcover. And then in dawned on me..... I stopped reading Pierce's books but she didn't stop writing them! I was ELATED and bought the whole Lioness series again.
The descrip...more
The descrip...more
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I loved this quartet of stories as a kid, it was one of my favorite series. I loved Alanna and her determination and refusal to not follow her dreams. The writing could be a bit better, and Alanna's life is rather unbelievable simply because it is full of too many impossibilities and firsts - the first 'maiden warrior' (god I hate that phrase!), the first female Champion, the best swordfighter, the first female shaman, etc. etc. etc. Don't get me wrong, I love that this a series that promotes th...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in February, 2007
Started: Feb 4/07
Finished: Feb 4/07
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My first foray into the works of Tamora Pierce, of whom I have heard good things, and I have to say I found this book an enjoyable read, and will probably read the rest of the series too. Alanna is a sympathetic character, and she has plenty of adventures in the first book, just from ages 10 to 14. The groundwork is laid for a lot of complex and satisfying action and intrigue in the rest of the series, so here's another author's name for my list when I...more
Finished: Feb 4/07
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My first foray into the works of Tamora Pierce, of whom I have heard good things, and I have to say I found this book an enjoyable read, and will probably read the rest of the series too. Alanna is a sympathetic character, and she has plenty of adventures in the first book, just from ages 10 to 14. The groundwork is laid for a lot of complex and satisfying action and intrigue in the rest of the series, so here's another author's name for my list when I...more
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Read in January, 1996
This is the first book in the Song of the Lioness series. Alanna is a young noblewoman in the kingdom of Tortall. She and her twin, Thom, are about to be sent from their manor to begin their training. Alanna doesn’t want to go to the convent and her brother doesn’t want to train as a knight. They switch places and Alanna disguises herself as a boy and begins her training as a page at the king’s castle. Her brother goes off to study magic. This book relates the trials and triumphs of A...more
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recommends it for:
YA/fantasy lovers, readers who enjoy the strong female heroine
I have to say, I love this series and just about anything I have read by Tamora Pierce.
In short: Alanna and her twin brother, Thom, trade places as they are sent away from home: he goes instead to learn magic, while she goes in his place to become a knight. To become a knight, Alanna renames herself Alan, pretending to be a boy until she can get her shield. The entire series covers her time from page, to squire, to knighthood, and touches on her time after, creating a nice set-up for other...more
In short: Alanna and her twin brother, Thom, trade places as they are sent away from home: he goes instead to learn magic, while she goes in his place to become a knight. To become a knight, Alanna renames herself Alan, pretending to be a boy until she can get her shield. The entire series covers her time from page, to squire, to knighthood, and touches on her time after, creating a nice set-up for other...more
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Read in January, 1995
The books in Pierce's Song of the Lionness series were my favorite books of all time until probably around middle school. However, I didn't read Book 1 until long after I'd read Books 2-4--because when I first found In the Hand of the Goddess, I was only in second or third grade and it was shelved with the last two books in the young adult section and I hadn't figured out how to use the Dewey decimal system yet to find the first one, which was shelved with in the children's section. Tr...more
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Read in February, 2008
This was my favorite book from probably age 10 to age 13 or 14, when I would periodically sit down and read it from cover to cover on a weekend afternoon, or late at night instead of doing my homework.
On re-reading, I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of shape of the book, but it is much better than the rest of the series (which I didn't read until high school, and which is disappointing in that Tamora Pierce decided that there needed to be an omniscient talking cat to make the series interes...more
On re-reading, I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of shape of the book, but it is much better than the rest of the series (which I didn't read until high school, and which is disappointing in that Tamora Pierce decided that there needed to be an omniscient talking cat to make the series interes...more
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Read in July, 2007
I gave very good reviews to the Pierce's Trickster series. Those are fun, intelligent, and imaginative books set in a very well developed, believable, fantasy world. The Alanna books however, are the first imagining of that world, and very pale in comparison. Where Aly has intelligence, cunning, and a novel perspective, Alanna has strength and speed: one of these combinations makes for more interesting reading than the other. Alanna is a full fledged character, just not that interesting.
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Read in January, 2001
Didn't like this very much. It was a fun story but not given the detail I would have appreciated. Then again, it covers a few years in a girl's life in not too many pages, so I guess it had to skim a bit. Also, might be the children/young adult aspect that doesn't allow to go as in-depth as I would have liked.
Might read the further adventures, but my library's missing #2 and I don't feel motivated enough to ILL it.
Story of a girl who wants to be a knight, not a nun or a wife, so she ...more
Might read the further adventures, but my library's missing #2 and I don't feel motivated enough to ILL it.
Story of a girl who wants to be a knight, not a nun or a wife, so she ...more
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Read in April, 2008
I'm a little surprised that I never read this book as a kid. As it's the story of a girl who cross dresses to become a knight, and as I was way into both knights and boyishness, I'm sure I would have loved it. As an adult, I can see that this is pretty typical girlie fantasy fare--characters with purple eyes abound. Characters are simple and a little stiff, and it sometimes feels like the fantasy setting is nothing more than background scenery; there's no real reason why this story has to...more
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Read in June, 2008
This book was such a fun read that I couldn't put it down. I read it in just two sittings today, and I'm anxious to start the next volume.
Alanna has always wanted to be a knight. The only problem: Alanna is a girl and her father has already decided for her that she is to be sent off to a covent to learn how to be a lady. But, Alanna has other plans in mind. Instead of the covent, she makes her way to the palace and starts training to become a knight. She portrays herself as a boy in ord...more
Alanna has always wanted to be a knight. The only problem: Alanna is a girl and her father has already decided for her that she is to be sent off to a covent to learn how to be a lady. But, Alanna has other plans in mind. Instead of the covent, she makes her way to the palace and starts training to become a knight. She portrays herself as a boy in ord...more
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I read this series when I was a kid and just loved it. Re-reading them as an adult I could criticize the sophmoric writing and the lack of plot details--but I won't. I love these characters!
I suggest reading these books sequentially: Song of the Lioness series, The Immortals series, Protector of the Small series, Trickster series. It is amazing to 'read' the evidence of the evolution of Pierce as a writer! (does that sentence make sense?) From the basic, simple writings of "Alanna...more
I suggest reading these books sequentially: Song of the Lioness series, The Immortals series, Protector of the Small series, Trickster series. It is amazing to 'read' the evidence of the evolution of Pierce as a writer! (does that sentence make sense?) From the basic, simple writings of "Alanna...more
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I missed these when I was younger. Didn't even know they were out there. I don't know what really prompted me to pick them up now, but I'm definitely glad I did. I can see why this series is a mainstay and a classic.
Oh, wait! I remember why I decided to read the series. I read on YALSA-BK that Alanna is one female character in young adult literature that is sexually empowered. This revelation resulting from a thread that asked for a compilation of books where the female character reg...more
Oh, wait! I remember why I decided to read the series. I read on YALSA-BK that Alanna is one female character in young adult literature that is sexually empowered. This revelation resulting from a thread that asked for a compilation of books where the female character reg...more
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this book is captivating and somewhat funny. it has a humerous side as well as a strong determined serious side, much like the main character.Alanna of trebond is now Alan of Trebond. she is no longer a twin sister, she's a twin brother. and no longer will she be sent away to learn magic and a ladies etiquette, she is being sent away to be a knight. finally alanna is wher she has always wanted to be, but is it worth it, and will being a girl get in the way of her way to knighthood? find out in t...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone who liked the Harry Potter series
Oh my god! I just absolutely love this series. I would recommend it to everyone who liked the Harry Potter series. I've only read the first 2 books in the Song of the Lioness series, but I'm already in love with the book. It is about a girl who didn't want to go to a convent to learn sorcery, while her twin brother didn't want to learn how to be a knight. These 2 twins switch places, and because girls aren't allowed to learn chivalry, the girl disguises herself as a boy. This series has sorcery,...more
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Read in December, 2007
Wow.
I loved this book soo much.
It's about this girl who wants to be a knight
But in her era it isn't proper for ladies to train as knights.
On the other hand her twin brother wants to become a sorcerer. But he's being sent off to knight school.
The girl is being sent to become a sorceress.
So they swap places.
This book shows that girls can be just as good as the boys.
I really want to finish this series.
Tamora Pierce is an awesome writer.
I've read her other books:
-First Test
-Trickster's...more
I loved this book soo much.
It's about this girl who wants to be a knight
But in her era it isn't proper for ladies to train as knights.
On the other hand her twin brother wants to become a sorcerer. But he's being sent off to knight school.
The girl is being sent to become a sorceress.
So they swap places.
This book shows that girls can be just as good as the boys.
I really want to finish this series.
Tamora Pierce is an awesome writer.
I've read her other books:
-First Test
-Trickster's...more
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As a synopsis, this book sounds good. Our heroine is desperate to be a hero in a magical world of knights, pages and kings. Young Alanna disguises herself as a boy and meets danger and friends on her quest to become a knight.
But it's poorly written; Pierce has a feeble grasp of descriptive language and the characters are weak and transparent. I was soreley disappointed at just how bad a good idea could become, and how quickly an interesting synopsis spiralled into a terrible story. I certain...more
But it's poorly written; Pierce has a feeble grasp of descriptive language and the characters are weak and transparent. I was soreley disappointed at just how bad a good idea could become, and how quickly an interesting synopsis spiralled into a terrible story. I certain...more
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Read in January, 1990
recommended to Jaime by:
Found it at a book fair at schoolrecommends it for: young girls and adults who enjoy female heros
I love this entire series! I read them over and over and over again when I was 10. I recently have read them again and I still love them.
The story is about a twin girl who against her father's wishes switches the orders of where to send her and her twin brother. Her brother is sent to a monastary to learn to be a mage and she is sent to the castle to learn to be knight. With all the trials and tribulations of being a young 11 year old girl, hiding her identity and going through puberty ...more
The story is about a twin girl who against her father's wishes switches the orders of where to send her and her twin brother. Her brother is sent to a monastary to learn to be a mage and she is sent to the castle to learn to be knight. With all the trials and tribulations of being a young 11 year old girl, hiding her identity and going through puberty ...more
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Read in January, 1995
As part of a class assignment we were taken to the library and presented with a number of books to choose from to read and then write a report. From the instant the librarian described Alanna as a girl who wants to become a Knight so she disguises herself as a boy, I was hooked. I read this book repeatedly and even in my adult years continue to read it and find enjoyment from the story. The entire series is remarkable and it deals with all of my favorite topics, female strength, magic, knight...more
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