In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness, #2)

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In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness #2)

by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 · rating details · 37,828 ratings · 678 reviews

"I don't want to fall in love. I just want to be a warrior maiden."

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...more

Paperback, 264 pages

Published January 6th 2005 by Simon Pulse (first published January 1st 1984)

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Jul 12, 2011 Cornelia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I still enjoyed reading this series, but several more problems stood out more with this book. First off; important events kept being dropped casually into the conversation or mentioned in passing and that was that. I was very taken aback when it was said that Alanna's father died "last month", and that was about it. There were several other instances as well that this happened but I can't remember right now. Also time seems to be passing too quickly. At some point I had to struggle to keep up an...more I still enjoyed reading this series, but several more problems stood out more with this book. First off; important events kept being dropped casually into the conversation or mentioned in passing and that was that. I was very taken aback when it was said that Alanna's father died "last month", and that was about it. There were several other instances as well that this happened but I can't remember right now. Also time seems to be passing too quickly. At some point I had to struggle to keep up and remember that all these happened within long periods of time between each other.

Then the romance. I appreciate that it's not overdramatized or anything, but I also felt like it... just happened. Like, in the last book there was no mention of it at all, and then suddenly in the first chapter of this book the goddess declared that George was in love with Alanna. That was jarring. So was when people suddenly started sleeping with each other without talking much about it at all. I was... confused. Some things that have had a huge build up (such as the Ordeal) ended up being too simple. I've noticed this pattern with pretty much all the climaxes in the series; they never even last more than a few pages. I mean, I hate reading about fighting/battles myself, but this is a book that's supposed to be all about it, right?

Another gripe I have is that how Alanna seems to be a foolproof radar when it came to evil people. From the moment she saw Roger, she had already hated him inexplicably. Same with Delia, who turned out to be his pawn. I guess I really don't like it when evil people are so obviously portrayed to be evil from the start. There's no surprise, no twist, nothing. Wouldn't it have been more exciting if he seemed to be a good guy and then surprised by everyone by turning out not to be a good guy after all? Unreasonably "good instincts" in a hero is something I've always disliked.

I don't know, maybe I'm just being picky. Or maybe this was meant for people much younger than me, hence the simplicity of the plot and everything. I could understand that, I guess.(less)

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Dec 10, 2009 Phoebe added it

Shelves: fantastic-kiddy-lit

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 30, 2012 Sakura Yue Michaelis rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, fantasy, paper-books-i-own, adventure, 1st-person-narration, characters-i-hate

I´m having a little hard time progressing with this book. In the first place, I chose this book because I was looking for a bad-ass female character and because of the good reviews. However, I´m having troubles liking Alanna. And the story itself. Why? Because in one chapter she is 13-year-old, in the next one, 15-year-old and so on. She starts being Jonathan´s lover when I´m still picturing her as a child, for God´s sake!

Another thing why don´t like her is because she keeps contradicting hersel...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Fuchsia Rascal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy, women-rock, political, favorites, rereadin2012, youngadult, 2012

5.0 nostalgia, 4.0 re-read, 4.5 actual.

Okay, I've re-read this many times, but never with as large a gap [3+ years] and as much a focus on critical thinking as now. That being said, although the Immortals Quartet stands as my favourite Tortall series and I relate to Diane more overall... this book has always been my favourite. And, looking at it critically, I stand by that judgment. It does have its faults [not all author-related], but its strengths make up for those. I do have a couple of discl...more 5.0 nostalgia, 4.0 re-read, 4.5 actual.

Okay, I've re-read this many times, but never with as large a gap [3+ years] and as much a focus on critical thinking as now. That being said, although the Immortals Quartet stands as my favourite Tortall series and I relate to Diane more overall... this book has always been my favourite. And, looking at it critically, I stand by that judgment. It does have its faults [not all author-related], but its strengths make up for those. I do have a couple of disclaimers for people who are reading it in their post-teen years: this book is decidedly in a market of its time. The entire series' length was cut in half, at least, due to publishers not believing that a fantasy novel, especially with a female protagonist, would sell well in the years before Harry Potter [author Tamora Pierce has commented on this numerous times throughout the past 15 years]. As a result, the characters, plot, and novelization are rushed throughout the first two books [which, combined, take place over 8 years], which gives the books a juvenile feel. This is a result of publishing [oh, how I wish I could read those original versions of the first two books!] and something that's not reflected in Tammy's later novels, whether the last two books of this series or subsequent series. If you can get past the juvenile-esque writing of these first two books, you will be duly rewarded, I assure you.

I can't tap into what originally made me declare this book my favourite book of all time. I originally read these books in 1996, pre-Protector of the Small quartet and actually, pre-most-of-the-Immortals-quartet. I identified with Alanna's need to get out and prove herself against ~masculine~ warriors. I came into this series obsessed with Joan of Arc, but already familiar with the world [and slightly with Alanna's legacy] via Wild Magic. I left this series as a feminist activist, thankful that Alanna was a character who presented both masculine and feminine qualities. But, admittedly, I've evolved beyond my 13 year old definitions of feminism in the last 15 years since I originally read this book. All that being said, it's still my favourite.

The strong point of this novel is, in my opinion, Alanna's acceptance of her gender. You might disagree with that but, in my perception, that is what hit strongest. In this book, Alanna becomes more real, fighting her desire for love vs. her knowledge of the pain it causes; her feminine side vs. the masculine side that will keep her safe. She has chosen a masculine identity [until her knighting] that will keep her free and safe from harassment and yet, despite this, she explores what it means to be a female and what it will mean after she's earned her shield. She's an excellent student and squire but that doesn't mean that she knows everything, something she learns fairly quickly during her squire training.

Personally, the steps Alanna takes towards accepting her femininity mean the world to me. At this point, I don't really care about her knight training or her relationship between Jonathan or George. Alanna taught me how to accept both femininity and masculinity, and accept what they meant to me. I can't put a rating on that. What matters is that it made me think about it and come to my own conclusions. What makes a female a female? What makes up masculine characteristics? Alanna shows that you can be a bit of both, honestly.

So many feels, y'all.(less)

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Mar 28, 2013 Carly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya, fiction

What a fun little adventure, but I have one huge criticism, and it's that Pierce has her heroine and others sleep with each other so easily. I had hoped she would at least address the issue later, reasoning Alanna could come to a realization of the mistake, but the matter was so flippantly discussed, it appears there is just no cause for worry in Pierce's mind. A sixteen year old girl, thinking nothing of going to bed with a boy? Disappointing at best. So mothers and girls who would like to prot...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Krissie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I think I liked the first one better. The first one was more about being a female trying to survive in a male's world, though she was admittedly disguised as a male. This one was more about accepting one's female-ness, which is good. I'm not objecting to what the book was about. I'm objecting to how she does it (view spoiler)...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Gretchen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy

In the Hand of the Goddess is the second book in Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series. In this book, Alanna is still going through her training to become a knight, only now she is growing up and facing more challenges, including how to be a woman and how to love a man, in addition to her knightly battles.

This was a great second book. It didn’t lag at all, and I was interested the entire time. Alanna’s journey progresses perfectly, and I loved reading it. She’s such a great character, and...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Aubrey Coletti rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is tied with one other for my favorite novel of all time. It never ceases to amaze me how much story and character and world-building Pierce is capable of packing into one, rather tiny book. With all the basics of Alanna's story established this go 'round, the plot hits fast and hard, and we see Alanna begin to grow into the legend she will become.

The story begins with a talk between Alanna and the Great Mother Goddess. I dwell on this because it is such a perfect means of framing her...more This book is tied with one other for my favorite novel of all time. It never ceases to amaze me how much story and character and world-building Pierce is capable of packing into one, rather tiny book. With all the basics of Alanna's story established this go 'round, the plot hits fast and hard, and we see Alanna begin to grow into the legend she will become.

The story begins with a talk between Alanna and the Great Mother Goddess. I dwell on this because it is such a perfect means of framing her story and giving it the epic cast that will carry it through the series. Pierce's Great Mother is brilliantly drawn: both loving and imposing, she is a figure to be worshipped, and remains one of the best written examples of gods in fiction that I can bring to mind. She lays out the fears Alanna deals with in the book - her fear of love, her fear of the Chamber of the Ordeal which knights must pass through, and her fear of Prince Jonathan's charismatic uncle, Duke Roger of Conte.

Alanna tackles each of these fears in "Hands" and once again Pierce pulls no punches: when Alanna goes to war, she truly must face the devastation of massive death; when Alanna gives into love she must choose between two ardent suitors; when she enters the Chamber of the Ordeal she must learn to do the hardest thing for her; and when she squares off against her great enemy, she must confront the ramifications of hiding the secret of her sex from those she loves.

It is wonderful to see not only Alanna grow and change, but also those around her: to watch her male friends bitten by the bug of first lust and to slowly grow into men; to see the callousness and coldness her brother develops due to his immense magical strength; to see the increase in Coram's pride as he watches his young charge become a warrior. Pierce handles sex and romance in a way that is raw and honest, whilst still being understandable for younger readers. Alanna also finds that just as with her magical Gift, her femininity is something she cannot change, and must learn to accept.

The book is chock full of exciting twists and turns, and the ultimate climax is incredibly satisfying. The resulting epilogue leaves you wanting more, as the story of Alanna rides on towards ever greater adventures!(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy-faves

Firstly, I blew through this book way faster than I did the first book. That's a sign right there that it's just as good as the first.

I did have a few more issues with this than with Alanna. I wasn't too keen on the whole romantic offshoots, at least it wasn't anything torrid(unreal and woefully pining) like contemporary YA books. Just a bit off putting and took focus away from the finer plot points and I think muddled a few of the more mysterious ones.

I was hoping to get some answers from this...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's been a few years since I read this book. The Hand of the Goddess is the second book in the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce. I would recommend reading them in order. Even though the book touches on some events in the previous book, there is just not enough detail book of those events to skip them. Many of them are integral in seeing the development of Alanna "Alan" over the years.

This book follows Alanna in her teen years while she is learning to be a squire and then a knight. Sh...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: addictive, bildungsroman, class-gender-race, fantasy, young-adult

Couldn't wait for my library to get their shit together so I went out to Barnes and Noble and picked up a copy. Totally worth it.

I basically have the same things to say about book two as I did about book one, which makes sense as Pierce originally wrote the quartet as one volume and broke it up into pieces when it was to be published. The story still zooms through time like it means nothing, and as a result, stuff seems to come out of nowhere sometimes, but especially considering this series was...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Nadirah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I still can't get used to the pacing of these books so far - at times I feel like the time jump in between scenes and chapters are too fast. Things are still pretty predictable, but I like how they play out because I'm keeping the real target demographic in mind here (i.e. actual young adults instead of adults like me).

I mostly attribute these to the fact that these books were published almost 30 years ago and that YA was a totally different scene back then (e.g. not every YA can afford to go fo...more

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May 02, 2012 Stephanie Jobe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Don’t get me wrong I love the first book but whenever I reread the series there are so many things that it blows my mind to remember they didn’t happen until this book, like Faithful and the necklace. It actually helps me make sense of Pierce’s later transition to pairs instead of quartets. (Though I would be plenty happy if she had just made her books longer and kept the number of books. I can’t get enough of her.) I still think George Cooper is the love of my life. This book carries into Alann...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Purple rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book.
Wiki Summary:
While camping in the woods on her way back to Corus from an errand, Alanna's campsite, set up under a willow tree, is discovered by a small black cat whom she names Faithful. It does not escape Alanna's notice that his eyes are as purple as her own; she also finds out that Faithful can talk to her, although to others it sounds as if he is meowing. Soon after, the Great Mother Goddess, Alanna's patron, shows up at her campfire. She gives Alanna an amulet that allows the y...more Great book.
Wiki Summary:
While camping in the woods on her way back to Corus from an errand, Alanna's campsite, set up under a willow tree, is discovered by a small black cat whom she names Faithful. It does not escape Alanna's notice that his eyes are as purple as her own; she also finds out that Faithful can talk to her, although to others it sounds as if he is meowing. Soon after, the Great Mother Goddess, Alanna's patron, shows up at her campfire. She gives Alanna an amulet that allows the young woman to see magic being worked around her.
As she progresses into knighthood, Alanna's feminine side is nurtured as well. After a few visits with Eleni, George Cooper's mother, Alanna realizes that part of her wants to act like the ladies she sees in the Court. Eleni takes Alanna under her wing and secretly teaches her how to dress and behave like a woman. The change does not go unnoticed by George or Prince Jonathan, the only two friends with whom she has shared her secret about her sex. They share their first kiss after Jon rescues Alanna when she is kidnapped by nobles from Tusaine, and they become lovers soon after, although George made it clear to Alanna that he loved her before they went to war.
Alanna withstands the Ordeal of Knighthood and becomes a knight. Her twin brother, Thom, presents her with a shield featuring the crest of their home estate, Trebond. When he and Alanna are alone after the ceremony, he shows her that when she is ready to reveal to everyone that she is a woman, the Trebond crest will disappear, and in its place will be the picture of a golden Lioness rearing on a field of red.
In a final showdown against her long-time nemesis, Alanna kills Duke Roger of Conte, her prince's cousin, who is to inherit the throne should anything happen to Jonathan. She does this after finding out about Roger's plans to kill the king, the queen, Jonathan, and even Alanna herself. During her duel with Roger, he slices through the special corset she wears to keep her breasts flat. It is revealed to everyone that she is very much a woman. Nevertheless, she is determined to go on and beat Roger so that he cannot kill the people she loves. When Roger uses an illusion to confuse Alanna regarding which of his swords is real and which is the illusion, she uses the amulet given to her by the Goddess in the beginning of the novel. She is able to beat him.
After her battle with Roger, Alanna decides not to stick around to deal with the initial uproar over her sex. With Faithful, her longtime manservant Coram, and her horse Moonlight, she sets off for the desert in the South, in search of more adventure.(less)

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Jan 19, 2012 Erica rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, flat-characters, growing-up, meh, women-and-girls, jf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What happened??

I've read several of Tamora Pierce's books, but had not read the Song of the Lioness quartet and thought it time I start. I enjoyed the first book, Alanna: The First Adventure. I liked Alan, nee Alanna, in her single-minded determinedness and her unawareness of self and the effect she had on others. I liked the supporting characters. It was light, pleasant and fun so I was eager to read the second book, The Hand of the Goddess. I expected Alan to grow up and have to deal with iden...more What happened??

I've read several of Tamora Pierce's books, but had not read the Song of the Lioness quartet and thought it time I start. I enjoyed the first book, Alanna: The First Adventure. I liked Alan, nee Alanna, in her single-minded determinedness and her unawareness of self and the effect she had on others. I liked the supporting characters. It was light, pleasant and fun so I was eager to read the second book, The Hand of the Goddess. I expected Alan to grow up and have to deal with identity issues, romantic issues and other problems that come with becoming a young adult. I expected the book to be less geared to 8-12 year-olds, as the first had been, and more written with teenagers in mind. These are the expectations I had before reading the boook.
I was terribly disappointed.

Alan does grow up and does have to deal with all the problems I had expected. Also, the book is not aimed at the 8-12 year-old set but is also not aimed at anyone over the age of 16. The story is tiresome and riddled with cliche. It was like reading a long-volumed shojo manga without the pictures in that the heroine is now a cute, determined girl whose existence is based on a lie, but those who know the truth love her even more because of her lie. Although she has very little sense of self and almost no discernable personality, she has a strong sense of right and duty and this is how she comes to all her decisions. She is also chosen of the Goddess, who even comes to visit the young heroine, bestowing gifts aplenty. She manages to snare the love of the two most eligible bachelors in the realm and has to choose between the two. In choosing, it's not so much that she makes an informed decision based on her feelings as she defaults to the one who is more available, falling into his bed out of convenience and because everyone keeps telling her she needs to learn to love. What about her makes her so endearing to all these men and one woman?

Furthermore, everything she puts her hand to leads to success. She is instrumental in winning wars, she thwarts attempts made on her life without realizing they were attempts on her life. She is kidnapped but rescued before anything horrible can happen. And all the inconsistencies throughout the book are wrapped up tidily at the end: everyone was acting like an imbecile because there was a spell cast over them all, though there were moments of lucidity when one character or another would have suspicions.

I loved Alan's determination and need to prove herself in the first book, when she was just out of childhood and was developing emotionally and physically. However, in this volume, it comes across as lack of awareness and the inability to react to her environment in a believable way. Instead, she relies mostly on luck, her steadfast friends, the Goddess and the writer's love of keeping her character safe.

I was even more disappointed with the continuing villain who is supposedly the most powerful sorcerer around. He's slowly killing the queen, he has everyone under his control, he makes lame attempts on Alan's and Jonathan's lives and he dies easily. So much for powerful sorcery.

I found myself rolling my eyes regularly at Alanna, her situations and the resolutions to all her problems. While many of the supporting characters remain interesting, they're not enough to carry the story. I am hoping this book was just a flimsy bridge to get to Alanna's adult life as a knight and I hope her further adventures prove to be more interesting and I hope she grows as a character, otherwise this is going to become a tedious series.
(less)

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Mar 18, 2011 Maree ♫ Light's Shadow ♪ rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought that this book was a nice followup from the first, and closed off a lot of the rising questions I had from the first. I think there are a couple more in the series, but I don't really have a desire to read them and star up new lingering questions.

I don't think I'm really a fan of her style of writing. Time seems to pass too quickly to me without anything of note happening, which I suppose is realistic but bothersome. It also seems like everything is kind of kept at arms length. Yes, s...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2011, series, ya

This is a good continuation of the first in this series. I think that this one is more like 3 1/2 stars for me. In this book, Alanna faces down all of her greatest fears and finally reaches the age of her trial for knighthood. I do realize that this series is not really aimed at a 30 year old, but I felt this one was a little bit too simplistic to really grab me. All of the greatest children's and young adult books tend to transcend the recommended age and have some deeper meaning that can reach...more

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Sep 30, 2010 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Young girls who want to be knights

I saw this at the Booksmith yesterday, and I had to have it. The Song of the Lioness quartet was one of my favorite series as a kid-- I remember reading the books at summer camp, and passing the first one around, and all of us marveling over the fact that the book talked about PERIODS. I remember loving the romance love triangle story, and being thrilled with a lot of the plot and action.

Well... it's been well over ten years since I read any of these books. And I've got to say, while fun, it doe...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Emma Michaels rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

If you have read Alanna: The First Adventure then you have already been introduced Alanna, Pounce, Jonathan, George, Thom and Coram. Then again we also can't forget Alanna's horse Moonlight who is always a lovable character/horse and her friends. For those of you who read book one and hate duke Roger as much as I do you will love this book! A LOT! This is the book as I mentioned in my last review that got me started reading and wanting to write. I opened the pages and through them was able to be...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Ravyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: z-young-adult

Even though I didn't exactly fall in love with the first novel of this series, I just couldn't help myself from wanting to find out what would happen with Alanna. Would her secret be revealed? Would she fall in love? Would she finally face her arch nemesis, Roger?

Well, you'll just have to read book 2 to find out, won't you?

Unfortunately, I found book 2 to be plagued with many of the same issues that bothered me about book 1. For starters, it felt like many of the details or key scenes were glos...more

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Mar 05, 2010 H.I. Al-Muhairi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, supernatural, ya, fantasy

I liked this book, but I didn't find something that makes it so special and different. Not only plot-wise, but everything about the book is so simple.

Pierce's writing style is of passing quality, and there is not much plot in the book. I mean, in one teeny weeny book that contains 288 pages, something like 5 years pass. I'm not trying to criticise the book 'cause I really liked it, but I want to be frank about this. The book's content is light, like I said, the plot's not complex. And there was...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, fantasy, ya

Alanna has come farther than she ever expected - she's advanced so far in her knights training that she has been chosen as squire to the prince of Tortall, Jonathan. But that honor only comes as a surprise to Alanna as Jonathan has become one of her best friends and she has proven time and again that she would do anything for the brave prince. Alanna soon discovers how complicated their relationship becomes as she slowly matures not only into an excellent fighter but a woman as well (which of co...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

What I liked:
-Alanna. She seemed even more real in this book than she did in the first one. She continued her training, all while struggling to find her identity. She struggled with her desire to gain her knighthood and her desire to also become more feminine. I felt like she also grew to appreciate her magic more in this book.
-George. He is by far my favorite character after Alanna. His dry humor and his sneaky ways always seem to lighten the mood, giving Alanna something to laugh about and rel...more What I liked:
-Alanna. She seemed even more real in this book than she did in the first one. She continued her training, all while struggling to find her identity. She struggled with her desire to gain her knighthood and her desire to also become more feminine. I felt like she also grew to appreciate her magic more in this book.
-George. He is by far my favorite character after Alanna. His dry humor and his sneaky ways always seem to lighten the mood, giving Alanna something to laugh about and relax to. I loved watching his relationship with Alanna deepen in this book, becoming more than it was in the first part.
-Dual with Roger. I loved how the plot came to a head in this book. Alanna did what she set out to do, which was expose an evil man. The suspense had been build up all throughout the book, and it was nice to finally see it all get out in the open. The fight scene was detailed and well-written, and the addition of sorcerer to the fight was a good one. I felt like Alanna’s hard time dealing with what she was forced to do were also well-written.

What I disliked:
-Alanna and Jon. Their relationship never felt real to me. It seemed like it came out of nowhere, and Tamora Pierce just threw it in to add a little romantic drama, which the first book thankfully didn’t have. To me, Alanna and Jon were more like best friends or even siblings than they were lovers.
-The ending. I don’t like how Alanna just plans on running away with her shield and Coram. I understood that she needed time away from the palace to think about what she’d done and to give them time to adjust, but I kind of felt like she was running away from her problems with her tail between her legs. That and she didn’t take anyone with her other than faithful and Coram. She should have stayed with her friends and done what she could to unofficially help people.

Overall, this was an awesome book. I liked it even more than the first one, which is saying something, since the first one is also one of my favorite fantasy stories. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves fantasy and a strong heroine. 5.0(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Lani rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-american, author-female, fantasy, magic, romance, series, setting-location-fantasy-world, young-adult, favorites-2012

-"Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult?"
Half a page in and this book is already awesome. Seriously, yay for feminist young adult fiction.

-Ugh, why do all of the men in Alanna's life who know she's a girl feel entitled to her.

Ok I finally finished. The plot in this one had a much better pace than the first in the series. And the romance panned out a little better than I initially thought it would but to be honest, I'm still not thrilled about it. Obviously I knew it wa...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Brittany (currently surrounded by text books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, ya-my-first-love

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, I'm going to start off with a disclaimer before I get into everything.

1) I really did enjoy this book. More than the 1st in the series.
2) I'm going to be critical of a few things but again, it's good and you should read it
3) I have not finished the series so I don't entirely know how things are going to end in the final 2 books.

Now, that being said, let's get started.

Alanna's adventures are great and I think these books are fantastic. They remind of the Princess Bride. Pierce places ac...more Okay, I'm going to start off with a disclaimer before I get into everything.

1) I really did enjoy this book. More than the 1st in the series.
2) I'm going to be critical of a few things but again, it's good and you should read it
3) I have not finished the series so I don't entirely know how things are going to end in the final 2 books.

Now, that being said, let's get started.

Alanna's adventures are great and I think these books are fantastic. They remind of the Princess Bride. Pierce places action, adventure, mysticism, romance, comedy, and danger in these pages in such a fun way that we cannot help but laugh at the characters and their circumstances. The other thing I love about her books is that she only tells you what is relevant. It's not like so many of today's book where we seem to be told every moment of every day. We readers get to have an imagination!!! And I love it.

That being said I do have a few criticisms.

1) The Romance I love a good romance as much as the next person. After Prince Jonathan was sick in the first book and we see them battle in the Black City I think we all knew this was coming. So imagine my surprise when the love interest we first see is not Prince Jonathan who literally happens to be a knight in shining armor, but our beloved Prince of Thieves, George. This came as a shock, and a pleasant one. I like George and I think there are qualities that Alanna has that would make her compatible with him. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. Then read a little further and the predictable starts to happen. Alanna rides off for battle with her beloved prince and they fall for each other. Then we have the makings of yet another predictable love triangle where one person is the strong steadfast friend who helps her without being asked and is always there (George) and the other is the knight in shining armor who comes in and sweeps her off her feet, the girl falling for the prince (Jonathan). And before you say it, yes I do acknowledge that Jonathan was a good friend too. The only difference is that in this case Jonathan and George happen to actually like each other and have a friendship outside of Alanna, and Alanna happens to be a knight herself. And yet again she chooses the predictable. She chooses her knight and her prince. Who knows, maybe things would have been different if she weren't sharing sleeping quarters with him as his squire.

2) The Reveal Okay, so Alanna's been pretending to be a boy for a while now. Revealing that she was a girl through her battle with the Duke was both cheap and predictable. I know this saved time, added to the suspense, and killed 2 birds with one stone so to speak. But after all that we have learned of Alanna, I would have much preferred to see this strong courageous woman take control of her own destiny. When it is revealed that she is a woman her brother has to explain. The Alanna we have come to know would do this on her own terms and she is not careless enough to let it come out in a battle. If it were that easy it would have come out during practice at some point.

Okay, those really are my only issues with the book. I loved it. I'm glad I read it. I can't wait to see Alanna the Lady Knight travelling with Coram, to see what the goddess has in store for her next adventure. And the addition of Faithful was fantastic! (less)

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Jul 27, 2009 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, young-adult, fantasy, reviewed

(4 1/2 Stars)

This is the 2nd book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet. I liked the romance in this book, though still felt one particular aspect of the relationships developed too quickly. I like George more than Jonathan. :-) Alanna is one determined girl and I really like her and watching her grow. My main issue with this book was that it felt very choppy.

My fave quotes from this book:

"Alanna shook her head, smiling a little. In the three years she had been disguised as a boy, she had learned t...more

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May 17, 2013 Ariel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Extremely good. I just read it for the second time since my middle school years, and I'm almost in my 20s. It is a good book filled with magic, mystery, and action. It's quick paced adventure keeps you indulged the entire way through without being slowed down by being over-detailed. If you're older you may be disappointed with the quickness of the events and the building of the climaxes. For this series I really have no qualms with that. Time passes quickly for a reason, so of course you aren't...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Victor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

"In the Hand of the Goddess" follows a linear development in continuing the story of our Heroine, Alanna of Trebond. This books follows a similar formula to its predecesor but is able to present different challenges that a confused Alanna must sort out in order to succesfully pass the ordeals to become a Knight of Tortall.

Pierce reveals in the first chapter what the book will be about. At this time, and while on a mission, Alanna must camp for the night after being caught in a storm. There she m...more "In the Hand of the Goddess" follows a linear development in continuing the story of our Heroine, Alanna of Trebond. This books follows a similar formula to its predecesor but is able to present different challenges that a confused Alanna must sort out in order to succesfully pass the ordeals to become a Knight of Tortall.

Pierce reveals in the first chapter what the book will be about. At this time, and while on a mission, Alanna must camp for the night after being caught in a storm. There she meets 'Faithful', a black cat that mysteriously has purple eyes and that Alanna discovers has sercets of its own. The second important development is presented when the Goddess visits Alanna and instruct her to face and conquer three fears she has" the fear of the Ordeal of Knighthood, teh fear of loving someone and the fear to Duke Roger of Conté, whom Alanna despises for no apparent reason.

The story follows Alanna as she strives to meet these challenges. Also, an older Alanna cannot ignore the changes her body is experiencing; she treasures her friends, specially Prince Jonathan and George, King of the Rogues. She fears that coming to terms with her life as a woman represents a hindrance to her adventuring dreams, rendering everything she has accompliced to this point in vain. Tamora Pierce, in recognizing Alanna's dilemma, is able to portray more of the two characters in contrasting and tender ways. Alanna's interactions with Jonathan and George represented some of the best scenes in the story.

The book makes several references to events in passing. Because this is a short book, some of the scenes are cramped together. Perhaps more pages would have made this book substantial, as some elements are hard to ignore, such as when Alanna's father passes away. This book's resolution was more dramatic than Alanna: The First Adventure but it does not dissapoint.

There are some mistakes and incongruencies regarding minor elements and characters in the plot, such as Gary and Alex's squires, but this is a minor complain in an overall good book.

Overall, Alanna: The First Adventure was more of a substantial book, however, "In the Hand of the Goddess" is able to explote more from the characters in an emotional level. A very good sequel to a great book.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Celeste rated it 2 of 5 stars

I hate giving this such a low score because I don't think it's a *bad* book but I just had a hard time staying engaged with it for a couple reasons. One, the pacing is really strange. It was in the first Alanna book also, but seems even worse here. A scene will happen, then in the next chapter it'll be referred to as having happened "last summer." But within each individual scene time lasts the normal amount of time, so it's kind of hard to have to keep mentally switching back and forth between...more I hate giving this such a low score because I don't think it's a *bad* book but I just had a hard time staying engaged with it for a couple reasons. One, the pacing is really strange. It was in the first Alanna book also, but seems even worse here. A scene will happen, then in the next chapter it'll be referred to as having happened "last summer." But within each individual scene time lasts the normal amount of time, so it's kind of hard to have to keep mentally switching back and forth between "descriptiony exposition" and "vital plot stuff." (Though this may only be a problem for me, as I tend to pay more attention to the latter and skim over the former — that's just how I read.)

But probably the bigger problem for me is (view spoiler)

So because of all that, I have to give it two stars. I haven't decided yet if I should read the other two books in this series or switch to another in the Tortall universe. I really, really liked the Beka Cooper books so hopefully the other series are more like those and less like these. (less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. A solid read, though again Pierce covered a lot of seasons and years in a short book. The drama built up well enough, but I didn't feel like there was a big enough climax, and the ending was abrupt.

(view spoiler)...more

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About Tamora Pierce

Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join gro...more Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!

Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!

I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.

I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.

Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!(less)

More about Tamora Pierce...

Books by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1)

Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness, #4)

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness, #3)

Trickster's Queen (Daughter of the Lioness, #2)

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“You didn't kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn't kill him."
"So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn't have time to sleep.” — 1,110 people liked it

“Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult?” — 185 people liked it

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In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness #2)

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