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Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Book 1) Review
And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. 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: Disguised as a girl, Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page. But 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 leard to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land. User Submitted Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Book 1) ReviewsDecember 15, 2008 Excellent inspiration for girls everywhere Book 1 in Song of the Lioness series I first read this book aged 13 and have read it at least once a year since then throughout my teens and twenties. This book is an inspiration for girls everywhere - if you want to achieve something badly enough then you can. Set in the fictional kingdom of Tortall, this book is an excellent start to Tamora Pierce's universe of magic, myths, adventures, excitement, and romance. Alanna is the daughter of a noble and expected to grow up to be a noblewoman, to marry, have a family and care for her husband's household. She does not want this life and seeks to escape it and find adventure. Alanna becomes Alan, a page at the Court of Tortall and a potential knight. This should be recommended reading for every girl from 10 years upwards. I think it might be the first book ever to deal with female puberty appropriately - providing information and a situation girls can relate to without being the focus of the story. Thanks Tamora Pierce - please keep writing. November 23, 2008 My Comfort Books Review: These books are my comfort books. In fact, all of the Tamora Pierce books from the Tortall series' are in that category. This is the first of Pierce's quartets ever published, starting with Alanna: The First Adventure. They all have a very strong female protagonist, who takes her destiny head-on and finds a way to train as a knight, even though such a thing is only for boys and men. She is a lovable, and tough character, who is very full of honor, pride, and hard work/determination. She goes through her moments of confusion, especially in times where she is out of control, but it never stops her for long. It's just enough to add a dynamic and believable honesty to her character. Recommendation: This should probably mainly be read by kids/young adults. While I have known people who read them only when they were older, they generally only ever liked the books, not loved them. As I re-read them now, I do notice the lack of development in the writing style and story lines - but I still love them, because I have loved them for a long time. They are generally appropriate for middle school students. --Note that I say "middle school", because there is some confusion about menstrual cycles and sex. Nothing is very explicit, and all of it is done in a very naive sort of way, since Alanna doesn't understand much about womanly things. However, there are some parents who wouldn't think such things were appropriate for their little girls until at least middle school - if you make them wait until high school, however, they probably will miss out on the wonderfulness of the tale and the great values that are displayed. Personally, I read these in 6th grade. Here are the other books in this wonderful quartet, in order: #2: In the Hand of the Goddess (The Song of the Lioness) #3: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (The Song of the Lioness) #4: Lioness Rampant (The Song of the Lioness) November 17, 2008 Books 1&2 are okay - beware 3&4 The first two books in this series are a good read for 6-9 graders (advertised for these grades) but the 3rd and 4th series have some serious moral issues for this group. Alanna sleeps with three different guys in the last two books. I don't want my 6th grader to read these..... July 20, 2008 Modern Classic for Young Adult Fantasy Readers A tale of growing up and acceptance with a strong female lead who shows, without being ultra feminist, that girls can accomplish anything that boys can. July 11, 2008 A heroine that fails to disappoint. Admittedly a huge fan of the "women-warrior, disguised as a man" characters, I have been disappointed time and again by peoples take on them, but not this time. The take on magic, the involvement of the gods, and the world, which holds different morals, gave to a very interesting atmosphere for the books to be set in. Alanna is a character that I couldn't help cheering for, and identifying with. Granted as others point out, this is very obviously a first novel that will kick-off a series. And while I did enjoy it, I do prefer to have series of novels have the ability to be stand-alones. A terrific kick-off, to what I hope to be a wonderful series. June 4, 2008 Read over and over and over... My Mom bought me the series 10 years ago when I was 13... Since then I have read them over and over and over... I find them impossible to tire of and once I start reading I don't want to put it back down... although by now I have half the books memorized. I started reading these books when I was 13 years old and loved them... now at 23 years old- I still love to read this series. The Immortals series is excellent as well. March 1, 2008 Good read, too short. I did not realize when I bought these books that they were for young adults, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Alanna's adventures, friends and family. Alanna proved to the men again and again that "anything you can do I can do better". A great message to put out there for young girls. And even though it took me 1 day to read each book I just couldn't stop until I was done! February 4, 2008 Basic moral values Is no one bothered by the essential lack of values in this book? Getting what you want is more important than honesty or respect for others. The main character threatens others with horrible, supernatural punishment, tricks her father, lies outrightly, and that's just in the first chapter. What about integrity, justice, truth as foundations of doing right? Compare this heroine with Jonas in The Giver, Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Andy in Wolf Rider, or Karana in The Island of the Blue Dolphins. November 29, 2007 Life Changing at 12 When I first picked up this book, I was the typical bookworm. I knew every corner of my middle school's library. Most often, I'd find myself in the mythology section or classic plays. However, one day, I took a fateful journey into the fantasy section. I was 12 years old, timid and accepting of even the worst opinions of me. When I read it, I was enlightened. A whole five foot one, (four foot eleven at the time), I was keenly aware of her height issues and the jokes her friends made. The way she shaped her own life made me feel as if I could do the same. And I have. I took control -- or as Alanna would say "rode the tiger" and I've made my own way in the world and I don't think anyone would call me timid now. I'm in college now, and I know if I start to feel down or like I'm losing confidence in myself, I can just pick up my old worn out copy of Alanna (or any of the subsequent sequels) and feel better, feel like a stronger woman because of it. Tamora Pierce was a saint for writing this book. Sometimes I even feel like she wrote it just for me! August 24, 2007 Parents beware I thought this book was wonderful. However, it is not appropriate for children under 14. The reading level is not that difficult, but the content is for upper grades. This book inadvertently appeared on my daughter's third grade reading list. She did not understand why Alanna's sheet were "smeared with blood" She also had lots of questions about fertility cycles, sleeping with men and getting pregnant. For more Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Book 1) reviews click here.
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