Book Reviews of Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, Bk 1)

This story was very interesting and fast-paced. A little short (I didn't want it to end so soon!) but very enjoyable regardless. I this this would be a great read for fans of Harry Potter-like books or any stories that have that type of world.

This is a great book for teenage girls. Loved this book. Age appropriate and the main charecter is a stong female figure.

Alanna wants to be a knight, but her father is sending her to the convent to learn to be a lady. Her twin brother Thom wants to be a sorcerer, but he is to be sent to earn his knighthood. Then Alanna has a brainstorm - they will switch places.

This was a lively children's fantasy, simplistic but fun, full of black-and-white characters, straightforward character conflicts, and enough chivalry, valor and magic to please young readers. I wish I'd read this when I was younger, and I'm pretty sure my daughter (for whom I bought it) will enjoy it.

This is a delightful YA sword and sorcery book, but equally fun for 'older' adults, too. Alanna doesn't want her noble father to pack her off to the convent to learn stitching and deportment, while her twin brother doesn't want to be sent off from Trebond castle to learn to be page, then squire to some musclebound knight. So the nearly identical twins swap places. As much as Alanna is determined to be the first maiden knight in a century, Thom is determined to be a sorcerer.

From back cover: "From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight."
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 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 discrrn 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.

Tamora Pierce opens 'The Song of the Lioness' quartet with a vivid description of Alanna (Sir Alan) and her trials in becoming a page in the Tortallan Court. Hiding the fact that she is actually a girl so that she can get her shield and be the only lady knight in Tortall, Alanna has many reasons to prove herself before all of her fellow pages and squires, one of whom is Prince Jonathon.

A captivating read that is hard to put down, Pierce takes the reader through the physical and mental struggles that Alanna faces in a "man's" world.

This is a great YA series; I read it in middle school and loved it. Alanna disguises herself as a boy in order to be trained as a knight, and over the course of the 4 books becomes a strong woman, warrior, and sorceress; saves the kingdom; and just generally kicks butt. I'm definitely passing these books on to my nieces when they get a little older.