Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden - a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald, while he goes off to become a sorceror. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the Prince Jonathan, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil . . . somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her sex a secret? First off, I would just like to say the title to the first book in the Lioness Quartet is a little weak, but that won't stop me from reading it. The fact is that it's a great start to a series and has a strong female protagonist. Also, the twist of having Alanna switch places with her twin brother Thom gives the book and interesting spin on role reversals, even if they aren't exactly reversed. Alanna, The First Adventure has strong and interesting supporting characters including Thom, Prince Jonathan and George. The book is a nice cross between adventure, fantasy and drama and you need solid characters or the fantasy will fall flat. The book is fast paced and not tedious, which is quite good and is an interesting spin on the coming-of-age genre. Finally, throughout the entire series, you wonder where Thom is and when he is going to be reunited with his twin sister. Overall, a good read. On a side note, Alanna, The First Adventure was banned because of sexual references and the use of the amulet to prevent pregnancy.
Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden - a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald, while he goes off to become a sorceror. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the Prince Jonathan, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil . . . somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her sex a secret? First off, I would just like to say the title to the first book in the Lioness Quartet is a little weak, but that won't stop me from reading it. The fact is that it's a great start to a series and has a strong female protagonist. Also, the twist of having Alanna switch places with her twin brother Thom gives the book and interesting spin on role reversals, even if they aren't exactly reversed. Alanna, The First Adventure has strong and interesting supporting characters including Thom, Prince Jonathan and George. The book is a nice cross between adventure, fantasy and drama and you need solid characters or the fantasy will fall flat. The book is fast paced and not tedious, which is quite good and is an interesting spin on the coming-of-age genre. Finally, throughout the entire series, you wonder where Thom is and when he is going to be reunited with his twin sister. Overall, a good read. On a side note, Alanna, The First Adventure was banned because of sexual references and the use of the amulet to prevent pregnancy.
