Alanna: The First Adventure

By Tamora Pierce

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Average Rating: (See all 24 reviews) Format: Paperback, 274 pages Published In: United States, January 2005 Quantity Available: 756 Ships within 6-10 days The first two books in her best-selling Song of the Lioness quartet are available again. For longtime fans and new converts, here is a chance to discover a land of enchantment, legend, and adventure. In "Alanna: The First Adventure, " Alanna of Trebond follows her dream of becoming a knight. From The Publisher: "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, 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. Alanna's journey continues... Publisher: Simon Pulse ISBN: 0689878559 EAN: 9780689878558 Dimensions: 17.83 x 10.67 x 2.08 centimeters (0.15 kg)

Starring into the purple flames Alanna knew her life would change forever. The adventure starts with Alanna and her brother Thom switching places. Thom the first born son was to be trained to be a knight and Alanna was to learn to be a lady along side the school of magic. Now dressed as a boy and starting life as a Page in the King's castle Alanna (Alan) must fight to keep her true identity a secret.

For anyone who hasn't read a book by Tamora Pierce, this is a great book to stat with. It was the first of her books I read and is now my favorite book. Basically it is about a girl who wants to be a kinght, she trades places with her twin brother so she can become a knight. This book is about her time as a page. The other books in this series are also very good. So read it and enjoy it!

It all begins here. Alanna and Thom are twins with a plan. She's going to be a knight. He's going to be a sorcerer.
Alanna ('Alan') and her manservant, Coram, make their way to the capital city of Tortall, where the young girl will begin training as a knight. Posing as a boy, she shows herself top of the class, and befriends Prince Lance, Gareth (Gary) the younger, Raoul, Alex of Tirragen, Sir Myles of Olau and George Cooper, the thief from the city. But something about Duke Roger of Conte scares her. She has a great adventure to come...
I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to all, but it is generally targeted at older readers, and is based on girl concepts.

If you want a book (and a series) that is full of all the things that are good about fantasy - a little magic, a bit of humour, a bit of seriousness, a good 'baddie' and a little romance thrown in for good luck - then this may be the book you are looking for. Although it is aimed towards the younger readers, it is well worth checking out as an older reader also, as it is a great light read, as is the rest of the series.

I loved these books as a child (say 11-13) but now that I'm older I can really see the flaws in Pierce's writing. While she is certainly inventive and imaginative, and creates an awesome magical world, her characters have a tendency to be very cliche and under-developed, and she over-does the "girl-power" concept a little too much for my taste. While I am a feminist and generally gravitate towards books with strong female leads, there is not enough emotional depth or conflict in these novels to really sink your teeth into. Good for young adults with an interest in fantasy and fun as a light read though.

The first in the 'Song of the Lioness' quartet, this story is simple and charming. I first read this book whilst scrounging as much reading material as I could from the library, and now have the pleasure of owning it. I still enjoy reading it, despite the fact that I am in my twenties, and if that isn't an endorsement for how well this 'young adult' book is written, I don't know what is!

Brilliant, utterly magical. The hilarious deception of Alanna dressing as a boy captured my attention, and the interest of Alanna's magical aptitude and stubborn temperament led me to regard this book as something of a marvel, increased by the knowlegde that it had three books after it. The kind of book you just don't want to end.

A brilliant start to a brilliant series. Alanna is a slightly over-produced and over-thought character in this book but still is a wonderful person all the same. I love this author and actually own all 24 books written by her. A definate must read for anyone who enjoyus adventure, excitement, determination and romance. An excellent writing style.

Alanna has just one wish – to become a knight. Her twin brother, Thom, prefers magic and wants to be a great sorcerer. So they swap places and Alanna, dressed as a boy, sets off for the King’s court. Becoming a knight is difficult and dangerous – but Alanna is brave and determined to succeed. And her gift for magic is to prove essential to her survival.

This is the first book in one of the best series ever, by the best author ever. This is the first book I ever read by Tammy and so it has a special place in my heart. I was 11 and I found the book in the bottom of a box in a secondhand book store. I can not say enough to recommend not only this book, but anything by Tammy. I would recommend her in general to 11 – 14 year olds and mainly girls because female heroines are her specialty. She isn’t just limited to that age group though, I am 21 and I can still pick up one of her books and be totally sucked into the worlds and adventures she creates.

Another great thing about her is that any book she writes it is always set in one of two worlds. One is Tortall (Song of the Lioness is set here) and the other is Winding Circle. So you get to see how past main characters are going. This is the order I recommend these books be read. You don’t have to read them in this order if you don’t want to, each series can stand alone. But if you read them in this order you get the behind stories of why certain things happen.

TORTALL
The Song of the Lioness Quartet
1. Alanna: The First Adventure
2. In the Hand of the Goddess
3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
4. Lioness Rampant

The Immortals
1. Wild Magic
2. Wolf-Speaker
3. The Emperor Mage
4. Realms of the Gods

Protector of the Small
1. First Test
2. Page
3. Squire
4. Lady Knight

These don’t have a Series Title
1. Trickster’s Choice
2. Trickster’s Queen

Beka Cooper – Set 200 years before Song of the Lioness, but best read after reading it
1. Terrier
2. Bloodhound (2008)
3. Elkhound (2009)


WINDING CIRCLE
Circle of Magic
1. The Magic in the Weaving
2. The Power in the Storm
3. The Fire in the Forging
4. The healing in the Vine

The Circle Opens
1. Magic Steps
2. Street Magic
3. Cold Fire
4. Shatterglass

The Circle Reforged
1. The Will of the Empress
2. Melting Stones (2008)

This is a great book with full-on girl power & serious magic! Alana has always wanted to be a knight, so she disguises as a boy and got into the palace to be trained. In the story she develops friendship with Prince Jonathon and other friends, while dealing with bullying, growing up, learning swordsmanship and keeping away from the dangerous and magical Duke Roger of Conte. A must-read book for everyone!