Thoughts on Tamora Pierce’s Lioness

If I could eat Tamora Pierce’s Alanna books whole, I would. As it is, I’m devouring them at a rate that will leave me with a severe case of heartache once they’re done.

As always, I owe Angie big time. Though the why of it now escapes me, I distinctly remember her mentioning these books to me, piquing my interest as only she can. I took home the first book, Alanna: The First Adventure, but had to return it to the library unread when one of my teen library patrons requested it. Lo and behold, however, the series ended up on the list for the current module of my course! I could not have asked for a better reason to make sure I read it in a timely manner.

My requirement was only to read one of the books, but I simply couldn’t stop there. Not when I couldn’t put down that first book until it was done. Not with a fierce driving need to know more riding my day. And so I read the first book in the morning, went to the bookstore to buy In the Hand of the Goddess that afternoon, and read it that evening. I’ve since picked up books three and four, and plan to read them as soon as I get the other two requirements for my course reading taken care of.

So what are these books all about? Well, they’re about a young girl named Alanna who dreams of becoming a knight and going off on great adventures. There is, of course, a problem with her plan. Women aren’t allowed to become knights. The only solution to her problem then is to become a boy, and she does so with the help of her twin brother, Thom, who never wanted to be a knight and trades places with her.

Alanna is made of stern stuff. Any girl undertaking to masquerade as a boy and withstand the physical, mental and emotional tests that will grant her knighthood has to be. But with her backbone comes a bit of pride and a temper quick to ignite given the right circumstances. To be more obvious about it, Alanna is an accessible character, one that you feel for and along with, and once you’ve met her you must follow her on her journey.

And don’t get me started on her friends! Because I loved each and every one of them – even Big Thor who we only meet briefly in book two. I very much would like a George, Jonathan, Gary and Raoul of my own. (Greedy, I am, but honest. They’re all awesome.)

This series has plenty of action and adventure, it has a very interesting form of magic, and the world is so deep that these first two books have only scratched the surface of it. Oh, and there’s more, plenty more, to recommend these books to just about anyone. I’ve one friend in particular to whom I’m going to do some serious pressuring suggesting. As for me, I’m already placing holds on or grabbing from the shelves everything else Pierce has written. I see a lot of my time being spent in Tortall.

I hope if you haven’t picked up these books that you do. They’re wonderful and addictive, and, you know, they made me happy during those quiet reading hours. So, yes, discover Alanna for yourself, and then come back and tell me what you think.