Song of the Lioness Quartet

Song of the Lioness #1-4

by Tamora Pierce

Alanna is about to take the biggest gamble of her life. Condemned to spend her girlhood in a convent, becoming a lady, she refuses to be shut away. Instead she'll travel to the palace of Tortall disguised as a boy, and train as a knight. It's a crazy, dangerous plan, but Alanna has magic on her side...

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Magic, Adventure, Romance, Childrens

838 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Hey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.

I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!

Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!

I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.

I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.

Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the risk of sounding TOO enthusiastic, this series changed my life. The heroine, Alanna, is one of my favorite characters, from any book. Alanna is a girl who wants to become a knight, except that girls aren't allowed. So she disguises herself as a boy and sets out to become one anyway. Alanna is an incredible character. When I was younger, I basically wanted to be her when I grew up. She's stubborn, determined, and incredibly brave, but also human--she makes mistakes, she has struggles, and she's not always sure of herself.

The series has a host of memorable characters, with new ones arriving in later books as well. A couple of favorites include Prince Jonathan, every girl's dream of a handsome and charming prince, and George Cooper, the roguish and equally charming King of Thieves.

They all live in a world of swordplay and tournaments that is nevertheless grounded and believable--swing a sword around too long and you'll have sore muscles. They also live in a world of magic. Alanna possesses the Gift, which she can use for various spells, some practical and some dramatic. There is also an entire pantheon of gods who occasionally step into mortal affairs.

The books are funny, exciting, engaging...amazing.

And they changed my life. I'm a firm believer that a girl can do anything a boy can do, that women have the same rights as men, and that we all ought to be equal, whether in pay rates or in who cleans the house. I'm sure a lot of that belief comes from my parents, especially my mom, but I think reading about Alanna at a young age helped!

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This four-in-one volume book contains Tamora Pierce's books featuring Alanna of Torbald, a girl who dreams of becoming a knight. She sets out at a young age to meet her destiny, disguising herself as a boy in order to learn how to live the life she knows she is meant to live, and eventually lives proudly and confidently as a lady knight.

Alanna's story is fast-moving, exciting, and well-told. One reason I don't like to read many books in a series format is that there are always pages or even chapters needed to re-tell in subsequent books what happened in earlier ones. But here Ms. Pierce manages to weave necessary information into the stories without creating that 'Time Out While We Flashback' feeling that can be so annoying.

I think Alanna is a good example of a role model for girls who need to be able to believe in themselves, even when they know they are different from everyone around them. It is not always easy to live your own life, follow your own guiding star. The temptation to follow the herd, to be a sheep, is strong. But it is infinitely more rewarding to discover our own inner Lioness, to become who we are meant to be. This is what Alanna learned. I hope all young women can learn the same thing.

[♥Xeni♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day, while working at my middle school library, I stumbled across the first of this series. The fact that the girl/boy on the cover had a purple glow around her fascinated me, so I picked it up, judged it by it's cover (I was still doing that back then) and started reading.

Then I picked up books 2-4 and took them all home the next day. And zoomed through them! I couldn't believe it... this was the most amazing series I had ever read! Knights, and disguises, and coming of age, and magic and romance, all in one! It was a magical world for me to escape into. And I think I'm still stuck there, 7 years later!

These days, this is my least favorite series of the Tortall books. Well, it sort of ties with Kel's series. There is just something slightly boring about knights for me now. I think I prefer magic (and justice?) in the long run! (Go Beka!!)

Of the four books, The Woman Who Rides Like A Man was my favorite, and still is. In the Hand of the Goodess is my second favorite. I love reading Alanna: First Adventure because of her disguise and all the tricks she pulls on that rude boy. But the last book? Yeah, don't like it too much. (Some how I had the same order with The Immortals quartet!)

I reread these books from time to time, and probably will for the rest of my life. I don't care that they are YA, they don't feel YA for me (except that they are over too soon!) Pierce has a great writing style, that just gets more refined with the years (see Beka Cooper's series!)

[Kassyreadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read these a lot sooner! I lies this series and I feel it is very underrated . I think more people should read this book and I wish it was talked about more. For those who don't know what this series is about a 10 year old girl named Alanna and she wants to become a knight. The problem is that she is a girl and girls are not aloud to be knights. So her father decides to send her away to become a lady and her twin brother a knight. So they switch places and disguises herself as a boy and goes by the name Alan. It is so good the characters feel like real people and the romances that occur do not feel forced or fake. Alanna is a great protagonist even though she wasn't perfect she is human! Yes she was a great knight but she grows a lot over the course of the series. I can not wait to read Tamora Pierce's other series very soon.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed reading these, but found the main character very shallow in her some of her choices. Tamora Pierce is haled (not sure if i spelled this correctly) as a feminist and a good author for young women to read. But, if being a feminist means that you pick your 'partners' in your teens and more than one before considering marriage, i don't agree. it was almost like that aspect was put in abstractly with no other purpose than to push the author's feminist views. The first of these books are rated for 9 yrs and up--my children will not be reading these for awhile.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will forever love this series. I recently reread this with my 13 year old daughter and she is now an Alanna fan too. She was desperate to know who Alanna would end up with and was satisfied by the ending. I can’t wait to start The Immortals with her.

[Narrative Muse]

– Enjoying Song of the Lioness for ten years and counting –

Tamora Pierce was recommended to my sister. She devoured all of Ms Pierce’s books and I, as a dutiful younger sister, quickly followed suit.

I love Pierce’s characters, especially those in The Song of the Lioness series. Every year I reread the series, and even after a decade, I love the books as much as I ever did.

I want to spend my special reading time with the characters of The Song of the Lioness quartet. I want to talk to them after reading a particularly bad book or when I’m in a reading slump. Yes, I realize they’re characters in a story, but the magic lies in the fact that they feel so real to me.

The series starts with Alanna: The First Adventure. Alanna, a plucky young ten-year-old, and her twin brother are unhappy with their lot in life. Alanna comes up with a plan: they’ll pretend that they’re twin boys.

Alanna disguises herself as a first born son and heads to the palace in the capital city to train to be a knight. Meanwhile, her brother goes undisguised to the cloisters to learn to be a mage.

Alanna: The First Adventure is a story of a girl ready to fight for what she believes in. It’s a story about growing up and deciding who you want to be.

I love Alanna’s courage and her enviable fortitude in the face of horrible situations. She lets nothing stop her, even though she has to learn how to be a knight as well as learn how to be a boy.

While book one covers Alanna’s years as a page, the sequel, In the Hand of the Goddess, covers the remaining years of her training. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man and Lioness Rampant make up the rest of the series.

The friends (and enemies) Alanna makes on her journey are amazing, sly and utterly believable as people. They have real quirks, real flaws. The dialogue reads so easily it’s like being in their company rather than reading them in words.

Reading these at age twelve was a completely different experience to reading them in my twenties now. When I was twelve, I related to what happened to Alanna. I didn’t disguise myself as a boy, but I did go through puberty and first crushes and body image issues. But, with her by my side, these issues were a little easier. I looked up to Alanna. She was who I wanted to be: fearless, kind, hard-working and she’s a redhead!

Now, as an adult, I read the series for the great relationships and friendships. I’m drawn to the way Alanna behaves around others, protecting her secret as well as standing up for her friends. I like the way that she turns down suitors in order to look after herself first, even though it hurts. And of course I also like the love story.

I still look up to her, but for a whole new set of reasons.

This series is one for young girls (or boys, for that matter) entering their teens to read. And for those who read it back then, I suggest reading it again. You may be like me, and find new meaning in the story on the pages in front of you.

This review was first published on Narrative Muse, http://narrativemuse.co/books/song-of..., and was written by Maiko Lenting. Narrative Muse curates the best books and movies by and about women and non-binary folk on our website http://narrativemuse.co and our social media channels.

[Ying · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve lost track of how many times I have read this series. My first reading was back in 1999 at age 11 and somehow, 21 years later and at least 4 or 5 re-reads, this story is no less powerful than it was when I was a child. Can not recommend it enough.

[Allyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sure I sound like so many other reviewers of this series but these books changed my life. Tamora Pierce is the reason I started reading fantasy, and probably the reason I read so much now. Twelve year old me just loved the idea that girls can be whatever they want to be and don’t have to let men dictate how to behave. Thinking now it’s probably when feminist me was born as well.

Reading this as an adult is very different. I can clearly see now that this was written for younger teens and it shows. To be honest I think the reason I still love it now is only because I read it in my peak formative years, and the characters are so deeply embedded in my soul. Rereading this was like meeting old friends again after a long time. Alanna, George, Jonathan, Raoul, Gary and Myles to name a few. Every time someone came in I was getting so emotional! I don’t know that adult readers who have never read it before would enjoy it, it’s a little choppy and the characterisation isn’t amazing. But it’s definitely an amazing series for 10-14 year olds who are just starting on their reading journeys. Love love love!

[Alex Lindner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember much about the plot, as this was read aloud to me by my dad when I was in 1st grade or so. But it's been on my mind lately because it made such a huge impression on me, and I figured it was worth sharing that for posterity's sake.

This is the edition that we owned, which tracks, as it's the Science Fiction Book Club edition and my mom was a member. I distinctly remember loving this cover.

This might have been the first romance media that I ever interacted with. From what I remember: Alanna and her brother switch places, as Alanna was interested in becoming a knight while her brother wanted to do the more traditionally feminine job of pursuing magic. While at knight school pretending to be a boy, Alanna meets Jonathan.

I remember SO distinctly my dad reading about their romance. Well, more accurately, I remember my emotions. I don't remember, plot-wise, how they came to like one another. He thought she was a boy, after all.

But I remember being enthralled, filled with hope that they would get together. And I remember the scene where they finally kissed. I felt a happiness unlike any I had ever felt before in my young life. I felt warm and fuzzy and excited.

Ever since then, I have loved the name Jonathan. I just wrote my own romance book, and I named my MMC Jonathan. Hence this series being heavily on my mind.

When asked what book has influenced my life the most, I tend to answer Pride and Prejudice. But when I stop to think about it, it just might be Tamora Pierce's The Song of the Lioness. It kicked off a lifelong love of not only romance, but of reading.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

All Alanna of Terbond wanted to be was a Knight. Or so I thought.

1. Alanna: ★★★★★
2. In the Hand of the Goddess: ★★★★
3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man: ★★★
4. Lioness Rampant: ★★

I absolutely fell in love with the first book of the series.
After that, it slowly became a chore.

It is a good series. Just not one for me.

[Kelsey Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song of the Lioness quartet is the adventurous story of one girl's journey to overcome the obstacles facing her, become a valiant knight, and save Tortall from conquest. Alanna douses her female identity to begin her training in Alanna: The First Adventure, and when she gains squire status in In the Hand of the Goddess, her growing abilities make her a few friends -- and many enemies. Books 3 and 4 complete Alanna's adventure and secure her legend, with the new knight errant taking on desert tribesmen in The Woman Who Rides like a Man and seeking out the powerful Dominion Jewel in Lioness Rampant.

I was first introduced to Tamora Pierce’s Tortall with The Immortals series when I was thirteen. After devouring those books, I backtracked and read Alanna’s story, already knowing how it ended. That didn’t make it any less marvelous, and I’ve since re-read all of the Tortall books many times. Each time, I find something new to love, and each time, I particularly relate to a different main character. In the past, Alanna was never a character I particularly related to, and I wouldn’t have counted her series as my favourite. This time, though, I was shocked by how emotional I got upon reaching the end of Lioness Rampant. I was fully invested in these characters; in Alanna, Jon, George, Thom, Thayet, Coram and the rest.

Of all the Tortall series, Alanna’s is perhaps the most expansive. We not only get to see Alanna grow from a child to a woman, and from a page to a knight, but Alanna also grows substantially emotionally. Watching her relationships develop, whether they are friendships, romances, familial relationships, or enmities, shows a real breadth of human experience, right alongside an exciting tale of combat and sorcery. We learn, alongside Alanna, that there is no need to choose between the two, that both can exist at the same time.

Regarding her romantic relationships, I think that Pierce promoted some genuinely realistic and healthy relationships. There was emotional conflict within all of them, and frank discussions and ruminations on whether or not characters were willing to accept the negative elements of their partners alongside the positive. Particularly groundbreaking for a young adult series, Pierce acknowledges that sometimes loving someone is not enough to keep a relationship going, and ending relationships can be natural, and though it is painful, you can move on. Too many novels, for both youth and adults, romanticize the idea of true love, but maintaining relationships is hard work, and even if you love someone, that doesn’t mean you want the same things out of life.

It’s also worth noting that Alanna works hard for everything in her life, not just her romantic relationships. Alanna’s knight training teaches the lesson that you need to work to achieve your dreams, and that just because something doesn’t come easily to you, doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. Alanna’s skills as a swordsman are not innate, they were hard fought for and earned.

Of course, not everything about the series is perfect. Although I enjoyed seeing the portrayal of different cultural groups when Alanna was with the Bazhir, that storyline did seem to invoke the trope of the white saviour. Alanna is the catalyst for all sorts of “revolutionary” change among the Bazhir, and although she is the main character, the implications of having a white character as the instrument of social development among a non-white group portrayed as more "savage" than the white culture is somewhat problematic.

However, that doesn’t stop me from recommending this series as a starting off point into the wonderful world of Tortall whenever I’m asked for a middle school recommendation.

[Oriolidae M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alanna: The First Adventure is the perfect book for the young teen girl. Seeing as I’m nearing my mid-twenties (no more teen demographic, sigh), my opinion might be a bit harsher.

The story is fast-paced, full of magic and knights, handsome men, thieves and animals. The female protagonist, Alanna, is —well, close to perfect: chosen by the gods, magical, pretty, martially talented, smart, stubborn, loyal and kind. The bad guy is easily predicted and the love interests also cornered down quickly.
I don’t like overly perfect personalities, since they’re a fraud, but in this story, I don’t mind. It’s meant to be easily digestible and a fun read, which it is.



The end was weirdly rushed, and I thought it was a mistake when the novel ended. “Hmm, is this edition faulty?” But apparently, no.

This book is like a bag of candy, you know it won’t really help your fat percentage (intellect), but it’s oh so nice to chew on for a while. And psst, you just ignore the cavities breeding in your brain.

2.5-3 star rating. Right now I’m feeling thirteen again, I will be reading the next instalment.

Review of book two.
Alanna's definitely a bit emotionally confused in this book. Her whole oblivious-thingy nearly drove me crazy, both with the enemy and with love. Well, I'll forgive her, she's full of hormones, is what she is.



Pretty much went at the same pace as the former instalment, though the years pass by so fast! Whoa! A 2.5-3 star rating.

Review of book three.


What the heck is up with Jonathan? When did he change to dick-mode?

Some people disagree, but I liked the way Alanna acts in The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. A pretty mature woman, who knows herself well, even if she's unsure of what she wants in the end. It really messes me up, every time she feels alienated. Other than that, the plot felt a bit loose.

But really, I'll hate this series if she ends up with that spoiled brat, Jonathan. Really. And I've seen some people complaining about Alanna bed hopping... Really, you guys? How old-fashioned are you? Guys can fuck who they want, but girls have to remain fucking chaste? Gods.

2.5 stars.

Review of book four.
The fourth and last instalment of Song of the Lioness was something of a clusterfuck. The story was all over the place, like the previous book, with a slow pace up until the big, confusing bang in the end.



It was all wrapped up so quickly, that I had was left with a feeling of detachment from the characters, so the epilogue didn't make much of an impression either. 2 stars from me.

The whole series gets 2.5 stars.

[Candi Criddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read these books when I was a kid, or at least the first two because that was all the library had. Cross-dressing to become a knight, boyfriends, horses, it was about all my 11 year old self could handle. I checked them out over and over thinking they were pretty risque, (she mentions her period). I wanted to read them again to see if they were as good as I remember, and to find out the end of the story that I have hung onto for 20 years.
The answer is yes and no. They aren't quite as thick and thought out as the books for kids these days, plus the heroine has purple eyes. And they aren't even that romantic, the raciest line is "his arm snaked around her" woo. But, when your other option is Little House on the Prairie, they are not too bad. I'm proud of my young self for liking a heroine who dates around instead of finding her soul mate at the age of 16. Also the story is about a girl, not a boy, and a girl who goes out and fights for her life instead of whatever it is girls do in novels.
So, I had decent taste for an 11 year old and I would put this on the shelf for the next 11 year old to find.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books (along with the Wild Magic series) were and are my favorite comfort books. Alanna is an incredible heroine! She is brave, strong, perseveres, and isn't perfect (gasp!). She's short, stocky and has a wicked temper. I love imperfect heroines, not just ones that think they are. She owns her sexuality as well and is never ever painted in a negative light because of it. In a male-dominated society, she succeeds because of her grit and determination. I reread these books every couple of months. They aren't the most complex books, but the stories and characters are wonderful. Tamora Pierce has created a fascinating society and expands upon it in future novels as well.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, this is a fun feminist fantasy read. I like the heroine and the story on the whole. I could have done without the white savior subplots and the abrupt and inexplicable change in one of the main character's personalities in the 3rd book for no other reason than the author wanted the story to go in a different direction, and turning an overall pretty cool person into an absolute douchenozzle was the most convenient means to achieve that end. If I were 13, though, this would probably be near the top of the pile of my favorite books. I don't regret the time spent reading this series.

[Lisa Etchepare Rubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread these this weekend after I found myself at my parents house with nothing to read. While I was at first annoyed by all the exclamation points, I quickly found myself remembering why I had so fallen in love with these books in middle school. Alanna is such a badass, a total precursor to Katniss and Katsa, and George, well, I think I'm still in love with George.

A definite thumbs up for the series that was my gateway, even before Harry Potter, into the amazingly wonderful world of lit.

I can't wait to see how The Immortals and Protector of the Small series have held up for me :)

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. It is full of interesting characters, adventure, love, etc. Tamora Pierce created a fascinating world. And this story sets the basis for the other series in this world. I enjoyed rereading this series. Now on to reread more of her books.

Content: a few swear words, some violence, premarital sex mentioned

[Jessica Rossana Sawin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time I read this series, I was twelve years old. Now, years later, they still remain among my all-time favorite and I re-read them every chance I get (at least once a year). These books are for the dreamers who believe in magic and in the power of their dreams. It is a wonderful coming-of-age story and resonates not just with young girls but the young at heart as well.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember skimming through these shortly after I read the Immortals series. I liked the quartet, but Alanna didn't speak to me as much as Daine did (maybe it was difficult to imagine her as younger, too. :p). I definitely enjoyed Tortall, and getting to look at some of the characters in a slightly different light.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adjusting my information, since I got the omnibus version in 2008. Excellent series, even on the re-read side, which I've been enjoying.

Read Jan 13, 2008
Re-Read Nov 16, 2016
Re-Read Dec 2, 2020

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has much more dubious consent than I remember from reading it when I was twelve. Alas, 1980's fantasy. Still as fond. Now to acquire the next books from the shut-down library! #pandemicreading

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alanna

[S. Wigget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful series!

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of all the flaws and problems this book has, reading to go back to my childhood is still a great feeling.

[Gmc · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Song of the Lioness Quartet (Song of the Lioness, #1-4)
by Tamora Pierce

[Jemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book holds all four novels in the series of the same name: 'Alanna: The First Adventure', 'In the Hand of the Goddess', 'The Woman Who Rides Like a Man', and 'Lioness Rampant'. So that I didn’t get saturated by over-exposure to this world created by Tamora Pierce, I spaced out the individual books so that I finished one in December 2017, one in March 2018, one in May 2018 and the last at the end of July 2018. This was enough time in between each book for a break whilst still being able to remember the story well enough for the next instalment.

As a note, this quartet is followed by several further series in the world of Tortall, and most recently a new series started in 2018. I feel that having a longer break between series is OK because they will follow new characters and storylines! I’m also very excited that there is such a wealth of further books in this universe for me to get into in the future.

Onto the book.

When we get to know our protagonist in the first book, we meet Alanna of Trebond. She is of a noble family but her father does not seem very interested in his children, Alanna and her twin brother Thom. When their father tells them that Thom will go to the palace to become a knight and Alanna will go to the convent to become a lady, Alanna hatches a plan. Thom is not interested in being a knight and Alanna refuses to go to the convent. Under their distracted father’s nose they swap places, Thom going to the convent to study magic and Alanna going to the palace. With the help of faithful friends Alanna passes as a boy, “Alan”, in order to fulfil her dreams of becoming a knight.

The setting of these stories is quite medieval. These books are about honour and victory, achievement and courage, and looking out for your friends and family even if that family is adopted.

The first novel is about Alanna’s struggles of blending in as “Alan” in a patriarchal world. As the novels move on, we see Alanna grow up somewhat and we get to know her friends and see her develop meaningful relationships, albeit as “Alan”. She also gets her own cat companion with whom she can talk and he warns her of coming danger. This made me very happy! There are threats at Court where people fall ill and the royal family are in danger. **Spoiler alert!** Alanna becomes a knight. :) She can then go adventuring and makes a name for herself.

Throughout the novels there are various romances with different men in Alanna’s life (after they either find out she is a woman or she has announced it). I liked how she was not a lovesick young woman pining over one man and wondering whether he likes her, obsessing. She was very down to earth and practical. She made sensible decisions, such as deciding when a romance had run its course, and I found her very relatable.

Overall, a spectacular series and I will not hesitate in picking up the next series after a little break.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the ongoing nightmare of 2020-2021, I bought this YA quartet for a rush of nostalgia, recalling *loving* it in elementary school. I'm writing about it as a set because I really wouldn't read any of the novels individually now. Instead, I just polished them all off in a single weekend, and I think the best thing I can say for them is that they actually made me feel rested and restored to head to work again on Monday and take actions amidst the political chaos of the U.S. right now. Which is not an understatement in the current era!

Here's what held up: Alanna is a great protagonist. She's not perfect, but you really root for her, and her growth is believable. Pierce manages to capture the very distinctive personalities of the various supporting characters without too much explication, and the fantasy/magical elements are interwoven organically throughout the other plot elements. If you want a captivating story that doesn't punish you as a reader but still chugs along with good moments of suspense, all the elements are here.

Here's what I didn't realize as an elementary schooler: Pierce is a second-wave feminist through and through. There are great parts of that (SPOILER ALERT), like how Alanna gets to have premarital sex with three hot men with no judgment about her sexual identity being just another aspect of her lived experience (get it, girl; also, the only sexual descriptions are of kissing, but the steam is still palpable, and it makes me LOL sometimes to realize what I read when quite young as a generally unsupervised reader). But, BUT, the book is insufficiently intersectional. This shows up the most in the 3rd book, when Alanna is living among the Bazhir in the southern part of Tortall, where Pierce slips into some tropes about the sexism of "tribal" populations, and a few things that are just totally gratuitous, like Alanna's servant struggling with the pronunciation of an unfamiliar name at first (actually, now that I'm thinking about it, there's some white savior nonsense at the end of the first book, too). It's not a complete disaster - multiple characters rightly point out that sexism is rampant in the rest of Tortall, as well, and the plot makes clear that Alanna learns a great deal in a cultural exchange that is ultimately pretty balanced, which the clear result in her development is broader, more compassionate thinking. The supporting Bazhir characters are as wholly envisioned as the others, too. Still. I don't think these issues make the novels unsalvageable, but I would never give these books to a child now without some explicit conversation about what could & should have been better done with regard to ethnocentrism in addition to sexism.

[Insert Name Here · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was planning on reviewing each of these separately, but as I read them I realised that they are really one story told across four books and that reviewing them individually would miss a lot of the point. So instead here's a rambling, too long review of all four together.



First of all; these are very 80s. It makes sense as that's when they were first published, but even without knowing that until I checked, I thought they were extremely 80s. They are written in a style that today's teens would find odd, somehow too much detail and too little at the same time. If these were written today they'd be very different - which is true of any book, of course!



It's interesting to look at the different covers on goodreads and see what different versions have emphasized. I've taken the current covers here, but I've linked each one to the editions page on goodreads, and they're fascinating. Some are far grittier, some play up the romance. These ones seem to be targeting a younger audience. This is part of the problem, I think; I'm not sure where in the store I'd stock these! In terms of reading level, there's nothing here that a twelve year old or even a good ten year old would struggle with; but Alanna has casual sex throughout the series, which automatically bumps it into young adult level! It just shows how ratings have changed in the forty years since this came out first.



Alanna herself is a divisive character. I can see how she led to characters like Xena and Katniss, but in and of herself she's kind of annoying. The first book isn't so bad; she only becomes the best fighter of all (to be fair she does practise a lot to achieve that) and gets both the Crown Prince and the King of Thieves to fall in love with her. Book three, though, can best be summed up as "Oh, I've gained entry into your centuries old, famously intolerant culture? Time to start changing absolutely everything to match my values!" By this point in the books people either go along with her or get trampled roughshod; the Bazhir wisely choose to go along.



These are definitely worth a read to see what teen fiction was like then, and Alanna was a very important step in teen heroines, but times have changed since she was published. As long as you keep that in mind, you'll enjoy these fun fantasy novels.

[Bunny Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet is an empowering and captivating series that has resonated very deeply with me since i was young that i had to own it. It offers a powerful blend of adventure, magic, and self-discovery. The series follows Alanna of Trebond, a determined young girl who disguises herself as a boy to train as a knight, defying societal expectations and embarking on a journey of courage, friendship, and inner strength.

I feel Alanna is an incredibly inspiring protagonist. She is a character who refuses to be limited by gender roles in her time period, proving that bravery, intelligence, and resilience have no boundaries. Throughout the four books (Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, and Lioness Rampant), Alanna’s growth from an insecure girl into a confident, powerful woman is deeply relatable and motivating. Her struggles with identity, self-worth, and balancing her femininity with her ambitions speak to the challenges many women face in asserting themselves in male-dominated spaces.

Pierce’s world-building is rich and immersive, but what truly stands out is her portrayal of strong female characters who aren’t afraid to fight for their dreams. Alanna’s friendships and the respect she earns from her male peers reflect how perseverance can break down barriers, making this series especially uplifting. Additionally, her relationships with other women, such as Queen Thayet and the Goddess, reinforce the importance of female solidarity and mentorship.

The series also emphasizes themes of choice and control over one’s destiny, something that resonates strongly with female readers who value independence and the courage to pursue their own paths. Alanna’s story is not just about physical strength but also emotional resilience, self-acceptance, and the pursuit of knowledge—all qualities that make her a timeless role model for young women.

Overall, The Song of the Lioness quartet is a thrilling and inspiring series that champions female empowerment, challenging stereotypes while delivering a gripping tale of adventure and heart. For anyone looking for a heroine who defies the odds and fights for what she believes in, Alanna’s story is a must-read.

For me, This is an absalute classic.