First Test

by Devin Grayson, Becca Farrow (Illustrator), Tamora Pierce

This eagerly awaited graphic novel adaptation of the iconic fantasy novel, First Test, reimagines the classic knight's tale, but with a twist. In a world not quite ready for her ambition, a determined girl seeks knighthood and finds herself on a mission to prove it.

Keladry is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in her homeland, Tortall--one that allows women to train for knighthood.. She knows she’s  ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page, but standing in  her way is the Knight’s training master, Lord Wyldon.

The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights, and in an attempt to further hold Kel back Lord Wyldon decides that  she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even if the test is purposely unfair.

The Protector of the Small series gets its first graphic novel adaptation, bringing to life Tamora Pierce’s best-selling First Test in an exciting new format. This graphic novel story about believing in yourself and overcoming all odds,  combines action and adventure in a way that new and old fans of the series will love.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Comics, Fiction, Magic

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2024

About the author

Devin Grayson is an avid gamer, former acting student, and enthusiastic reader fortunate enough to have turned a lifelong obsession with fictional characters into a dynamic writing career. She has a B.A. from Bard College, where she studied creative writing with novelist Mona Simpson. Best known for her work on the Batman titles for DC Comics, Devin has been a regular writer on Catwoman, Nightwing, and The Titans, and contributed to the award-winning No Man’s Land story arc. With the publication of Batman: Gotham Knights in March of 2000, she became the first (and, sadly, only as of 2020) female to create, launch and write an ongoing Batman title.

Additional career highlights include the launch of the critically acclaimed series Omni for Humanoids, Doctor Strange: The Fate of Dreams, an original novel featuring Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme, and USER—a highly personal three-part, creator-owned miniseries about gender identity and online role-playing, originally published by Vertigo and newly available as a collected edition hardcover through Image. Devin is also the creator of Yelena Belova, a Marvel character staring in the upcoming MCU Black Widow movie (played by Florence Pugh), Damien Darhk, a DC character now appearing regularly in CW’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow (played by Neal McDonough), and Catalina Flores, a DC character recently featured as the super-villain Tarantula in The Lego Batman Movie.

Frequently cited for compelling character development and nuanced exploration of complex themes, Devin’s work has been showcased in mainstream media such as USA Today and Working Woman as well as in alternative press such as The Village Voice, The Advocate, and Curve magazine. Over the years, she has written in several different media and genres, from comic books and novels to video game scripts and short essays. She is currently working on an original graphic novel for Berger Books.

Devin lives in Northern California with her husband, step-son, devoted Early Alert Canines Diabetic Alert Dog, and somewhat less devoted cat. Openly bisexual, she is a passionate advocate for the GLBTQ community, as well as being a committed environmentalist, and a public speaker for T1 Diabetes awareness and Diabetic Alert Dogs. She is always happy to take on a new challenge, especially if it involves making some new fictional friends.

Reviews

[Mackenzie (mackenziespocket) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this would have been 5 stars if not for the fact that they made Raoul GINGER like pLEASE

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a late-adopter (but still huge fan) of Pierce's Tortall books (which I originally read horribly out of order), I will always have a soft spot for Kel, whose calm and unwavering spirit in the face of every obstacle leads her not only to knighthood, but to essentially reforming the path to it for all who come after. The graphic novel version does lose quite a few details (like, you have no idea that Kel is only 10 years old until a throwaway comment from Neal near the end) and the whole story seems to come and go in a whirlwind. HOWEVER, it cuts to the heart of the story, which is Kel's personality and desire to always protect the small from larger and tougher enemies, her trust in herself and her friends, her dedication and hard work, and the principles she wishes to carry forth into knighthood.

Reading this makes me want to drop everything and tear through all the Tortall books again.

{Thank you to Random House Children's for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review; all thoughts are my own}

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness quartet was a big part of my childhood. The idea that a girl could do something that was traditionally only for boys…that was HUGE back then. You just didn’t see stories like that. I dreamed of being like Alanna and showing sexist boys that I could hold my own with them. Pierce’s books were a game changer in the young adult fantasy genre and deserve all the accolades.

This graphic novel will introduce Kel, a 10-year-old girl who wants more than anything to become a knight, to a brand-new audience of children and teens, and I am *here* for it, people. I want my kids to read this, especially my son. Putting the original novel in this format will most definitely reach a wider audience, and it’s a smart move.

I don’t want to give anything away if you’re not familiar with the author’s work, but this is a coming of age story for the first female page in the country’s history. Alanna paved the way, but she did so disguised as a boy for a long time. Kel is the first knight-in-training who everyone knows is female from the beginning. How will she measure up, especially amongst all of the males who think a woman’s place is in the kitchen?

Give ‘em hell, Kel.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s/Random House Graphic, Tamora Pierce, Devin Grayson and Becca Farrow, both for gifting me this eARC and for bringing this timeless story to life again in such an exciting way. All opinions are my own.

[hope h. · Rating 4 out of 5]

an excellently illustrated and surprisingly faithful adaptation to the original! huge fan of the art here, the artist clearly Knows how to do their action scenes which really helps convey the whirlwind feel of training as a page. i've never been the biggest tamora pierce fan (not for lack of enjoyment, just got to her work past the stage of life where i feel like it really would've hit for me), but i'm really excited to see her work adapted for a new generation of fans. hell yeah accessibility in reading + giving artists a spotlight to shine!! i hope to see more of this series adapted to graphic novels and will definitely be checking them out if they are.

[Shannon O'Leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's missing lots of context. It can not be read on its own, which is sad and defeats the point. The Yamani Islands information is not addressed, Peachblossoms' situation is confusing, and Neal does not appear as old as he should be. That said I'm hoping the next one is better....

[Alex(Books-In-A-Storm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fucking love it so much. It's just like reading the book. I need the next one ASAP.

[Leslie Carnahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book totally blind - I had never heard of Tamora Pierce or their novels. I must say, I was pleased with what I read. I found the character of Kal so strong and secure with who she wants to be. A great role model for everyone (especially girls) but over time, I got tired of meeting and keeping track of all the side characters. Some of them have more pivotal rolls in the story for sure, but I felt some page drag that included some of them. I really enjoy the art style. Overall, I did enjoy this story. It just took me a bit to really figure out the plot and all the characters.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is definitely biased, based on my extreme love of the original Keladry books. I liked that most (I think all) the dialogue is taken word-for-word from the original. But I feel like the book suffered from the graphic novel format. With out background information from the narration, and Kel's inner thoughts, the story now seems too thin. The depth was in my opinion what made it brilliant.

[Gretal]

I had a bunch of Very Normal feelings about this. It was such a delight getting to see so many of my favourite characters in this graphic novel format. It also really makes you realize what a tiny book it is lmao.

I do unfortunately have to complain about one main thing though. WHO THE FUCK IS THAT GINGER MAN BECAUSE THAT IS NOT RAOUL WHAT THE FUCK .

[Dee]

As an adaptation, it does a nice job capturing the highlights and depicting the cast of characters—no small feat given how much story it tries to cover. Also had to chuckle because all of the adult characters from the previous novels are so gorgeous (um, Numair??)
The lettering was just okay…and there were a couple “typos” where tails were pointed to the wrong characters.

[Kareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, nostalgic read. I never read this series, but it has long been on my TBR (my bestie LOVES Tamora Pierce). This was a very engaging way to jump into the series. I will likely read the original edition as well, but I'm so excited that it's being adapted into a graphic novel.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since it's my favourite series, it's a treat to have it all over again as a graphic novel, but I think anyone using this version as a starting point would be very confused. Some characters never make it onto the page or even as a passing mention, and major plot points are skipped over in entirety. A few more frames here and there could have added a lot to both book-faithfulness and as a guide to new readers.

[Gretchen Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gave me all of the Keladry feels from when I was a teen.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captures the main plot points of the original novel quite well but it's very short and some things are left out, like Kel's interactions with Neal's father, which skints the character development. The action sequences are not badly done but the finer points are lost. Overall, its fine and the artwork is competent but I like the original better.

[Nevergreen]

This is an interesting read for me. Overall, a very nostalgic read as this book is a favourite I have read many times and I was anticipating the graphic novel. It's fun and interesting seeing the visual representations of the characters I have only ever pictured in my head. However, there is a lot missing from this book amd even when it's spot on for a scene, a lot of the emotion and context of the scene is lost in this format. If this graphic novel introduces a new reader to Pierce, great, but I'd recommend reading the novel alongside this book to get the full, rich world and emotions of the story.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say, I'm a sucker for a story about girl who wants to prove she can be just as good as the boys!

First Test stands out for breaking a few tropes that those stories usually falls into: while clearly strong-willed and able to stand up for herself, she doesn't do the "headstrong girl argues with everyone & everything even when she very obviously shouldn't" thing that makes me cringe. Kel picks her battles & picks them well. She also has no compunctions about wearing a dress when not fighting. I love a tomboy character, but I thought it was kinda nice that Kel felt so comfortable holding space for both the masculine and feminine sides of herself. It doesn't always have to be one or the other.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphic novel adaptations of books are rarely ever good, so I'm not surprised. I've actually never read Kel's quartet, so I don't have a lot of knowledge to fill in all the gaps. It's rushed, a surface-level retelling. Characters pop in and out for no reason. I didn't know Neal could do magic until it suited the plot.

Graphic-wise, it's really hard to tell what is happening on page or who is saying what.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to see that First Test is getting a graphic novel edition. Looking at it as a long time fan of Tamora Pierce, I thought it was adapted really well, the text and images worked well to communicate the story and characteristics of each of the characters. I look forward to reading the rest of the quartet when it is adapted later!

[Christaaay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this! The color illustrations and white borders in between panels give it a light, open feel. Some things are left unexplained and some of the transitions are a bit rough, sol recommend trying the book if the gn leaves you wanting more. Great for kids! Cannot WAIT for the next one.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy from Random House Graphic through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Keladry dreams of being a knight. It’s why she’s scrambling to put the new rule that allows women to train to become knights to good use. Unfortunately, she faces a lot of pushback, and even her own training master wants her to fail. Kel is extremely determined, so she does her best to ignore all the hazing and lack of support from the other people in training. When everything is unfairly stacked against her, she’s determined to do her best and help anyone she can along the way.

I’ve never read anything from Tamora Pierce before, so I went into the story without any expectations based on the original work. Now that I’ve read and enjoyed this illustrated adaptation, I’m looking forward to checking out the original story. I loved following Kel as she faces unfair rules and expectations. She knows that it’s unfair, but she’s also determined to show everyone just how wrong they are. It was great to see how many characters were on her side to begin with and who starts to join them as the story progresses.

The artwork was amazing and really brought the story to life. I can’t compare this to the original work, so I can’t tell you if it’s an adaptation that stays true to the story. However, I do think it was an excellent read and that there are a lot of people who will enjoy it. I know for me, it’s made me want to go and check out Tamora Pierce’s work, which I’ve surprisingly never read before.

[Jennifer Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike many others that have reviewed this book, I have never read anything by Tamora Pierce. Even I am shocked about that, but the point is that this review is solely focused on this graphic novel and does NOT compare it to anything else by this author.

This version of First Test is a graphic novel adaptation of the novel by Tamora Pierce. It follows a girl named Keladry of Mindelan as she becomes the first girl to begin knighthood training in Tortall. She works through a variety of challenges and obstacles, many of which are instigated by her male peers. Through it all, she remains true to herself and her own goals and dreams. I think that this graphic novel series (I’m hoping the series will continue) will bring Tamora Pierce to a new generation of readers. The accessible graphic novel format and trendy modern cover will appeal to upper middle grade-YA readers, while the story itself will leave them wanting to know more about the characters and what happens next. I love the strength that Keladry displayed throughout the book and I can tell that her character will become even more amazing in future books. After reading this one, I’m even more inclined to read something else by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a big fan of Song of the Lioness series, I was thrilled to jump into a graphic novel adaption of The Protector of the Small first installment. Unfortunately, there was a lot of this that fell flat me me and left me which I had read the book instead.

Not having read the novel this was adapted from was a huge mistake. This graphic novel adaption leaves out a lot of details that made it rather confusing at first. I didn't understand exactly what was going on and spent a good portion of the beginning of this playing catch-up.

Despite playing catch-up through a good portion of this story, I did fall in love with Keladry. She has such a fierce determination that manages to shine through this graphic novel. Her determination and personality have left me exciting to find the novel and dive into that.

The art was also incredibly well done. It was clear and there was never any question of what the images were meant to portray.

While I think the graphic novel is a way for the reader to fall in love with Keladry, I think it's at most a confusing introduction. If you've read the novel, this could be a great, quick way to go back and revisit and I do think I would only recommend it if you've read the novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for an ARC. All opinions here are my own.

[Haleigh Gravgaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamora Pierce’s "First Test," the first book in the Protector of the Small series, is revitalized in its graphic novel adaptation, offering a fresh take on Keladry of Mindelan’s inspiring journey. Keladry, the first girl to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall allowing women to train for knighthood, faces significant challenges, notably from Lord Wyldon, the training master who opposes girls becoming knights. Wyldon imposes a one-year trial on Kel, a hurdle no male page has had to endure, testing her resilience and determination. The graphic novel format captures the essence of Pierce's original story, with dynamic illustrations bringing the action and emotional depth of Kel’s journey to life.

The artwork vividly depicts Kel's intense training, her confrontations, and the systemic prejudice she faces, enhancing the story's impact. Kel’s tenacity and unwavering belief in herself are powerfully portrayed, making her a compelling protagonist. The graphic novel effectively engages both new readers and long-time fans, presenting the story in a visually captivating manner while staying true to the core themes of resilience, equality, and self-belief. This adaptation earns a four-star rating for its faithful representation of the original narrative, stunning visuals, and its ability to convey powerful themes in an accessible format.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Protector of the Small is one of my favorite series from Tamora Pierce. This graphic novel is a great introduction to the series for new fans and a fun revisit for us oldies! The art's charming especially on Kel and Neil. Neil's many faces got shared to my group chat immediately. :D

There are a few minor errors like speech bubbles pointing to the wrong characters. I mourn for Raoul's dark hair. (There are already TWO redheads involved with Kel's story, not to mention Alanna. C'mon.) I really, truly hope that they get more pages for, well, Page. While this was an understandable abridgement, 140+ pages is short for a middle grade graphic novel. Overall though, I treasure seeing a graphic version of my favorites and look forward to more!

[Michal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this, but it’s a graphic novel adaptation of my favorite book so no surprise there.

They did their best to streamline the story which I understand, but in doing so we lost some scenes that I really enjoyed, like Kel connecting with Sir Myles and Master Lindhall, meeting Tkaa, Duke Baird healing Kel, and other small moments. All of these make me sad, but there is one detail that I think was a mistake to cut out. Kel’s crippling fear of heights is meant to play a major role in the next book and I think it was a mistake to cut it out.

But even with that I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one, if for no other reason than to see more of Neal. Favorite secondary character made a great transition to visual form!

[Brenda Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a few pacing issues, which is a common problem I've seen with turning novels into GNs (same as turning them into movies), and I was personally bummed about a few cut characters & scenes, as well as disappointed with a couple of character design choices. They do keep what is, in my opinion, a lot of the most important dialogue, and overall I felt like it keeps the heart of Kel's story. I'm looking forward to more and I genuinely hope they continue the series.

[Kimberly Swejkoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give it a 3.5. I was really excited for this since I have loved the Protector of the Small series since I was in junior high. It was awesome to see the characters drawn out, and there was nothing added that wasn’t already there. I just felt that so much was left out that if I hadn’t read the books already, I would have no idea what was really going on and that takes so much away from the story.

[Jess Groeneweg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read the original book in a while but I think they captured the story pretty well. The deeper, more memorable action and character development licenses are still to come, but I think this book was a good intro to the social climate and patriarchal sentiments. I hope they write the others. I love the graphic novel format. It is easy to read in a sitting and makes you feel like you’ve seen a new dimension of the story.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Test was originally published in 1999 and I imagine the concept was a lot more original than it is now. For those looking to see the characters visually or for those looking for a light introduction to the series, this graphic novel adaptation is perfect. Highly recommend it for tweens looking for a strong female protagonist their age.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not generally a fan of graphic novels because I find you lose a lot of character. However, since I know exactly what’s going on in Kel’s head (because I’ve memorized the books…) I could easily fill in the blanks here. It was great seeing the stories visualized and for the most part (some small details aside….RAOUL) I thought they did a great job.