Reviews with content warning for Violence - Alanna: The First Adventure

I remember liking these books a lot as a kid, but this one didn't hit the spot as an adult. I might need to read the whole story (quartet). Or maybe it was Pierce's Protector of the Small or the Immortals series that I loved. I'll try a few more and see.

Content Warnings

totallywickedruth333's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful inspiring

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

fuchsiarascal's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Oh, Alanna, my 12 year old crush. I still love these books, but I’ll also readily admit that an almost-5 star rating is partly nostalgia (I gave it 5 on goodreads but since we can do quarters and halves here, figured I'd knock it down a bit to better reflect a non-nostalgic view too). I think the series and world Tamora Pierce built is great, but as far as the writing itself goes… well, it’s a product of its time (80s). Tammy herself has spoken on this, that she had to significantly pare down her early books because before Harry Potter, young adult novels just simply weren’t accepted if the manuscripts were over ~200 pages. As a result, this book goes from one event to the next with pretty much no filler. As I re-read it now for the hundredth time (…quite possibly literally), but also for the first time since 2012, I yearn for more filler, and also appreciate that Tammy’s later books (starting with the Protector of the Small quartet) were allowed to be longer and have room to breathe.

All that said, I still think Alanna’s books are SUPER important. Alanna’s journey is wonderful and resonates strongly with many who have ever been at odds with their assigned gender, for whatever reason. I simply didn’t want to do the “girly” things, but transgender and nonbinary people will find a lot of similarities, especially as she enters puberty. (And this evolves further as she grows up in later books.) As a 12 year old, reading a book in which the main character deals with her first period was unheard of! That definitely stuck with me. (It’s also one of the many reasons that I think everyone, regardless of gender, should read these books. Imagine normalizing menstruation!)

And, of course, there’s all the stuff of Alanna training to be a knight, facing struggles (both inward and outward), finding lifelong friends, and overcoming everything. This is just the first book in her accepting who she is, and she’s got a lot still to come, but seeing her build her confidence and hint at the bigger issues in later books is a great ride.

Content Warnings

vixenreader's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It is a product of its time, but it is still a comforting read with a strong central character and lots of fun mythology.

Content Warnings

art_books_chemistry's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

stormbringer52's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

sevensableyes's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This was a reread. I first read this when I was around 13/14 years old. It was the second Tortall series I read. Tamora Pierce, in general, is a fantastic writier, and a great starting point for teenage fantasy.

Alanna is a great character, surrounded by more great characters. I feel like this is one of the most fast paced books in the quartet, as it covers 4 years.

I don't really know how to put how I feel about this book into words. It's just good. It's my favourite from Alanna's series. Getting to see Alanna's determination and temper is always entertaining.

The world of Tortall is by far my favourite. Highly recommend!

Content Warnings

theequestrianslibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My reviews contain spoilers! Read at your own risk!

So, this was my first audiobook! I liked the narrator well enough and the way she pronounced things helped me keep track of what was going on in the book. Alanna: The First Adventure isn't by any means a complicated book which made it even easier.

A classic fairy tale of a girl who wants to be a knight and disguises herself as a boy to join the palace ranks, Alanna: The First Adventure is written on the younger side of things, but still done well. Given the book was first published in the 80s, there could be some consideration for transmisia with discussions of "accepting your body for what it was born to be," especially when Alanna starts hitting puberty and has her first period. I don't think that was the intent by any means, but depending on the reader, it could be taken that way.

I do, very much, like Alanna. She's snappy, has an attitude, and doesn't put up with any crap from anyone. From the get-go, Alanna establishes herself among the boys and works incredibly hard to keep up with them. Her internal monologue, whatever is written, helps detail her thought process in training to be better and stronger than the boys. She's clever and witty, and willing to put herself through unfavorable situations in order to succeed. Her pride gets in her way sometimes, which I like, since Alanna is not one to ask for help.

The other characters were all relatively likable regardless of how much page time they actually had. Coram, the gruff mentor, was very fun in his exasperation with Alanna's antics. Jonathan, smooth-talking and relatively even, was likable for a prince. Ralon was annoying and dislikeable, as a bully should be. Gareth was funny, Raoul felt like a teasing older brother, and they were all enjoyable to listen to/read about.

I do think the names of some things were a bit childish all things considered, but I am used to more grown YA and Adult fantasy. I expected a stronger name for Alanna's sword than just "Lightning," but that's more a preference for myself than anything actually wrong with the books. Same with the names of the horses: Moonlight, Darkness. They just feel a little cheap, I think? But, I digress.

There are some things that aren't inherently realistic, like how quickly Alanna is accepted when she does reveal herself as a girl to a few characters. Sure, she's proven herself and that warrants respect, but that doesn't necessarily overstep beyond what is presumed to be hundreds of years worth of tradition. Not that following tradition always is good, but it does leave some consistency to be desired.

I did like the father/child relationship that develops between Alanna and Sir Myles. Despite his drinking problem, he does seem to genuinely care for her, and I appreciate the depiction of a healthy relationship between student/teacher and evolving into something a little stronger than that.

I do think the ending was a little Mary-Sue-ish? Suddenly, two kids waltz into an age-old city and save the day from a group of allegedly immortal beings without any preparation or training, or knowledge at all? It felt a little much to me, but I can only hope there's more involved there in the later books. Perhaps not, and then I am left with my own thoughts and interpretations!

Regardless, overall, I think the book was solid. It had a steady pace, didn't leave anything waiting, and just kept moving forward to tell its story. I liked the characters, I like the premise, and the atmosphere. I just had a few nit-picky things that are more prevalent to me than they are a fault of the book.

Would recommend this one!

Content Warnings

More...