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seulgireads's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
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
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Violence, Death, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexism
Misogyny/sexism: Single use of "girls" as a slur and main character hates (and hides) being a girl (hates her developing body as well as the role women are assigned in her society) but also specifically wants to be a woman knight-warrior.jjamieww's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
There were parts of the book that were really great and I can see how they might embolden a kid who reads them. Talking about your first period, explaining how friendships work, and choosing what’s best for you in spite of what others think.
I think the book could have gone into more detail on certain things and explained them more especially if it’s a kiddo reading it.
The climax of the book being this battle in a random place didn’t make much sense. There were a lot of loose ends as well that I assume will get wrapped up in the later books.
I think the book could have gone into more detail on certain things and explained them more especially if it’s a kiddo reading it.
The climax of the book being this battle in a random place didn’t make much sense. There were a lot of loose ends as well that I assume will get wrapped up in the later books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Bullying
Minor: Abandonment
fuchsiarascal's review against another edition
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.
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
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
vixenreader's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Violence, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery
Minor: Islamophobia and War
The ending has some dated ideas about the Middle East, and the discussions about gender are still in terms of a binary. Also, be aware of a scene involving menstruation.stormbringer52's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Violence, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol
theequestrianslibrary's review against another edition
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
Moderate: Bullying and Violence
Minor: Alcohol and Child death
Violence (Mild), Bullying, Neglectful Parenting, Child Death, Pandemic (via Alleged Sorcery), Discussion of Menstruation & Puberty, Mentions of Excessive Drinkingbooksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
This is a good introduction to Alanna and Tortall, setting up things that will play out fully in later books. The setting is a swords and sorcery fantasy (occasionally both in the same fight) in a vaguely medieval kingdom which various neighbors and internal factions. It also establishes the Bazhir and their complicated relationship with Tortall (partially absorbed through treaties and alliances with individual tribes, but not conquered), with the book's finale set in the desert.
Given that the Bazhir are loosely based on real desert-dwelling peoples (something which becomes abundantly clear in later books), it seems like a not-great thing for their prophecy to involve being saved by two people who come in from outside and fight a great evil which they either couldn't defeat or never tried to stop. Alanna (and probably Jon as well) is learning about the Bazhir for the very first time on the same trip where she and Jon combat this evil. It plays into a long history of white-savior stories in an uncomfortable way.
I first read this when I was Alanna’s age, and I’ve read it dozens of times since then. Alanna trades places with her twin brother, Thom, so that he can study magic and she can become a knight. In order to pull off the switch, Alanna disguises herself as a boy, and finds herself bonding with a slightly older group of boys who become squires while she’s still a page. She also faces a bully who torments her in her first year, having to figure out the difference between being good at combat and being a bully.
One thing I appreciate about this book is its chapter containing something which was sorely needed in the late 1980’s when this came out and which is still useful today: a brief and useful description of what a menstrual cycle is and how to care for one’s body when it happens. Because Alanna becomes a page at age 10, and only her manservant knows she’s a girl and not the boy she’s pretending to be, when she gets her period she doesn’t know why it’s happening and has to secretly get help to find out what’s going on. It’s handled quickly and with enough detail that someone who needs this information would at least have a starting point. I don’t like how Alanna’s protests about disliking her body’s trajectory are waived away as being what the Gods ordained, but it fits this story in which the Gods are very real, and one Goddess in particular seems to be taking an interest in Alanna.
This is a great start to the series while being a complete story in its own right, covering Alanna's first year of her life as Alan the page.
Given that the Bazhir are loosely based on real desert-dwelling peoples (something which becomes abundantly clear in later books), it seems like a not-great thing for their prophecy to involve being saved by two people who come in from outside and fight a great evil which they either couldn't defeat or never tried to stop. Alanna (and probably Jon as well) is learning about the Bazhir for the very first time on the same trip where she and Jon combat this evil. It plays into a long history of white-savior stories in an uncomfortable way.
I first read this when I was Alanna’s age, and I’ve read it dozens of times since then. Alanna trades places with her twin brother, Thom, so that he can study magic and she can become a knight. In order to pull off the switch, Alanna disguises herself as a boy, and finds herself bonding with a slightly older group of boys who become squires while she’s still a page. She also faces a bully who torments her in her first year, having to figure out the difference between being good at combat and being a bully.
One thing I appreciate about this book is its chapter containing something which was sorely needed in the late 1980’s when this came out and which is still useful today: a brief and useful description of what a menstrual cycle is and how to care for one’s body when it happens. Because Alanna becomes a page at age 10, and only her manservant knows she’s a girl and not the boy she’s pretending to be, when she gets her period she doesn’t know why it’s happening and has to secretly get help to find out what’s going on. It’s handled quickly and with enough detail that someone who needs this information would at least have a starting point. I don’t like how Alanna’s protests about disliking her body’s trajectory are waived away as being what the Gods ordained, but it fits this story in which the Gods are very real, and one Goddess in particular seems to be taking an interest in Alanna.
This is a great start to the series while being a complete story in its own right, covering Alanna's first year of her life as Alan the page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Terminal illness, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Sexism, Death, Grief, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Classism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Infertility, Vomit, Ableism, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
strange_little_ranger's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Medical content, Alcohol, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, and Violence
inferiorwit's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Violence, Sexism, Outing, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Dysphoria
Minor: Dysphoria and Transphobia
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