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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.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.art_books_chemistry's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Violence and Bullying
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcoholism, Death, Infertility, and Death of parent
booksthatburn'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
sdemo08's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
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? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adore Tamora Pierce. She may have been the first really author that prompted me to fall in love with reading. She creates amazing YA novels with stronf FMC no matter what their strength takes form in. We meet Alanna in this one as she decides to take her future in her own hands by switching places with her twin, taking up residence to become a knight. Everyone else she meets falls in love with her though they think she is a boy because of her unique ways and loyalty to her friends and her moral code.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Violence, and Medical trauma
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
azyef's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Bullying
Moderate: Death and Medical content
Minor: Alcoholism
rini's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Child death, Death, Sexism, and Violence
kaylamoran's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
My best friend recommended this book to me. I'd read it once before many years ago but I didn't remember anything.
So. Honestly, this book felt entirely too fast. I felt like there was no character development or worldbuilding really at all, and the magic system also wasn't explained, and just felt like a convenient solution to unsolvable problems. I honestly have no idea what happened in the last chapter. I also didn't love the writing. It could have used a few less adjectives and adverbs. It felt awkward and choppy, I'm not entirely sure why. All in all it felt like a good story poorly written.
That said, I did enjoy this book and the story, and I see a lot of potential going forward. I'm definitely interested to find out what happens next, if Alanna can continue to hide her identity, and what becomes of Jon.I'm definitely interested to see what happens with Roger vying for the throne. I'm guessing that'll become a major conflict later on.
It was rather fun seeing a young girl in a patriarchal society unlearn her own internalized sexism, as it's something I definitely related to.
So. Honestly, this book felt entirely too fast. I felt like there was no character development or worldbuilding really at all, and the magic system also wasn't explained, and just felt like a convenient solution to unsolvable problems. I honestly have no idea what happened in the last chapter. I also didn't love the writing. It could have used a few less adjectives and adverbs. It felt awkward and choppy, I'm not entirely sure why. All in all it felt like a good story poorly written.
That said, I did enjoy this book and the story, and I see a lot of potential going forward. I'm definitely interested to find out what happens next, if Alanna can continue to hide her identity, and what becomes of Jon.
It was rather fun seeing a young girl in a patriarchal society unlearn her own internalized sexism, as it's something I definitely related to.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
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