A review by theequestrianslibrary
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

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! 
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