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A review by eesh25
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
4.0
Decided to reread before continuing the series, and I'm glad I did. I liked it more this time.
*********************
I've heard a lot about how great Tamora Pierce is, not in terms of a specific book, but as an author of any book. And I'm glad that I finally read something of hers.
This book, to me, was an origin story. We start off with a young Alanna of Trebond, who wants to be a warrior but who's being sent to learn to be a "lady" instead, because that's the kind of things girls do. They don't get to train to be a knight like her twin brother, who actually wants to learn sorcery and not knighthood. Obvious solution is for them to switch places, with Alanna becoming Alan as she's sent to train at the royal palace.
The book follows her through her next few years of her life as she gains different skills, makes friends, gets to know her own capabilities more, and comes closer to being the person she's meant to be. All while pretending to be a boy.
Now, I've read books about woman having to masquerade as men before. And what stuck me as different here is the complete lack of dramatics. The book's writing is very simple (not-at-all in a bad way) and it focuses on the events going on rather than the inner wanderings of the minds of the characters. And while that doesn't always work in the book's favour, in a lot of ways it does.
I really enjoyed that we didn't have to spend paragraphs upon paragraphs with Alanna angsting over having to pretend and lie, or over the fact that Alanna's father cares so little about his children that he never even bothers to check up on them. Also, it made the pace of the book fast, which I always appreciate. Moreover, focusing on the adventure makes the book a lot more accessible to middle-graders, for whom this book is best. Though really, anyone can read and enjoy it.
The only problem to arise is that, since we don't always know the intricacies of a character's mind, some of their reactions or decisions might seem irrational. Most of it makes sense, like Alanna's tendency to get angry whenever anyone implies that she's not as capable as the other boys, but in other cases, insight would have helped.
For example, toward the end, a characters made a very stupid decision, and I would've liked to know how that person reached that decision.
Overall, this is a fairly short and quick read that introduces likable characters and opens the door to many adventures to come. It gives us a potential series villain, missions to look forward to, and people to root for. And it does that with a good story and a great pace that ensures the absence of dull moments.
*********************
I've heard a lot about how great Tamora Pierce is, not in terms of a specific book, but as an author of any book. And I'm glad that I finally read something of hers.
This book, to me, was an origin story. We start off with a young Alanna of Trebond, who wants to be a warrior but who's being sent to learn to be a "lady" instead, because that's the kind of things girls do. They don't get to train to be a knight like her twin brother, who actually wants to learn sorcery and not knighthood. Obvious solution is for them to switch places, with Alanna becoming Alan as she's sent to train at the royal palace.
The book follows her through her next few years of her life as she gains different skills, makes friends, gets to know her own capabilities more, and comes closer to being the person she's meant to be. All while pretending to be a boy.
Now, I've read books about woman having to masquerade as men before. And what stuck me as different here is the complete lack of dramatics. The book's writing is very simple (not-at-all in a bad way) and it focuses on the events going on rather than the inner wanderings of the minds of the characters. And while that doesn't always work in the book's favour, in a lot of ways it does.
I really enjoyed that we didn't have to spend paragraphs upon paragraphs with Alanna angsting over having to pretend and lie, or over the fact that Alanna's father cares so little about his children that he never even bothers to check up on them. Also, it made the pace of the book fast, which I always appreciate. Moreover, focusing on the adventure makes the book a lot more accessible to middle-graders, for whom this book is best. Though really, anyone can read and enjoy it.
The only problem to arise is that, since we don't always know the intricacies of a character's mind, some of their reactions or decisions might seem irrational. Most of it makes sense, like Alanna's tendency to get angry whenever anyone implies that she's not as capable as the other boys, but in other cases, insight would have helped.
For example, toward the end, a characters made a very stupid decision, and I would've liked to know how that person reached that decision.
Overall, this is a fairly short and quick read that introduces likable characters and opens the door to many adventures to come. It gives us a potential series villain, missions to look forward to, and people to root for. And it does that with a good story and a great pace that ensures the absence of dull moments.