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mediaevalmuse 's review for:
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
by Tamora Pierce
The description of this installment of the Song of the Lioness quartet had me on edge from the start. Medieval-inspired books with knights facing “tribal customs” make me wary, as they can become racist very easily. To my surprise, this book did not repeat some of the tropes I loathe, and Alanna was very much invested in learning rather than changing the culture in question. There are still some things that I’m not sure about regarding cultural contact in this book, bit overall, I loved the way Pierce writes Alanna and how she interacts when meeting new people.
Things I Liked
1. Alanna Meeting New Women: One of the best things about this book is the underlying theme of Alanna learning to appreciate women’s work and knowledge, undoing some of her own internalized misogyny by meeting social outcasts Kourrem and Kara. While Alanna does challenge some of the sexism in the tribe she joins, she also learns to respect the women’s decision to wear veils while also appreciating things such as weaving and sewing. I really loved the interactions between the women, and I think they were the best moments of growth for Alanna.
2. Complexity of the Relationship with the Prince: Alanna continues her romance with the Prince in this book, but it falls apart rather quickly. While I found myself disliking the Prince more and more as the book progressed, I still appreciated that Pierce didn’t make him outright evil or bad - just spoiled. It was clear that the Prince was still a good person at heart, even as he took many things for granted and acted entitled.
3. Level of Sensitivity to Foreign Customs: As stated above, there were some moments when I wasn’t sure if the book was heading towards imperial themes; however, I did like that Alanna took great care to respect the laws of the tribe she joins. She challenges their sexist customs, but never does so by presuming she knows better. Instead, she challenges them by making decisions as they relate to herself (in other words, she never sees someone mistreating a woman and demands that they act differently or change their customs - she leads by example).
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Potential Imperial Tendencies: One of the major points of tension in this book is the requirement that the Prince become the next Voice of the Tribes (essentially, their leader). To most people of the Bazhir (the name for the desert tribesmen), this decision appears to be giving an outsider authority over their people. I questioned the necessity of this decision as a plot point, wondering what made this decision so necessary, but I still haven’t made up my mind about it. Maybe the answer will come in the next book.
2. Flat Antagonists: With Duke Roger defeated, Pierce turns to new antagonists, such as the tribe’s superstitious and power-hungry shaman. I disliked this character because he was an embodiment of many Middle Eastern stereotypes. Though Alanna treated him well (to a point), I still thought that as an antagonist, he wasn’t very engaging or exciting. I also didn’t like the hillmen as antagonists, as they felt more like grunts to be killed as opposed to a people or organization.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in wandering knights/knights errant, cultures in contact, desert peoples, magic, shamans, and learning magic.
Things I Liked
1. Alanna Meeting New Women: One of the best things about this book is the underlying theme of Alanna learning to appreciate women’s work and knowledge, undoing some of her own internalized misogyny by meeting social outcasts Kourrem and Kara. While Alanna does challenge some of the sexism in the tribe she joins, she also learns to respect the women’s decision to wear veils while also appreciating things such as weaving and sewing. I really loved the interactions between the women, and I think they were the best moments of growth for Alanna.
2. Complexity of the Relationship with the Prince: Alanna continues her romance with the Prince in this book, but it falls apart rather quickly. While I found myself disliking the Prince more and more as the book progressed, I still appreciated that Pierce didn’t make him outright evil or bad - just spoiled. It was clear that the Prince was still a good person at heart, even as he took many things for granted and acted entitled.
3. Level of Sensitivity to Foreign Customs: As stated above, there were some moments when I wasn’t sure if the book was heading towards imperial themes; however, I did like that Alanna took great care to respect the laws of the tribe she joins. She challenges their sexist customs, but never does so by presuming she knows better. Instead, she challenges them by making decisions as they relate to herself (in other words, she never sees someone mistreating a woman and demands that they act differently or change their customs - she leads by example).
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Potential Imperial Tendencies: One of the major points of tension in this book is the requirement that the Prince become the next Voice of the Tribes (essentially, their leader). To most people of the Bazhir (the name for the desert tribesmen), this decision appears to be giving an outsider authority over their people. I questioned the necessity of this decision as a plot point, wondering what made this decision so necessary, but I still haven’t made up my mind about it. Maybe the answer will come in the next book.
2. Flat Antagonists: With Duke Roger defeated, Pierce turns to new antagonists, such as the tribe’s superstitious and power-hungry shaman. I disliked this character because he was an embodiment of many Middle Eastern stereotypes. Though Alanna treated him well (to a point), I still thought that as an antagonist, he wasn’t very engaging or exciting. I also didn’t like the hillmen as antagonists, as they felt more like grunts to be killed as opposed to a people or organization.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in wandering knights/knights errant, cultures in contact, desert peoples, magic, shamans, and learning magic.