Rating: 
Summary: Alanna
Review: Of the Song of the Lioness quartet, I personally found Alanna: the First Adventure, and the second book, In the Hands of the Goddess, the best. Although a fantasy book, Tamora Pierce completely enthralls the reader with the world of Tortall, which despite its magic and sorcery feels entirely believeable and real to even the most skeptical readers. I couldn't put the book down, and I love the adventure,action, surprises, and interesting, engaging characters. Alanna is a stubborn, exciting, energetic, and tough girl. Any athlete can identify with the training she undergoes to become a knight, which makes the book even more appealing. So read it!
Rating:
Summary: Such a great book!
Review: This book about Alanna of Trebond is incredible!! I read It straight through in a Couple of hours. The book tells about determination, courage, and standing up to a bully. It's fantastic. It was wonderful to read about how Alanna disguised as a boy, befriended the prince.
Rating: 
Summary: great book
Review: This is a very good book but I think she Tamora Pierce) made the book take place over to much time for so short of book she left out to many essencial details. It was like one day she was the worst at something and the next she was the best at everything. time just seemed to fly.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: Tamora Pierce's books are stunning. Everything she writes amazes me. This first book from her quartet series involving Alanna is a great read. From the very first page she lures her readers into the story and does not let them go until the last page- or rather, the last page of the fourth book.I recommend reading her other quartet series of books involving Keladry entitled "Protector of the Small"- this series as well as the Alanna one follow two young female heros that are going against the odds in trying to become knights. Its a great read for female readers specifically. Boys may not be too interested because of the lead female characters, but you never know.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Fantasy Ever Written
Review: I am a HUGE fan of Tamora Pierce, especially her Lioness Quartet series. This is the first book in the quartet, and I highly reccomend it to any fantasy lover. Its not written like Tolkien, but has has bits of humor and an interesting story line. Some people say that this series follows the typical storyline; girl becomes first female knight fights villain etc, but I think this is one of the most unique books ever written, and I've been unable to find anything like it! (and believe me, I've looked) Anyway, once you read this book you'll just have to read the other three. Its my all-time favorite series, and has been for 5 yrs!
Rating:
Summary: wiser reader
Review: Being 23, I have read a mass number of books. This book was suprisingly fantastic. I don't know why I haven't read it when I was younger. The book was well written and makes you want to read the rest of the series. If I could leave a 10 stars I would.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific Story for the Early Teen in Your Life (even you!)
Review: Knights, honor, magic, friendship, and lots of excitment! I read Alanna for the first time when I was in middle school and still find this entire series (excluding the last, because, well, I don't want to ruin it for you, let's just say I disagree with how it should end!) an enormous comfort. Many fantasy books start with characters either already doing what they want to do or destined by some other-wordly force to become great even if they don't want to. Few show the struggle a character has to go through to become what they want to be. As such, Alanna is pretty unique. She decides she wants to become a knight, yet in her world only boys become knights and she is doomed to being a "lady." So one day she hatches a plan to switch places with her twin brother and thus her story begins. The series follows her as she fights her way up the ranks, befriends not only the prince of the country, but also a king of thieves. She makes enemies. And has to learn the hard way how to survive. All the while pretending to be someone she isn't, yet trying her darndest to be remain true to herself. For all her trials and tribulations, you know Alanna works and pays for her triumphs. You can't help but fall in love with her and root her on through the end!
Rating:
Summary: The first of many books about Tortall
Review: If you have never read any of Tamora Pierce's books, this is a good one to start with. "Alanna" tells the story of a girl named, naturally, Alanna. Although Alanna wants to be a knight and her twin brother, Thom, wants to be a wizard, their father has other ideas. He declares that Alanna will go a convent and learn to be a lady while Thom goes to the palace to learn to be a kight. Naturally both young people are upset about this, but they quickly come up with a plan to switch places. I won't tell you any more, but Alanna has lots of challenges to overcome and adventures to face. However, this is only the first book in the "Song of the Lioness Quartet", and there are more adventures waiting in the next books. I like this series, and this book in particular, because it was the first book I had ever read that had a heroine with all the determination and "rough and tumble" attitude of a boy. Since then I have enjoyed all of Tamora Pierce's books, and even though it has been almost four years since I first read "Alanna", I still love to lose myself in her worlds.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish I could give it negative stars.
Review: I agree with those people who have given this book negative reviews. I am amazed at how popular this series is. Not only is she a bland and wooden writer, Pierce is also an irresponsible one -- particularly in her depiction of the sex scenes that occur later in the series. Why were they necessary? Definitely not appropriate (not to mention, excessively dreary and boring). Please, please read some other children's fantasy, such as Garth Nix's "Sabriel" or Pullman's "Golden Compass" or Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest series. Far superior writing, plots, and character development. All these books have great female heroines who are far more three dimensional and original than Alanna.
Rating:
Summary: BLEH
Review: I didn't like the book at all. I feel that she has trite storylines and unimaginative plots and characters. I feel that their are better writers of children's fantasy out there--like Diana Wynne Jones, an awesome fantasy writer who does not get enough recognition. Tamora Pierce does not have the same range of artistic creativity and imagination that Diana Wynne Jones displays in her books.
|
