Rating: 
Summary: Must read for all girls
Review: If you live with your head in the clouds, If you dream of far off places,
If you wanted an adventure story like none other
this is the book for you.
This is a great story of a young girl who wants nothing
more than to be a knight. With the help of her friends
she gets a pretty good start
Rating:
Summary: 11 out of 10!
Review: I first picked this book up when I was 11 and nine years later, I still carry it wherever I go - even though it's all weather-beaten and worn! And that's not just why it's so everlasting. It's got action, magic, humour and a spunky protagonist who is easy for kids her age to relate to. Pierce's writing flows easily and is accessible to read without being overly elaborate. I recommend this to anybody who is skeptical about fantasy and wants to give it a shot. It will definitely get you hooked on to the world of sword and sorcery. Besides, which adventure book can actually bring tears to your eyes
Rating:
Summary: Alanna offers a strong, positive role model for girls.
Review: This book is amazing. This genre frequently has weak female characters; women are either the proverbial "damsel in distress" or evil witches, bent on the distruction of the universe.
Alanna's an empowering series for girls. Finally, here is a character which girls can not only relate to, but aspire to become. In a genre of books which (typically) has very weak female characters, Alanna offers a strong, positive role model for girls.
Rating:
Summary: this book is without a doubt, mesmerizing!
Review: I picked up this book at work one day with no expectations whatsoever - and I was hooked from the first page! Although the basic plot is a bit hackneyed (a twin brother and sister change places) Pierce presents it in a new tantalizing way, and makes the reader thirst for more. This book is a great one for all ages; an interesting mix of fantasy and reality, challanging traditional feminine roles in a feudal culture of magic and knights, while telling a very basic story of good versus evil. Once you have read this book, you will have no choice but to read the rest of the series
Rating: 
Summary: Fun! Fun! Fun!
Review: I first read this series in high school and am delighted to
see that it's been reprinted. There's very little female-
oriented fantasy out there for readers in their teens -- I
never went in for DragonLance et al, so it was really hard
to find something I liked.
Anyway, these are great
books for readers in the 11-16 range or so (although I
still have my copies and read them!), following the
intrepid Alanna of Trebond on her adventures. The conclusion
of Book 4, Lioness Rampant, is sure to please Alanna's fans.
The world Pierce has created is colorful and diverse, and
her characters are engaging and fun to watch. And in the
battles, people actually get hurt, even killed. A little
realism never hurts.
The only real criticism I have is
a stylistic one. Pierce paints her world in broad strokes
and bright colors. I tend to like a few well-placed details
to give the setting some depth. That's mostly a personal
thing, though, and overall I recommend this series.
Rating:
Summary: I just loved these series !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: When reading this book I get sweeped into Alanna's world and can't put down the book until I finish it.
Rating:
Summary: Review of Alanna: The First Adventure
Review: This is a book that I remembered reading in high
school. It's an excellent book for young adults (about
10 to 16 years of age) who are interested in
fantasy and the middle ages. Since the title character is
a female, it will also have a higher interest for
females as a lot of the title characters of other fantasy
novels are heros (i.e. male) as opposed to heroines (i.e.
female).
Rating:
Summary: The most awesome book ever!
Review: I would know that there are many good books out there. But there is one that rules above them all. When Alanna first hatches a plan to switch places with her twin brother, she has no idea what's coming her way. They decide that she, a girl, will go to be a knight, while her brother learns to be a sorcerer. The plan is put into action secretly, and all seems to go according to plan. But when Alanna arrives at the castle training school, she realizes that it's no piece of cake. Her muscles ache, her head throbbs, and she has piles of homework, but she toughs through it, her ambition to be the first woman knight never stifled. Some try to squash her, while others cheer her on. With the help of her friends, who, along with the rest of the world, still have no idea she's a girl, she keeps trying her best.As she slowly morphs into a knight, visions of dark towers begin to haunt her dreams. What does this mean? Why is this happening? Alanna doesn't know, but she means to find out.
This amazing action, adventure, fantasy and romance will draw you in for the time of your life. Struggle along with Alanna as she juggles friends, knighthood, love, school, and her crazy visions. One of the main reasons I loved this book was because it captures you, and you can't stop reading. The time it takes to turn the page is to long, and SSR is to short. So if you want super action, suspense, and adventure, read this rockin' book! :)
Rating:
Summary: 3 reivews by three 5th grade girls
Review: AC says: "Ok book. Too slow, too much detail. I like the story of the book but don't like how the author wrote it" AM says: "great book. I like the details, they lead up to the excitement. Good story" TG says: "very good book. Lots of action. Lots of drama and excitement." Easy to read for a fifth graders. Might be inapporpriate for younger than a fifth grader. Has magic, adventure, fighting, immortals, friendship, knights, and lots more.
Rating:
Summary: The First Is Still One Of The Best
Review: Nearly six years ago I casually picked up this book at a thrift store, thinking that it looked "decent". That little book quickly drew me in, and though I now own nearly all the books written by Tamora Pierce, it is still one of my favorites.
As the first chapter begins, we find Alanna and her almost identical twin brother, Thom, facing an unpleasant future. Their distant and uncaring father has decreed that Alanna shall go to a convent to learn to be a lady, while Thom is to become a page and study fighting arts at the Tortallan royal palace. Alanna, however, wants to become a Lady Knight and cares nothing for embroidery or dancing. Thom wants to be the greatest mage in history, a feat that might even be within his reach because of the unusually powerful magical powers, or Gift, present in both of the twins. Soon, however, Alanna thinks up a daring and slightly hare-brained plan to escape their dreadful fate. With the reluctant help of two old family servants, Alanna and Thom switch places, presenting themselves as twin boys ("Alan" and Thom) and beginning a set of whirlwind adventures too numerous to keep in one book.
This is a good book for someone who would like an introduction to Tamora Pierce's work. Her characters are well developed and believable, and it is easy to relate to them. The heroine will steal your heart, and the smooth writing style will leave you hungry for more.
One word of warning... Ms. Pierce advocates physical intimacy outside of marriage, and it shows in most of her books set in Tortall. There is nothing in this one, but if you want to steer clear of that type of material, you don't want to fall in love with this book. I would, however, point you toward her Circle of Magic and Circle Opens books, which contain nothing of the sort.
In summary, there is little in this book that a dedicated fantasy reader would object to, and an incredible amount that person would be pleased with.
|
