Juvenile Fiction Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
JF Pierce, T.
Alanna: The First Adventure is Book One of the Song of the Lioness series. The premise of this story is a simple one: that of a young girl who does not wish to follow her traditional path. But in the rigid medieval society in which Alanna of Trebond lives, this is not possible to accomplish as a girl. So when Alanna and her twin brother Thom are sent away from home to prepare for their future roles, she contrives to switch places with him in order to learn to be a knight. Calling herself “Alan of Trebond,” she endures extremely full days, befriends the heir to the throne, heals him from a serious illness, overcomes a bully squire, and helps to rid the kingdom of an evil presence that is contained in an outlying city. In spite of the deceit involved, this is a good story of strong womanhood and of overcoming adversity. Alanna’s story is continued in three other books: In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides like a Man and Lioness Rampant. (Alanna eventually gains her knight’s shield and proves herself as a woman warrior, but that is brought about in the other books.) - Laurel Jones
54 Juvenile Fiction