Review: Lioness Rampant

Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness #4)
Tamora Pierce
YA fantasy, adventure

"I'm not sure I want to be a hero anymore." 
Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. Perhaps being a knight errant is not all that Alanna needs....But Alanna must push her uncertainty aside when a new challenge arises. She must recover the Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem with enormous power for good -- but only in the right hands. And she must work quickly. Tortall is in great danger, and Alanna's archenemy, Duke Roger, is back -- and more powerful than ever. In this final book of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna discovers that she indeed has a future worthy of her mythic past -- both as a warrior and as a woman.

So I have library books to return and the Clean Out Your E-reader Challenge on my mind, urging me to read those books, and yet, on Saturday I was struck by a "Screw it all" attitude, "I wanna read Alanna". So I did.

This is the last book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet and I read the first one before I had a blog so I'm going to review this series as whole. You can read my review of book 2 here, and book 3 here.

As girls' adventure books go, there's no beating Alanna. Smart and headstrong, she leads the pack in heroines. Think Deryn from the Leviathan books, or Mulan. She longs to be a knight so she switches with her twin brother and trains in the palace as a boy. Over the years she makes powerful friends (Some may be a little more than friends:)) and accomplishes extraordinary feats.

Characters- ALL AWESOME. Jon, the boys, Sir Myles, George, Liam, Buri, Thayet, Coram, Thom... I could go on all day. Everyone has such personality! They're what make these books so much fun to read(:

Themes and ideas- this, I think, is the area where the quartet stands out the most. Aside from the girl-warrior-dressed-as-boy thing, the novels explore the ideas of believe it or not, your first love isn't necessarily your true love. Also, while I personally don't approve of this choice, Alanna sleeps with her lovers. Multiple ones. And wears a protective charm for pregnancy. Not only does she contest womens' right to fight, she also disproves all the things that would traditionally make her a respectable woman in her world, and I found that refreshing and inspiring. Also, her love life doesn't end in happily ever after marrying the prince- she loves him but contemplates her ability and will to rule, and ultimately makes a decision based on things other than what's expected of her but rather for her own and others' good.

Note: The first book centers around Alanna at ages 11-12, and is suitable for middle-grade readers. Book two has more mature content.

Another aspect of the series that I love is how you are with her over a period of almost 10 years, and really grow to love her world and friends.

And now, the REASON FOR GIVING BOOK #4 ONLY 4 STARS:
I'm not sure. Maybe it's that sometimes Jon has seriously out of character moments, something that I see as a flaw in the writing. Or maybe it's that Alanna kinda goes looking for trouble (though that's arguable- it's her job as a knight) I think it's mainly that the big plot point in  book #3 is resolved with little explanation in book #4, and that the big plot point in book #4 pops out with little explanation as to WHY it was allowed to happen in the first place.

Also, I was disappointed in Thayet's final decision , because I felt that so much could've been done with the loose end of her country, Sarain.

Rating:


overall note: I have been enjoying these books for years and will dearly miss Alanna. Really really recommended.

Review: The Woman who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness #3) spoiler free

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
(Song of the Lioness #3)
Tamora Pierce
Fantasy, Adventure

"Let her prove herself worthy as a man."

Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman -- despite the desert dwellers' grave fear of the foreign woman warrior. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes -- for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

Alanna's journey continues...

You can read my review of the second Alanna book here.

The Alanna books are really one of my favorite adventure series out there. I mean, what do Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider all have in common? Oh, yeah. A MALE PROTAGONIST. Now I'm not saying she's the only one out there, but Clary and Cammie and Katniss all star in YA, and Alanna is a rare sight in middle grade adventure novels. Granted, in the past two books the Song of the Lioness chronicles have crossed over into YA.

That was my one nitpick. Those of you who remember the first book remember Alanna and her friends as 10-12 year olds, the kind of book you could give to a kid. The second and third of this series isn't really appropriate for that age anymore and that kind of disappoints me. I remember reading Alanna: The First Adventure years ago and I know now that it's good I only continued recently. There's nothing graphic or anything, but, and I hate to say this, Alanna is sleeping with her men left and right. I mean, yeah I'm used to the heroine choosing between two guys in a heart wrenching love triangle but come on, lady, you can't have both of them in your bed in one book. Multiple times. Give the sequels to children above 12-13 in my opinion.

That said, Alanna was as fun and kick-butt as usual. George was funny and Myles was insightful, just the way I like everyone:)

Actually I have one more problem. *minor spoiler alert, highlight to read*

Ms. Pierce, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JON? I mean, we (your readers) know him and love him and he is NOT a jerk!! If there's one thing I hate it's when my favorite characters act OUT of character. I really hope for the fourth and final book he'll come back to himself. Then again, having read other peoples' reviews on Goodreads, I can see how his behaviour makes sense. Alas, maybe I just enjoyed the wishful thinking about Prince Charming.

*end spoiler alert*

Other than that? Gotta love the cover of the edition I read (showed above). Alanna, now a knight, dressed in armor, holding a sword and riding a war horse with her hair loose and chest unbound. Basically sums up the status transformation between books 2 and 3. Rating: 

2 more things: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JK ROWLING AND HARRY POTTER! Thank you for bringing the magic into my life. 

And eeeep! I start my first job tomorrow! Guess where? You got it. A local kids/teens bookstore:) Wish me luck!

Love,

Esty

Review: In the Hand of the Goddess (Alanna #2) + My Opinion on Love Triangles

  
In the Hand of the Goddess
Tamora Pierce
fantasy


"I don't want to fall in love. I just want to be a warrior maiden."
Still disguised as a boy, Alanna becomes a squire to none other than the prince of the realm. Prince Jonathan is not only Alanna's liege lord, he is also her best friend -- and one of the few who knows the secret of her true identity. But when a mysterious sorceror threatens the prince's life, it will take all of Alanna's skill, strength, and magical power to protect him -- even at the risk of revealing who she really is...

Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's second adventure continues the saga of a girl who dares to follow her dreams -- and the magical destiny that awaits her.

Alanna's journey continues...


***SPOILER ALERT***  TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ ALANNA THE FIRST ADVENTURE
That said, it was a good sequel. The story starts off about 3 years after the last one left off, Alanna now a squire to Prince Jonathan and Tortall on the brink of war. Her real identity is still unknown to most of her friends except Jon and George, who become the main love interests throughout the book.

And that's what bothered me.

Now I know there is a huge debate among readers about  love triangles; personally, I think it depends how they're done. Sometimes, it makes sense and written realistically, like the Hunger Games, in which Gale and Peeta fell in love with her because they had each been through so much with her, and let's face it, she's an amazing person. It also tied in well with the plot, everyone's feelings majorly influencing what happens. And the key point (for me at least) is that they didn't sit around waiting for her to choose. I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority here, but I was happy when Gale left. I mean, why should he stick around forever till Katniss will  finally make up her mind and stop kissing them both? What with everything she was going through, and her love for both of them, she might never have done it. And let's be honest, Gale is too independent, strong, smart, and eligible for that. He would have lost all my respect and thankfully didn't.

MY POINT IS, some love triangles are great, and this wasn't one of them. For starters, there is a 7 year difference between Alanna and George. With adults it's not a big deal but the whole time I couldn't help remembering how she was ten when they met and that's creepy. And besides, she was only 18 during the second part of this book.  As for Jon, well, I was rooting for them. He is a great guy and true friend and I couldn't help but love him. The main problem was that they both wanted her and she kinda just...let them. Like, they would be all lovey-dovey and give her a kiss and she would be all 'I don't want to fall in love' but let them kiss her anyway. It seemed beneath her, you know?

Also, I was a weensy but annoyed with the pacing. The book seemed divided into two different plots, with about 2 years separating them, and while the writing flowed wonderfully (hence, only "weensy bit" annoyed) it was a little disconcerting having Alanna in a more mature mindset in the space of a page.

BUT, as mentioned above, it was a good sequel and great writing. The characters are lovable and annoying (making them very human to me ) and the whole thing was an enjoyabele read. Recommended. It may seem middle grade, but be warned, it's not. Grade: 70%

Have a good weekend!
-Esty