Alanna by Tamora Pierce

[meganbmoore]

Alanna of Trebond wants to be a knight. Her twin brother, Thom, wants to be a sorcerer. Their father doesn’t care what they want, or even realize that they want anything, and declares that Alanna shall be sent to a convent to train with priests, and Thom will train to be a knight. So Alanna comes up with a plan to dress like a boy, and change her father’s letter so that he has two sons, allowing the twins to follow their dreams.

The only Tamora Pierce books I’ve read before are the Circle of Magic quartet, which are set on a different world from this one. Alanna is Pierce’s first book (I believe this quartet was originally one long book that Pierce was told to break up, because no one in the target audience wanted to read a book that long) and it shows. Alanna follows all the normal for the “crossdressing girl who wants to be a knight” genre-actually, it probably helped solidify the tropes-right down to setting up what appears to be a future love triangle for Alana that includes Jon, the prince of Tortall (the world the book is set in) and George, a young thief who befriends Alanna.

If I’d first read this in my teens, I suspect I would have responded very strongly to it. As it is, I quite like Alanna as a character and enjoyed her supporting cast, but am less than amazed by the book itself.

Comments

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

Wow, I first read these when I was 11 or so - I think many people did. Having re-read them last year at my present age, I know exactly what you mean. Pierce's early style falls prey to the irritating pitfall of just saying things are happening rather than describing them - also, she tries to make Alanna Special, which would have turned her into a very large Mary Sue if not for her personality and the fact that most of her success comes from working her butt off. This series most definitely gets better and better as it goes on, as does Pierce's work in general.

Actually, the books were written as one long fantasy novel aimed at adults. Pierce was asked to cut it up and turn it into a series for teens. The ending was actually changed drastically, as were some details.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she really is just barely saved from being Special.

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

Daine(the heroine of the Immortals quartet) is probably slightly worse in that respect, but is also saved from it via personality and often wondering whether she's insane, and also due to her utter practicality. Keladry, however, from the Protector of the Small quartet, is just a normal person, albeit hard-working and determined as anything, and able to keep a cool head.