Genre: Young Adult High Fantasy
Edition Reviewed: Paperback
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Alanna: The First Adventure (1)
From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight.
And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring allowed only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Thom heads for the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, is on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.
But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.
Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna's first adventure begins - one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land.
Review:
This book was huge in my life when I was younger, and most importantly it introduced me to female authors AND warrior women in fantasy. It dazzled me and set me on a course to seek books with strong female leads that I will always be thankful for. Which is a reason why I've avoided rereading it. That and some friends on Goodreads have read it for the first time and posted about the writing. Which made me nervous. At the time I read Alanna the First Adventure hit me as very well written. Especially for a book targeted at Teens.
So that fear is laid to rest. Alanna is very much High Fantasy. And if anyone is an avid reader of the genre the storytelling style won't throw you off. Events over a course of years are highlighted as Alanna takes on her role as Alan to achieve her dream of becoming a Warrior Maiden. Piercing writing isn't elaborate or “fancy”, but it's well done. She creates real characters and understands people. Not just the leads, but side characters. There's plenty of humor and the action scenes are done well. Most importantly Alanna doesn't just magically become good at everything. She works HARD. She EARNS it. Which has been a huge gripe of mine with the wave of newer High Fantasy titles in both adult and young adult titles.
Alanna is a fantastic character and you have to have respect for someone who wants their dream so badly. Even with self doubts of how she, a girl, could ever be as good as a boy. Let alone a man. Despite her doubts she pushes on and fights for that dream. It was inspiring seeing those doubts in someone as amazing as Alanna and to see her overcome them. To see her own self doubt. It will be an amazing thing to see her be knighted and reveal she's a woman.
The story may seem standard now, but it holds up well over the test of time. Because I have read a lot of other books about girls dressing up as boys and becoming warriors. Very few are great and many are plain painful. It helps that there isn't a romantic setup here. This isn't about who Alanna's going to date. This is about a strong girl fighting for something. Something that doesn't have a man as a shiny prize at the end.
Alanna The First Adventure is brilliant for growing minds and the already grown up. The frank talk about being a woman is nice. Not to mention that there's talk about a woman's monthly cycle, and consequences of sex. It was nice as a youngster to have a book that actually had some decent wisdom to pass down. Male characters are also shown in a great light as they accept Alan as Alanna, that they say she has earned her right to this dream. (No I won't say whom knows, but you have to know some do going into it.) At this point the story isn't complex, and the Gods taking an interest in Alanna may be cliché. Hey, I love it. Why wouldn't the Gods want to take an interest in what is clearly a revolution? Hm. All the great things are there: solid story, emotional connections, great characters, and an arcing plot to lead into the next books. Don't worry about how old the book is. It's never too late to read this amazing series, one that started a movement in the genre.
Sexual Content: Some mild sexual humor and there is some sex Ed that every girl should know. Nothing graphic and parents shouldn’t worry about it.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
| Previous book(s) in series: | ||
| Reviewed on BW: | Amazon: | Goodreads: |
| Alanna: The Frist Adventure (1) In the Hand of the Goddess (2) The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (3) Lioness Rampant (4) | Alanna: The Frist Adventure (1) In the Hand of the Goddess (2) The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (3) Lioness Rampant (4) | Alanna: The Frist Adventure (1) In the Hand of the Goddess (2) The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (3) Lioness Rampant (4) |
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