Title: The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
Author: Tamora Pierce
Series: Song of the Lioness Quartet #3, Tortall #7
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Medieval fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Omnibus Books
Year: 1986
5th sentence, 74th page: “You remember Hakim Fahrar, the man you fought?” Alanna nodded.

Newly knighted, Alanna rides for the desert in search of adventure. Captured by the Bloody Hawk tribe, she must challenge ancient tribal customs if she ever hopes for freedom. But how can she convince the tribe to change, when their powerful shaman cries hourly for her execution? Tradition demands she prove her worth in a magical duel – to the death. And while she is away from the palace Alanna must also choose between marrying Prince Jonathan or living alone as the knight she has strived so hard to become.

The entire Song of the Lioness quartet is about acceptance for me – acceptance of the differences (and similarities of others), acceptance that things are not always as they seem, and most importantly, acceptance of yourself. Although Alanna is forced to accept herself as both a woman and a warrior within the first two books, her ability to come to terms with both her magic and her recent past are seriously challenged, and eventually resolved in The Woman Who Rides Like a Man.

The conclusion of In the Hand of the Goddess sees the death and foiling of Alanna’s primary enemy throughout the series. Yet, as with every good heroine, she isn’t easy about her hand in dealing out death to another. It takes her an entire year (the time which the book covers) to truly realise that sometimes there is nothing else you can do. Realising that she probably made mistakes in her pursuit of Roger’s evil, and acknowledging that there were things she could have done differently were so important to this healing process. It is something that acts as a wonderful reminder on a daily basis – we all have things in our past that we regret, but there is absolutely nothing we can do to change the past, so really, we need to focus on how to overcome the future.

Alanna’s acceptance of her magic also comes to the fore in this novel. Through teaching others and living with a people so completely removed from her own, she is able to learn to accept all of her gifts, not just the ones that she actually enjoys using (such as sword work). She goes from being a young woman afraid of a very big part of herself to a confident, and knowledgeable mage who is able to protect others with all of her being. Obviously we’re not all mages, but it is a good reminder that we are who we are, and there is nothing that can change that.

Although for me The Woman Who Rides Like a Man has a very powerful message of acceptance, it is also just an amazingly good book to read. Alanna’s trials and tribulations, her relationships and her ability to keep going when all of her enemies have stopped make her a great heroine to follow. Her temper, and the sheer honesty of some of those she holds dearest inject the sometimes serious aspects of the story with a little humour, and a sense of joy that would otherwise be missing. Pierce does a great job of writing a story for young girls about a fiery, passionate young woman – something that we all need in our lives.

Image source: Amazon

Title: In the Hand of the Goddess
Author: Tamora Pierce
Series: Song of the Lioness Quartet #2, Tortall #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Medieval fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Omnibus Books
Year: 1984
5th sentence, 74th page: Faithful leaped on to Alanna’s lap as they rode on, startling Darkness not a bit.

Sent north to fight the marauding Tusaine, Alanna is swept into a world of danger and intrigue. But while she proves herself in battle, she cannot vanquish the fears in her heart. Who is trying to kill her and her beloved Prince Jonathan? Come midwinter, she must face the terror of the Ordeal, the ceremony that will make her a knight, or destroy her. But uncovering Duke Roger’s secret before he uncovers hers will test her more than the Ordeal ever could.

Alanna’s final years as a knight-in-training are everything that her first years as a page were – they are filled with laughter, danger and intrigue. The revealing of her secret at the end of Alanna: The First Adventure just helps to further her tale as she continues to battle enemies, both inside and out. Yet, as she gets older, the stakes are also raised, and Alanna is constantly forced to face even greater challenges. Not to mention that In the Hand of the Goddess brings forth her patron – the Mother Goddess.

At the very beginning of this story, Alanna is told that she must learn to face her three fears; love, the Ordeal and Duke Roger. Pierce beautifully takes us on her journey to overcome and conquer the seemingly impossible. Well, impossible for Alanna.

The battle of wits between Alanna and Roger continues throughout this story, and it is only when Alanna is able to finally admit how she feels about the man, that she is able to release herself from his hold. Roger is everything that people are drawn to – influential, charismatic, rich and powerful. Yet, from his first appearance in Alanna: The First Adventure, something isn’t quite right. It is frustrating to watch as Alanna is unable to face up to her fears and confront the worrying man. There is always something creepy about those who are too liked, and too perfect – and Roger is a great reminder of the ugliness that can hide beneath a beauty.

Personally, it is Alanna’s ability to overcome her fear of love that is the most intriguing and meaningful personal journey that is embarked on in this story. Fearing love due to her father’s fate is completely acceptable, and even understandable, yet, until she is able to embrace her love for others, and theirs for her, she is somehow more lonely and isolated than the rest of her friends. It is a great reminder that whatever path we walk on, sometimes the pain is lessened when we have someone to come home to at night.

Image source: Tamora Pierce

Title: Alanna: The First Adventure
Author: Tamora Pierce
Series: Song of the Lioness Quartet #1, Tortall #5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Medieval fantasy, Strong women
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Omnibus Books
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: “Alan?” he asked softly.

Disguised as a boy, Alanna sets out to achieve her ultimate ambition: to become a knight. The struggle proves she is as strong as the other young men demands all her determination but the need to cover her growing femininity is an entirely different challenge. And while the court magician may be her most dangerous enemy, the possibility of love may be her undoing…

Tales of women masquerading as men occur again and again in both classical and modern literature. After all, in a society that is patriarchal in nature, the idea of dressing as a man to get the recognition and follow the path that a woman wants isn’t that ridiculous. Pierce’s adaptation of this classical story works beautifully in the Song of the Lioness Quartet. Alanna’s choice to pursue her chosen future, regardless of the consequences shows a level of gumption and courage that few truly have. Her ability to fight for what she believes is right is completely admirable and it makes this story impossible to put down.

I love that although throughout this series, Alanna chooses the life of a warrior, and a man’s role in this society, it is never portrayed as something simple. She is always physically weaker than her male companions, and as such, constantly works at strengthening herself so that she is able to keep up with them. It is the fact that although Alanna is clearly able to undertake whatever she chooses, there are some things which do take more effort and time on her behalf. The stubbornness and dedication with which she undertakes these tasks is somewhat relatable, even though I have never had the desire to take up arms to protect my country…

Although the main storyline in Alanna: The First Adventure focuses on a young girl masquerading as a boy to establish her goals, there is an even more important message that Pierce departs upon her readers. The idea that no matter what we want to do with our lives, we are who we are and that needs to be accepted. It isn’t until the very end of this story that Alanna is able to accept both her future as a warrior, and her existence as a woman. This moment when she accepts that she can do both, and be both is integral to not only her own happiness, but being able to move forward in her own life.

Image source: Booktopia