A powerful woman and some difficult choices

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	• The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (Song of the Lioness) Tamora Pierce Simon Pulse, 2005 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 117 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Great book

I have to say the first and second in the series were my favorite, actually the first because, the first in the series always seem to be the best, and I really loved the part where they fight the Ysandir. The third book was well to be frank alright, there just wasn't enough, I suppose. I am kicking myself because I thought as George as more of a friend to Alanna rather than a lover, and I didn't really like it that Tamora changed Jon's character so much he was one of my favorite characters now his character is spoiled and ruined!!! I really like Alanna and him together, and even if it wouldn't have worked out (which it probably wouldn't seeing as how Alanna wouldn't dress up and act like a lady, because she's a restless person) I wished they would've just kept Jon's character instead and they could go on being best friends. I am sure Lioness Rampant will be better. I am not trying to shun this book, but I am a sensitive teenager and I am a sucker for romantics, and I guess I feel Alanna's pain, her joys. So even though I didn't like this book particularly I would like to just say Tamora is a great author because she puts such a great deal of emotion in her books.

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Service

Not only did the book arrive in excellent shape, but it arrived in a very timely manner. Your service is very much appreciated. Thank you.

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A powerful woman and some difficult choices

I read the Alanna books for the first time when I was ten years old, 17 years ago. Ever since I've read them about once a year, and I've never gotten bored with them. Alanna provided a complicated feminine hero when I desperately longed to see one. They are excellent books, and although I like the series that have come later in the world of Tortall, these remain my favorites.

First, read these books in order; it's definitely the best way to experience Alanna's story. And stop reading this review - I don't want to spoil the experience. Just go buy the first two.

Second, this book is going to be slower than the first two. And that makes sense. Alanna has been through a traumatic experience; she killed a man, arch-enemy or no, and much of the book is spent dealing with her own personal demons over that fact. So, that means fewer straight forward over-arching battles, and more talking. For those who felt that Alanna cried too much in this book, I would say wouldn't you? I liked the fact that Alanna could be portrayed as a strong heroine who could be an amazing warrior and still be feminine, a strong willed, intelligent woman who could still feel emotions and even sometimes got scared, jealous, or sad. Alanna's is an adult now and she's carving her place in the world. That's complicated stuff. Personally, I found that interesting.

Since people have expressed concern about the relatively mature content of the books, I thought I should address it:

In regard to the romances in Alanna's life (an oft discussed topic on this page): Alanna is not actually that promiscuous. Over the course of four books she has relationships with exactly three men. And she is perfectly ethical, although not adhering to the Christian concept of no sex before marriage. But, folks, Alanna is not a Christian. She's a polytheist with the Mother Goddess, Mithros, and the Black God as just some of her deities. And even in her world she is a rulebreaker; she crosses boundaries all the time. She loves where she will and she does so with respect for herself and her partner. She has the power. And for those who couldn't understand why she would turn down an offer of marriage that would limit her freedom, they haven't been paying attention. Alanna is very human, and her reactions aren't always tactful or necessarily reasonable when her forbidable temper is up, but she makes her way as best she can. Just like the rest of us. So what if it teaches young girls about responsible sex (they specifically mention birth control through that "charm" of hers). I personally see nothing wrong with that.

Is this sophisticated stuff for kids? Well, yes. But the book is not explicit. I read it at ten and although I understood what was happening, I didn't really understand the more adult aspects of Alanna's relationships with Jonathan and George until I was older. Most importantly, Alanna gave me something I could hang onto - the idea that I could be a powerful woman and have my own adventures. Seventeen years later, I'm still grateful.

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Alanna's First Adventure As A True Knight

SONG OF THE LIONESS: BOOK III - THE WOMAN WHO RIDES LIKE A MAN, takes us through one-year of Alanna of Trebond's life, from shortly after she is knighted at the age of eighteen, until the one-year anniversary of her knighting, at the age of nineteen.

Newly knighted Alanna of Trebond is finally enjoying showing the world that she is a woman, and not a man, as she begins her journey through the vast desert of Tortall. There, however, she is captured by vicious desert dwellers, who have challenged her to a duel. A duel to the death that will prove whether she is worthy of being invited into the tribe, or killed in battle. Alanna receives a triumph from the battle, though she is headed for tough times. Times that will test her in everything she attempts. Before long, Alanna's mythic fate comes into play, and Alanna is soon the first female shaman of the tribe, training three amateur sorcerers to follow in her footsteps, and become shamans, like herself. But when one of her young students succumbs to greed and tragedy, Alanna realizes that she must fight to change the customs of the desert tribes, or tragedy will strike all of Tortall. As if that weren't enough for her to handle, Alanna must also make a choice: marry Prince Jonathan, and spend her days trying to give him an heir, or live alone as the knight she has strived so hard to become.

I will be the first to admit that I never would have imagined that I could enjoy a series about a female knight so much, but Tamora Pierce has made me a fan for life. Her SONG OF THE LIONESS series has quickly become one of my favorites, and I was enthralled by the outcome of this book. It is wonderful to be able to see how Alanna is growing up, and quite a pleasure to accompany her on her journeys as she makes her way through the lands of Tortall. Her hard-headed nature, and sometimes sour disposition make her an appealing, strong female character, and the choices she makes will appeal to readers, both male and female. An enthralling adventure novel that will be eaten up by fantasy fans.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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