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Angela's Reviews > Alanna: The First Adventure
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1)
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Being constantly told how some heroine was a "great role model for girls" or "sets a good example" or is "such a strong female character" as a 10-year old was worse than eating Brussels sprouts. I would have rather eaten glue than read this book.
So the normal thing everyone says here, "I'd have liked this more as a kid," really does not apply. But at 27, after hearing my twenties-something friends wax nostalgic, I figured I was being grossly unfair, and that I'd finally get around to reading it.
I feel bad, because I'm gonna have to tell them I don't like Their Favorite Thing and they're gonna give me the sad-eye, but it's not a very good book. I reaaaaally wanted to like it, but:
Alanna doesn’t really have a personality. There’s nothing to her except that:
1) She likes to fight.
2) She doesn’t like being small.
3) She wants to be as good as the boys.
4) She’s a redhead, which I guess in the 80’s counts as a personality trait.
She doesn’t have a sense of wonder at seeing the wider world, or loneliness at being away from home. That her best friend spouts anti-royal sentiments and runs organized crime is somehow a non-issue. There’s no joy or enthusiasm or ruthlessness or resourcefulness or humor or compassion or cleverness or anything. She’s not a Mary Sue, she’s just boring.
Actually, none of the characters have much internal motivation. Jonathan is good and prince-like. Myles is kind and mentor-y. The other teenagers are just... there. Most what they do is because magic tells them to, guiding them on rails as the plot requires. Maude helps Alanna because of a magical vision. George befriends Alanna because... MAGIC. Sir Myles leads Alanna to the ruins because... MAGIC DREAM. Alanna loathes Duke Roger because of ... mystical feeeelings. magic magic magic. Which, when we actually do see a magical battle, is flashing colored lights smashing against other flashing colored lights.
In the interest of fairness, the things that bothered other reviewers, though, don't bother me. She gets a deep discount on buying a horse from a rich friend? Everyone else get horses from their rich dads. She's super-skilled by the end of the book? She's being given the best martial education in the entire kingdom and works non-stop. The prince refuses to be suspicious of Duke Roger? Not surprising, if Jonathan sees Roger the way Alanna sees Sir Myles. Time passes quickly? Good, because I want to get to actual adventuring quickly, not read about school the whole time.
The Black City? Cool. An Ancient-Evil-Awakened-in-the-Sands? Cool. The generic good guys and vanilla medieval fantasyland? Don’t care. Everyone says the series gets better, (and Harry Potter famously does, so I’m optimistic about that) but I’d have been better off reading a plot summary and starting with “In the Hand of the Goddess.”
So the normal thing everyone says here, "I'd have liked this more as a kid," really does not apply. But at 27, after hearing my twenties-something friends wax nostalgic, I figured I was being grossly unfair, and that I'd finally get around to reading it.
I feel bad, because I'm gonna have to tell them I don't like Their Favorite Thing and they're gonna give me the sad-eye, but it's not a very good book. I reaaaaally wanted to like it, but:
Alanna doesn’t really have a personality. There’s nothing to her except that:
1) She likes to fight.
2) She doesn’t like being small.
3) She wants to be as good as the boys.
4) She’s a redhead, which I guess in the 80’s counts as a personality trait.
She doesn’t have a sense of wonder at seeing the wider world, or loneliness at being away from home. That her best friend spouts anti-royal sentiments and runs organized crime is somehow a non-issue. There’s no joy or enthusiasm or ruthlessness or resourcefulness or humor or compassion or cleverness or anything. She’s not a Mary Sue, she’s just boring.
Actually, none of the characters have much internal motivation. Jonathan is good and prince-like. Myles is kind and mentor-y. The other teenagers are just... there. Most what they do is because magic tells them to, guiding them on rails as the plot requires. Maude helps Alanna because of a magical vision. George befriends Alanna because... MAGIC. Sir Myles leads Alanna to the ruins because... MAGIC DREAM. Alanna loathes Duke Roger because of ... mystical feeeelings. magic magic magic. Which, when we actually do see a magical battle, is flashing colored lights smashing against other flashing colored lights.
In the interest of fairness, the things that bothered other reviewers, though, don't bother me. She gets a deep discount on buying a horse from a rich friend? Everyone else get horses from their rich dads. She's super-skilled by the end of the book? She's being given the best martial education in the entire kingdom and works non-stop. The prince refuses to be suspicious of Duke Roger? Not surprising, if Jonathan sees Roger the way Alanna sees Sir Myles. Time passes quickly? Good, because I want to get to actual adventuring quickly, not read about school the whole time.
The Black City? Cool. An Ancient-Evil-Awakened-in-the-Sands? Cool. The generic good guys and vanilla medieval fantasyland? Don’t care. Everyone says the series gets better, (and Harry Potter famously does, so I’m optimistic about that) but I’d have been better off reading a plot summary and starting with “In the Hand of the Goddess.”
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Tsukalavire
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rated it 5 stars
Mar 17, 2013 06:14PM
If you had started with "In the Hand of the Goddess" you would have been confused and lost on certain parts where they bring up past events so I wouldn't recommend that at all, and in my opinion Alanna was a very good heroine, you just need to look deeper into the story to see her personality better.
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Yeah, I'm liking "In the Hand of the Goddess" a lot better. I'm actually enjoying the story very much as we've left the ho-hum classroom kids' stuff to much more compelling political machinations and military adventures. Also, I like older Alanna more than child Alanna. She seems more human here, not just a didactically single-minded "strong female character" poster child. I find that Alanna is now legitimately fun to be around as a young woman, and the other characters have much more in the way of individual motives, as opposed to simply being guided by magical prophecy. Those were my major issues with the first book. I still think that "Alanna: The First Adventure" reads like a somewhat stilted children's novel while "In the Hand of the Goddess" comes into its own as general fantasy. "Alanna" ended on a strong note, but if I hadn't read other Goodreads reviews saying that the series improves, just based on "Alanna" alone, I would not have continued the series.
Now, if I were to revisit "Alanna: The First Adventure" once I finish the whole series, knowing how it all ends it's very possible I might retroactively find hints of greatness. But right now I don't see a pressing reason to reread something I just read (and having read it, didn't like) anytime in the near future. I think my original critique is fair for a first read-through.
To its credit, "In the Hand of the Goddess" does a very good job of catching you up to speed. Also, the Alanna Wiki has a nice, thorough plot synopsis that's only a page long. (http://tamorapierce.wikia.com/wiki/Al...) Much longer preludes are included as a matter of course in other fantasy books, so I personally don't mind that sort of thing, though of course every reader has her own preference for how much exposition she's willing to put up with. Just speaking for myself, I easily could've skipped the first book, since it nearly put me off the whole series.
Angela wrote: "Yeah, I'm liking "In the Hand of the Goddess" a lot better. I'm actually enjoying the story very much as we've left the ho-hum classroom kids' stuff to much more compelling political machinations a..."I understand I was only seriously hooked to the first book probably because of the fact my father had read it to me, when I continued to the second and then went back to the first I appreciated the story that much more.
I personally love this series, but I read it as a 12 year old and so I didn't think there were any faults in it, the first book was always my favourite so I'm pretty biased. I do appreciate that you read the second book and liked it because the author gets much better at everything, I can understand where you came from but i love Alanna the first adventure, it just makes me smile because it's so cute.
I reread this series every few years, I started reading it as a kid. Alanna’s character felt deeper to me as a child, I understood her better in a childhood magical way. As an adult I take that and supplement my life to understand the depth of character. Plus I’ve read all of the stories from Tortall... so I’ve seen her grow from a child into a woman and back lol
I really suggest rereading the series at least once, it brings out a lot that you don’t get on the first go.
Raeanne wrote: "I really suggest rereading the series at least once, it brings out a lot that you don’t get on the first go."I finally finished the series in 2019 and am quite glad I did. I ended up enjoying it a lot. I agree with you, watching Alanna grow into a woman is really gratifying.
