Alanna (Song of the Lioness, #1)

by Tamora Pierce

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

Alanna is, hands down, the most important book I own, because it guided me into being the person I am today - as a reader and a human. I could gush on and on about how much this books means to me.

More objectively, though, this is a book with a story that has mostly held up well, but a writing style that feels distinctly more MG than YA. I have to give it lost points for the simplicity of the writing and the predictability of the plot, as well as the sparseness of the world building. While all of these things improve later in Pierce's works, in this, her debut, it's all rather accepted and uncomplicated. Alanna is no literary masterpiece.

But that doesn't mean it's not fun, or that you won't fall in love with the characters. I loved Alanna from page one, the very first time I read it. Jonathan is an old favorite, one I forgot and I enjoyed rediscovering. I appreciate the empowerment of Alanna's character and all the subtle themes in the novel. I'd still recommend this one for the right age group, and I really enjoyed re-reading it myself.

For a more detailed review of the different elements, check out the full post on The Literary Phoenix.