Call it fate, call it intuition, or just call it common sense, but somehow young Alanna knows she isn't meant to become some proper lady cloistered in a convent. Instead, she wants to be a great warrior maiden--a female knight. But in the land of Tortall, women aren't allowed to train as warriors. So Alanna finds a way to switch places with her twin, Thom, and take his place as a knight in training at the palace of King Roald. Disguising herself as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page in the royal court. Soon, she is garnering the admiration of all around her, including the crown prince, with her strong work ethic and her thirst for knowledge. But all the while, she is haunted by the recurring vision of a black stone city that emanates evil... somehow she knows it is her fate to purge that place of its wickedness. But how will she find it? And can she fulfill her destiny while keeping her gender a secret?

With Alanna: The First Adventure, veteran fantasy author Tamora Pierce has created a lively, engaging heroine who will charm middle-school readers with her tomboyish bravado and have them eagerly searching for the next book in the Song of the Lioness series. Like Brian Jacques's tales of Redwall, this popular quartet is an entertaining fantasy series for younger teens. (Ages 10 to 13) --Jennifer Hubert

From School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Actress Trini Alvarado, known for her roles in such films as Little Women and Paulie: A Parrot's Tale, superbly narrates this unabridged audio version of Alanna: The First Adventure (Atheneum, 1983), the first book in the popular The Song of the Lioness quartet. Tamora Pierce's story of Alanna, a girl of noble birth who disguises herself as a boy in order to become a knight, is a spirited fantasy/adventure that is only made more captivating by Alvarado's lively performance. Alvarado brings Alanna's determined, yet at times insecure character to life. By utilizing several accents, she deftly distinguishes the many supporting characters from one another. The quality of the audio is clear, and the reading is well paced. Pairing Alvarado's vocal talents with Pierce's well written and engaging story makes this a quality audiobook worthy of inclusion in any audio collection.-Lori Craft, Downers Grove Public Library, ILCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
The twins Thom and Alanna of Trebond are poised to leave their father for the training due young adults: Thom to the palace to learn the ways of a knight and Alanna to the convent to learn the skills of healing and sorcery. But in the opening scene, the destinations are switched, and Alanna, disguised as her brother, sets off on the path she has long desired. Trini Alvarado is skillful in maintaining the tension in this girl-disguised-as-boy medieval fantasy. She lightly and eagerly moves the adventure along. There is an urgency to her voice --as Alanna, the headstrong and determined Alan of Trebond, learns the skills of a knight and the power of her own magical gift; as Coram, Alanna's gruff travelmate and confidant; and as Jonathan, the prince in need of Alanna's magic and healing. The listener is absorbed and eager as Alvarado navigates the travails of Alanna's many lessons, fraught with intrigue and laced with magical forces. This first book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet makes for fast-paced and dynamic listening. A.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
"A lively, fascinating tale."--Booklist

Review
"A lively, fascinating tale."--Booklist

Book Description
Alanna: The First Adventure

Becoming a legend is not easy, as young Alanna of Trebond discovers when she disguises herself as boy and begins training to be a knight. But it takes more than hard work to stop this heroine, whose skills and stubbornness help her make friends with Prince Jonathon and enemies with his uncle, Duke Roger. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, this book is a rousing introduction to the intensely satisfying story of Alanna.

IN the Hand of the Goddess

Alanna has won the honor of being Prince Jonathon's squire. Now it will take all of her awesome skill and power to protect him from the mysterious, evil sorcerer who is bent on his destruction -- and hers! An aptly adventurous and magical sequel to Alanna.


The Woman Who Rides Like a Man

Alanna sets out on her own across the desert of Tortall. The only female knight in a hostile land, she is captured by desert tribesman and forced to prove herself in a magical duel to the death. She triumphs and goes on to become the tribe's first female shaman. But, in Alanna's heart, another battle rages. Prince Jonathon, her first love, wants her to marry him. But Alanna is not sure that being a queen is her destiny ... and she's grown very fond of her longtime friend George, the handsome, charismatic King of Thieves. What's a lady warrior to do?


Lioness Rampant

Alanna has achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant of the kingdom. Now she sets out on a quest to find the Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem which, in the right hands, possesses limitless power for good. As she is battling the elements and mythical creatures, her nemesis, the evil Duke Roger, returns from the dead to wreak havoc on the kingdom. Only Alanna has the power to prevent utter destruction ...

Card catalog description
Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, a learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure.

From the Publisher
"Alanna's fans will be pleased to see their heroine triumphant in all ways that matter."
-- School Library Journal"Full of slam-bang action...young readers will rejoice."
-- Kirkus Reviews"It has the appeals of good winning over evil, and of the resilient courage of a believably heroic female protagonist."
-- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books


From the Inside Flap
Becoming a legend is not easy, as young Alanna of Trebond discovers when she disguises herself as a boy and begins training to be a knight. Alanna's skills and stubborness help her befriend Prince Jonathan and alienate his evil uncle, Duke Roger. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, this book is a rousing introduction to the intensely satisfying story of Alanna.

From the Back Cover
"A lively, fascinating tale."--Booklist

About the Author
In the sixth grade, Tamora Pierce was encouraged by her father to start writing and she immediately got hooked. Once she discovered fantasy and science fiction, she tried to write the same kind of stories she read, only with teenaged girl heroines who were usually missing from the 1960s stories.

Before her junior year at the University of Pennsylvania where she studied psychology, Pierce rediscovered writing when she wrote her first original short story since tenth grade. She sold her first story a year later and then enrolled in a fiction writing course during her senior year. When her teacher suggested that she tackle a novel, her childhood ideas came back to her and she began her first sword and sorcery novel.

Pierce then worked as a housemother in an Idaho group home for teenaged girls, who loved hearing Alanna’s story from the in-progress quartet, Song of the Lioness. As Pierce continued to write and send out manuscripts, she moved to Manhattan to get her publishing career off the ground.

Pierce still lives in Manhattan with her husband, writer/filmmaker Tim, and their three cats, two parakeets, plus a floating population of rescued wildlife. She enjoys her hectic life as a full-time writer and she hopes that her books leave her readers with the feeling that they can achieve anything if they want it badly enough.

Tamora Pierce is a popular author of fantasy books for teenagers. In her latest quartet, Protector of the Small, readers follow heroine Kel as she rigorously trains for the knighthood.

ANNOTATION

Eleven-year-old Alanna, who aspires to be a knight even though she is a girl, disguises herself as a boy to become a royal page, learning many hard lessons along her path to high adventure. "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: Disguised as a girl, 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 leard to the fulfillment of her dreams and the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land. Alanna's journey continues.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight."

In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her brother, Thom. Disguised as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. The road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, magic -- and also polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart. With stubbornness, skill, and daring, she wins the admiration of all around her, and the friendship of Prince Jonathan of Tortall himself. But she also makes an enemy of the prince's uncle, the powerful and charming Duke Roger....

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.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The tomboyish, adventuresome Alanna becomes a knight and a shaman over the course of her trials in the Song of the Lioness quartet. Ages 10-up. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Actress Trini Alvarado, known for her roles in such films as Little Women and Paulie: A Parrot's Tale, superbly narrates this unabridged audio version of Alanna: The First Adventure (Atheneum, 1983), the first book in the popular The Song of the Lioness quartet. Tamora Pierce's story of Alanna, a girl of noble birth who disguises herself as a boy in order to become a knight, is a spirited fantasy/adventure that is only made more captivating by Alvarado's lively performance. Alvarado brings Alanna's determined, yet at times insecure character to life. By utilizing several accents, she deftly distinguishes the many supporting characters from one another. The quality of the audio is clear, and the reading is well paced. Pairing Alvarado's vocal talents with Pierce's well written and engaging story makes this a quality audiobook worthy of inclusion in any audio collection.-Lori Craft, Downers Grove Public Library, IL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile