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    Alanna: The First Adventure: Song of the Lioness #1
    Unavailable
    Alanna: The First Adventure: Song of the Lioness #1
    Unavailable
    Alanna: The First Adventure: Song of the Lioness #1
    Audiobook5 hours

    Alanna: The First Adventure: Song of the Lioness #1

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 23, 2003
    ISBN9781400085729
    Unavailable
    Alanna: The First Adventure: Song of the Lioness #1

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    Reviews for Alanna

    4.5/5

    161 ratings105 reviews

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    • 4/5
      This is a nice quick story
    • 4/5
      I first read this book nearly twenty years ago, and having just finished it again, it's great to see that it has stood the test of time. Alanna is certainly no damsel-in-distress. Instead, she is a clever, outspoken and feisty young heroine determined to prove her worth in a warrior's world. I loved the mix of fantasy and adventure, but what I found most refreshing was the absence of any romance. I think I will now revisit the rest of the series. A terrific read for young teens looking for a strong, female protagonist.
    • 2/5
      2.5 Stars. I liked the idea of this one, but there wasn’t quite the depth in emotion and character I would have preferred.More than anything, Alanna wants to be a knight, but as a girl, that isn’t an option, so she comes up with this idea to swap places with her twin brother, and disguised as a boy, she’ll take his place as a knight in training. Alanna, starting out as a page, quickly acquires a group of friends and an enemy, as well as a connection with an older thief in town, for me, there wasn’t a single personality in this group who stood out from the rest, the bad guy is a bad guy there’s nothing else to him, and the friends were friendly, but beyond that there wasn’t really a notable quality about any of them, even the thief who could have and probably should have had a fun edge to him, didn’t really.As for Alanna, she’s persistent and tough, admirable traits, though it seemed like too much of her training took place without readers being witness to it, we see her stand up for herself, but it’s the journey not the destination right? I just feel like you lose out a bit on a big cathartic moment when you mostly gloss over the effort it took for the character to reach that point, when you don’t see Alanna learning tactics and having to try and try again to get a grasp on them, when you’re mostly just told at the end of the day how tired she is rather than truly see her put through the paces. I just don’t think the resulting triumph is as emotionally rewarding for the reader as it might have been had we gotten a true sense of what an uphill climb it was to get there. I would have welcomed setting aside the magic and mission/adventure until the next book, and instead focus squarely on the bullying, training and the uniqueness of her gender in that situation, digging into those aspects of the plot, finding the depth in them. I also longed for more of Alanna’s emotional responses, I just didn’t feel like the emotional toll of any of it – the bullying, the being a girl among boys, being a girl making her mark in a male dominated field, experiencing her first period, how she feels about being ignored by her father (convenient for the plot, but how did it affect Alanna on a personal level?) and for the first time in her life her brother isn’t her constant companion – this is a twelve or thirteen year old dealing with all this stuff mostly on her own, and yet her emotions in those moments are basic immediate reactions like anger, frustration, etc., what she’s feeling is never as thoroughly explored as it might have been. For me, so much of what happens in the book felt as though it happened on the surface rather than down deep inside the characters.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. Shows that us girls can be as good or better than boys :)
    • 4/5
      This was exactly what I was expecting: A YA fantasy about a girl disguising herself as a boy in order to train to be a knight. A little on the bland side - no one is terribly complicated - but there are adventures with gods and magic. Just right for bedtime stories, as was the reader's voice.
    • 5/5
      Written for young adults, this 1983 book was excellently written. The thing to remember is the date of publication -- what many people today consider standardized roles was new and fresh then. I admit I devoured this book as though I were again in my teens. I watched her make friends with people because she liked them, not because of their position. I was with her as she progressed in her dreams of being a knight someday. Her struggles with her magical powers was heartbreaking. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I have already bought the sequel.
    • 5/5
      This book got me into reading. Before I read this book I wasn't really into reading, and then a friend told me about these books and guess what? It was wonderful. I really like it, and I bet you will to!
    • 3/5
      This was a pleasant, enjoyable read.

      It was not particularly exciting (for those who like action! adventure! there was an incident near the end, but that's about it), kind of a Tom Brown's Schooldays set in a fantasy kingdom with a cross-dressing hero(ine). The magic wasn't very magical, the supporting cast rather beige and uninteresting--I was expecting more from what is apparently a beloved classic from many readers' youth.

      The set-up is that Alanna likes boy things (e.g. fighting) and her brother likes girl things (e.g. not fighting) so they trade places. But that huge decision ultimately matters very little--the plot could basically unfold if Alanna were a short boy and would need only very little alteration. So I don't think the author made the most of her premise, not by a long shot.

      It may get richer and deeper and more interesting as one goes further, but I may not ever find out.
    • 5/5
      Couldnt wait to finish it. The characters as I have said before are very black and white. Few characters that are grey include the king of theives, Eoger the princes cousin, the wazir of the bazhir tribe and now the prince himself. The book left me wating to read the next one right away and that is exactly what I am going to do now.
    • 4/5
      I was expecting the standard YA "girl has to dress as boy, hates hiding her girliness, giggling and weird crushes ensue". Instead I got a thinly veiled transboy in the closet story. I don't know how this will play out in future books, and whether the author will back off on the gender thing, but lemme tell you, this lad's anger at his body when boobs start growing in- that is something I recognize.
    • 3/5
      *Review Contains Spoilers*This is a well realized portrait of someone with talent, ambition, and the necessary support to use those to overcome obstacles that others aren't necessarily aware are there. At the beginning of the book, Alanna and her twin, Thom, are being sent off to places neither of them wish to go, and both are jealous of the other. Alanna makes the 'offer' to swap, and we then watch the consequences of her actions. There were a few times when it felt like it was going to go all Tom Brown's schooldays on me, but the violence was much more understated than I remember that being. Rather than the bully being pulled up, but being allowed to stay and making things worse, which I truly expected to see, when Alanna finally fights, she gets to stay and the bully leaves. The story itself is painted with a broad brush, and the high action point of the novel is very brief, even though in some ways everything did lead up to that. Written for am much younger audience than her later books, I found it interesting, and a quick read, and I'll certainly read the rest of the series, but I'm no highly invested.
    • 4/5
      Wishing I had gotten my hands on this in middle school, because it definitely would have appealed to me. I loved it when reading it now as an adult. Alanna's story is a load of fun.
    • 4/5
      A very good book
    • 5/5
      page-turning adventure with truly strong young female heroine. Romance is uplifting and respectful. Story is gripping and realistic. Great read and the first of four, so the adventure can just go on and on.
    • 4/5
      My friend Heather has mentioned a few times how much she loves this series. So when I found myself at my favorite bookstore in the whole world with my eleven-year-old, and saw all the Pierce books standing on the shelves, I pointed them out to Jefferson, who snatched up the first book from two of the series. When he read it, he kept telling me how great it was and how I needed to read it, so it didn't take me long to give in.

      Once I started reading it, I kept running into friends who saw me carrying it around and got incredibly excited that I was reading it -- telling me all about how important the series was for them. I have to say, had I read the series in my formative years, I am sure I would have become just as attached. Alanna is fierce and clever and proud and has a strong sense of justice. And is more badass than virtually anyone else.

      Jefferson ran out and immediately bought the rest of this series. I will probably get around to reading the rest of them some day.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite books ever and the perfect start to Tamora Pierce's books which are wonderful.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book a lot when I was younger, and was pleased to still enjoy it this time around. A strong young girl determined to prove she's as good as a boy, and yet constantly fighting her own doubts about it. Alanna aside, I've always liked the world of Tortall as well. There's nothing too special or weird or unique about it, but it's a pleasant fantasy world that's a perfect fit for younger readers or people who aren't into high/epic fantasy.
    • 3/5
      Alanna is a strong-willed young girl who dreams of being a knight and having adventures, and not some simpering maiden. To this end, she disguises herself as a boy and switches places with her twin brother, going to the palace to be a page and receive training. The training is very tough, but Alanna sticks with it, working hard and working extra in secret to prove to everyone - and herself - that she is just as good as any boy. She comes to know the young Prince Jonathon, and joins his circle of friends, although there's one man she doesn't trust - and that's the prince's cousin, a duke and a powerful sorcerer.This is one of those books where, having read it for the first time as an adult I really wish I had read it when I was younger. As a child I would have absolutely adored this book - it has a strong, brave female lead, magic, fantasy, adventure, an enchanted sword, a beautiful horse, immortal gods fighting battles, etc. etc. It's not hard to see why this series is a constant favourite with the elementary and junior-high aged girls who visit the public library where I work. I also definitely appreciate that Alanna is a heroine who is tough and working hard towards her goals for her own fullfillment, and not as a means to get together with some cute guy. She makes a terrific role model for the young girls who read this series. As an adult, the writing comes across as a bit juvenile, the plot a bit basic and straight-forward, the characters a bit one-dimensional - but if one is looking for a book to put in the hands of a 9-13 year old girl, it's hard to imagine a better one than Alanna.
    • 5/5
      I have read all of Tamora Pierce's books, not just this series, 6 times a piece. I love her writing, I love how I melt in to the books and feel connected to her characters. And not just her main ones either, but some of the secondary ones. I am so happy to have found somewhere to hear the books now, it helps even more paint a picture, and my imagination is sorely wanted over movies any day.
    • 5/5
      I love this series, and this author! It is a really good read.
    • 5/5
      I read this for the "A Book You've Read Before" part of my 2019 reading challenge. I love Tamora Pierce, and this is one of my favorite series for sure. I devour her books every time.
    • 3/5
      I sort of expected this book to be much more simple and friendlier than beka's and i was right, it just reads like that. It's simple. and i liked it.

    • 5/5
      What a fun book! This series is perfect for young adults and has everything in it: magic, knights, and morals. I would put it in the hands of every child if I could and can't recommend the series highly enough.
    • 5/5
      How I wish this had been around when I was a girl! This is a wonderfully wholesome book full of adventure and loving friendship. Perfect for girls who are gender nonconforming but still girls and perhaps feeling trapped by the way the world thinks they should be. The narration is incredible and soothing. It's just a goodness all around.
    • 5/5
      Shortly after telling a coworker that I'd never read any of Tamora Pierce's work, a coworker brought me in all four copies of the Song of the Lioness quartet — books that she loved when she was younger. I picked one up to fill my lunch hour and haven't been able to put them down since. The story of Alanna, a young woman with magic and a bullheaded decision to become a knight despite all odds makes for a delightful adventure story. She dresses as a boy to enlist in training to be a page, a squire, and then a knight — a difficult, strenuous task, which she pursues with dedication, often continuing training on her own during her rest periods. The skills don't come easy, but are achieved through hard work and discipline, which is admirable. Alanna is wonderful and all the characters around her are wonderful, and I cannot wait to continue with the quartet.
    • 5/5
      This was the first fantasy novel I read when I was a child. Even now when I go back to many books and find my eyes rolling at my poor taste from childhood I can point to this book and say it is still an enjoyable read. It is a good book for teenagers and maybe preteens if a parent doesn't mind talk of menstrual cycles and pregnancy. It's not detailed talk but it does exist. There is some behind the scenes sex in later books, but even that is fairly tame.

      The main character is Alanna and she's not stupid but she is a child and makes many childish mistakes along the way. Good triumphs over evil for the most part in these books, though there are some dark things in them. The characters aren't terribly realistic but they're not two dimensional. They all have different personalities and change as the story goes on.

      I especially recommend these books for girls. We need more stories of women and girls being more than just aspiring to be some mans arm candy.
    • 5/5
      Re-reading this series after at least 20 years, I still enjoy the story and admire the construction of a mystical world. While there is a certain naiveté to the adventure, it is not implausibly artless. The tale definitely enchants the reader to keep on reading, always a good characteristic if you want to develop love of reading in kids. Stars scored based on a well-written fantasy for the younger end of YA literature.
    • 4/5
      This author has been recommended to me on several occasions and having heard so many great things about her I knew when I saw this book for $1.99 I had to get it. My first impression was that I loved how fast of a read this book was going to be. It took me just a day to read it and I enjoyed every minute of it.The writing was smooth and simple, great for a young adult read, but it didn’t get bogged in trying to dumb down the information like many younger reads have. The story flowed so well and it was easy to just sink into the world of Tortall. I really enjoyed Alanna as a character. She was snarky, stubborn and determined and she reminds me a lot of Arya from A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin. Myles was also a fun character with his stories and his years of knowledge, I look forward to seeing what else happens with this character. George, the King of Thieves, was delightful. His reaction to Alanna’s secret was hilarious.I did, however, have a few qualms with this book. The first is that I felt Alanna didn’t grow much as a person over the years that take place in this novel. There is a least three years from the time she leaves home to the end of the novel and I don’t feel like she changed much or at all for that matter. Second, it felt a bit odd that everyone accepted her so quickly. It didn’t seem that realistic to me but it made sense for how short the story was. Mostly, I was a looking forward to a bigger climax. I felt that the big plot event wasn’t all that eventful. I feel like this book was more as a set up for what will happen in the rest of the series and there are many occasions that set up for what I think will be the big overall plot line to this quartet. It ended with “The Beginning” which I felt is rather appropriate for this first novel.Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to see where the story goes. While I feel that this wasn’t all that elaborate adventure that I was expecting it to be, I do believe the rest of the quartet will supply the bigger plot events. I think this is just the beginning of Alanna’s adventures and I look forward to reading about them. It was such a fun and fast read and it was so easy to just fall into the world that Pierce had created for us to enjoy. I think this was a great introduction to Tamora Pierce as an author and I definitely plan to read her other quartets and series that she has written over the years.My Rating: ★★★.5
    • 4/5
      Alanna and her twin brother switch identities so she can become a knight and he can study magic. A very enjoyable training montage ensues, wherein Alanna shows herself to be stalwart, stubborn, and willing to do a great deal of extra work in order to achieve her dream of being a warrior. But physical exertion alone isn't enough to protect the kingdom, especially when a magical sickness sweeps the kingdom. Alanna has to come to terms with her own femaleness and magical ability if she wants to save anyone.

      Alanna has purple eyes, a horse with purple eyes, a kitten with purple eyes, a magical sword that flashes purple, and her magic is not only purple but also incredibly powerful. By most definitions she counts as a Mary Sue, but if so, she's still a deeply satisfying character. Her tale felt exactly right for me as a tween, and it remains a favorite to this day, no matter how unlikely her prodigious gifts may be. I highly recommend this book to YA fans.
    • 3/5
      I love this book! First chapter book that got me into fiction and fantasy.