Having reached the end of the Alanna books, I'm really sad to be done with the series. Not just because Alanna is a fantastic heroine - seriously, I'm currently drafting legislation to make these books required reading for sixth grade girls everywhere - but also because this is one of those rare occasions where I feel like a book could have been longer, and should have been longer. The entire Alanna series has felt very rushed, since Book One when we sped through two years of knight training in about two hundred pages, and I wish that these books had been published at a time when children's series were allowed to contain 700-page epics. At the very least, it feels like there should be one more book in the Alanna series. As always, Pierce is racing through her plot points as quickly as possible, but in this book it's especially obvious that there are two major plotlines that each deserved their own book: first, Alanna goes on a quest to retrieve the Dominion Jewel, a super-powerful magical item that will make Jonathan a super-powerful king and unite the kingdom somehow; and while she's doing this she also meets a fugitive princess and her scrappy teen bodyguard, and we're introduced to more of this universe's complex socio-political climate. Then, once Alanna gets the jewel, she goes back to the capital city and lives at court for a while, where we have two intersecting plotlines of George Cooper trying to hold onto his role as King of the Thieves and Prince Jonathan trying to uncover whatever plot the only-mostly-dead Duke Roger is cooking up.That's a lot of plot to cram into 300 pages, and both storylines have to fight for space, and both suffer for it. I really, really wish this last book had been split into two books: the first one could be all about the quest for the Dominion Jewel and the people Alanna meets on said quest, and the next and final book would be about her time at court, the struggle with Duke Roger, and the conclusion to the Dominion Jewel plotline. I wish this had happened, not just because it would have meant that these stories would have been better developed and fleshed out, but also because, at the end of Alanna's series, I still have a lot of questions. The biggest one is the question of what, exactly, the Goddess has had in mind for Alanna this whole time. She gave Alanna the magic sword, the magic jewel, the magic cat...for what? So Alanna could fight Duke Roger? It feels almost like there was supposed to be something bigger, something more epic, at the end of this book, and it was scrapped to make room for a classic Boss Fight between Alanna and Roger. There just wasn't enough time: to learn what Alanna's exact connection to the Goddess was, for minor villains like Alex and Delia to be properly developed as human beings, to find out just what Faithful's deal was (view spoiler)[Like, we're pretty sure Faithful was some kind of demigod in disguise or something, right? (hide spoiler)]
In a lot of ways, this is my favorite of the Alanna books. I love seeing Alanna come into her own; I love seeing her gain confidence, throwing herself in the face of impossible odds, and accepting herself as both a woman and a knight. I love, love what this series does with relationships, that Alanna's allowed to date multiple men, that it's okay that some of the relationships don't have long-term potential, and that it hurts when they fall apart anyway. That the relationships are ultimately about her, not about the men; that it's not about choosing which man she likes best, but which man's goals and lifestyle match those she's already chosen for herself. I wish more modern YA authors would take a page out of Pierce's book, here, because it's one of the only portrayals of a love triangle (quadrangle?) I can stand.I like all the new secondary characters we meet, too, and Pierce does a great job characterizing them with very little screen time. I want to give it four stars. But I don't think the plot and pacing quite justify them. There's a real choppiness between the first and second half the book, and while (view spoiler)[the notion of Roger back from the dead provides a chilling villain (and a necessary one, I think, since it allows Alanna to face how far she's grown in a way a new villain wouldn't), there's a lot of unforgivable vagueness around why Thom thought Roger--Roger, of all people!--would be a good target for practicing necromancy and around just what Roger is trying to accomplish. (I suppose the answer to the latter is, "He's insane," but that's never a very satisfying piece of characterization for a villain. I have similar problems with Alex's characterization.) (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Lioness Rampant (2005)?
This isn't the most subtle series, but I do like its positive messages (even if they're not subtle), one of which is that it's possible to be true to yourself, which in Alanna's case means coming to terms with the fact that she doesn't need to fit neatly or exclusively in a "man's world" or a "woman's world."I also find it interesting that, unlike in most fantasy novels, especially those oriented toward younger girls, Alanna not only has several lovers, but uses a magic birth control amulet! (Not so sure if conservatives would be so happy if they found out their daughters were reading this series ;p) Although simplified I was intrigued by the fact that the relationships were more realistic, or at least touched upon common relationship themes:Boy #1: High-school sweetheart (or in this case knight-in-training sweetheart) whom you still love but whom you are not going to marry because you've grown into different people and your lifestyles aren't compatibleBoy #2: The guy you love who makes you laugh and has always accepted you for who you are. Obviously you're going to end up with this guy, but I thought it was different that Alanna ended up seeing Boy #3 for a whileBoy #3: Someone that you're attracted to and like as a person, but, for whatever reason, can't accept all of who you are but you still care aboutAs a girl who never got along as well with other girls as with guy buddies, I thought that it was also refreshing to read a book about successful opposite gender friendships, including some that lasted after the "romance thing" was over.
—Jennifer
Five stars, for this, surely I must be kidding? That, or delusional.It was worth every single second to read. I can usually tell how much time passes while I read, not here, not with this volume. I was sucked into it with glee(a pinch of foreboding too).The first half of LR finds our Alanna and Coram continuing the plotline from the end of "The Woman Who Rides Like A Man". They are off to decipher the package Alois(the doomed sorceress) had given over. Things progress quickly from here a series of meetings, attempted assassinations and of course a meeting with our lovely, somewhat helpful and terrifyingly vociferous Goddess.More Tortall lore gets expounded upon(which is great). More romance ensues(which is...well I guess a girl has got to have a life). More characters are introduced(also great). Then, when all that is done, about halfway through at the end of more great fighting, the "Silent War"(my own name for it) recommences. The Silent War(the one between George and Claw) has been bloody and gets bloodier. The war splinters into the overarching plot around here and things begin to come to light. I won't spoil anything, just to say "If you thought the first half of the book was gripping, you poor soul, what will you do now."The rest of the book tells all and spares none. The end, while not what I would call unique was not one that you could guess with even 50% accuracy(I am talking about the whole sequence here not the overall outcome).Now that all my praise is out of the way, here is my one gripe with LR. Alanna cried a lot, I mean abundantly. I don't know if a chapter passed(with her in it) where she did not cry/shed a tear, once. I found it ridiculous. That out of the way, I am sad that this saga is finished. One loss in particular was hard to take but I think predestined(not the one that was obviously predestined, that was obvious as daylight and quietly done). I'll revisit Tortall sometime soon and see what more she has to tell. "So mote it be."
—Robert
I really enjoyed this series and would have given it 5 stars except for the following:1) I really liked many of the characters, but I never grew to care enough about them to bring on even one tear when one of them died. Too much action and not enough character-building for me?2) Alanna sure did cry a lot in this one3) Too much relationship drama (throughout the series)4) Some things are never explained/explored. For example, what was up with Alex? And Thom?5) The plot/pacing seemed a little jumpy at times: what should have been big, dramatic moments were glossed over too quickly for my taste; time sometimes passed in big chunks with little or no transitionHmm, reading the above makes it sound like a 3 star series at best. However, the books are just plain enjoyable in spite of the flaws and Alanna is mostly a great character with her determination and willingness to really work hard for what she wants, her bravery, loyalty, etc. Lots of other good characters, too.
—Tish
