Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Book Review Jan 16, 2025

My review

4/5 stars

Alanna follows a pre-teen girl living in medieval times who switches places with her twin brother because she wants to be a knight and he doesn't. She heads off to school to learn the tricks of her trade and ends up becoming directly involved in protecting the young prince.

To be honest, I only picked this book up because I have never come across a main character that has the same name as me before and I couldn't resist owning the book. I didn't realise, until I started reading it that it was intended for a much younger audience than I anticipated (I expected YA, but it's more young teen).

In spite of this, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the book. Given that Alanna of Trebond is 11 years old when the book starts, I felt a bit odd reading about a protagonist that was over 20 years my junior, but as I worked my way through the book, I found myself forgetting how young she was - she experienced a lot in a short space of time, and the author writes in a very mature manner.

I also found the fantasy elements of the book to be well-handled. They were interesting without being over the top. The realism of it, and the emotional maturity with which the exploration of new and bigger feelings were handled kept me reading.

I have the rest of the series (there are another 3 books) on my shelf, and I anticipate reading those at some point this year, as the story intrigued me enough for me to want to keep going despite not being the target audience.

Book blurb

“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 a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom. Disguised as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart.

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 make her a legend in the land.