Tag Archives: Tortall

Fantasy That Matures With Its Protagonist! ‘In The Hand of A Goddess’ by Tamora Pierce

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I think I actually liked this one a bit more than Alanna: The First Adventure.

Pierce really escalates a lot of the elements present in the first book, but also managed to incorporate some new themes which really raised the stakes quite a bit. One notable escalation was of course in the level of danger present throughout the book. For the first book, the main tension seemed to be that Alanna will be discovered as a girl, and have to give up on her dream of becoming a knight. The final showdown between her, Johnathan, and the Ysandir is perhaps the only scene in which we truly feel Alanna’s life might be at risk.

In the Hand of the Goddess gives us much more in the way of real danger. In the first book, Alanna discovers a sword, in the second book, she’s expected to use it, and seems to do so quite a bit. There are duels to win, and bandit raids to survive; a hunt for a giant wolf, and an actual war. In the Hand of the Goddess still feels very much like part two of a bildungsroman, but Pierce also manages to move the story noticeably towards a more adult form of sword and sorcery.

I love that the story seemed to mature as the character did. The passage of time is certainly more noticeable in this story than in Alanna’s first adventure. I think she’s like 16 or 17 by the time the story begins to wrap up. Jonathan is a bit older. George is even older still.

I’ll admit that George and Alanna’s relationship feels a bit uncomfortable in 2024 because of their age difference. It’s uncertain how intentional this discomfort is on the part of the author, but given what I’ve heard from some friends who have read further in the series, I kind of imagine that it wasn’t something she meant to include? It is hard to say. This book was originally published in 1984 and while I would absolutely assume her views are in line with progressives today, being progressive 30 years ago just looked a little different.

The third — and perhaps final? — thing that stood out to me while reading In the Hand of the Goddess was the novel’s (and Alanna’s) use of magic. Our knowledge of what magic can do in Tortall deepens significantly during this book but I thought it was refreshing that despite this clearer picture, the reader does not really lose the sense of mystery presented by it. Magic in this book does not feel like a system, like you might find in a Brandon Sanderson novel. It does not feel like just another kind of science.

It feels like . . . well like magic.

I think it’s only a small spoiler (happens in the first chapter and is literally part of the title) to say that we meet a goddess in this book, which to my mind was not enough to fit the book into the Godpunk genre, but was highly reminiscent (to me) of ancient Greek myth which I felt had implications not only for the plot but for how magic works in the world. Very late in the book, we also see a kind of sympathetic magic happening which was also quite intriguing. I’m sure this will be explored further in later volumes, and I’m looking forward to tracking this as it progresses.

Give ‘In the Hand of the Goddess‘ a read?

If you enjoyed Alanna: The First Adventure, I suspect you’ll enjoy In the Hand of the Goddess. I loved that the narrative shifts (IMHO) as the story progresses, becoming more and more adult as Alanna ages, to the point where by the end we are very close to leaving the YA genre behind for a more traditional sword and sorcery novel.

That’s all I have for this week. What is everyone else thinking? What were your favorite parts? Please leave your thoughts in the comments. I’m looking forward to talking about this one!

Until next time!

Don’t Sleep on This 80’s Fantasy Classic: ‘Alanna the First Adventure’ by Tamora Pierce

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I probably should have read this one waay before now.

Though I generally (really) hate the idea that there is some magical list of Fantasy and Science Fiction titles which fans of this incredible genre “need” to have read, I can’t wholly dismiss the fact that certain books are just going to serve as a touchstone for more people than others.

Obviously these touchstones are a bit of a moving target, and will vary for people based on their age, gender identity, where they grew up and probably a hundred other factors I don’t even know to consider. This is why it’s good to read broadly both inside and outside of your favorite genre.

Knowing this and actually doing it are quite different things however, and so The Song of the Lioness and Tamora Pierce have for some time held this strange position on my TBR of: almost every woman I know that likes Fantasy is obsessed with these books, I’ll get around to it someday.

I’m glad ‘someday’ finally arrived.

At a first glance, Alanna: The First Adventure might not appear to have much to its credit other than being “first” (for a lot of people) to show a female character partaking in the kind of seemingly standard fantasy adventure that male characters have been enjoying since the dawn of the genre. With character’s like Disney’s Mulan and Game of Thrones’ Arya Stark occupying more recent roles in that space, I wondered if this book’s effect might be somewhat muted for more modern readers.

But as I looked around at different reviews, certain themes really began to stand out as elements which were both unique to Alanna: The First Adventure, and sources of empowerment and triumph for readers of all ages, whether looking back at a beloved classic from their childhood, or reading the story for the first time.

Perhaps the easiest to point out, is the section in which Alanna gets her period for the first time. Simply put, she does not know what to do about it. And not only can she not ask the other squires and knights about it because it will give away her secret, but also what would they know about it anyway.

She is eventually able to seek advice from another woman, and the scene that unfolds is remarkably (refreshingly?) straightforward and seemingly free of any kind of implication not already implied by its inclusion in the first place. As Dina over at SFF Book Reviews says:

“. . . this children’s fantasy book mentions menstruation and just . . . deals with it.” – So Begins the Song of the Lioness: Tamora Pierce – Alanna: The First Adventure

There is clearly a lot here for girls and women to take from the story, but I felt there was also a lot which men and boys could learn as well. As Alanna learns the rules, codes and standards which she must uphold as a knight, a kind of critique of chivalry — and masculinity in general — becomes apparent in the background of events. Alanna’s instructor, Myles, seems especially well positioned to point out such critiques though he’s perhaps not much of a role model (I’m sure there are full posts that could be written about the nuance of Myles’ character).

Finally, I’ll point out that the writing craftsmanship on display here by Tamora Pierce is top-notch. The ideas in this book (as discussed above) are BIG, but I didn’t really find myself hung up on them while reading. I was mostly concerned with what would happen next. I attribute this to Pierce’s mastery of craft. Her prose are easy to read, and straightforward to understand. We might expect as much from a book directed at a younger audience, but what impressed me here was that this direction did not sanitize or dumb down the issues at hand but still managed to present them in ways which were nuanced and most importantly, intensely compelling.

Give ‘Alanna: The First Adventure‘ a read?

Simply put, yes. This book is clearly targeted towards a younger audience but there is a lot here for adults as well. I could see myself suggesting this book to anyone looking to start reading fantasy for the first time as I felt it follows a kind of standard Fantasy genre structure, but with some important subversions of the genre.

That’s all I have for us this week. Has anyone read this one before? What was your favorite part? Did you read this one growing up? Have you read it again as an adult? What stuck out to you?

Leave your thoughts in the comments! Looking forward to talking about this one!

Until next time . . .