The Woman Who Rides Like a Man Song of the Lioness

Customer Reviews

Just.... No

2008-03-20
This series had potential, starting out good in the first two books, but this book is where all hope of a good story was destroyed.

First of all, I think in this series they could have been a little bit more creative with how people found out that she was a girl. Both times people found out because by some force of magic her clothes were ripped off. Please.
Plus, Alanna sleeps with two different men and I don't like the personality of either of them. The author seemed to see it fit to destroy all the good of the story in this volume.
Another disappointment of this series is that we never hear much about what happens to her brother, Thom. And when he is around he acts like a complete jerk.

There are far better books out there than this one, trust me.

Book three continues the exciting adventures of Alanna

2008-03-18
Pierce maintains her momentum and excitement on her third installment. Alanna grows into a woman accepting more responsibility. Beware that the series does have this young woman sleeping with several different men throughout the course of her adventures so as long as you don't mind that then proceed. She handles this aspect with great delicacy. It is highly entertaining and a quick fun read.

Tamora Pierce books

2008-02-14
Great books! Almost as good as the Immortals and protector of the small quartets, but still pretty good.

Loathing Beyond Words

2007-07-31
I don't exactly know how it has happened over the years but Tamora Pierce is the one author I loathe...with a fiery passion. I've tried reading The Song of the Lioness and Protector of the Small series. It's been years since I've read them simply because I found them to be utter junk. I loved Alanna but the series just slid downhill from there. They are completely immoral.

I suppose this would be OK except that Tamora Pierce's books are targeted to teenagers. I know lots of teens are sexually active but I don't think it's necessary to market books to them where the characters are morally depraved in that area. I really haven't found any other series in teen lit that seems, in my opinion, to condone sleeping around like the Lioness series does.

This series is utter junk.

Just thought I would throw in my two cents.

What can I say? Tamora Pierce has done it again!

2007-03-31
Alanna is now a knight and wants to travel the world...see places she's only heard about or seen on maps. While she is traveling with her loyal friend, Coram she runs into a group of tribesman called the Bazhir. They bring her and Coram to their home, the tribe of the Bloody Hawk. They find it strange that she is as strong as a man and dresses like one too. The Bazhir challenge her to a duel to the death to prove herself.

"Let her prove herself worthy as a man."

She does prove herself (of course) but is followed around by the village shamman and is chosen to teach a group of children with magical gifts. Life is getting crazy for Alanna.

I hope you read this book. It's full of adventure and yes, even though there is a woman on the cover boys may also enjoy it.

Tamora Pierce is inspirational!

2007-03-29
"Let her prove herself worthy as a man."

Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman -- despite the desert dwellers' grave fear of the foreign woman warrior. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes -- for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

Alanna's journey continues...

Alanna's journey continues to the desert 2006-12-31
Alanna, newly knighted as the first woman knight has left the palace and all of her beloved friends to go on adventures. She wants to see the world and travel to places she's only seen on maps. Alanna and Coram, her loyal friend since she was born travel all the way to the desert where the people known as the Bahzir live. While Coram and Alanna are fighting off a band of hillmen the Bahzir come and take them to the tribe of the Bloody Hawk. "Let her prove herself worthy of a man." This is what she does by defeating one of the strongest men in the tribe.

Now that she is officially part of the tribe many people, most of them women look down upon her but she wishes to change that. By also defeating the shamman of the tribe (it was his fault for using magic he couldn't controle) she has no choice but to become the new shamman and train others as her apprentices. She finds three youths. She makes a new change, two of the ones she's picked are girls. This is very new but they all except her wish.

I recommend that any person who loves Tamora Pierce or even somebody that hasn't even read any of her books tries this. But you should first read: 'ALANNA:THE FIRST ADVENTURE and IN THE HAND OF THE GODDESS.
-Hannah M.

If You're Desperate Enough 2006-06-07
I guess that I was just too old for it(somehow I doubt that), but I found this series (and this book in particular) to be tiring. I enjoyed the first book and Alanna as a heroine (and as a role model), but as I read on, I realized her for what she was...a flat and an annoyingly perfect character who was set in an underdeveloped book.

The plot itself would have been interesting were it not so quickly gotten over with. I honestly would have been patient enough to read a much, much, longer book. The plot is weak because it is not developed enough, and the climax...often momentous battles or events...is very disappointing.

Young girls who need a feminist or a strong role model would like this series. Older girls who want a strong but flawed role model and a lot more development and quality of writing would not. For the later group, I would recommend the Trickster series (also be Tamora Pierce) which are much more palatable.

Alanna's Story Continues 2006-04-13
This is the third book in Tamora Pierce's Lioness Quartet. In this book, Alanna has achieved knighthood and ventures out into the world. She no longer disguises herself as a man, but she is still trying to find her place in the world and is wrestling with the conflict over her feelings for Jonathan and her desire to not be tied down with a royal title and kids.

She is captured by a desert tribe and to save herself, must fight a battle. After winning the battle, she still must contend with a Shaman who believes that because she does not act like a woman, that she is evil. Eventually she ends up as the tribe's Shaman and trains three apprentices.

I find myself drawn to Alanna's character- she is unsure of how to be a woman- for instance, in this book, she has someone try to teach her how to knit, and she experiments with dressing herself as a woman and wearing make up. She is also somewhat prickly and enjoys her solitude. She does not like to be tied to one place. And I can certainly empathize with her distaste for the cold and her yearning for the warmth of the desert.

However, I did not enjoy this book as much as the first two in the series- perhaps because it took Alanna out of the realm where I had become comfortable, or maybe because I am finding Pierce's recurrent storyline of the main character having to prove herself to skeptics has grown tiresome.

Although Pierce manages to relate Alanna's experiences with the desert tribe to occurences in Tortall, I just was not able to connect with this book as well. However, I still believe this is an excellent series and well worth reading.

the song of the lioness series 2006-03-01
this is a great book if you like books about female warriors