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Backstory: I found Alanna: The First Adventure when I was eight and it is the single most influential work of fiction of my entire life. I truly believe I would be a slightly different person if I had not read these when I did. I have reread this quartet so many times that years later and I still have chucks memorized (I also did this with the Immortals quartet - I took Emperor Mage with me to Hawaii and read it at least six times just in those two weeks.) Which is to say - I love these books on a deeply personal and subjective way.
However, it's been at least five years (probably more like eight) since I've given this series a reread. Partially because of time, partially because I was afraid they wouldn't hold up. They did.
Yes, Alanna really feels like a first book:
-everyone either likes Alanna or is evil (I think the other pages should have given her crap for hanging out with very powerful older boys)
-there is a lot of very traditional descriptions (the gold-washed mail in particular)
-there are places where I wanted to tell her to expand or just linger (some of the fight scenes, a couple other random places)
However. This story is still freaking epic and I heart Alanna to bits. Also, I really, really respect how Pierce continues to improve her writing throughout this quartet.
A couple things struck me, reading from an adult and not a child's pov.
First, the sex. When I first read the books I totally missed that 'learned about love' meant sex. Like, I thought she and Jon were just making out and the first time they had sex was in the desert.
I really felt for George, who is kind of getting shafted with wooing Alanna - 'oh, no,' says Alanna, 'I'm not interested in a relationship or sex... unless he's right next door to me, royal, and my knight-master and well as my future liege.'
And their time in Port Cayann was CLEARLY a rebound for Alanna. Not that I blame George for saying yes.
Speaking of the pairings, looking at this from an adult pov, I am SO GLAD that she ended up with George (first reread, I was sad that she and Jonathan didn't work out. Now, it is SO CLEAR why they wouldn't work out.
I'm thrilled that she was the one who asked George to marry her in the very end.
Years ago, Woman Who Rides Like A Man was my least favorite novel - at this point, it might be my favorite. I still haven't quite decided why.
What I really love about the finale of this series is the loss. It's clearly a happy ending yet I remember ticking off everything that Alanna lost in the end - Faithful, her sword, her brother- and really feeling satisfied. It was by no means an easy victory (although admittedly, more people should have died, imho).
So... now it's time to get cracking on my reread of The Immortals Quartet. I was at the library a couple weeks ago and they had a couple of the whole series checked in, which seemed like a sign to me.
However, it's been at least five years (probably more like eight) since I've given this series a reread. Partially because of time, partially because I was afraid they wouldn't hold up. They did.
Yes, Alanna really feels like a first book:
-everyone either likes Alanna or is evil (I think the other pages should have given her crap for hanging out with very powerful older boys)
-there is a lot of very traditional descriptions (the gold-washed mail in particular)
-there are places where I wanted to tell her to expand or just linger (some of the fight scenes, a couple other random places)
However. This story is still freaking epic and I heart Alanna to bits. Also, I really, really respect how Pierce continues to improve her writing throughout this quartet.
A couple things struck me, reading from an adult and not a child's pov.
First, the sex. When I first read the books I totally missed that 'learned about love' meant sex. Like, I thought she and Jon were just making out and the first time they had sex was in the desert.
I really felt for George, who is kind of getting shafted with wooing Alanna - 'oh, no,' says Alanna, 'I'm not interested in a relationship or sex... unless he's right next door to me, royal, and my knight-master and well as my future liege.'
And their time in Port Cayann was CLEARLY a rebound for Alanna. Not that I blame George for saying yes.
Speaking of the pairings, looking at this from an adult pov, I am SO GLAD that she ended up with George (first reread, I was sad that she and Jonathan didn't work out. Now, it is SO CLEAR why they wouldn't work out.
I'm thrilled that she was the one who asked George to marry her in the very end.
Years ago, Woman Who Rides Like A Man was my least favorite novel - at this point, it might be my favorite. I still haven't quite decided why.
What I really love about the finale of this series is the loss. It's clearly a happy ending yet I remember ticking off everything that Alanna lost in the end - Faithful, her sword, her brother- and really feeling satisfied. It was by no means an easy victory (although admittedly, more people should have died, imho).
So... now it's time to get cracking on my reread of The Immortals Quartet. I was at the library a couple weeks ago and they had a couple of the whole series checked in, which seemed like a sign to me.
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