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fandomhigh_ooc2007-10-07 09:04 pm
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Fandom Spotlight: Song of the Lioness
Once upon a time, an author known as Tamora Pierce (or TP for short) wrote a story about a girl in a medieval society who dresses as a boy and saves the kingdom and marries the Crown Prince. It was aimed at adults. The whole thing was awkward and weird and the publisher rejected it and TP re-wrote the book with a different ending, divided it into four books and the Song of the Lioness was born and everyone was happy.
What is it about?
The premise is simple: Medieval world with magic, stubborn girl who doesn't fit in the stereotype of a proper young lady, a case of swapped identities, and a lot of adventure and romance. The actual story becomes so much more because, in my opinion, of the characters. Toss in a war, a potential civil war, a desert tribe, a long lost artifact, a magical Gift, and some all powerful gods and you have an engrossing series.
Where does this take place?
Most of the books in the universe (Alanna, Daine, and Kel) take place in the capital of Tortall: Chorus. The universe takes its roots from history and many of the countries can be traced directly to specific cultures. (The K'miri are described as East Asian, the Bahzir as Middle Eastern, Tortall, Scanra, Galla, Tusaine, Maren, and Tyra all seem to be western Europish, the Yamani Islands are a very clear copy of Japan, and I'm not sure about Carthak and the Copper Islands. Egypt and the Caribbean maybe?) A map of the chunk of the world. Chorus is the red dot. Trebond ... moved around through out the series, but is in the northern region of Tortall.
What are the books?
There are four books in the Song of the Lioness quarter:
Alanna: The First Adventure (1983) covers Alanna's years as a Page.
In the Hand of the Goddess (1984) covers Alanna's years as the Squire for Prince Jonathan of Conte.
The Woman who Rides Like a Man (1986) is Alanna's first year as a knight.
Lioness Rampant (1988) is Alanna's second year as a knight, and the beginning of a new age for Tortall.
Who are these people?
Main Characters
Lady Alanna of Trebond aka Squire/Page Alan of Trebond aka Sir Alanna of Trebond aka Sir Alanna of Olau aka Sir Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop is the protagonist. (She goes through a lot of names.) At age 11, she comes up with the crazy idea of swapping places with her twin brother, Thom and takes on her male role. For the next eight years, she proves to everyone, and mostly herself, that she can be the best knight ever. In the beginning, Alanna is a bit naive and awe struck, but as the books progress, she turns into a powerful young woman and a force to be reckoned with. She hates the cold and is not a big fan of water. Oh, and gets sea-sick like nobodies business.
Faithful. At the beginning of In the Hand of the Goddess, the titular Goddess shows up and preaches at Alanna for a bit before taking off and leaving a small, black cat with purple eyes behind. He's probably more stubborn than his girl and likes being pampered, especially with food. Through out the books, he shows off some rather unusual for a cat abilities (like the fact that people can understand what he meows at them) and saves Alanna's skin repeatedly. He thinks she's a little slow sometimes. In one of the later books and an interview, it is confirmed that he is a god/demigod/something like that. He shows up once more in the Terrier series, as Pounce, Bekka Cooper's helper/friend/pain.
Prince Jonathan of Conte. The only son of the King and Queen of Tortall, he is the de facto leader of the small group of nobles that includes Alanna. He's a bit arrogant and used to the world revolving around him ... to a point. After discovering Alanna's true gender due to a minor incident while they were fighting some really old, really pissed off gods, Jon picks her to be his squire.
George Cooper. The day Alanna and her man-at-arms Coram arrive in Chorus, the girl notices a young man watching them. Later, the two become friends and George is revealed as the King of Thieves. He winds up being an unofficial teacher to Alanna, Jon, Raoul, and Gary. He has a collection of ears that he's collected from people who have crossed him. He and Jon share an understanding of what it's like to be the one everyone looks to for instruction and needing to lead. Also, his mother, Eleni, is all sorts of awesome as is his cousin Rispah, the Queen of the Ladies of the Rogue. TP's new series, Terrier, is about his ancestor, Becca Cooper.
Roger of Conte. Duke Roger is the second in line for the throne, after Prince Jonathan. He is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. In the first book, he sends a sweating sickness to Chorus which strikes the healers who try to fight it and then sends Jonathan to what he believes is a suicidal mission. In the second book, he arranges for Alanna to be kidnapped by the enemy in the middle of a war. After getting her shield, Alanna breaks into his rooms and discovers his plot to kill the Queen and take over the throne. She winds up killing him in a duel, but that does not stop his plans and he returns to wreck more havoc.
Minor Characters
Sir Raoul of Goldenlake. He's the big lump behind the curtain. Like Alanna, he shares a dislike of social functions. He sometimes underestimates his own strength. No matter what TP said twenty years later, he does not have an alcohol problem. He plays a central part in the life of another female squire, Keladry of Mindalen.
Sir Gary of Naxen. He's the son of the prime minister and Jon's cousin and friend. He's one of the few people to learn Alanna's true gender before it is publicly revealed during Alanna's duel with Duke Roger. He has a quirky sense of humor.
Sir Myles of Olau. He's a knight who's more likely to be found in the library than on horse back, though he does know how to fight. He teaches the young nobles history and argues about the Code of Chivalry with them. He's the court drunk and likes to play chess with Alanna. He's the only character to figure out Alanna's true gender on his own. In the third book, he adopts Alanna as his heir.
Lord Thom of Trebond. Alanna's twin. He's brilliant and arrogant. By age 18, he became the youngest Master, ever. He cares about no one but himself and his sister, though she takes a distant second place behind his studies. He has no friends and loves to work in secrecy.
Sir Alex of Tirregan. Another one of the nobles in Alanna's circle. He and Alanna were always competitive about their swordsmanship. The two were the only students of Duke Gareth in the second book and were considered the best swordsmen at court.
Lady Delia of Eldorne. A beautiful young lady at court, she turns everyone's heads. However, she is in secret working for Duke Roger, hoping to assure a high spot for herself after Roger becomes king. She makes it her own personal challenge to sway the heart of "squire Alan", though later she denies it and claims that she always assumed there was something wrong with er, him. Apparently, Jon's sketches of her make her look like a cow.
Ali Mukttab - He is the Voice of the Tribes for the Bahzir. The Bahzir are the people who live in the desert in Tortall and some of the tribes don't exactly like the King of Tortall. Mukttab is there sort of leader like thing. In his death, he is replaced by Jonathan, finally uniting the two peoples who share one country.
Liam the Shang Dragon - A forty-something Shang fighter, he encounters Alanna on her journeys outside of Tortall. The two travel, and more, together and make sure that the bards will have plenty to sing about for many years. Liam is one of the best Shang warriors of the time. He's afraid of magic.
Princess Thayet jian Wilima - A half-Saren, half K'miri princess, she flees her native country during the civil war with her K'miri body guard, Buri, and a handful of teens and a baby that they rescue. Alanna, Liam, and Coram wound up escorting them to a Temple of the Goddess, where Thayet learns of her father's death. Having no reason to return, she and Buri travel to Chorus. She and Alanna become fairly close friends. She kind of rocks. A lot. She winds up playing a major role in Wild Magic.
Princess Josiane of the Copper Isles - Is a touch crazy. She is considered a possible match for Jonathan and is enraged when he grows bored and rejects her. In order to fight back for some of her power, she teams up with Lady Delia.
A choir of Americans, Atlantians, and other strange creatures - Wait. No. Wrong Fandom.
Why you should read these
The first time I picked up an Alanna book, it was the In the Hand of the Goddess (and Wild Magic). I was nine. I hated it so much, I didn't get past the tenth page. I managed to get halfway through Wild Magic before putting it away in disgust and making a note to never, ever read Tamora Pierce again. (Though I was curious about the red-head on the horse and her cool family.) Fast forward many years and I'm now in my early teens and on break on a lake. Due to a minor misunderstanding, my BFF checks out a bunch of TP books instead of Buffy (No, I'm not sure how she managed it either.) In boredom, I pick up the first Alanna book, while floating on a raft in the middle of the lake. By the end of the afternoon I had read all four books, fallen in love with the characters, kicked myself at age nine, and got a rather impressive sunburn.
Morale of this story? Well, there's a lot. Including not letting my BFF get near a library. But mostly? They're awesome books that you can read in one sitting since they were aimed at a younger audience. (Hopefully, you'll have the brains to not read them while floating around a lake.) The characters are well developed and you find yourself rooting for the good guys and hoping Duke Roger spills spaghetti on his clothes. Tamora Pierce creates a new world to play in and at the end of the day, it make sense. So go read the books. You won't regret it.
Links
Sorry, I have no pretty people in my fandom. Well, there are pretty people, but they have no pretty pictures. But I do have this scary, scary website! It has book covers and future plans for books, so you can be as scarred as I am.
TP's official site
The most inclusive time line you will find. AKA, proof that TP has issues with her own canon.
Where can I get them?
Most book stores sell them in the children's section for funny prices. I bought three out of four books on Amazon for about a dollar each, though apparently they've gone up in price. If you don't mind reading off of the computer screen, I can be convinced to share my scans. Borders usually has them as well, though they're more likely to have hard cover copies of the later novels.
What is it about?
The premise is simple: Medieval world with magic, stubborn girl who doesn't fit in the stereotype of a proper young lady, a case of swapped identities, and a lot of adventure and romance. The actual story becomes so much more because, in my opinion, of the characters. Toss in a war, a potential civil war, a desert tribe, a long lost artifact, a magical Gift, and some all powerful gods and you have an engrossing series.
Where does this take place?
Most of the books in the universe (Alanna, Daine, and Kel) take place in the capital of Tortall: Chorus. The universe takes its roots from history and many of the countries can be traced directly to specific cultures. (The K'miri are described as East Asian, the Bahzir as Middle Eastern, Tortall, Scanra, Galla, Tusaine, Maren, and Tyra all seem to be western Europish, the Yamani Islands are a very clear copy of Japan, and I'm not sure about Carthak and the Copper Islands. Egypt and the Caribbean maybe?) A map of the chunk of the world. Chorus is the red dot. Trebond ... moved around through out the series, but is in the northern region of Tortall.
What are the books?
There are four books in the Song of the Lioness quarter:
Alanna: The First Adventure (1983) covers Alanna's years as a Page.
In the Hand of the Goddess (1984) covers Alanna's years as the Squire for Prince Jonathan of Conte.
The Woman who Rides Like a Man (1986) is Alanna's first year as a knight.
Lioness Rampant (1988) is Alanna's second year as a knight, and the beginning of a new age for Tortall.
Who are these people?
Main Characters
Lady Alanna of Trebond aka Squire/Page Alan of Trebond aka Sir Alanna of Trebond aka Sir Alanna of Olau aka Sir Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop is the protagonist. (She goes through a lot of names.) At age 11, she comes up with the crazy idea of swapping places with her twin brother, Thom and takes on her male role. For the next eight years, she proves to everyone, and mostly herself, that she can be the best knight ever. In the beginning, Alanna is a bit naive and awe struck, but as the books progress, she turns into a powerful young woman and a force to be reckoned with. She hates the cold and is not a big fan of water. Oh, and gets sea-sick like nobodies business.
Faithful. At the beginning of In the Hand of the Goddess, the titular Goddess shows up and preaches at Alanna for a bit before taking off and leaving a small, black cat with purple eyes behind. He's probably more stubborn than his girl and likes being pampered, especially with food. Through out the books, he shows off some rather unusual for a cat abilities (like the fact that people can understand what he meows at them) and saves Alanna's skin repeatedly. He thinks she's a little slow sometimes. In one of the later books and an interview, it is confirmed that he is a god/demigod/something like that. He shows up once more in the Terrier series, as Pounce, Bekka Cooper's helper/friend/pain.
Prince Jonathan of Conte. The only son of the King and Queen of Tortall, he is the de facto leader of the small group of nobles that includes Alanna. He's a bit arrogant and used to the world revolving around him ... to a point. After discovering Alanna's true gender due to a minor incident while they were fighting some really old, really pissed off gods, Jon picks her to be his squire.
George Cooper. The day Alanna and her man-at-arms Coram arrive in Chorus, the girl notices a young man watching them. Later, the two become friends and George is revealed as the King of Thieves. He winds up being an unofficial teacher to Alanna, Jon, Raoul, and Gary. He has a collection of ears that he's collected from people who have crossed him. He and Jon share an understanding of what it's like to be the one everyone looks to for instruction and needing to lead. Also, his mother, Eleni, is all sorts of awesome as is his cousin Rispah, the Queen of the Ladies of the Rogue. TP's new series, Terrier, is about his ancestor, Becca Cooper.
Roger of Conte. Duke Roger is the second in line for the throne, after Prince Jonathan. He is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. In the first book, he sends a sweating sickness to Chorus which strikes the healers who try to fight it and then sends Jonathan to what he believes is a suicidal mission. In the second book, he arranges for Alanna to be kidnapped by the enemy in the middle of a war. After getting her shield, Alanna breaks into his rooms and discovers his plot to kill the Queen and take over the throne. She winds up killing him in a duel, but that does not stop his plans and he returns to wreck more havoc.
Minor Characters
Sir Raoul of Goldenlake. He's the big lump behind the curtain. Like Alanna, he shares a dislike of social functions. He sometimes underestimates his own strength. No matter what TP said twenty years later, he does not have an alcohol problem. He plays a central part in the life of another female squire, Keladry of Mindalen.
Sir Gary of Naxen. He's the son of the prime minister and Jon's cousin and friend. He's one of the few people to learn Alanna's true gender before it is publicly revealed during Alanna's duel with Duke Roger. He has a quirky sense of humor.
Sir Myles of Olau. He's a knight who's more likely to be found in the library than on horse back, though he does know how to fight. He teaches the young nobles history and argues about the Code of Chivalry with them. He's the court drunk and likes to play chess with Alanna. He's the only character to figure out Alanna's true gender on his own. In the third book, he adopts Alanna as his heir.
Lord Thom of Trebond. Alanna's twin. He's brilliant and arrogant. By age 18, he became the youngest Master, ever. He cares about no one but himself and his sister, though she takes a distant second place behind his studies. He has no friends and loves to work in secrecy.
Sir Alex of Tirregan. Another one of the nobles in Alanna's circle. He and Alanna were always competitive about their swordsmanship. The two were the only students of Duke Gareth in the second book and were considered the best swordsmen at court.
Lady Delia of Eldorne. A beautiful young lady at court, she turns everyone's heads. However, she is in secret working for Duke Roger, hoping to assure a high spot for herself after Roger becomes king. She makes it her own personal challenge to sway the heart of "squire Alan", though later she denies it and claims that she always assumed there was something wrong with er, him. Apparently, Jon's sketches of her make her look like a cow.
Ali Mukttab - He is the Voice of the Tribes for the Bahzir. The Bahzir are the people who live in the desert in Tortall and some of the tribes don't exactly like the King of Tortall. Mukttab is there sort of leader like thing. In his death, he is replaced by Jonathan, finally uniting the two peoples who share one country.
Liam the Shang Dragon - A forty-something Shang fighter, he encounters Alanna on her journeys outside of Tortall. The two travel, and more, together and make sure that the bards will have plenty to sing about for many years. Liam is one of the best Shang warriors of the time. He's afraid of magic.
Princess Thayet jian Wilima - A half-Saren, half K'miri princess, she flees her native country during the civil war with her K'miri body guard, Buri, and a handful of teens and a baby that they rescue. Alanna, Liam, and Coram wound up escorting them to a Temple of the Goddess, where Thayet learns of her father's death. Having no reason to return, she and Buri travel to Chorus. She and Alanna become fairly close friends. She kind of rocks. A lot. She winds up playing a major role in Wild Magic.
Princess Josiane of the Copper Isles - Is a touch crazy. She is considered a possible match for Jonathan and is enraged when he grows bored and rejects her. In order to fight back for some of her power, she teams up with Lady Delia.
A choir of Americans, Atlantians, and other strange creatures - Wait. No. Wrong Fandom.
Why you should read these
The first time I picked up an Alanna book, it was the In the Hand of the Goddess (and Wild Magic). I was nine. I hated it so much, I didn't get past the tenth page. I managed to get halfway through Wild Magic before putting it away in disgust and making a note to never, ever read Tamora Pierce again. (Though I was curious about the red-head on the horse and her cool family.) Fast forward many years and I'm now in my early teens and on break on a lake. Due to a minor misunderstanding, my BFF checks out a bunch of TP books instead of Buffy (No, I'm not sure how she managed it either.) In boredom, I pick up the first Alanna book, while floating on a raft in the middle of the lake. By the end of the afternoon I had read all four books, fallen in love with the characters, kicked myself at age nine, and got a rather impressive sunburn.
Morale of this story? Well, there's a lot. Including not letting my BFF get near a library. But mostly? They're awesome books that you can read in one sitting since they were aimed at a younger audience. (Hopefully, you'll have the brains to not read them while floating around a lake.) The characters are well developed and you find yourself rooting for the good guys and hoping Duke Roger spills spaghetti on his clothes. Tamora Pierce creates a new world to play in and at the end of the day, it make sense. So go read the books. You won't regret it.
Links
Sorry, I have no pretty people in my fandom. Well, there are pretty people, but they have no pretty pictures. But I do have this scary, scary website! It has book covers and future plans for books, so you can be as scarred as I am.
TP's official site
The most inclusive time line you will find. AKA, proof that TP has issues with her own canon.
Where can I get them?
Most book stores sell them in the children's section for funny prices. I bought three out of four books on Amazon for about a dollar each, though apparently they've gone up in price. If you don't mind reading off of the computer screen, I can be convinced to share my scans. Borders usually has them as well, though they're more likely to have hard cover copies of the later novels.
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I'm working on the next quartet, have the quartet after that sitting beside the bed and Aly's two books after that sitting on my bookshelf. It's easy to get sucked in!
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