Alanna: The First Adventure
From the Tamora Pierce Wiki
| Alanna: The First Adventure | |
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| A Novel of Tortall | |
| Protagonist | Alanna of Trebond |
| Antagonist | Roger of Conté, the Ysandir |
| Setting | Tortall: Corus, Persopolis, the Black City |
| Cover Artist | David Wiesner |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Release Date | September 1983 |
| UK Release Date | |
| ---- | |
| Series | The Song of the Lioness |
| Preceded by | ' |
| Followed by | In the Hand of the Goddess |
Alanna: The First Adventure was Tamora Pierce's first young adult novel, and the first installment of the Song of the Lioness quartet, revolving around Alanna of Trebond. It covers Alanna's training as a page, and takes place over three years, starting in Trebond when she and Thom first decide to switch places, and ending in the Black City with Jon's promise to make her his squire.
Contents |
[edit] Cover flap summary
- "From now on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I'll be a knight.
And so young Alanna of Trebond begins the journey to knighthood. Though a girl, Alanna has always craved the adventure and daring only for boys; her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. So one day they decide to switch places: Disguised as a girl Thom heads to the convent to learn magic; Alanna, pretending to be a boy, in on her way to the castle of King Roald to begin her training as a page.
But the road to knighthood is not an easy one. As Alanna masters the skills necessary for battle, she must also learn to control her heart and to discern her enemies from her allies.
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 the magical destiny that will make her a legend in her land."
- —Cover flap summary of the Simon Pulse edition 2005
[edit] Plot
Alanna of Trebond does not want to be sent away to learn to be a lady any more than her brother Thom wants to be a knight. However, this is what their father, Alan of Trebond, a man absorbed completely in his studies since his wife's death, has ordered for them.
Alanna and Thom take matters into their own hands. The identical twins switch places, and Thom goes to the temple where Alanna was to go, planning to study sorcery. Alanna cuts her hair and disguises herself with the name Alan of Trebond and goes to Corus to try for knighthood.
Alanna makes both friends and enemies at the palace immediately. She particularly becomes friends with Jonathan of Conté, Gareth of Naxen, and the King of the Rogue George Cooper. An unnatural fever, one that drains healers of their power and can kill them, falls upon Corus. Only after all of the city's healers are exhausted does Jonathan, the heir to the kingdom, fall fatally ill.
Alanna uses her magic to save Jonathan. Soon after, Roger of Conté, a powerful mage, comes to Corus in order to teach the pages and squires how to use magic. For a reason unbeknownst to her, Alanna hates the outwardly handsome and charming man from their first meeting. Later, she learns that Roger is second in line for the throne, next to Prince Jonathan, since Queen Lianne of Conté is unable to bear anymore children. She suspects that Roger sent the fever and is trying to hurt Jon.
Alanna acquires, on a mystery-filled trip to ruins near the home of Myles of Olau, a sword possessing the magic of the Old Ones that she dubbs "Lightning". Roger is shocked and noticeably nervous when he notices the sword.
Later, on a trip that is supposed to be for squires only, that Alanna is allowed on because of Jonathan, Roger warns the squires and page not to go anywhere near a city of black stone, the Black City. Alanna realizes that Roger means to trick Jon into going there and follows the Prince to the city. There, the two confront the Ysandir, strange beings of old who try to kill them. Together, Alanna and Jon are able to combine their magics and defeat them, but not before the beings make Alanna's clothes disappear, revealing her true gender to the astonished prince.
The book closes with the prince promising to make Alanna his squire. So far, the only ones in Corus who know Alanna's gender are Jon, George Cooper, Eleni Cooper, and her manservant, Coram Smythesson.
[edit] Chapters
- Twins
- The New Page
- Ralon
- Death in the Palace
- The Second Year
- Womanhood
- The Black City
[edit] Characters
- Alanna of Trebond - protagonist; disguised as the boy "Alan"
- Thom of Trebond - Alanna's twin brother, learning to be a sorcerer in the City of the Gods
- Alan of Trebond - father of Alanna and Thom; scholar
- Maude - village healer in Trebond
- Coram Smythesson - Alanna's manservant, former soldier
- Gareth of Naxen - Training Master, Gary's father
- Jonathan of Conté - the crown prince and a fellow page
- Raoul of Goldenlake - fellow page, later squire, and Alanna's friend
- Gary of Naxen - fellow page, later squire, and Alanna's friend
- Alexander of Tirragen - fellow page, later squire, and Alanna's friend
- Geoffrey of Meron - fellow page
- Douglass of Veldine - fellow page
- Francis of Nond - fellow page; dies of the Sweating Sickness
- Sacherell of Wellam - fellow page
- Ralon of Malven - fellow page, Alanna's enemy; leaves the palace after being defeated by Alanna
- Myles of Olau - page's teacher for history and law, Alanna's friend
- Stefan Groomsman - hostler at the royal palace and one of George's men
- George Cooper - King of the Thieves, Alanna's friend
- Moonlight - Alanna's horse
- Solom - innkeeper at the Dancing Dove
- Rispah Cooper - George's cousin and Queen of the ladies at the Court of the Rogue
- Duke Baird - royal healer
- Roald of Conté - King of Tortall, Jonathan's father
- Lianne of Conté - Queen of Tortall, Jonathan's mother
- Duke Roger - Jonathan's cousin, powerful sorcerer
- Aram Sklaw - the page's teacher in sword fighting
- Eleni Cooper - George's mother; former priestess; healer
- Lord Martin - Geoffrey's father
- Ali Mukhtab - governor of Persopolis; Bazhir
- Ysandir - immortal beings, feeding of the young Bazhir
[edit] Editions
[edit] Foreign publishers and translated titles
Alanna: The First Adventure has been published in different languages, e. g.:
- German by Arena Verlag; "Die Schwarze Stadt" (The Black City)
- German audiobook by Audiolino
- Danish by Vorlaget Tellerup; "Alanna"
- Danish audiobook by Den Grimme Aelling
- Swedish by BonnierCarlsen; "Alanna: Det Första Åventyret"
- Spanish; "La Guerrera"
- French; "Le Secret du Chevalier"
- Thai
- Japanese
[edit] Cover gallery
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[edit] Notes and references
[edit] See also
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