Song of the Lioness Quartet

by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure
pgs: 274
my rating: *********

Alanna has always known she was meant to be a warrior. But in Tortall, there hasn't been a female knight for centuries. So Alanna switches places with her twin brother, disguising as a boy ("Alan") to begin training. Her first few years as a page are full of obstacles, but Alanna learns many valuable lessons and makes some friends for life.

In the Hand of the Goddess
pgs: 264
my rating: *********

Alanna is moving up: she's now Jonathan's squire, and is beginning to serve a greater purpose, the defense of Tortall. Her friends are still close, and only two know she's a girl--and both Jonathan and George are after her heart. But despite her many friends, Alanna also has enemies who would like to destroy her. Can she fight them to save herself and those she loves?

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
pgs: 284
my rating: *********

Alanna is now a knight, and her powers--both physical and magical--are growing. Her friends know she's a girl, and they don't hate her! But Alanna fears her Gift after the destruction she has caused. Can she overcome her fears to help train the mage children of her adoptive Bazhir tribe? (And how can she be a knight and still act feminine?)

Lioness Rampant
pgs: 384
my rating: *********

Alanna has survived her first year of knighthood, but she doesn't know what to do now. She and Jonathan have had a falling-out, but she still wants to be his friend. Alanna's too restless to stay anywhere for long, but she prefers a purpose rather than aimless wandering. If she can recover the Dominion Jewel, it can save Tortall and repair her friendship with Jonathan. But is she up to the quest?

(This quartet is set in the same world as the Protector of the Small and Immortals quartets.)