I enjoyed this book. The story became less predicable for me and also included topics like sex that i loved seeing in this type of book. I love how even thought she is hiding she is a girl it had such a limited impact on the story. ( )

I enjoyed this book. The story became less predicable for me and also included topics like sex that i loved seeing in this type of book. I love how even thought she is hiding she is a girl it had such a limited impact on the story. ( )

I just finished rereading the whole Song of the Lioness. Miscellaneous thoughts:

* This is the best story Tamora Pierce has written, by far. If you've read other Tamora Pierce books and didn't like them, I still recommend this one to you.

* While it's sold as four separate books, and each book does manage to stand on its own, they're best read together as a single long story and all at once.

* Simple, straightforward style of writing.

* I just love it, ok? It's not always perfect but I even love the imperfections. ( )

And as I re-read this series I remember why this particular series is my least favorite of Tamora Pierce's work -- and I'm still enjoying it, but this book suffers a bit from middle-book-syndrome. It covers so much ground so quickly that I lose a little investment in Alanna as a character. I do like that she discovers her own brand of femininity. I think the evil sorcerer trope is less convincing. I feel like the storyline was rushed to get us to the next big arc, but I also really enjoyed Tamora Pierce's letters at the end. These were published in a context and that's important to remember. Enjoying the re-read, but Circle of Magic and Beka Cooper are still my faves.

Ooh, and I LOVE the new covers.

Advanced reader's copy provided by edelweiss (2023) ( )

I accidentally the whole book in 3.5 hrs.

Now I need to find a copy of the third one. ( )