From Tamora Pierce, the final book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet, honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award. Having achieved her dream of becoming the first female knight errant, Alanna of Trebond is not sure what to do next. She has triumphed in countless bloody battles, and her adventures are already legendary. Perhaps being a knight errant is not all that Alanna needs…but Alanna must … Alanna must push her uncertainty aside when she is challenged with the impossible. She must recover the Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem with enormous power for good–but only in the right hands. And she must work fast. Tortall is in terrible danger from all directions, with enemies great and small plotting to destroy everyone and everything Alanna loves.
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The final book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet is also the saddest. The love story is fantastic, for it is the romance of attraction (but not cohesion) that most of us have had at some point in our lives. To suffer the consequences of breaking up, not for lack of love but for lack of compatibility ,is a marker of emotional growth.
In this final book, Alanna is fully an adult and as such facing war means not glory but loss, betrayal, and absolution. It is through loss that Alanna finally finds peace with herself.
This is the last book in Tamora Pierce’s Lioness quartet and still full of adventures. It’s a little different, as we meet new characters and such. Alanna has been a knight for a while now and she is now unsure of her next steps. Her adventures are legend, but she now faces more challenges. She needs to find the Dominion Jewel, a gem with great power, especially for a rightful ruler. She needs to find it for Tortall’s good.
She not only has to go on that journey, but she also has to face an old enemy, Duke Roger. Yes, he’s back, unfortunately. However, this book ties up that problem neatly and resolves it, albeit heartbreak and sorrow. This is a delicious end to a wonderful quartet. I recommend this highly. I reread this book all the time!
Lioness Rampant (Song of the Lioness #4) by Tamora Pierce — This series is a twist on Twelfth Night meets King Arthur. In this amazing conclusion, Alanna is in for the fight of her life. The gods and quite a few humans are messing with the world, and it will take valiant hearts to step in and save the day! Also, if you don’t like Alanna’s relationship status by the end of this book, then you voted wrong and we can’t be friends. My squishy closet romantic side voted for this from the very beginning! Happy Reading!
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over: https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/category/reviews/
This novel is a fitting conclusion to the Song of the Lioness series. It brings the overall series together in a way I didn’t expect, even with hints in the previous two books, and offers a full tale of its own. Alanna learns more about herself in this one and discovers both what she needs and wants out of her future. While true of the whole series, this book more than any other of them is her coming of age story. I’m being vague here to avoid spoilers, but as a conclusion, the story offers tears and joy, along with tension and a desperate battle or three as we’ve come to expect.
The book is split in two with a strong bridging story taking up the first half. This is Alanna’s adventure, one she spends making new friends and pushing herself to the limit. The tale also serves to distance and distract her and the reader from what’s happening back in Tortall. Their lines of communication are stretched past even the limits of the magical ones, isolating Alanna and Coram. Still, she expects nothing much will change, so doesn’t get worried until instinct demands her return.
The second part of the book begins there, with much having changed and little for the better. Her new friends stand firm at her side, including Liam Ironarm, the Dragon of Shang, who has been teaching her some of his discipline while they travel. They return to find Tortall in turmoil and Jonathan in need of their support.
The stakes are higher and have a broad effect in the second part, though the personal ones of the first are classic Alanna. I found both arcs satisfying and the characters compelling if not always likable. It speaks to the series’ strength how I recognized characters I hadn’t seen since the first book which I read several years ago. The newly introduced characters are just as strong, though, with their own contradictions that make them feel real.
I talk about the book as if it’s separated into two, but there was no indication, something I found jarring. In fact, there are three stages. The first focuses on Alanna, the second catches the reader up on the doings back in the capital, and the third is when Alanna and her new friends return. This ability to switch between groups is a strength of the narrative style, but I still would have preferred some warning. I missed knowing what was happening to the first group while they traveled and didn’t know when they’d be reintroduced.
Ultimately, though, the book brings everything back together in a heart-stopping, powerful end with a real cost I wasn’t expecting and yet hope for the future. I’m glad I started on this path and am sorry to see the series end. Luckily, there are more Tortall novels waiting for me.
This is one of, if not the, first books written where a girl becomes a knight. The series is amazing and genre changing. If you like strong female characters, males who are worthy and an intriguing story then this is one of the best choices.
the best book i have ever read!