Remind Me

Alanna of Trebond might only be ten, but she is sure that going off to a convent to learn how to be a lady is NOT the life for her. She wants to be a knight - which is a problem, because in Tortall, noble girls are expected to marry young and have lots of children, not learn how to fight. Alanna's twin brother, Thom, is equally as sure that he wants to be a famous sorcerer, not the knight their father expects him to be. And so they switch places; Thom goes to the convent to learn the basics of magic, and Alanna goes to the palace.

Thom has it easy; he only has to pretend to be a girl until he gets to his destination. Alanna, on the other hand, has to disguise herself as a boy until she becomes a knight - when she's eighteen. As Alan the page, she not only learns how to use weapons and how to fight, but she deals with bullies and makes friends. As the series goes on, she gains a mortal enemy, is touched by the gods, falls in love, becomes a teacher and goes on an epic quest to find the Dominion Jewel. If you're looking for a good series with a strong female heroine and lots of fun, this is the series for you.

If I'm going to be honest here, Tamora Pierce is one of my favourite authors EVER. I had discovered her Circle of Magic series when I was ten and really enjoyed it, but I thought the Alanna books looked kind of dumb. But after a friend, ironically, named Alanna, told me how awesome they were, I decided to borrow them from the school library - and was HOOKED. I reread them at least once a month in Grade 8, reading one in class and one when I got home, and then repeating the process the next day because we were only allowed to take out two books at a time. I now have my own set, and even after so many rereads, they remain some of my favourite books.

If you want to know more about what happens next in Tortall, you're in luck - Tamora Pierce has four more series dealing with characters in Tortall: the Immortals, about a young girl who has a way with animals, Protector of the Small, whose main character becomes the second Lady Knight, Daughter of the Lioness, about the adventures of Alanna's daughter Aly and Beka Cooper, whose heroine is a member of the Provost's Guard, who keep the peace in Tortall.