Series Review: The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (Published 1983 by Atheneum) (Amazon / Goodreads) In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (Published 1984 by Atheneum) (Amazon / Goodreads) The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce (Published 1986 by Atheneum) (Amazon / Goodreads) Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce (Published: September 1988 by Atheneum) (Amazon / Goodreads)  Series Synopsis: Noblewoman Alanna of Trebond, disguised as the boy "Alan," exchanges places with her twin brother Thom, to go to the royal palace in the city of Corus to train for knighthood, while Thom studies magic. Throughout the four novels Alanna befriends George, the king of the thieves; the scholar Sir Myles of Olau; senior students Gareth (Gary) of Naxen, Raoul of Goldenlake, and Prince Jonathan of Conté; Princess Thayet of Sarain; Liam Ironarm, a martial-arts champion; and Buriram (Buri) Tourakom, Thayet's bodyguard. Her principal rivals are classmate Ralon of Malven, and Jonathan's kinsman Duke Roger, who becomes the chief antagonist in the final book.  By reason of her double identity, small size, inherent magic, and impatience, Alanna is often shown questioning her own character; but resolves these questions in the third book, in which she becomes an honorary member of the 'Bazhir' (a Bedouin-like ethnicity), through gaining unique acceptance because of her gender. In the final volume, she becomes King's Champion to Jonathan and Baroness of the coastal estate Pirate's Swoop.

This is such a beloved series by fans of YA fantasy. I can't believe I never read it as a kid but with the popularity of it around the blogosphere I knew I needed to take the time to read it, So when my OTSP Secret Sister in the last round bought me copies of the series it was the perfect opportunity to read it during my high fantasy month as my Rock My TBR Challenge.

I had high expectations for this series because it is so popular. And while I wasn't completely blown away by it in the way I had hoped, I really enjoyed it. On the whole I think The Song of the Lioness Quartet is a classic sword and sorcery high fantasy series. It's not a super high stakes adventure but it has a great combination of magic and action.Throughout the series, it slowly brings in more and more magic and fight scenes as the series goes on to really build to a thrilling conclusion. But along the way there were lots of moments that kept you reading and interested. For one thing, I really liked the magical system and world-building here. It was the perfect kind of show not tell as you learned about the world without being overwhelmed with detail. It was interesting and engaging.

My one main criticism though is with the pacing of the series. Each individual book was really well-paced but it didn't feel like much of a cohesive series until the very end. Even when I had finished the third book it left me wondering how it would all end, what the ultimate conflict was, and who the "big bad" of the series was. All of that wasn't really revealed until the second half of the last book. Now I get wanting to wait to reveal everything until you're ready but it left me wondering too much. I couldn't tell if this was just a book about Alanna's adventures or if there was an ultimate conclusion. And because of that, the stakes didn't feel as high as they could of and often are in these kinds of novels. It didn't feel like one of those epic end of the world kind of stories like I was hoping.

The first book in the series, Alanna The First Adventure, was probably my least favorite in the series. If you read this blog regularly then you know I always have a rough time with first books. They often contain too much exposition for me and this book was no exception. There was some great moments of action and some fantastic scenes with the magic, but on the whole those were few and far between. But the first book did do a great job with characterization. I loved Alanna and was invested in her story to continue which is one of the main reasons I kept reading.

The second book in the series, In the Hand of the Goddess, by contrast may have been my favorite. It took everything I loved with the first book and gave me more of that. It had more magic, more mystery, and much more action. It even kind of resolved some of the conflicts from the first book which was really interesting. But this was about the time where I started to question what the big picture stuff was because of that resolution. But the great characters and characterization continued, especially with new characters like Faithful.

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, the third book in the series, felt a lot like your typical third book in a series. Often what I see a lot in trilogies is that with the third book the author will expand the world and show you a different part of the universe. That's exactly what happened here as we were taken to the desert to live with the Bazhir people. It was an interesting turn for the series and I liked exploring it, but it felt a little bit like a diversion before the finale.

Lioness Rampant however redeemed so much of that. The last book in the series was a fantastic conclusion and could be my favorite in the series too. One thing that I loved about is the way that it took everything full circle. It harkened back to some great moments of the the first book especially which was fantastic, plus by the end there you did have the high stakes adventure that I was missing in some of the other series.

On the whole, The Song of the Lioness quartet was a fantastic young adult fantasy. It has great characters that you will fall for quickly and a great combination of magic and adventure. As a cohesive story the pacing is a little problematic but each individual book is engaging and interesting. It was a good read.

I give The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you have not yet read this series then check it out. I would absolutely recommend it to fans of the genre. If you haven't read it as a kid then take the opportunity to read it now. It's reminiscent about a lot of our favorite modern fantasies and you will love Alanna a tough but feminine female hero.

Series Review: Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Leviathan Series: Leviathan #1 Author: Scott Westerfeld Narrator: Alan Cumming Published: 2011 by Simon and Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.  Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.  With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

So I got a copy of the audiobook version of Leviathan forever ago. Like so long ago I don't even remember when I bought it. Probably before I even started blogging more seriously. Two years ago I got really obsessed with audiobooks and I must have bought it then. Anyway, I never got around to listening to it so when I needed an audiobook for this month I realized how perfect it was for my theme and I finally took the plunge.

And when I was done, I couldn't believe it took me this long to read it! Wow, this book and this audio just blew me away. It has officially earned it's place in my top five audiobooks of all time because it is full of amazing action, a fascinating world, complex characters, and flawless narration.

So first, the world of Leviathan is everything! And I seriously mean... EVERY THING. This is a historical reimagining. Scott Westerfeld takes historical events like in this case, the death of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the start or World War I and reimagines it with steampunk technology. Not only is the historical aspect amazing with actual events and people being used in creative ways, but the science fiction and technology aspects are absolutely brilliant. He made me question reality and history while still entertaining me. I'm starting to become a fan of this concept and Leviathan has indeed persuaded me.

Then there is the plot of this book. This is a book about World War I so it should come as no surprise that there is tons of thrilling action. One of our main characters is a soldier fighting for the British Air Force and the other is an Austrian prince being hunted by the Germans. Both have secrets and both are placed in all kinds of situations that had me on the edge of my seat.

Speaking of those characters, how much do I love them? So much. I'm not a huge fan of the girl disguised as a boy trope but once again Scott Westerfeld handles this so well. Deryn Sharpe is amazing. She is strong-willed and tough, she's determined to do what she loves despite her gender and I live that about her. Alek is also a fantastic character, he's not your typical spoiled prince and I was so invested in his struggle.\

Leviathan is a brilliant historical reimagining with a fascinating world, thrilling plot, and great characters.

Title: Behemoth Series: Leviathan #2 Author: Scott Westerfeld Narrator: Alan Cumming Published: 2012 by Simon and; Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: The behemoth is the fiercest creature in the British navy. It can swallow enemy battleships with one bite. The Darwinists will need it, now that they are at war with the Clanker powers.  Deryn is a girl posing as a boy in the British Air Service, and Alek is the heir to an empire posing as a commoner. Finally together aboard the airship Leviathan, they hope to bring the war to a halt. But when disaster strikes the Leviathan's peacekeeping mission, they find themselves alone and hunted in enemy territory.  Alek and Deryn will need great skill, new allies, and brave hearts to face what's ahead.

So I had only planned to listen to Leviathan but I loved it so much that I knew I had to binge the whole series. I couldn't leave the story of Steampunk WWI unfinished. I needed to know what happened to Deryn and Alek.

So unsurprisingly, in Behemoth Scott Westerfeld expanded the world of this series to make something bigger and more diverse. Here we were taken to Istanbul as the war that began in the first book grew and evolved. Once again, Westerfeld fascinated me with his incorporation of actual historical events but reimagined them to fit with what was happening with the universe he created. There was a lot more focus on the different technologies. WWI is a particularly interesting period for that because new weaponry and vehicles changed the way we wage war and so the steampunk vibe worked so well here.

The World War I storyline also gave the book so much high stakes action. In Behemoth there were so many moving parts that all connected to a thrilling conclussion of the book. Throughout the entire thing there is so much action that I couldn't stop reading, well listening. But what I also like is that there were no cliffhangers (Westerfeld makes a hilarious reference to this in book 3) but I was still so hooked I needed to know what happened next.

Although that may have been because I was so invested in the characters. I seriously have so much love for Deryn and Alek. They are fantastic both together and apart. Their friendship is just amazing and they make a great team. But there are also some amazing secondary characters to round out the cast.

It's incredibly diverse and Alan Cumming is the perfect narrator.  He perfectly captures the voices of everything from an Austrian prince, to a Scottish girl, to a Turkish diplomat. He was so good that sometimes I forgot it was only one guy doing all these voices.

Behemoth was the perfect follow up to Leviathan. The world was bigger and more interesting, the plot was just as action packed, and my love of the characters only grew.

Title: Goliath Series: Leviathan #3 Author: Scott Westerfeld Narrator: Alan Cumming Published: 2013 by Simon and Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Alek and Deryn are abroad the Leviathan when the ship is ordered to pick up an unusual passenger. This brilliant/maniacal inventor claims to have a weapon called Goliath that can end the war. But whose side is he really on?  While on their top-secret mission, Alek finally discovers Deryn's deeply kept secret. Two, actually. Not only is Deryn a girl disguised as a guy...she has feelings for Alek.  The crown, true love with a commoner, and the destruction of a great city all hang on Alek's next--and final--move.  The thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series, which was called "sure to become a classic" (SLJ).

And finally we have Goliath, the conclusion to this series and a fantastic ending for it all. Everything is bigger and better. When it was all over I actually didn't want it to end because I was loving it so much.

One thing I loved about Goliath and this series as a whole is again the historical reimagining. Not to beat a dead horse but it is seriously so fantastic. I'm a big fan of historical fiction and history in general. I mean I studied Modern History (it's a thing) in college so I know a lot about this topic and I was so entertained. While the steampunk and technology stuff was still there I felt like Goliath was more about the people, the real historical figures. In this one we were brought to both Japan, Siberia, and the United States to meet real people. It was so cool to see how Westerfeld incorporated people like Nikola Tesla, William Randolph Hearst, and Pancho Villa. It was so fascinating.

But I also say this was about the people because I really loved the character development. This series, and this book in particular was about two people finding their place in the world. Deryn Sharpe who wants to be something that her gender won't allow and Prince Alek who's destiny is tied up in the war but who does he really want to be. What I also loved about this book was the romance between Deryn and Alek. Mark this on your calendars, I ship it. It was a fantastic slowburn and a total "we should be together" kind of thing. It was amazing.

And finally the plot and the way this series wrapped up was perfect. So much action and adventure. This book had it's own individual storyline but it also  wrapped up the plot of the series. I just absolutely loved it. The stakes were higher and everything was so thrilling. I also have to say that I think it's funny that the narration speeds up when the action picks up. The narration was just so perfect.

All and all this is just an amazing series. I loved the steampunk world that Westerfeld created, the historical reimagining, the complex and likable character, and the action-packed plot. I loved it all and I want more! I want so much more!

I give the Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! This serious is totally worth a read and a binge. If you are an audiobook fan you absolutely must check out the audio. Alan Cumming is a genius. But in general if you love steampunk and or historical fiction this one is worth it. Or if you are just looking for a thrilling adventure story, read these. Honestly, just read them!