Alanna: the first adventure - Tamora Pierce

Alanna is determined to become a knight. Even if she would be the first maiden knight in more than a hundred years. Her twin brother instead wants to become the best sorcerer in the world, and doesn’t have any interest in fights and armours. That’s why when the times come for them to be sent away from home, Thom to court and Alanna to the convent, they decide to switch places. Both red-headed and with deep purple eyes, they are easily mistaken for one another, the only difference being their hair length. Alanna only needs to cut hers to look exactly like a boy. And that is how she becomes Alan of Trebond.
Becoming a knight is not easy though. The training is hard for everyone, and Alanna has to work twice as hard to prove to herself that she’s just as good as any other boy, if not better. But her challenges are not just physical ones. She will have to learn to accept her Gift, a magic that can both heal and destroy, and make good use of it. And she will have to rely on her instincts to discern good and evil, enemies and friends.

After reading Tales of Earthsea (which I'll review soon, I'm still writing it!) , Tamora Pierce’s style felt simple and unsophisticated. I love Ursula Le Guin and I could read anything she writes, just to take pleasure in her use of words, in the atmospheres she creates, in the musicality of the prose.
With Alanna, the language is free of any ornament, and is used straightforwardly to tell the story. That’s why, even though the Earthsea books are aimed at young adults as well, Alanna is definitely written for a younger audience, or maybe for those who prefer easier and quicker reads.
This said, I must admit I enjoyed it and I will definitely read the rest of the books in the series, because I want to know what happens to our heroine and what she will make of her life.

Alanna is set in a typical sword and sorcery world. The medieval society of Tortall is strictly hierarchical, with a king ruling over it, and with an aristocracy formed by knights, dukes and earls, who earned their nobility solely by birth. Typically, it’s men that rule, while women can only hope to become ladies and find a good husband.
While the hierarchy is never challenged (and the revolutionary side of me rebelled against it) the rules that command that a boy must fight and a woman must be weak are defied by Alanna and her twin brother, who simply cannot think of conforming to what is decided by their gender.
I was a bit suspicious, though, of Alanna’s way of disregarding her femininity. It just seemed to confirm the idea that women are the weak, gentle and silly sex. Too often Alanna is caught thinking how she hates being a girl, or how she doesn’t want to be thought as one. As if being physically powerless was the only kind of weakness that matters. As if being strong was the only way of asserting herself in the world.
And yet, even if I can’t help thinking this way, I am always fascinated by women who can fight and can defend themselves. I personally am against the use of violence as a means to solve conflicts, and would rather argue to death instead of starting a fight. I appreciate when in books as in films, problems find a way to be solved without killing or beating anyone.
And yet…I just love when women can kick some ass! It gives me a strange sense of satisfaction and freedom. I know this is very contradictory, but some of my favourite characters are fighting women: Buffy, Eowyn, Trinity…My favourite tv series as a child were Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman.
I can’t explain why. I am totally against women in military because I’d rather not have armies at all! But when it comes to fantashttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gify and other worlds, I find it very liberating to have a female hero who could save my life.
So yes, I like Alanna as well. I also must say that, even though she hates being a girl, people keep telling her to accept herself, letting the reader understand that this will be an important issue for her in the future. Also, in the preview of the second book Alanna’s thoughts explain exactly what I’ve been thinking all the time:

Her fellow squires at the palace would laugh if they knew she feared spiders. They’d say she was behaving like a girl, not knowing she “was” a girl. “What do they know about girl anyway?...”Maids at the palace handle snakes and kill spiders without acting silly. Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult?

I’m looking forward to reading her next adventure now. Judging by the preview, it sounds promising.

Other blog reviews
Someone's read it already
foxy writer

Picture Book Monday: "The Flower" by John Light and Lisa Evans

I don’t remember how I found out about this gorgeous book. Probably when I was browsing Amazon in the shop pretending to work! Well, if I didn’t have I would have never come across The Flower and Lisa Evan’s illustrations. And it would have been my loss.

The flower is the story of Brigg, a sad-looking kid in a sad-looking city. He lives in a grey building, and goes to work every morning under a grey rain, in a grey library. But libraries are the place where the dangerous books are kept and one day Brigg finds one. It has pictures of beautifully coloured things called flowers. Brigg is filled with joy looking at the pictures but he’s sad because there is no flower in the city. He looks everywhere until he arrives in the old part of town where in the window of a junk shop he sees the picture of a flower! They are seeds and when he takes them home he gathers a bunch of dust and waters them. One morning, the seeds blossom and Brigg’s room is filled with wonderful colours….until the room cleaning system sucks them away. But Brigg knows where the flower might be. Outside the city, where the big hips of dust are…

This is a strange and fascinating book. It’s set in the future, where flowers have disappeared, probably sucked away by the cleaning systems. The sad feeling of greyness is perfectly conveyed by Evan’s illustrations. So much that when the picture of the flower appears, so pink and bright, it lights up the whole page.
I love almost every illustrations of this book. I like when things that are not in the texts are added independently. Like Brigg’s big funny looking cat. Or the lovely patterned kettle with which Brigg waters the seeds. The junk shop is a great example of this. It spreads over two pages and kids could play at spotting all the things and animals hidden in the windows. And then there’s the explosion of flowers and plants and happiness when the plant grows in Brigg’s room. If you look closely you can spot two stripy socks, the kettle, an umbrella, the book, an alarm clock and the omni present cat.
It really is visually stunning. Even when the flowers are not in the pictures, there’s always something unusual to notice, like the way the words He buries the seeds in it and added some water look like they're pouring out of the kettle into the mug.
But what I love most maybe is the message. Flowers can give happiness only by looking at them. They are extraordinary and yet so natural. I couldn’t imagine living in a world without them, and any book that reminds us of how precious they are must be treasured.

Lisa Evans is a relatively new name in the world of illustrations. But she has already been noticed: She was selected as one of the top ten best new illustrators, together with some of my favourites (Oliver Jeffers, Polly Dunbar, Emily Gravett, Catherine Raynar…).
As a result, her work is on display till the May 3rd, at the Illustration Cupboard in London. I’d love to go but I know I won’t. It’s great to know, though, that there’s a gallery dedicate to the art of illustrations. I MUST go there next time I’m in London.

Lisa Evans has also a lovely website, complete with gallery and blog. You must visit it!
I can’t post a direct link to the gallery, so you need to go to the main page, click on "gallery", then on "sequential" and then find The Flower. You can see 4 full pages.
Make sure you browse around cause she has some pretty amazing stuff. My attention was caught by two books in particular: “One upon a holiday” and “The star belly monster” on her blog, but unfortunately I can’t find a way to buy them. But I’ll keep trying.

The Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale

The latest Shannon Hale’s book is also my first encounter with this author. It seems like the blogosphere can’t get enough of raving about her, and with reasons, I might add.
Hale’s favourite themes are fairy tales, retold and refreshened. This time she reworks a long-forgotten tale from the Brothers Grimm, Maid Maleen, and decides to set it in a world which resembles a lot the Medieval Mongolia.

The Book of a Thousand days is the diary of a princess’s maid, during the days of their confinement in a tower. The princess’s father wants her to marry Lord Khasar, and when she refuses, he locks her and her new maid up, sure than seven years of solitude will be enough to cure her insolence.
The princess is sulky and spoiled, but her maid, Dashti, can’t believe her luck. Before arriving at court and be employed as the princess maid, she was a mucker from the steppes, where she used to live with her mother, in a felt tent called gher. They used to travel with the seasons, herding ships and yaks and horses. Until her mother died and left her alone. Now, locked in the tower, she has food for seven years and doesn’t have to worry about starving anymore.
But after a while Dashti realises that the princess is eating off all their food too fast and if they don’t find a way out, they won’t survive another year.

What makes this story so enjoyable, and original despite the fact that it’s a retelling, is the way Shannon Hale created a whole world, completed with religion, culture and songs, that makes it unique. It’s a very hierarchical society, where nobles are regarded as the closest relatives to the Ancestors, their gods. Our heroine, Dashti, is well aware of this and of her position. But I liked that, as the story goes on and Dashti experiences so much more than a normal mucker would ever do, her perspective changes.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this world was the power of the healing songs of the muckers, which Dashti uses to ease the suffering of her lady. They are songs whose lyrics don’t have much to do with the pain they’re easing, but manage to go through the heart of the person and help them, as long as they want to be helped.
Another feature that makes this one a book to treasure, is the drawings in Dashti’s diary. They are simple but they really enrich the story and help identify the setting as a Mongolian one.

If you add Shannon Hale’s humour, a tender romance, and a beautiful ending, you really have a must read of a book!

The author’s website has an extensive section for this book. She explains how she came to write this book, how she invented this world and how her trip to Mongolia affected the settings for it. You can even read the first few pages of the book.
She also says something about the new point of view in the story that explains why it was so much more engaging than a simple retelling.

I was attracted to this tale because I wanted to tell the story of the maid. She’s mentioned in “Maid Maleen” but nothing is ever said about how she feels about all this, where she came from, where she goes. More than a broad, sweeping story, I just wanted to hear her voice, get inside her, experience her life. The purpose of a third person narrator is to take a step back from the main character, let the reader see and hear a little more than the main character might, have a little perspective. But with much of the story taking place in a dark tower, there was no where to step back. The setting made intimacy paramount. The story is Dashti. First person seemed the best way to tell it.

It was a brilliant read which left me wanting for more. I’m glad I still have all her other books to read.

other blog reviews:
Darla at Books and Other Thoughts
Parole
A fondness for reading
Estella's revenge

Now I love Neil Gaiman even more...

...even if I knew he would have said something like this about J.K.Rowling and her copyright battle:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/04/fair-use-and-other-things.html

"My main reaction is, having read as much as I can about it, given the copyright grey zone it seems to exist in, is a "Well, if it was me, I'd probably be flattered""

and

"My heart is on the side of the people doing the unauthorised books"

When I commented on Stephanie's post about the Harry Potter's rights, I wanted to add that somehow I didn't think that Neil Gaiman would have made such a fuss about it. But I didnt't cause I didn't want to just assume it. Now I have the proofs, and I admire him so much more now that he has said it out loud.

I will always love Harry Potter's books, and I admire J.K. Rowling for creating such a wonderful world, but I don't believe this whole thing is doing her any good.
I wish there were more people like Neil Gaiman in the world.

Picture Book Monday: Moon Dog by Helen Ward and Wayne Anderson

The Man in the Moon lives peacefully with his Moon Dog. The moon is usually a nice and quiet place, but from time to time some nasty and loud visitors arrive with their fairy bus, to disturb its tranquillity. The Man in the Moon knows how annoying these visitors are, so anytime they arrive, he shuts himself in his living room, sits on his comfortable armchair and read some good books, imagining to be somewhere else.
But Moon Dog is curious, he is eager for adventures and the visitors seem like such an interesting crowd. So, one night, when the Man in the Moon is snoozing on his armchair, Moon dog sneaks out the back door and joins the loud fairies. At first he has a great time. The fairies build him a pair of mechanical wings so he can follow them around. Then they cuddle him, they tickle him and they make him laugh. Moon Dog loves playing with them and he forgets all about the Man in the Moon. But these are nasty fairies and they’re up to no good…

It seems like I tend to like Helen Ward’s work, and I might feature another one of her picture books sometimes, one which she actually illustrated herself. But this time I’m drawn to Moon Dog mainly for Wayne Anderson.
His illustrations look like they are made of the stuff of dreams. They are ethereal, as if sprinkled with stardust. They’re soft as a cloud and enchanting like the best fairy tales.
I’m never tired of looking at them, they make me smile all the time.
Luckily for those who are not familiar with his work, Anderson has a lovely website with a fairly big gallery of illustrations, which you can browse in awe: www.wayneandersonart.com
And this is the Moon Dog page: http://www.wayneandersonart.com/gallery4.html

Anderson illustrated the Dragonology series, even though you can admire his dragons in his gallery better, as they’re pretty small in the books. Apparently he is a dragon lovers because most of his illustrations have dragons as the main subject.
I can’t wait for the Dragon Machine to arrive in the shop, and possibly review it here. Same for his illustrated version of The Wizard of Oz.
I might even have a Wayne Anderson section in the shop, because all his books are simply beautiful.
His work shows exactly what I mean when I say that picture books are Art. Just look for yourself.

Odd and the Frost Giants - Neil Gaiman

Sometimes you have to be odd to save the world.

This is the story of the Viking boy Odd. Although his name meant “tip of a blade” and it was a lucky name, he was actually odd. Nobody in the village could understand his thoughts and his smile would drive them crazy. Even when his father died trying to save a pony from drowning, he only shrugged and smiled. Even when he broke his foot cutting a big tree with his father’s axe, and remained crippled for life, he just smiled.
After two years from his father’s death, his mother, a Scottish woman who used to sing beautiful ballads, re-married Fat Elfred, a big guy with too many kids of his own to care about a crippled stepson, so Odd spent most of his time in the woods.
One year, though, the spring failed to arrive. The frost didn’t thaw when it should have, and the people got more and more nervous in the great hall, after four months of staring at each other. They started fights and tell mean jokes, until Odd decided he had enough and ran away.
He packed some salmon and some embers from the fire, and went to his father’s cabin in the woods, with the firm intention of never coming back.

This is where he met a strange fox, a huge bear and an eagle, who seemed to need his help, and that’s how the adventures of a crippled and odd boy began.
He would go to Asgard, the land of Gods, he would confront a Frost Giant, meet the gods, and eventually save the world. All just by being himself.

I love this little tale. It’s funny and uplifting. Odd was a lovable character, with his infuriating smile and his calm matter-of-factly attitude. The gods, especially Thor and Loki, were hilarious, in their endless squabbles. The ending was perfect.

It also made me think about Gaiman’s choice of crippled characters. I’ve only read three stories by him, and in two of them, the main characters (Odd here and Yvaine in Stardust) limp throughout the story. These are fantasy books and you would expect that in the end, when the hero has saved the world, or when it’s time for a happily-ever-after, that these problems would be solved by magic of some sorts. Instead, magic can only ease their pain, but never restore their bones to complete health.
On one hand it shows the unchangeable consequences of accidents. On the other, it seems to say that these characters are hero not despite their disabilities, but because of them.

All in all this was extremely enjoyable, a perfect bedtime story and a great introduction to Norse mythology for kids. It is also a must read for any Neil Gaiman’s fan.

other blog reviews:
Nymeth at Things mean a lot
Chris at Stuff as dreams are made on
Alix at Not enough bookshelves

342,745 Ways to Herd Cats, OR tl;dr

This is brilliant. Another challenge, similar to "Something about me", but not quite.
Choose 10 favourite books. Then browse the master list and choose 3 books or more to read between May 1st and November 30th. Easy Peasy. Click on the pictures for details and for joining.

My list(I've looked at the list so far and people already added some of my favourites so maybe I'll try and choose different ones)

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman
The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman
Charlotte's web by E.B. White
Momo by Michael Ende
The Snapper by Roddy Doyle
The Blue Girl by Charles De Lint
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The clan of the cave bear by J.M.Auel
Ronja by Astrid Lindgren

A very random mix. Some children's, some classics, some (very) adult fiction...something for everyone and books I think should be in that master list.

For what I can see now the books I'd like to read are:

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint
Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
Castle Waiting: Volume 1 by Linda Medley
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith



Of these I only own 3 so this is definitely a provisional list to be changed or updated shortly before the challenge starts!