Lunar Rainbows Reviews

It seems like a sin that this book was first published in 1983 - when I was 3 years old - and that I'm only reading it now. Alanna: The First Adventure is a classic fantasy adventure that I can't help but wish I'd discovered as a kid, even though I enjoyed the hell out of it as an adult! It's just one of those stories that I can see my younger self becoming seriously obsessed with though. The fantasy elements are understated in their simplicity but that's part of where this story gets it's charm and appeal. I was swept away with Alanna's adventures into knighthood and rooting for her every step of the way.

Alanna: The First Adventure feels like it's the original 'girl posing as a boy' fantasy story. We've all read at least a few of the newer versions of this trope, but it seems to me that this is where it all started.. The basic premise of Alanna was one I took to straight away: the fact that Alanna and Thom are twins, both dead-set against the roles they're forced to take by their father - roles dictated by their genders. Knighthood calls to Alanna, while her brother wishes to be a sorcerer. When their father sends them off for schooling in their respective, predetermined roles, Alanna suggests that they switch things up. Unbeknownst to their father, they set off in disguise. Alanna will go where her brother should have, and train to become a knight and Thom will be free to become a sorcerer. If their disguises hold up that is...

Alanna and I hit it off straight away. It's hard not to admire a young woman willing to do anything to accomplish her dreams. With her strong will, crafty lies and her magical abilities, she's a force to be reckoned with. The way she manages to go beyond simply fitting in, to making a name for herself among the boys was wonderful to behold and while I did worry that her secret would be discovered every step of the way, I also had a blast every single time she fooled someone into believing her lies. Alanna makes quite a few friends along the way and though some of them could have done with better character development, others like Prince Jonathan, George the King of Thieves, Coram and Sir Miles, the knight/teacher were fantastic to get to know! I sincerely hope that the relationships Alanna has forged in this book will continue to develop in further books.

The villains of the story were a bit underdeveloped as well, but it's clear by the end of the book that we haven't seen the last of either of them. Hopefully the rest of the series will offer a little more insight into both of their characters, specifically their motivations. Being the first book in a series though, a certain amount of details were sure to be omitted and held out for future books, so I didn't let it bother me. Additionally, there was quite a bit of foreshadowing regarding Alanna's future so I feel certain we'll be getting more details in the sequels. In any case, the story was fun enough on it's own without having all the answers straight away.

One last thing I wanted to discuss was magical items! I freaking love discovering new magical items and artifacts and Alanna: The First Adventure marks the discovery of Lightning, Alanna's magical sword. That discovery, when coupled with Alanna's own magical gift of healing left me super excited to see how both of those assets will serve her in the future. All things considered this was truly a little gem of a book. I've already went ahead and ordered the boxed set for the series because I only owned an e-book version of this one and after having finished it, I know I need physical copies since I'll surely be re-reading this series in the future. I never tire of a light, fun magical romp with plenty of heart and character. I'd recommend this book to any and all fantasy readers that haven't had the joy of reading it yet.

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