Actual Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

In the Hand of the Goddess is the sequel to Alanna: The First Adventure, one of my new favorite classic fantasies from this year. Naturally, I was eager to continue with this series and discover what adventures Alanna would embark on this time. I listened to this on audio, and despite having read the first one, the transition from book to audiobook was seamless. The narrator did an excellent job voicing Alanna and all the secondary characters, which was a definite plus. I will undoubtedly be listening to the rest of the series on audio!

In the Hand of the Goddess takes place shortly after the events of The First Adventure. Alanna, still posing as a boy to become a knight, is now officially a squire to Prince Jonathan himself! After all she endured to reach this point, she has become a force to be reckoned with. This means two things: 1. She has grown stronger and more confident. 2. She has made powerful enemies along the way. Soon, Alanna is further tested as war looms, and she must protect her prince and kingdom from destruction.

From the first chapter, I was reminded of what makes this series great. We're introduced to Alanna meeting her animal familiar, a magical black cat with violet eyes like her own. She instantly adopts it and names him Faithful. Faithful and Alanna quickly learn they can communicate and that he can sense when she's in danger. Given my love for magical animals and cats, I was overjoyed by this development. In addition to Faithful, there are the usual unique magical items that are a staple of this series. This time, there's an enchanted amulet to accompany Alanna's epic sword, but I won't reveal what it does to avoid spoilers.

Despite its impressive start, which included a goddess as the title suggests, I found that In the Hand of the Goddess couldn't quite escape the dreaded'second-book syndrome'. The war was an engaging twist, but it lacked the amount of battle-action I desired. Then, there was the new romantic development. As much as Alanna vows never to fall in love, she begins to have feelings for someone in this installment. The focus on romance was a bit surprising, considering her previous insistence. The romance was believable but didn't make me swoon like the best ones do. Even the final showdown with the main villain fell a bit flat, which was unexpected given the tension built since the first book.

I also have a personal pet peeve: when authors age up characters too quickly or have time jumps for no clear reason. It bugs me because I like to see characters grow and mature naturally. Alanna seemed to go from a young squire to a woman in the blink of an eye. I wished Tamora Pierce had slowed things down, even if it meant Alanna staying younger longer. I felt she was aged up quickly just to add romantic tension to a story where the heroine didn't really need it initially. I just wanted to see my girl grow up normally!

Regardless, In the Hand of the Goddess was a solid follow-up, even if it didn't quite match its predecessor. I enjoyed reuniting with Alanna, returning to Tortall, and watching the wonderful magic grow and evolve. I cheered with all of Alanna's friends as she journeyed towards knighthood, which was filled with exciting ups and downs and a few good twists. This series is a must for classic fantasy readers, and I'll definitely be reading all the rest of the books by Tamora Pierce.

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I'm looking for something to like about this story.

On the one hand, I do appreciate the worldbuilding and the magic. The concept of a world filled with such奇幻元素 is quite engaging. Additionally, the casual attitude toward sex in this culture is an interesting aspect that adds a layer of authenticity to the setting.

However, on the other hand, Alanna is such a Mary Sue. It seems that everything she does is flawless. The kingdom appears to be completely reliant on her, as she single-handedly helps win wars, exposes dramatic plots, and everyone adores her to an excessive degree. Even the gods seem to be unable to leave her alone. What's more, she has a magic talking cat, violet eyes, and insanely awesome magic skills that she, of course, doesn't even desire. It's just too much to handle.

The narrative structure is also a major flaw. It covers a span of many years, but rather than developing the story in a coherent and detailed manner, it simply skips from one Super Special thing Alanna is doing to the next Super Special instance a year later. This lack of a proper narrative flow makes it difficult to truly engage with the story and the characters.

Furthermore, her two suitors are rather sleazy. Neither of them shows any genuine concern for her or her preferences. Instead, they continuously remind her that they want to have sex with her and kiss her without her consent. It's quite off-putting, especially considering that they are both older than her and one is actually her ruling lord. Overall, while there are some aspects of the story that I initially found appealing, the numerous flaws, such as the Mary Sue character, the poor narrative structure, and the sleazy suitors, ultimately prevent me from fully enjoying it.

I forgot just how much of this book is Jonathan and George both trying to push Alanna into dating them.

Despite the fact that she has repeatedly said no, they still continue their pursuit.

Moreover, there is an age gap between them, which makes the situation even more uncomfortable.

This aspect of the story is not my favourite.

I find it rather tiresome to read about their persistent attempts to win Alanna's affection when she has clearly stated her disinterest.

The age gap also adds an element of unease, as it makes their advances seem somewhat inappropriate.

Perhaps if the author had handled this part of the story differently, it would have been more engaging.

As it stands, it feels like a forced and unappealing plot device.

I hope that in future books, the author will explore more interesting and believable relationships.

**4.6**

I found this installment to be slightly more enjoyable than the first book. The story was enhanced by a greater number of action scenes, which added excitement and kept me on the edge of my seat. Additionally, the character dialogue was more engaging, allowing me to better understand the personalities and motives of the characters.

However, I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed. It seemed as if the author was in a hurry to wrap up the story, and some of the resolutions felt a little too convenient. Despite this flaw, I still found the series to be overall quite fun.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys action-packed adventures with interesting characters. While it may not be a literary masterpiece, it provides an entertaining escape from reality.

I look forward to seeing what the author has in store for the next book in the series.

(4 1/2 Stars)

This is the second book in the Song of the Lioness Quartet. The romance in this book really appealed to me. However, I still felt that one specific aspect of the relationships developed at an alarmingly rapid pace. I have to admit that I have a greater affinity for George than for Jonathan. :-) Alanna is an incredibly determined girl, and I truly like her and enjoy witnessing her growth. My main gripe with this book was that it felt rather disjointed and choppy.

My favorite quotes from this book are as follows:

"Alanna shook her head, smiling a little. In the three years she had been disguised as a boy, she had learned that boys know girls as little as girls know boys. It didn't make sense - people are people, after all, she thought - but that was how things were."

Alanna: "I just want to be a warrior maiden and go on adventures. I don't want to fall in love, especially not with George or Jon. They'll ask me to give them parts of me. I want to keep me for myself. I don't want to give me away. Look at my father. He never really got over my mother's death. They told me when he died last month he was calling for her. He gave her part of himself, and he just never got it back. That's not going to happen to me."

I truly and wholeheartedly love this series! It is such a delight to read as an adult, yet I can't help but wish I had discovered it at a younger age. The story and the characters have returned, and they are every bit as amazing as they were in the first book! While I was posting my review of the first book on Amazon, one particular review caught my attention. It was from a young girl who called the series a childhood favorite and was defending it against mothers and censorship. After reading that, I was extremely intrigued to read the second book, and I find myself in complete agreement with the girl.

I think Tamora Pierce did an outstanding job of portraying an entire life! The series commences when the characters are children and then evolves through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood. It was simply brilliant! Tamora Pierce was very straightforward and matter-of-fact, which I truly adored. She takes the amazing characters that I absolutely love and展示 their entire journey in just a few books! As for the mothers who worry, the truth is that kids grow up, become teenagers, and experience love!

I really have a deep affection for this book and this series! Alanna, Jonathan, George, Myles, Faithful, Gary, Raoul The characters and the story are just so incredibly good!!!

I just couldn't wait for my library to sort out their issues. So, I headed out to Barnes and Noble and purchased a copy. It was completely worth it.

Regarding book two, I have essentially the same thoughts as I had about book one. This makes sense because Pierce initially wrote the quartet as a single volume and only broke it up into pieces for publication. The story continues to race through time as if it has no significance. As a result, things sometimes seem to appear out of nowhere. However, considering that this series was first published over twenty years ago, these complaints don't change the fact that it is a wonderful story.

Also, the sex in the book took me by surprise. The first mention of it is a one-sentence throwaway line ("Soon they were sleeping together -- sometimes."). You could almost miss the implications if you weren't thinking about it too deeply. But then Alanna and Jonathan actually do it, and Pierce treats it as if it's no big deal at all. Well, to clarify, what I mean is that she presents sex as a normal part of adolescence. It is a big deal to Alanna in terms of her emotional growth. Still, it was quite surprising - most YA books even today don't touch on this topic.

Now, I'm forcing myself to wait for the library to get me the last two books in the series.

Reread from middle school! I'm actually SHOOK that this is considered MG/YA because I feel like this series should have been published and marketed as adult.

I feel like I would've felt less weird about it if Alanna were, erm, an appropriate age, let's just say that. (George is a whole ass predator, I'm sorry HAHA. The way so much of this flew over my head as a middle schooler LMAO)

But overall, very much enjoyed the reread. These books are interestingly episodic, with an easy-to-follow plot and relatively low stakes.

The story of Alanna is captivating, yet there are aspects that make one question its classification. The relationship between Alanna and George seems rather inappropriate when viewed from an adult perspective. However, as a middle schooler, many of these details might have been overlooked.

Despite this, the reread was a pleasant experience. The episodic nature of the books allows for a smooth reading flow, and the plot is not overly complicated, making it accessible to a wide range of readers.

Overall, the series has its charm, although its classification as MG/YA might not be entirely accurate. It would be interesting to see how it would be received if it were marketed as an adult series.

I realized partway through that these books have the distinct feel of fanfiction.

The insane pace and time jumps are rather puzzling. They only seem to make sense if this were some sort of medieval AU (alternate universe) and we were already coming in with background knowledge of the characters.

Moreover, there is a very suspicious age gap love triangle here. It's quite off-putting and makes me want to cringe.

I've read the first two books in this series within a single day, which alone indicates that they are truly highly entertaining.

Normally, war scenes in books slow me down as I find them extremely boring. The first half of this book indeed consisted of huge war scenes. It was like something straight out of Lord of the Rings, but the story remained very tightly focused on Alanna, so I didn't mind. This is actually quite amazing to me. And the story vividly shows just how awful war can be.

In this installment, Alanna continues to encounter numerous challenges, including her enemy Roger from the first book. However, the great thing about these books is that the plot keeps advancing. While I didn't sense any real danger in the first book, I did on a few occasions in this one. One scene was actually rather scary! Truthfully, I could envision it all too clearly, imagining how terrifying something like that would be. So, I do think the danger level is gradually increasing as the series progresses. There are plenty of epic sword fights and battles. And Alanna still has to grapple with the fact that she is actually a girl. It's evident that some people truly despise her and desire her dead.

She travels with Moonlight. I really wish the story would incorporate more scenes with Moonlight since she is often depicted on the book cover. She is on all of the book covers except this one. I mean, it seems a bit unfair to put a horse on the book cover and then scarcely include the horse in the story. It's like false advertising!

Plus, she finally faces the significant ordeal where she might actually become a real knight! This creates a great deal of stress and worry for her. And what did I think about this test she has? For one thing, it surprised me a great deal: the nature of the test. In fact, it reminded me of a scene from a very famous movie from the early 80s! And because of that, I immediately figured out what was going on. I probably would have preferred something a bit more original, but I guess original ideas are quite rare these days.

There is one new character in here that I absolutely adore: Faithful the black cat! And he can talk too! What a true friend he is, and he definitely helps Alanna a great deal. He rides inside this special cup attached to the saddle horn. And being an equestrian, I'm attempting to figure out how such a thing would actually work...hmmmm....

And there is also a bit of a love interest developing in here. Should Alanna love the King of Thieves or the Prince? I suppose I should be interested in this, but I'm not. It's as if I have no opinion.

I do have a very strong opinion about this book cover, though! I loathe it! It's the expression on her face that really bothers me. It makes her look so mean! Plus, where is the horse? Where is Moonlight? The other three books have Moonlight on the cover, and this one doesn't? Why? That sour expression just turns me off. Do they actually believe that will sell books? I think it would have the opposite effect, don't you?

It took me an incredibly long time to finally make my way back to the Song of the Lioness series, which began with the outstanding Alanna: The First Adventure. However, I'm truly glad that I did. Now that I've had my memory refreshed about how enjoyable and easy these middle-school-to-YA fantasy novels are to read, I'll likely just power through and complete them.

In the initial book, we are introduced to Alanna, who disguises herself as a boy in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a knight. She makes wonderful friends, battles villains, and for the most part, manages to keep her secret hidden. As one might anticipate, the second book follows a similar pattern, only it is somewhat more episodic as the action unfolds over several years. Just like in many stories set in a semi-magical world, the deuses ex machina abound to ensure that our heroine is never in any peril from which she cannot extricate herself.

It's rather simple to pick apart this story, but that would be quite grumpy and unappreciative. This is a fun series, and it is definitely more worthy of being read than, for example, Marion Zimmer Bradley's similarly feminist-inspired fantasy for adults, which is burdened by its own sense of self-importance and our knowledge of the author's awfulness.

I would highly recommend this series for readers aged 10 and above.

How do I love this book? Let me count the ways.

Firstly, Alanna has sex and it's presented in a refreshingly normal way. She isn't slut-shamed at all. Instead, she's just happy. It's such a great departure from the typical stigmatization. Dude!

Secondly, George is in love with Alanna. But here's the amazing part: he tells her, says he won't bring it up again, and then goes right back to being her friend. This shows that his love for her isn't just about romance. He truly loves her and enjoys being around her, valuing her as a person and not just a romantic partner. Dude!

Thirdly, Roger is a nuanced and clever villain. His character adds depth and complexity to the story. Dude!

Fourthly, Alanna's interest in girly, pretty things in no way lessens her badassitude. She can be both feminine and fierce, which is so inspiring. Dude!

Basically, I love this book forever. It has so many wonderful aspects that make it truly special.