The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce Review

""Let her prove herself worthy as a man."

Newly knighted, Alanna of Trebond seeks adventure in the vast desert of Tortall. Captured by fierce desert dwellers, she is forced to prove herself in a duel to the death -- either she will be killed or she will be inducted into the tribe. Although she triumphs, dire challenges lie ahead. As her mythic fate would have it, Alanna soon becomes the tribe's first female shaman -- despite the desert dwellers' grave fear of the foreign woman warrior. Alanna must fight to change the ancient tribal customs of the desert tribes -- for their sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

Alanna's journey continues..."

I'm now really upset at Alanna. I'm terribly sad. I wished she stayed with Jon. Unfortunately, it's her choice and her choice only (along with the author's painful ideas). I think George Cooper is alright, but I wish she stayed with Prince Jonathan.

Anyway, I'll move on. (I guess you find out about the major spoiler in this book). The Woman Who Rides Like a Man is certainly a long title. Whatever. It's still a good book. It's not as good as the first book, but it's still better than the last book (yes, I already read it). It goes by fast, as usual. The plot is really fast. Everything goes by in a blink of an eye. Before you know it, the hour is gone and the day is fading.

Anyway, the character, Alanna, is growing. Her characteristics are amazing. She grows bigger and bigger (like a full human being) with each death she takes or sees. She becomes more caring and compassionate (like a mother). The best part about Alanna is her Independence. She's unhappy sometimes, but she's also smart in her execution. Also, her expression at someone's resurrection is certainly interesting. I always love resurrections. It's always fun when that happens. And that clever use of family! (Now all I need is Alanna's real father and I will be happy for the rest of the Lioness series). 

What's next? Hmm...I'll try to keep this one (review) short. I can't really talk about this. It's not as interesting as the previous books. My recommendation? Read the first two books, then forget about the next two. It's boring (compared to the excitement in the previous books).

Best moment: When Jonathan and Alanna comes together to meet one another once again. It's such a shame they are no longer together. That's the problem with their relationship. She's a knight. He's a prince. They may be both nobles, but they will never mix together in their worlds. Jonathan's kingdom won't gain anything if he marries Alanna. And his proposal! It's a huge dang-it-Alanna moment!

Overall, I think this series is great. If this is your cup of tea, then this is good for you. It touches on subjects like sexism, knighthood, and other stuff (plots, schemes, politics, power, greed, revenge, etc). It's great.

Rating: Three out of Five