Song Of The Lioness

Tamora Pierce's Lioness series manages to touch on difficult issues without ever preaching them. Through Alanna, she explores both feminist and gender identity issues while weaving an epic story of action and knighthood.The hook comes in the form of ambition to step outside of society's boxes in a backward and medieval world. Alanna has always longed for adventure, but those kind of activities are restricted to boys. Her parents want to send her to a convent to learn magic, but instead, she switches places with her twin brother to begin training as a page.Pierces plot device works excellently. It creates a prevailing fear of discovery and naturally reduces the focus on romance. There's a sense of dedication and loyalty in Alanna despite her deception and a clear progress from a stumbling page. Ultimately, though, it's a reminder that it's okay to be different, and Alanna's own struggle to find a middle ground between her fake persona and the one society expects her to have.Read if you like: Strong female characters, adventure, sword and sorcery.