5 Reasons Why I Like The Song of the Lioness Quartet

1. Alanna might not be the first girl to disguise herself as a boy but her reason is by far my favorite.  She wants to be a knight and nothing's more bad-ass than that.  Alanna doesn't allow herself to quit; she practices longer and harder than her fellow pages and squires.  I love that she perseveres against all odds to prove that she is in fact worthy of the knighthood.

2. Alanna makes strong friendships that last over the 10+ years covered by the books. They grow and change as the characters grow and change - which is amazing. As someone who loves a good dynamic character, I cannot tell you how obnoxious I find stagnate characters.  I know that stagnate characters have their place in books, but I'm impressed with Tamora Pierce's ability to grow even the smallest characters.  

3. Several minor characters have a purpose later in the series. Frequently minor characters get lost and forgotten over a series.  They'll play their part and then disappear, but Tamora Pierce cleverly ties in several minor characters to Alanna later in the series.  You can tell Pierce loves her characters because she treats them all very well, even those that don't deserve it.  

4. In this medieval realm, noble women, like Alanna, are sent to become ladies.  However, she doesn't let traditional customs hold her back.  This is indicative of who she is:  She is headstrong and courageous, intelligent and loyal, and most of all she is a woman.  Alanna makes decisions based on what's best for her.  She doesn't worry about how other people perceive her, especially when she chooses to do something that is not considered lady-like.

5.  Generally, I'm not much of a cat person.  I mean they're cute and all, but they shed like crazy and that turns me off.  However, Faithful is one of my favorite characters in this series.  He is Alanna's familiar and he chooses when to speak and when to stay silent, but he always speaks up when he thinks she's making a silly decision.  He makes teases Alanna, which is hilarious.  He is able to talk to anyone he choose, but they can only understand him when he chooses.  He acts as a conscious for Alanna in times of need and is quite content to lay about the castle otherwise.