A girl aspiring to be a knight...it's familiar- just a different context. (Page - Tamora Pierce)

Member Name: regal_eagle

Product:	Page - Tamora Pierce
Date:	14/11/05 (162 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good read for teenagers

Disadvantages: Can repeat itself at times

Page is a typical guide to Tamora Pierce's numerous books. Though most of them are part of different series, they are all interlinked by characters (who appear as grown-ups later on), the fantasy land of Tortall and its creatures.

If you like that sort of stuff, then you will like Tamora Pierce's writings. She is a popular writer with children who like Harry Potter and historical fantasy.

Page is the second of her stories that I read, after First Test which preceeds it. They are part of the Protetor of the Small the quartet which is in itself self containing, though it actually follows on from the Song of the Lioness series. Its not important to read the latter before reading First Test but you will find that if you want to read the Lioness series after you are aware of part of the story, which can be a bit annoying. However, it would be better if First Test is read before Page.

Personally, I am not overly enthusiastic about the book- it is not like some of the historical fiction written by Terry Deary (that's just brilliant stuff!).

On the other hand I was impressed by the accuracy of fighting moves and military understanding. I'd better explain what it's all about...

Set in the days of noble knights striving to aid maidens in distress, a young girl wishes to enter the Palace school to pave her way to knighthood.
After passing her probation year (First Test) as a page, she continues the remaining of her training in Page. This expands over 3 years.

Alot of her physial education consists of learning to fight and ride (what is typically needed to be a knight)- Pierce spends alot of time covering these aspects. Her moral training comes from her peers- dealing with bullies (some gorgeous black eyes here!), and protecting those weaker than herself.

More of the interesting parts are confrontations with mythical creatures which are actually quite original, like Spidrens which are half human and half spider (there's a sickening part in First Test where one starts to eat a kitten...).

Page also covers relationships developed between Keladry and the boys she studies with and how she strives and succeeds in proving herself equal to them in every way- as a noble and as a knight. Alot of her friends are important nobility and some even royalty.

Alot of the time she has to combat the misconceptions held by males that it is the women that need to be protected. This is still a quite recent issue and is relevent to the world today, too.

She has many enemies who want to prevent her from succeeding but she has as many allies.

Our heroine is strong and skilled in martial arts- a forbidding enemy. She is also realistically not without weaknesses- the chief of it being her fear of heights. This is cruelly taken advantage of by her bitter foes...

And then there's the mysterious benefactor...who sends her such expensive and useful gifts? That is the mystery question (lol).

I've read the first book of Lioness and I preferred that more, to tell the truth. I think Keladry was created because of the success of the Lioness quartet.

Even though I've given such a neutral review, I will still be reading the rest of Tamora Pierce's books! The plots are intriguing though the style of writing could be made more archaic because at times it feels too contemporary to suit the 'King Arthur' settings. I know I wouldn't notice it if I had been 12 so I'm sure your kids will like the books.



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Amazon


Paperback 240 pages (December 10, 2004)
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Language: English
ISBN: 0439968119

List Price: £5.99
Amazon Price: £4.79


(or just borrow it from your library, lol)

Summary: A story of noble Knights- one of whom is a girl...