First Test (Tamora Pierce)

Author Biography

Tamora Pierce has written numerous renowned fantasy novels, set in either the “Tortall” universe or the “Circle” universe. In  2013 she received the Margaret A. Edwards award for her body of work.

Published By: Random House Inc.

Year: 1999

ISBN: 0-679-88914-0

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

As the first openly female page in Tortall, Kel is an outcast among the boys and disdained by conservative adults. But she stands firm in her goal of becoming a knight to protect those in need.

Plot Summary:

Fourteen years after Alanna the Lioness became Tortall’s only lady knight, ten-year-old Keladry of Mindalen resolves to follow in her footsteps. Unlike Alanna, who earned her shield disguised as a boy, Kel becomes the court’s first openly female page, and the misogynistic backlash she faces is daunting. Training master Lord Wyldon places her on a year’s probation, reserving the right to send her home if she fails to “keep up.” She faces shunning, hazing and bullying from the other pages as well – all except Neal, her mentor and only friend. Few expect her to stay long.

But Kel refuses to give up. Following the example of the Yamani warriors she admires, she soldiers through all adversity with calm, stony stoicism. No matter how difficult the task – wielding a weighted lance, handling a bad-tempered horse, or conquering her fear of heights – she lets none defeat her. And while she tolerates whatever is dealt to her, she refuses to let others be bullied. Nothing can deter her from the knightly ideals of courage, justice, and above all, protecting the powerless and downtrodden.

Critical Evaluation:

In this first book of the Protector of the Small quartet, the third series set in Tortall, Tamora Pierce retreads the path of her first Tortall series, Song of the Lioness. Once again we follow the journey of a girl training for knighthood. But this is no Lioness remake. Where Alanna spent her page years hiding her gender, Kel faces the different hardships that result from openly training as a girl. Where Alanna was a firebrand, Kel is characterized by quiet, steady determination and the emotional reserve of the Yamani Islands (Tortall’s equivalent of Japan) where she grew up. Nor does Kel have any inborn magic; nor do her knightly aspirations stem from Alanna’s longing to escape from highborn womanhood’s restrictions, but instead from a fierce desire to protect others.

Compared to the Lioness and Immortals books, First Test is a low-key affair. While there is a climactic battle against monstrous animals, no truly epic action or threats to the kingdom occur. We simply follow Kel’s everyday struggles throughout her first, probational year of training. This is a character-driven work, headed by perhaps the most unique Tortall heroine thus far. A heroine whose core quality is the “feminine” trait of compassion for all creatures, but whose compassion manifests in the “masculine” goal of becoming a protective warrior and in the “masculine” firmness and stoicism she needs to achieve that goal. Some readers might complain that Kel’s inner voice feels more like a young adult’s than a ten-year-old child’s, but at least it’s clear that Pierce meant her to be mature for her age. She ends the book still a “raw beginner” of a page, but having achieved more than anyone else expected of her, and leaves us eager to see what will happen to her next.

Curriculum Ties:

•Fantasy worlds

•Feminism

Challenge Issues:

•Violence

•Disturbing imagery

•Bodily function references

Why This Book?

While less of a high-stakes epic than its Song of the Lioness and Immortals predecessors, First Test is still a worthy, engaging addition to the “Tortall” universe. It promises that the Protector of the Small quartet will be yet another series rich with excitement, appealing characters and no shortage of feminism.