The Song of the Lioness

Although Tamora Pierce typically writes for the 'young adult' she is one of my favorite authors. Her stories are humorous, exciting, and have just enough romance to keep my attention. I was introduced to her work when I picked up a paperback copy of the first book in The Song of the Lioness Quartet.

The series is a story about a young girl, Alanna, who disguises herself as a boy so she can become a knight. As you can imagine things don't go quite like she had planned. One thing leads to another and soon Alanna's secret is in the hands of two men. One is a street rat and the other is the crown prince. A marriage proposal ensues.

So, because I don't want to ruin it for you I'll leave it at that with a little snippet:

"Do you love [him]?

Alanna scratched [her cats] ears, her violet eyes sad. "Love's wonderful, but it is not enough to keep us together for years of marriage. I'm not sure if I'm ready; I'm not sure if [he's] ready. I have to be sure..." she smiled. "Yes, I love him. That's the whole problem." -The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Song of the Lioness Book 3

Then from (brace yourself for cheesy here) Fergie's Big Girl's Don't Cry:

The path that I'm walkin', I must go alone
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending, do they?
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay

I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, myself and I
We've got some straightenin' out to do

And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry

Blogger's note: This fairytale doesn't end sad, just so you know. ;)

Book: Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce from The Song of the Lioness Quartet
Music: Big Girls Don't Cry by Fergie
Image Source: Cover of the Lioness Rampant