Usually, the last book of a series tends to let me down. You spend hours of your time reading the adventure and it just seems the ending can't hold up to it. Not so with the Song of the Lioness Quartet. If anything, there was even more adventure, more fights, and the emotional intensity left me almost in tears a couple times. The final fight was spectacular. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages.

In this book, Roger is back, having been resurrected by Thom. The corruption, though, is killing Alanna's brother. Not only that, the king and queen are dead and it's Jonathan's time to ascend to the throne. Though Roger claims his magic is gone, Alanna doesn't believe him. Attempts on Jon's life lead her to think he's after the throne one more time.

This is the best book of the series. I can honestly find no faults with it. I can't even say I'm reading this through "rose tinted glasses" (thanks flissp :P) because I honestly don't remember reading this book when I was younger. Maybe I didn't make it this far in the series or maybe I've just forgotten it, but I felt I was reading this book for the first time and it held up to standards most books meant for adults can't make. Pierce's writing is also loads better, and her fighting scenes much more suspenseful, than they were at the beginning of the series. Seeing such a drastic improvement in a such a short span of time, I can't wait to read the rest of her books. I know they'll be great! ( )

Upon receiving this last book in Tamora Pierce's fabulous Song of the Lioness quartet, I must admit I was worried. Okay, not truly worried, but nervous that Pierce wouldn't be able to address my many questions and thoughts properly in this last book. Then I noticed the book was over 400 pages and I knew Pierce had given herself plenty of space to discuss each facet of Alanna's story in the detail it deserved. I was not disappointed - shame on me for even doubting.Alanna of Trebond, the only female Knight of Tortall, has achieved her dream. She has gained her knights shield, she has had numerous adventures, and her fame with sword and magic have spread all over the country. I just loved it when everyone is talking about how the little girls in the streets play "Alanna and Duke Roger!" Let's hear it for female role models! But her Gift keeps warning her that all is not right with her friends in beloved Tortall. In order to save Tortall from dissension and sorcery, Alanna must obtain the Jewel of Dominion, the one thing that, if used wisely, can have great power for good. Several of Alanna's old enemies resurface (ones I had thought were gone for good) are they prove to be more deadly and conniving than ever and it will take everything Alanna and her friends have to combat these old foes.Alanna's faithful friends are never far from the action including the much changed Prince Jonathan, Myles (her adopted father), gruff Coram, her cat Faithful, and of course the lovable George. She is even joined on this adventure by some new faces - a Shang warrior and an outcast princess - who brought additional depth to Alanna's character. I was so pleased with Alanna's choices in this book - she truly proves herself to be a strong woman and a knight and I couldn't have enjoyed reading her story more. ( )

Alanna goes on a quest to find the Dominion Jewel, a legendary stone said to bring prosperity to the land or any ruler to wield it. Meanwhile, she has a feeling that all is not right in Tortall.

I liked this least of all of the books in the quartet because all the little annoyances in the first three books built up and became big annoyances to me in the fourth. I was irritated by the wording of sentences, the easy way Alanna has of going through lovers (three in three books? really?) and the fact that the part of the story I was really interested at the end of [The Woman Who Rides Like a Man] didn't get addressed until the second half of the book. It probably would have gotten a higher rating if I had taken more time between books 3 and 4. ( )

Excellent book, amazing plot, fast-paced and unpredictable. ( )

Awesome, very good book to end an incredible series (or quartet, rather). I don't want to give anything away, but I don't think anyone whose read the first three will be disappointed in this book-everything FINALLY comes to a conclusion, for better or for worse. Its also good to know that there are two other quartets that are set in the land of Tortall, The Immortals takes place pretty soon after this book ends, which is great for people who are hooked on the characters and can't wait to keep reading more. ( )

This book was the BEST of the series! It held me till the end- especially at the end. I couldn't put the book down at all! Alanna fulfills her own destiny, as well as restoring the realm of Tortall. It saddens me that some of her greatest sorrows occur in this book, but they are balanced with her greatest triumphs. I do find myself wishing to follow her still, witnessing her life and going about telling her tales in song as the bards would for ages to come. ( )

I love this series, it is feminist without being preachy or obvious, and written for the growing preteen. There is not always a clear right or wrong answer. And Alanna is complex 3-dimensional person. ( )

Finally, I've come to the end of the first quartet of Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. Thrillingly, this book opens with Alanna switching from being in a love triangle to a love parallelogram. It was tedious enough to see her waffling between two lovers, so why not throw in a third? Fortunately, in the Land of Magic, you can have consequence-free casual sex. Like The Woman Who Rides Like a Man before it, this is a somewhat disjointed book, and each half is of varying quality. The first half, featuring Alanna on a quest for a Magic Maguffin, is actually fairly good. The second half, however, gets bogged down in the return of the world's most underwhelming and unsurprising villain, Duke Roger. Oh, and Alanna's brother dies, but it's got all the emotional impact of a character death in Torchwood since he's only been in three other scenes in the whole series. At the very least, though, Alanna finally chooses a boyfriend and stops whining about how much attention she gets from the opposite sex. Even if the person she chooses is Creepy George, King of the Thieves, I'll take what I can get.

After spending a year in the desert, Alanna learns of a wonderful adventure concerning a mythical object. She goes on a journey to find the Dominion Jewel, meeting several interesting characters who come into play in later books along the way. The story comes full circle with Alanna back in Corus and ready to face what she should do with her life after going on adventures for the past few years. This is a wonderful thrilling adventure tale with humor and strong female characters leading the way.

Awsome. ( )

Basic Reason for Beginning: I finish series. Besides, I have to read the whole thing if I'm going to see if I can write an essay on it, haven't I?
Basic Reason for Finishing: *points up*

Full review here.

Mmmm... Yes. Final verdict: very disappointing, especially considering the glimpses of Something in the previous three. Wouldn't recommend them, except maybe to small girl whom you want to introduce to the genre or to younger(ish) non-native speakers learning English. ( )

Alanna is in search of adventure, one that will make for a glorious quest. She sets out to bring the Dominion Jewel back to Corus. The Shang Dragon makes a wonderful addition to my favorite character list. It's a beautiful wrap up for the wuartet with all the characters we've come to know in the set brought into play, plus a few new ones too. ( )

This book was a fitting end to the series, and was actually a lot better than the previous books. It contained several self-contained adventures, the end wrapped up things from this book and from previous books, and didn't feel tacked on. The new characters were by-and-large interesting and sympathetic additions, unlike third book. My one complaint is really that I wanted more - more of some of the characters from the first few books, more scenes with interactions between the characters, etc. In any case, the ending certainly left me wanting to read the next series in the Tortall universe. ( )

The fourth book in the Song of the Lioness quartet. I liked this book better than the second and third in the series. Maybe because Alanna is finally growing up and dealing with issues as an adult.

Great conclusion to a great series! ( )