Tamora Pierce’s Tortall fantasy world first began with her Song of the Lioness series in 1983, which quickly became a fan-favorite. Pierce’s Tortall world includes twenty books in six separate book series and is known for its strong female characters. Her book series, Protector of the Small, centers on Keladry (Kel), a young girl who longs to become a knight. First Test Graphic Novel is the new graphic novel adaptation of the first book in Kel’s story, and it’s a great entry into the Tortall world!
| Title: First Test Graphic Novel | Original Author: Tamora Pierce |
| Illustrator: Becca Farrow | Adaptation By: Devin Grayson |
| Release Date: July 2, 2024 | Genre: YA/MG Fantasy |
| Publisher: Random House Graphic | Page Count: 160 |
Synopsis
This eagerly awaited graphic novel adaptation of the iconic fantasy novel, First Test, reimagines the classic knight’s tale, but with a twist. In a world not quite ready for her ambition, a determined girl seeks knighthood and finds herself on a mission to prove it.
Keladry is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in her homeland, Tortall–one that allows women to train for knighthood. She knows she’s ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page, but standing in her way is the Knight’s training master, Lord Wyldon.
The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights, and in an attempt to further hold Kel back Lord Wyldon decides that she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even if the test is purposely unfair.
The Protector of the Small series gets its first graphic novel adaptation, bringing to life Tamora Pierce’s best-selling First Test in an exciting new format. This graphic novel story about believing in yourself and overcoming all odds, combines action and adventure in a way that new and old fans of the series will love.
Review:
This was my first entry into Tamora Pierce’s Tortall fantasy series, and I was blown away by the depth and heart put into her world. First Test centers on Kel’s journey to become a page, the first step to becoming a knight. Although she’s allowed to join the school/program to train and study, she’s only entered on a probationary basis. As the only girl in the school, Kel has a lot of people against her. Some of the boys in the program are particularly cruel, and even the program’s leader, Lord Wyldon, is against her being there. Kel remains calm under pressure, though, and keeps working hard.
I really loved Kel as the main character. Not only is she tough and strong-willed, but she also has a gentle nature and a lot of sympathy for small creatures and people around her in trouble. While I loved Kel, I loved her friendships with her male peers even more. During her time in training, Kel makes a lot of friends, and they form a study group that works together. The friendships feel realistic, with small realistic disagreements peppered throughout the book. On top of the great characters, the knighthood school in First Test is amazingly cool! Forget magic schools – I want to go here! Think knights-in-training mixed with a military school with a dash of Hogwarts. It really is as incredible as it sounds!
If you like clean fantasy, fierce young women, and tons of platonic male/female friendships in your books, you shouldn’t miss this graphic novel adaptation of First Test. I imagine this would be a huge hit in classrooms and children’s libraries. I, for one, can’t wait to continue on in this graphic novel series.
Art:
I can’t say enough good things about Becca Farrow’s art in this graphic novel. The world is colored beautifully, with sections that are bright and green and others that are dark and a bit tense. The action scenes are well-drawn and aren’t too scary. I loved the way young Kel was depicted. She looks strong and tough but still completely adorable.
Final Thoughts:
This is easily one of the best middle-grade/young-adult graphic novels I’ve read. I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys fantasy graphic novels.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy. All the above thoughts are my own.
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