In the Hand of the Goddess
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Original Atheneum U.S. hardcover of the book featuring the title character. | |
| Author | Tamora Pierce |
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| Cover Artist | David Weisner |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Song of the Lioness |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Atheneum Books |
| Released | 1984 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 232 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-689-31054-4 (first edition, hardback) |
| Preceded by | Alanna: The First Adventure |
| Followed by | The Woman Who Rides Like a Man |
In the Hand of the Goddess is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the second in a series of four books, The Song of the Lioness. It details the squire- and knighthood of Alanna of Trebond, who has hidden her real sex in order to become a knight.
[edit] Plot introduction
Alanna, now squire to none other than Prince Jonathan of Conte, has to protect her knight and friend through their first war with Tusaine. She slowly learns more about her gift, using it primarily to heal, and continues to hide her true sex while both George and Jon have fallen in love with her. She continues to be suspicious of and protect her liege from his cousin Roger, on the way to her becoming a knight.
[edit] Plot summary
In this second book of the quartet, Alanna meets the Goddess face to face and is given an amulet of sorts that allows her to see magic. She also picks up a black cat named Faithful with purple eyes like her own along the way. This Faithful becomes a familiar of sorts, because he is able to speak to Alanna and aid her learning.
As she progresses into knighthood, Alanna's feminine side is nurtured as well. She goes to George Cooper's mother, the healer Eleni, after she has her first monthly bleeding. After a few visits Alanna decides she wants to be pretty. Eleni, thus, takes Alanna under her wing and secretly helps her unravel her masculine presentation, teaching her the nuances of being a gracious woman. The change does not go unnoticed by George or Prince Jonathan, the only two with whom she has shared her secret. Though George has pursued Alanna since her pagehood, Jonathan realizes the woman at his hands and decides to teach Alanna about sexuality.
Alanna sees herself and her friends through her first war, and eventually has to kill Duke Roger of Conte, her prince's cousin and next in line after him. Roger, it seemed, had the plan of arranging Jonathan's death and inheriting the throne. She is also knighted and sheds her disguise after a mishap with Roger during their battle.
Deciding not to stay in City Corus, Alanna with her horse Moonlight, Faithful, and her longtime servant-man (and self-appointed bodyguard) Coram set off for the South.
[edit] Characters in "In the Hand of the Goddess"
- Alanna of Trebond - heroine and focus of the book/series; now squire to Prince Jonathan
- Jonathan of Conté - heir to the throne of Tortall
- Gareth of Naxen the Younger - one of Alanna's friends
- Raoul of Goldenlake - another one of Alanna's friends
- Alex of Tirragen - yet another friend of Alanna's
- George Cooper - the King of the Thieves who also knows of Alanna's true sex
- Roger of Conté - Jonathan's powerful magician cousin, Alanna has her own suspicions about him
