As previously mentioned, I love Twilight, and lucky for us fans, with the success of the series the teen fantasy genre is booming more so than ever! Now, I know a very popular comlpaint of those who read Twilight is Bella and her damsel-in-distress routine. Here is a book series I find you'll enjoy if you're looking for a fantasy with a strong female heroine

Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce - This is the tale of Alanna of Trebond, a 10-years old girl who wants to become a knight, so in order to fulfill her dreams, switches places with her twin brother Alan and goes to the capital of the Kingdom of Tortall to become a page. Chronicles her journey, adventure, and growth over the course of four books and it's really a treat to watch Alanna prove herself worthy of fighting among men and, in the later books, try to balance being a 'man' and a woman (intriguing romances - I will say, most of the books I'll be posting about will probably have some love story or romantic elements because I'm a romantic fool). This is a great read for anyone who is interested in a well balanced story that offers a bit of everything and strong characters! The one weakness I'll grant it is that initially the writing seems a little immature and weak, but this is a work of teen fiction, and the first book is about children and pre-teens essentially. As you read the later books the content reflects the ages and seriousness of the plot situations.

***** 5 stars! (from here on out, I'll be giving a rating from 1 - 5 demonstrating how well I enjoyed the read)

Includes the following four titles:
1. Alanna: The First Adventure
2. In the Hand of the Goddess
3. The Woman Who Rides like a Man
4. Lioness Rampant