Lioness Rampant

 Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce 336 pages 

Summary: At last, Alanna of Trebond has become the first female knight errant in Tortall. She sets out on an impossible quest to find the Dominion Jewel, a legendary gem that, in the right hands, has limitless power for good. But while she searches for the one thing that can save her war-torn country, her nemesis returns from the dead and begins to wreak havoc. Only Alanna has the power to prevent Tortall's utter destruction...

In this final verse of the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna grows from heroine into legend.

My Thoughts: Alanna has worked hard to become a knight but still has to face one last obstacle. This novel turns Alanna from a female knight, into a hero that will be sung about for ages. She has embraced her magic and her title, but is restless and needs to prove herself. This book also touches on Alanna's internal turmoil of how to be a lady knight AND a mother. If she could even consider herself to allow herself to marry. To face her fears about love and marriage and to face them. The book shows how much Alanna has grown over the entirety of the 4 books and brings the series to a great end.