This is a graphic adaptation of one of Tamora Pierce's classic Tortall books. See my review of the original novel for my thoughts on the story itself. As an adaptation, this was enjoyable, but far too short to capture the charming details of the novel. I imagine that readers unfamiliar with the story already will struggle to follow some of the storyline or differentiate characters. Certain scenes would have benefited from having establishing shots or more exposition. The artwork is good overall, but fans of Pierce's work will notice inconsistencies with character artwork—mostly with regard to ages. Alanna, who appears only briefly at the beginning of the comic, looks far too young. Neal also looks a bit young in my opinion, as he is five years older than Kel, and Daine looks much too old when she is only two years older than Neal. I'm also baffled at how Kel's dresses were drawn: they look straight out of the 1950s rather than the Middle Ages! I enjoyed revisiting this world, but would recommend new readers start with the novels rather than this lackluster adaptation. Hopefully those who do begin their Tamora Pierce journey here will go on to seek out the originals.

TW: misogyny, bullying, spiders, weapon violence, fire, animal cruelty and death

Getting to revisit First Test by Tamora Pierce again for the first time was truly an honor and delight, and I can't say enough about how well this graphic novel does it justice and how excited I am to read more of these.

I became a fan of Keladry many moons ago, for her passion for animals, and what is right and because she reminded me of myself taller and stocky I adore getting to see the illustrations of Keadry starting and feeling so right and adding some fun depth to her story. I can't get over how funny it was to see a certain wizard for the first time, or how much I loved seeing the horses!

This is a lot faster to consume if you've always wanted to jump into the world of Tortal or love tales of Knights but the original copy seems daunting.

If you have been a Tamora Pierce fan, love fantasy, or are a graphic novel / Manga reader, I highly recommend this book. It's true to the original, with added comedic depth and detail in these delightful illustrations.

As a longtime fan of Tamora Pierce, I was excited to see that Kel's story was coming out in a graphic format. But it was more in the, "That's cool!" way. Maybe it would reach a new, younger audience, and that was great, but the original would be hard to beat.

Well, what do I know? Do I still want to reread the original after reading this? Yes? Was it 100% worth it to read it to see the lively and colorful illustrations bringing all the characters to life? Also, YES. It's friendly to people who are new to Tortall, and will hopefully get readers interested in the original quartet. The visuals added so much to the story, and I kind of want to read them side by side now. What an absolutely gorgeous adaptation of a beloved series! I am getting it for my library, and my library at home. I can't wait to (hopefully!) see the rest of the quartet be brought to life in a similar fashion!

And I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Circle of Magic books, because those would translate beautifully to graphic novels if the artwork is anywhere near this quality. Full credit from me to everyone involved in this project, what a great job!

This is a serviceable adaptation of Tamora Pierce's First Test, the first in the Protector of the Small Quartet. The Cartooning is expressive, and the framing is clear, but the color and action is a little flat. Still, it's First Test! It's fun!

This was such a cute read. I love all of Tammy's works and this is one of my favorites after Daine's story. Kel's story is a lot more shorter than the actual books and skips over a lot... but at the core of it, this was really well done. It got all the main points and all the of the struggles that she faces. This is an excellent gateway for middle grade into reading young adult. I adored this and the artwork. Im happy to see it so well done.

Ten-year-old Keladry has been accepted as the first girl to train for knighthood in the kingdom of Tortall - with one catch. Lord Wyldon, the training master, has placed her under a year's probation, which has never been required of a boy. In addition, Kel must endure hazing from her fellow pages and disapproval from those who believe girls should stay in their place. But Kel is determined to show them all that girls are just a capable as boys!

I have been a huge fan Ms. Pierce's books since my own middle school days when her Alanna series first came out in the early 80's. I have read EVERYTHING she has ever written and I have re-read the Alanna set every year since my teens. So you can understand my excitement to receive a copy from NetGalley of Tamora Pierce's FIRST TEST GRAPHIC NOVEL!

The artwork is very well done and draws you into Pierce's world. Having pictured these characters for years, it was interesting to see them in another light. The graphic novel format is a very popular media for tweens/teens and, as a librarian, another way for me to segue students into reading the novel series after reading the graphic version.

That said, the graphic format was too limiting to truly do the novel justice, or at least in one graphic novel. It may have been best to break it up into more than one volume. There was so much that had to be left out or scenes abridged. I felt a lot was missing. Someone who has never read the books may not feel or experience the same limitation, but as a long-time fan it was a bit disappointing.

Overall I would purchase for my collection, both personal and professionally, as students will enjoy this coming-of-age classic! [And I buy everything Pierce!]

I enjoyed this graphic adaptation of Tamara Pierce’s work. As a middle school librarian, I’m excited to have a fresh way to introduce my students to the fantastic Pierce fantasy worlds. I just hope the story translates to new readers since so much was cut.

I loved reading Tamara Pierce when I was in middle school and high school. I first discovered the Protector of the Small quartet in the local public library; it was my introduction to the works of Tamara Pierce. Her books were groundbreaking, and surprisingly not very well known. I was excited that one of her books was being adapted into a graphic novel, though a bit surprised that it was the first Protector of the Small book. Kel's story and books were preceded by Alanna's Song of the Lioness books. Kel's books, particularly the first one, are much less action packed, and Ken is much more introspective. Kel talking to the birds was a nice way to show some of her thoughts and emotions- one of the character's traits was that she preferred to keep her emotions hidden, to the point that it earned her a nickname.
Other thoughts
*at the end of the book there was a cast of characters and a glossary. It would have been nice if the cast of characters had included pictures of each of the characters
*I'm glad that I was already very familiar with the original story. Readers who are not may find it confusing, as the book is very condensed and leaves out details.
*the original books had a map of Tortall and the other lands. Strangely, the graphic novel did not.
*illustrated spidrens are absolutely horrifying
*Neal and Lord Wyldon were absolutely perfectly drawn
*Joren's hairstyle looked rather strange
*I loved the use of the picture of bells and "clang clan clang clang" in between scenes and lessons
*It would be wonderful if Alanna The First Adventure was adapted into a graphic novel. The age difference between her and George did not age very well (she is 10 and he is 17 and already King of Thieves/the Rogue when they first met). Instead, George could be 13-14 and a thief with ambitions when they meet, and become King of Thieves after she finishes page training

I am a huge Tamora Pierce fan and especially love Kel! I was so excited to see that her story was being turned into a graphic novel. While of course some parts of the book don’t make it in, I think the most important parts of Kel’s story were kept.

I really love how Kel’s first adventure is portrayed. Beloved lines of dialogue will be recognizable to readers who have read the original book. The art was beautiful and designed with care. I hope that this book brings even more readers into the Tamora Pierce world and creates even more accessibility. I loved First Test and would highly recommend it to anyone!

Readers who enjoy strong characters determined to fight for what’s right, lovable characters, and adventure need to read this graphic novel. I can’t wait to see the story continue!

Thank you to Tamora Pierce, Random House Graphic, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

This is a super fun piece to add to those that are fond of the classic older series by tamora pierce. It adds this stunning visual effect to the tale many of us grew up with. This can easily be read even if you’ve not read the others before it, but would ideally be preferred for a bit more character context.
The color palettes I wish were more vibrant? But it fits the story best as is so it’s of not a fault just a personal preference.
Can’t wait for the release and to require all these old tales I adored as a preteen so that I can have them for my children as they get older.

As a big fan of Song of the Lioness series, I was thrilled to jump into a graphic novel adaption of The Protector of the Small first installment. Unfortunately, there was a lot of this that fell flat me me and left me which I had read the book instead.

Not having read the novel this was adapted from was a huge mistake. This graphic novel adaption leaves out a lot of details that made it rather confusing at first. I didn't understand exactly what was going on and spent a good portion of the beginning of this playing catch-up.

Despite playing catch-up through a good portion of this story, I did fall in love with Keladry. She has such a fierce determination that manages to shine through this graphic novel. Her determination and personality have left me exciting to find the novel and dive into that.

The art was also incredibly well done. It was clear and there was never any question of what the images were meant to portray.

While I think the graphic novel is a way for the reader to fall in love with Keladry, I think it's at most a confusing introduction. If you've read the novel, this could be a great, quick way to go back and revisit and I do think I would only recommend it if you've read the novel.

First Test Graphic Novel is an adaptation of the first book in the Protectors of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce.
Keladry of Mindelan wants nothing more than to be a knight. Lord Wyldon has other ideas however and doesn’t support the decree that women can become knights. She grew up in the Yamani Islands with diplomat parents and learned the ways of their martial arts and diplomacy at a young age. Unfortunately, this sets her apart from the other pages. Not one to back down Keladry is determined to prove the world that there can be more than one lady knight.
I have long been a Tamora Pierce fan. I found the Song of the Lioness Quartet at a book fair in high school and never looked back. Having previously read The Protector of the Small Quartet, I was very excited to see it turned into a graphic novel. I think that this is going to help it reach a new audience and that is amazing. My only qualm is that in making this graphic novel things were left out. I don’t feel how important the sparrows are really translated to the graphic novel and I don’t remember her naming them in it. I would equate it to when a book is made into a movie not everything is in it. Over all it’s a fun read and while not as impactful to me, I think someone who reads mainly graphic novels will love it.
I received an arc and am leaving this review of my volition.

As a long time Tamora Pierce fan, this was a delightful and nostalgic rendering of my favorite character and I am excited for the rest of the series. Kel has been one of my favorite characters in literature for the last twenty years and this does her justice. I don't believe it's as good as the original text, but I doubt any abridged version of the story could be. I really just wish it could be longer to include more detail. First time readers may not enjoy this as thoroughly as prior fans.

First Test is an empowering story about a young girl as she trains to become a knight despite bullies trying to convince her to go home. I really enjoyed the art style, and the story is gripping enough that I want to read book 2.

I received an ARC from Random House Children's | Random House Graphic via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have ALWAYS been a fan of Tamora Pierce, especially growing up with her books and idolizing some of the characters. I am so so happy to see this become a graphic novel for younger generations to enjoy as it tells an excellent story without any sexism and is a treat for kids and adults alike.

Thank you to Random House for approving me for the e-arc of this book! Protector of the Small is such a special series to me and First Test was the first book I read by Tamora Pierce when I was 13 years old. Now as a 33 year old, Tammy is my all time favorite author and to this day Keladry of Mindelan is my moral compass of what is good and just and noble. This was a lovely adaptation, and I found myself weeping throughout to see some of my favorite characters brought to life. I have a few quibbles (Raoul is kind of silly as a red head and Neal should have def been been taller), but overall this was wonderful. I am so looking forward to the rest of the series and hope to see some other Tammy series turned into graphic novels!

(Also what a dreamy character design for Numair!)

I love everything Tamora Pierce!

I absolutely adored this adaptation of First Test. I’ve always wanted some kind of show or movie adaptation of Tammy’s work, but a graphic novel is pretty close!

The story was just as lovable as it was when I was a kid! The art was well done. I hope that this will continue and the whole Tortall universe is adapted into graphic novels!

In the medieval and fantastic realm of Tortall, Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that permits females to train for knighthood.

Tamora Pierce is an expert at writing gripping fantasy stories geared toward younger girls and this book is no exception. Very well done!

First Test was a delightful middle grade adventure. I found the art style lovely, the characters were believable, and I am genuinely interested to see where this series goes!

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC and amazing read! This graphic novel adaptation of 'First Test' is a masterpiece, capturing the original Tamora Pierce's beloved tale with stunning artwork. It's a refreshing twist on the classic knight's journey, following Keladry's quest for knighthood in a world resistant to change. The artwork breathes new life into the story while staying true to the original dialogue and mood. For fans of the Protector of the Small series, this adaptation is a must-read, with action, adventure, and the power of a fantastic new format. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!