Song of the Lioness

Alanna of Trebond may be a girl of noble birth, but she will not be sentenced to the life of a well-mannered young lady. Alanna dreams of becoming a knight of the realm of Tortall, and neither her gender nor her father’s orders will stop her. Though Alanna’s father is preparing her twin brother, Thom, for the path to knighthood, he dreams of studying sorcery. To forge their own destinies, the two hatch a cunning plan: Alanna will disguise herself as a boy and take Thom’s place while he learns the art of magic.

Alanna of Trebond is no ordinary girl: her dream is to become a knight. So she disguises herself as a boy and begins training at the palace of King Roald. Alanna quickly finds out that the road to knighthood is not an easy one, but her skills and stubborness help her become friends with Prince Jonathan and his followers. At the same time, Alanna makes an enemy of the prince's uncle, the overly charming Duke Roger.

Disguised as a boy, Alanna of Trebond becomes a squire—to none other than the prince of the realm. But Prince Jonathan is much more to Alanna; he is her ally, her best friend, and one of the few who knows that she's really a girl. Now it will take all of Alanna's awesome skill, strength, and growing magical powers to protect him from the mysterious evil sorcerer who is bent on his destruction—and hers!

Alanna’s journey continues, now as a squire to Prince Jonathan, the heir to the throne. But Jonathan is more than just her prince. He is also her best friend. No one else knows the secret she’s been keeping for years: to them, Alanna is Alan, a boy pursuing knighthood like any other young man of his rank.

Now a knight of Tortall, with her gender no longer a secret, Alanna embarks on her next adventure to the edge of the realm. Captured for the crime of trespassing, Alanna is sentenced to a duel to the death. But the Woman Who Rides Like a Man is not so easy to kill. Though the duel is won, the battle is just beginning. When Alanna is named the Bazhir people’s first female shaman, she is tasked with training her successors. But first, she must overcome their fears of magic, for the sake of all Tortall.

A knight at last, Alanna of Trebond heads out to seek adventure in the desert of Tortall. Captured by desert tribesmen, she is forced to prove herself in a magical duel to the death. But her real challenge doesn't come until after she wins. As the first female shaman, Alanna must fight to change the ancient traditions of the stubborn desert tribes, for their own sake and for the sake of all Tortall.

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.

With brilliant new livery to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this ground-breaking high fantasy series, Alanna the Lioness – the first woman knight – rides again. Forty years on from first publication, The Song of the Lioness Quartet retains its warmth, adventure and steel, sealing this coming-of-age tale as a timeless masterpiece.