Alanna (The Song of the Lioness)
| Alanna of Trebond | |
|---|---|
| The Song of the Lioness character | |
 Cover of Alanna: The First Adventure, Alanna's first appearance. | |
| Created by | Tamora Pierce |
| Information | |
| Aliases |
Alan of Trebond Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau The Lioness |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Knight |
| Title |
The King's Champion Baroness of Pirate's Swoop |
| Spouse(s) | George Cooper |
| Children | Thom of Pirate's Swoop, Alan of Pirate's Swoop, Alianne Crow |
| Relatives | Thom of Trebond (Brother) |
| Major Appearances | |
| Alanna: The First Adventure, In the Hand of the Goddess, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Lioness Rampant | |
Alanna of Trebond is a fictional character in Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe. She is the main character in The Song of the Lioness series and a minor character in a number of others. A young noble girl, Alanna disguised herself as a boy by the name of Alan, and trained to become a knight. Her true identity was eventually discovered, but she went on to become the first female knight in Tortall in a hundred years and the King's Champion.
Character
Although noble-born girls usually go to the convent to learn how to be noblewomen, Alanna and her twin brother Thom devise a plan to send her to learn to be a knight instead. Alanna is a stubborn tomboy with a temper, but she earns the trust of her fellow knights in training; George Cooper, the king of thieves; and Jonathan, prince of Tortall. Alanna often questions her own character because of her double identity, small size, and magical abilities, but she leans to ovecome that as she becomes a knight. As a grown woman, she was a talented warrior, but neglected being a part of her children's lives growing up because of her work.[1] Alanna has coppery red hair and purple eyes, with purple magic to match.
Storylines
Alanna: The First Adventure
See Alanna: The First Adventure.
Alanna: the First Adventure follows Alanna's growth as a page in the royal court, where she keeps her gender a secret, while learning to fence, fight, ride, and study alongside the male pages. Alanna befriends the heir to the throne and the charming King of Thieves, copes with the magical power she possesses and her mistrust of it, faces the palace bully, struggles with her suspicions of the prince's cousin Duke Roger, and finally travels to the southern desert, where the Bazhir tribesmen guard a Black City that has invaded her dreams. There, she and her friend Prince Jonathan defeat the much-feared Ysandir, a race of demons that has kept the Black City captive for generations. In the process, Jonathan learns that Alanna is a girl. Despite this, he chooses her as his squire when he has become a knight.[2]
In the Hand of the Goddess
See In the Hand of the Goddess.
Alanna, now squire to Prince Jonathan of Conte, has to protect her dreams of knighthood and friends through their first war with Tusaine. She slowly learns more about her gift, using it primarily to heal, and continues to hide her true gender while both George and Jon have fallen in love with her. She continues to be suspicious of and protect Jon from his power-mad first cousin, Roger, on the way to her becoming a full-fledged knight.[3]
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
See The Woman Who Rides Like a Man.
A newly knighted Alanna leaves the capital to travel among the Bazhir in the desert, eventually becoming adopted by one of the tribes, though clashing with the tribe's shaman who seeks to destroy her name among the rest of the tribe. After fighting to the death with the shaman for her honor and winning, she has to replace the shaman and cannot leave until she trains another.[4]
Lioness Rampant
See Lioness Rampant.
Alanna, Coram, and her cat Faithful set out on a quest for the 'Dominion Jewel', which grants immense psychokinetic power to any monarch who owns it. The martial artist Liam Ironarm, known as the "Dragon of the Shang," joins them. After recovering the jewel, Alanna returns home only to discover that Prince Jonathan had been made King but not been crowned, and that Alanna's twin brother Thom, to prove himself the most powerful sorcerer in the realm, had resurrected Duke Roger. During Jonathan's coronation ceremony, Thom dies, drained of life by Roger's magic, while Alanna kills Roger. Jonathan is crowned king of Tortall and names Alanna his Champion. He appoints George Cooper baron of Pirate's Swoop, and later Alanna and George marry.[5]
Protector of the Small series
Alanna was a minor character in the Protector of the Small series. She advocated for Keladry becoming a page, but was forbidden contact from her so that the nobles would not be suspicious that she used her magic to help the girl into knighthood. Instead, Alanna became Kel's secret benefactor, not revealing her identity until Kel became a knight. Alanna takes Kel's best friend Nealan of Queenscove as her squire.
The Immortals series
See The Immortals.
Alanna was a minor character in The Immortals series. She became friends with Daine as they fought the Emperor Mage Ozorn together, and she participated in the Immortals War.
Daughter of the Lioness series
Alanna was a minor character in the Daughter of the Lioness series. She was Alianne's mother. She was unaware of her daughter's kidnapping initially. Later, she took part in the Tortallan envoy to recognize Dovasary Balitang as Queen of the Copper Isles, where she reconciled with Alianne, now the Queen's spymaster.[1]
References
- 1 2 Pierce, Tamora (2003-09-23). Trickster's Choice. Random House Children's Books. ISBN 9780375890437.
- ↑ Pierce, Tamora (1984-01-01). Alanna: The First Adventure. Scholastic. ISBN 9780590197960.
- ↑ Pierce, Tamora (1984-01-01). In the Hand of the Goddess. Random House. ISBN 9780679801115.
- ↑ Pierce, Tamora (2011-04-19). The Woman Who Rides Like a Man. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781442427655.
- ↑ Pierce, Tamora (1988-01-01). Lioness Rampant. Random House. ISBN 9780679801139.