The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fantasy literature |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Tamora Pierce |
| Products | Fantasy novel |
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man is a fantasy work authored by Tamora Pierce, serving as the third installment in the The Song of the Lioness series. The narrative centers around Alanna of Trebond as she attains knighthood and integrates into the desert tribes of the Bazhir.
Plot introduction
Following her knighting, Alanna journeys into the Bazhir desert. After her sword breaks during an assault, she is taken in by one of the tribes but soon encounters conflict with their shaman, who aims to undermine her standing. Upon defeating him in battle, she is compelled by tribal law to assume his role and instruct successors before departing. She mentors two female shamans and subsequently returns home to mend her sword.
Plot summary
Alanna, accompanied by her attendant Coram, becomes part of the Bloody Hawk tribe. Having slain the tribe’s elderly shaman who resisted her presence, tribal customs dictate that she must serve as the new shaman until a suitable replacement is trained or a challenger emerges. She selects three Gifted youths—Ishak, Kara, and Kourrem—to receive magical training.
She acquires the previous shaman’s crystal-hilted sword, which bears dark enchantments and symbols associated with Duke Roger, as a substitute for her destroyed blade, Lightning. Concurrently, she endeavors to diminish gender bias within the tribe. Ishak delves into forbidden sorcery, absconds with the crystal sword, but is ultimately destroyed by its corrupting influence. Alanna continues guiding Kara and Kourrem.
The tribe receives visits from Prince Jonathan and Sir Myles of Olau; Jonathan rekindles his relationship with Alanna and proposes marriage, which she postpones. He is adopted into the tribe, becoming the Voice of the Tribes and uniting Bazhir factions—an asset for his eventual reign as King of Tortall. Myles names Alanna his heir. Strain develops when Jonathan presumes their engagement is assured; Alanna’s refusal causes emotional turmoil.
After Kara and Kourrem complete their trials and ascend as shamans—with Kourrem appointed head shaman—Alanna travels to Port Caynn with Coram. There, she briefly engages in a liaison with thief-king George Cooper but declines his invitation to return to Corus. Back in the desert, they are summoned to investigate a village plagued by drought and violence linked to superstition surrounding a sorceress. They rescue her before she dies, leaving Alanna a scroll containing a map to the Dominion Jewel, an ancient source of power. Alanna and Coram embark on a quest to locate it.
Characters
- Alanna of Trebond – Knight and shaman serving the Bazhir
- Jonathan of Conté – Next in line for Tortall’s throne
- George Cooper – Leader of thieves; romantically involved with Alanna
- Myles of Olau – Mentor to Alanna and her adoptive heir
- Ali Mukhtab – Holds title Voice of the Tribes
- Coram Smythesson – Alanna’s attendant
- Kara and Kourrem – Female apprentices trained by Alanna; succeed her as shamans within the Bloody Hawk tribe
- Ishak – Male apprentice shaman who dies attempting to wield the crystal sword
- Halef Seif – Chief of the Bloody Hawk tribe
Further reading
- Frankel, Valerie Estelle. Sirens: Collected Papers 2009-2011. Narrate Conferences, Incorporated, 2012.
- Garner, Alexandra. "Neomedievalism, Feminism, and the Sword in Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness." Children's Literature Association Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 4, 2020, pp. 364–382.
- Hudak, Tina. "The Women Who Rides Like a Man." School Library Journal, vol. 48, no. 8, Aug. 2002, p. 78.
- May, Whitney S. "The Lioness and the Protector: The (Post)Feminist Dialogic of Tamora Pierce's Lady Knights." Children's Literature, vol. 48, no. 1, 2020, pp. 51–79.
- Sahn, Sarah F. "Decolonizing Childhood: Coming of Age in Tamora Pierce’s Fantastic Empire." Children's Literature, vol. 44, no. 1, 2016, pp. 147–171.
- Swank, Kris. "The Child's Voyage and the Immram Tradition in Lewis, Tolkien, and Pullman." Mythlore, vol. 38, no. 1 (135), 2019, pp. 73–96.