First “Song of the Lioness” graphic novel rides into the United States

By John Freeman on May 13, 2025

The first book in bestselling author Tamora Pierce’s award-winning Song of the Lioness quartet, adapted into a full-colour graphic novel, is out now in the United States, adapted by writer Vita Ayala with art by Sam Beck, lettered by Josh Reed.

Song of the Lioness, Book 1: Alanna - The Graphic Novel - Cover

Song of the Lioness, Book 1: Alanna is due for UK release in paperback on 19th June and hardback on 25th August 2025.

Published by Abrams, the book is designed by Andrea Miller and edited was edited by Charlotte Greenbaum.

In this first adventure in the Song of the Lioness quartet, we meet Alanna of Trebond, a young noblewoman from the kingdom of Tortall.

Alanna isn’t like other girls from noble families – what she really wants is to become a knight and earn her shield, something women definitely aren’t allowed to do.

But Alanna will not be deterred, and she arrives in the capital disguised as a boy to begin training as a page, the first step toward becoming a knight. Despite the tough conditions and grueling work, Alanna’s skills and stubbornness win her friends amongst the nobility and the denizens of the lower city. But not everyone wishes her well…

Song of the Lioness, Book 1: Alanna - The Graphic Novel - Cover Sample Art

“I cannot express how blessed I feel to be on this team,” says Vita Ayala on BlueSky of the project. “Sam Beck is a damn rockstar, being her collaborator is such a thrill! Josh Reed’s letters are perfection! Andrea Miller’s design of the book is what dreams are made of!

“Let me be clear,” they add, “when I say that I have never met a bigger fan of Alanna and Tortall than our editor Charlotte Greenbaum. Her drive to get this book into the world carried it from a wish upon a star to the gorgeous, glossy pages reality we can now hold in our hands!”

Tamora Pierce is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 18 novels set in the fantasy realm of Tortall. She is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” Pierce lives in Syracuse, New York, with her husband, Tim, and their cats, birds, and occasional rescued wildlife. Follow her on Instagram for latest news

Vita Ayala is a queer Afro-Puerto Rican writer born and bred in New York City, where they grew up dreaming of dancing on faraway worlds, fighting monsters on the block, and racing the fish along the bottom of the ocean. Their work includes The Wilds (Black Mask Studios), Submerged (Vault), Static (DC Comics), Xena: Warrior Princess (Dynamite), Shuri and New Mutants (Marvel), and Livewire (Valiant), among others.

Sam Beck is an artist living in Toronto, and the author of the fantasy trilogy Verse. She has worked with publishers like Dark Horse and Vault Comics on multiple series spanning across science fiction, fantasy, and horror. When she’s not working on her comics, you can find her admiring the forests of northern Ontario.

• Song of the Lioness, Book 1: Alanna – The Graphic Novel is available now in the United States and due for UK release in paperback on 19th June and hardback on 25th August 2025 (uk.bookshop.org Affiliate Links)

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.