The Lions of Al-Rassan
core novel 1995 The Lions of Al-Rassan / The Sarantine Mosaic
Record
| First published | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.30 (28,213 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 528 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780060733490 |
Synopsis
The Lions of Al-Rassan is set on a fictional peninsula modeled on medieval Iberia, divided among three faiths: the Jaddites, the Asharites, and the Kindath. As the once-dominant Asharite caliphate of Al-Rassan fractures into rival city-states while the Jaddite kingdoms to the north grow stronger, the novel follows three central figures caught in the shifting balance of power: Jehane bet Ishak, a Kindath physician practicing in the city of Fezana; Rodrigo Belmonte, a celebrated Jaddite military captain; and Ammar ibn Khairan, an Asharite poet, courtier, and mercenary. Political intrigue, assassination, and exile eventually draw all three toward the city of Ragosa, where their paths converge despite their differing faiths and loyalties. As friendships and romantic entanglements form among them, the growing pressure of religious rivalry and looming war forces each to weigh personal bonds against the demands of their own people.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Lions of Al-Rassan / The Sarantine Mosaic
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
Notes
- A Spain (al-Andalus) analogue; the first entry in this shared world.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within The Lions of Al-Rassan / The Sarantine Mosaic (standalone work): position 1 of 7: next Sailing to Sarantium (1998)
Sources
← The Lions of Al-Rassan / The Sarantine Mosaic dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.