Trickster's Choice

Amazon.com
To the great joy of her many fans, Tamora Pierce with this book begins a new saga of Tortall to add to The Song of the Lioness Quartet, the Immortals Quartet, and The Protector of the Small tetralogy. At the center of each of these books is always a strong and resourceful young woman who masters the arts of swordplay and knightly warfare in the magical medieval country of Tortall. Alianne, or Aly, daughter of the warrior queen Alanna the Lioness, has all these skills, but also a delicious sense of humor, which serves her well when she is chosen by the trickster god Kyprioth to serve as his secret agent and a slave for a year in the embattled Copper Isles. There the dark-skinned natives, or raka, have been conquered and crushed by the laurin, light-skinned people from the mainland. The burning raka resentment is fueled by prophecies of a twice royal queen who will free them, aided by the "wise one, the cunning one, the strong one, the warrior, and the crows." Just how each of the colorful characters and Aly herself fit into this prophecy and Kyprioth’s tricky plan keeps readers guessing. Aly plots to show her skill at spying as she flirts with the god and is courted by Nawat, a crow transformed into a handsome young man, who is puzzled when she rejects his attempts to mate-feed her with grubs and ants.

ANNOTATION

Alianne must call forth her mother's courage and her father's wit in order to survive on the Copper Isles in a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Aly: a slave with the talents of a master spy, a fabled lineage she must conceal, and the dubious blessing of a trickster god. Sarai: a passionate, charming teenage noblewoman who, according to prophecy, will bring an end to a cruel dynasty. Dove: the younger sister of Sarai; she has a calculating mind and hidden depths that have yet to be plumbed. Dawat: a magical young man with a strangely innocent outlook and an even stranger past; Aly's one true friend in a world where trust can cost you your life.

FROM THE CRITICS

The New York Times

The lure of the Tortall heroines is not in their infinite variety nor is it in their verisimilitude. Rather, they faithfully reiterate an ideal -- of feminine power that relies on brains, not beauty; of feminine attractiveness that relies on competence, not helplessness; and of feminine alliances that grow stronger, not weaker, in the face of conflicts. Given the utopian quality of that ideal, is it surprising that Pierce needs magical creatures and mythical gods to bring it to literary life? — Elizabeth Devereaux

Publishers Weekly

This launch novel in a new series stars the 16-year-old daughter of Pierce's first novel, Alanna. According to PW, "The climax is worth the wait, and ably sets up a framework for future adventures of this very likable new heroine." Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

Pierce is back, with a handsome upscale cover, for the continuation of her Kingdom of Tortall fantasy saga. This entry smoothly segues into the story of Aly, the sixteen-year-old dilettante daughter of Alanna the Lioness, the King's Champion. After an adolescent spat with her formidable mother, Aly sails off for some breathing time￯﾿ﾽto be promptly seized by pirates and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles. Aly, being her parents' daughter (her father is spymaster to the king) accepts this as an opportunity and promptly insinuates herself into a royal family and their political problems, with a little nudge from the local trickster god, Kyprioth. Following Aly and her new masters into exile, Pierce overcomes her former over-emphasis on magic and allows the non-gifted Aly to solve each challenge through sheer intelligence alone (mostly). This refreshing change turns the story into a non-stop adventure that could be taking place in any medieval empire . . . well, any medieval empire that contains a cast including a charming man-crow who adds a new touch to romance scenes by preening the heroine's hair! Pierce's dedicatory offer of thanks for editorial advice to "read aloud" is well given. Her writing style has improved by degrees. The result is the usual Tamora Pierce page-turner that's also a pleasure to read. Aly herself grows from merely trying to win a wager with an unprincipled god akin to the Navajos' Coyote￯﾿ﾽinto a young woman of mission who cares deeply for her charges. Bring on the sequel! 2003, Random House, Ages 10 to 14.

VOYA - Caitlin Augusta

With this novel, Pierce begins a series featuring Alianne Cooper, daughter of Alanna, the heroine in the Song of the Lioness Quartet. Sixteen-year-old Alianne, or Aly, wishes to become a spy like her father, but neither parent supports her dangerous aspirations. When Aly is captured by slave traders in the Copper Isles, she fulfills her desire in unexpected ways. Making a wager with the Trickster god, Kyprioth, Aly contracts to safeguard two girls who are related to the current luarin royal dynasty as well as the dispossessed raka rulers. Aly must create a secret spy network and fighting force to defend her charges from royal assassins, bringing hopeful raka slaves and haughty luarin nobles under her command. Expect teens to snatch this book the very second it hits the shelves. Pierce delivers not only the continuation of her beloved Alanna series but also creates a smart, sassy heroine whose struggles to escape her parents' expectations and find her own niche will resonate with teens. Furthermore, no reader will forget Aly's love interest. Transformed from a crow, Nawat's devotion consists of offers to "mob" Aly's enemies and feed her fresh bugs. Pierce melds political intrigue, interfering gods, and memorable mortals to fashion a powerful story line with humorous undertones, marred occasionally by plot contrivances inserted to prevent Aly's family from intervening. Nevertheless, this series opener is packed with Pierce's alluring mix of fantasy, adventure, romance, and humor, making the book an essential purchase for school and public libraries. VOYA Codes: 4Q 5P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; MiddleSchool, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Random House, 446p,

KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick