Trickster's Choice - Hardcover

Pierce, Tamora

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0439968089 ISBN 13: 9780439968089

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2004

Synopsis

A brand new hardback from Tamora Pierce. Alianne has an oppressive heritage. She is the daughter of Alanna, Lady Knight and King's Champion - the foremost warrior of Tortall. (See "Song of the Lioness".) Aly is not a fighter - she hates her mother's obsession, which constantly takes her away from her family and makes her children feel neglected and resentful - especially Aly. After a stormy argument with her mother, Aly runs away to make them sorry. But she gets more than she bargained for when she is kidnapped by pirates, and sold as a slave in the far-off Copper Isles. Aly's future is bleak, but then she finds out that this has all been planned, by a god, no less. Aly is a favourite of the god Kyprioth - she is the Trickster's Choice.

About this title

Review:

To the great joy of her many fans, Tamora Pierce's Trickster's Choice begins a new saga of Tortall to add to The Song of the Lioness Quartet, the Immortals Quartet, and The Protector of the Small Quartet.

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 humour, 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 fuelled 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 colourful 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.

The pages of this long but fast-paced adventure zip by, enlivened by intrigue, skirmishes, comedy, romance and lots of dramatic clothes. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell, Amazon.com

Review:

Aly arrives fully formed, a snarky, talented uber-heroine. Cameos of old favorites complement a rich cast of new characters. Aly s difficulty with the complexity of colonialism adds surprising, welcome depth. Kirkus Reviews

From the Paperback edition."

"Aly arrives fully formed, a snarky, talented uber-heroine. Cameos of old favorites complement a rich cast of new characters. Aly's difficulty with the complexity of colonialism adds surprising, welcome depth."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Paperback edition.

"Tamora Pierce didn't just blaze a trail. Her heroines cut a swath through the fantasy world with wit, strength, and savvy. Her stories still lead the vanguard today. Pierce is the real lioness, and we're all just running to keep pace."
--LEIGH BARDUGO, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Tamora Pierce creates epic worlds populated by girls and women of bravery, heart, and strength. Her work inspired a generation of writers and continues to inspire us."
--HOLLY BLACK, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Few authors can slay so effectively with a single sentence--I mean fist-in-the-air, shouting-at-my-book slay--as Tamora Pierce. All these years later, I still draw strength from her words."
--MARIE LU, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Tamora Pierce's books shaped me not only as a young writer but also as a young woman. Her complex, unforgettable heroines and vibrant, intricate worlds blazed a trail for young adult fantasy--and I get to write what I love today because of the path she forged throughout her career. She is a pillar, an icon, and an inspiration. Cracking open one of her marvelous novels always feels like coming home."
--SARAH J. MAAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"In the world of YA fantasy, there's before Tamora Pierce, and then after her female heroes started kicking down the doors (and walls, and other barriers)!"
--BRUCE COVILLE, New York Times bestselling author

"It's impossible to overstate Tamora Pierce's impact on children's literature. Her tough, wise, and wonderful heroines have inspired generations of readers. Her encouragement of up-and-coming authors is unparalleled. Thank you, Tammy, for Alanna and Beka and more, for your generosity of spirit, for your incredible legacy."
--RAE CARSON, New York Times bestselling author

"Tamora Pierce is a trailblazer for so many fantasy writers, hacking through the old tropes with her narrative machete and showing us that girl-centered adventures are not just possible but amazing. Many of us might have peered at the impenetrable thicket of traditional fantasy and given up before we even began, if not for her."
--RACHEL HARTMAN, New York Times bestselling author

"Tamora Pierce's writing is like water from the swiftest, most refreshingly clear, invigorating, and revitalizing river. I return to her books time and time again."
--GARTH NIX, New York Times bestselling author

"Tamora Pierce's novels gave me a different way of seeing the world. They were like nothing I'd encountered before. Alanna stormed her way into my thirteen-year-old heart and told me that I could write gorgeous, complicated novels about vibrantly real people in fantastic situations, and, to be honest, she's never left."
--ALAYA DAWN JOHNSON, award-winning author of Love Is the Drug

"Tamora Pierce is the queen of YA fantasy, and we are all happy subjects in her court."
--JESSICA CLUESS, author of A Shadow Bright and Burning

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0439968089
• ISBN 13: 9780439968089
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 464