Review: Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Yesterday, it was POURING down rain -- again. (Seriously people, if anyone has an extra ark they could lend me, I think we're going to need it.) And yet, undeterred by said downpour, at 3:30 yesterday afternoon, I went downstairs, out to my car, in the pouring rain, wearing a suit and dress shoes, so that I could spend my 15 minute break reading and finishing Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce.
Trickster's Choice revolves around a girl named Aly who is, as far as I can tell, a second generation heroine in this series, which is to say, there are quite a few books which come before which seem to have to do with her parents and godparents and their generation. Aly is the only daughter of The Lioness, the first woman knight of the realm and champion to the king, and a common thief turned master spy. Her godsparents include the king and queen of her country, a mage and his demigoddess shape-shifting wife, and probably others. Aly wants to be a spy for her father, but he refuses, saying that the life is too hard and too dangerous for his only daughter. In a fit of impetuous independence, Aly takes her boat out with the intention of visiting friends up the coast, but is instead captured by pirates and sold into slavery. Luck -- and a lot of uncommon good sense -- are on Aly's side, and she is sold to a kind family. She is about to be sold again when the Kyprioth, the Trickster God, appears to her and makes her a wager: if she can keep the children of her Master's family alive through the summer, he will send her home and help her maker her father see reason and let her be a spy.
Of course, one should never make a wager with a god, especially not a Trickster.
This is the first real high fantasy novel I've read in I can't tell you HOW many years, and I had forgotten why I used to love fantasy novels so much. This book has everything a fantasy lover could want: rich details, complex political and social histories, and intriguing lands, peoples, magic, creatures, etc. etc. etc.. Aly's world is distinct, unique, and interesting, and it doesn't fall back too much on clichéd fantasy stereotypes. The characters are realistically drawn, and even though it is a cast of dozens (there's a glossary of people and places at the back to help you keep track) each character is unique and compelling. These kinds of books suck you straight into their world and clamp down, holding onto your attention with an iron grip.
My favorite character -- besides Aly -- was the crow sent to help her, Nawat. The crows are servants of the Trickster God, and Nawat chooses to take on human form to help Aly. He's very quick, very strong, and very smart, but naive to the ways of humans, of course. He brings Aly shiny things that he thinks will please her, and catches arrows with his bare hands, and teaches Aly to understand the language of the crows. And he eats bugs. But he's delicious and sweet and if Aly doesn't want him, I'll take him. Some of the bits with Nawat made me giggle right out loud like a sixteen-year-old fangirl myself. =)
The best part of this book is that the author knew she had an epic story to tell, so she doesn't try to tell it all at once. The story never feels rushed, but at the same time, when the book ends, you don't feel as though you're left hanging -- you just want to dash out an buy the next book as soon as possible! (Which I shall probably do on my lunch break today!)
I'm such a sucker for a series. If the first book is halfway decent, as long as it has compelling characters, I am there. I'll be loyal to a series and read it 'til it's through. (The only series I've ever dropped part way through was Piers Anthony's Xanth books, but I think I can be forgiven for that, as there're about 50 of them now, and the last 25 or so are all complete and utter crap.) So I'm entirely excited about having a new series to follow, and desperately eager to go out in the rain -- again -- today, and buy the next in the series, Trickster's Queen.
Trickster's Choice revolves around a girl named Aly who is, as far as I can tell, a second generation heroine in this series, which is to say, there are quite a few books which come before which seem to have to do with her parents and godparents and their generation. Aly is the only daughter of The Lioness, the first woman knight of the realm and champion to the king, and a common thief turned master spy. Her godsparents include the king and queen of her country, a mage and his demigoddess shape-shifting wife, and probably others. Aly wants to be a spy for her father, but he refuses, saying that the life is too hard and too dangerous for his only daughter. In a fit of impetuous independence, Aly takes her boat out with the intention of visiting friends up the coast, but is instead captured by pirates and sold into slavery. Luck -- and a lot of uncommon good sense -- are on Aly's side, and she is sold to a kind family. She is about to be sold again when the Kyprioth, the Trickster God, appears to her and makes her a wager: if she can keep the children of her Master's family alive through the summer, he will send her home and help her maker her father see reason and let her be a spy.
Of course, one should never make a wager with a god, especially not a Trickster.
This is the first real high fantasy novel I've read in I can't tell you HOW many years, and I had forgotten why I used to love fantasy novels so much. This book has everything a fantasy lover could want: rich details, complex political and social histories, and intriguing lands, peoples, magic, creatures, etc. etc. etc.. Aly's world is distinct, unique, and interesting, and it doesn't fall back too much on clichéd fantasy stereotypes. The characters are realistically drawn, and even though it is a cast of dozens (there's a glossary of people and places at the back to help you keep track) each character is unique and compelling. These kinds of books suck you straight into their world and clamp down, holding onto your attention with an iron grip.
My favorite character -- besides Aly -- was the crow sent to help her, Nawat. The crows are servants of the Trickster God, and Nawat chooses to take on human form to help Aly. He's very quick, very strong, and very smart, but naive to the ways of humans, of course. He brings Aly shiny things that he thinks will please her, and catches arrows with his bare hands, and teaches Aly to understand the language of the crows. And he eats bugs. But he's delicious and sweet and if Aly doesn't want him, I'll take him. Some of the bits with Nawat made me giggle right out loud like a sixteen-year-old fangirl myself. =)
The best part of this book is that the author knew she had an epic story to tell, so she doesn't try to tell it all at once. The story never feels rushed, but at the same time, when the book ends, you don't feel as though you're left hanging -- you just want to dash out an buy the next book as soon as possible! (Which I shall probably do on my lunch break today!)
I'm such a sucker for a series. If the first book is halfway decent, as long as it has compelling characters, I am there. I'll be loyal to a series and read it 'til it's through. (The only series I've ever dropped part way through was Piers Anthony's Xanth books, but I think I can be forgiven for that, as there're about 50 of them now, and the last 25 or so are all complete and utter crap.) So I'm entirely excited about having a new series to follow, and desperately eager to go out in the rain -- again -- today, and buy the next in the series, Trickster's Queen.
posted by Lacy at
8:43 AM
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