FEAST OF TRICKSTER CL [Hardcover]

Beth Hilgartner (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Five companions from another planet visit Earth on a mission to bring Alexandra Scarsdale, a young woman earlier woven into their world, back to their true home.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- In this sequel to Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom (Houghton, 1989), the Trickster's power is once more on the rise; although the Weaver strives to control the Loom, the malicious goddess's purple thread threatens to overwhelm the fabric. Only the return of 'Tsan, heroine of the earlier tale, can counter this threat, but she is far away in another world. On Earth she is Alexandra Scarsdale, a college student who has no memory of her past adventures. Sent across the Void to find her and bring her back, her former companions find allies in a group of teenagers, but soon encounter their nemesis, the Trickster, who is also seeking 'Tsan. The first chapters are confusing because of the number of names and personalities to be absorbed. Once she has brought her characters to Earth, Hilgartner excels at showing the difficulties and sometimes humorous predicaments of the otherworldly beings as they try to fit inconspicuously into everyday life in New England. Tension mounts as the companions race the Trickster to reach 'Tsan. The romance between the Trickster and 'Tsan's psychiatrist strikes an incongruous note, but paves the way for an unexpected and satisfying conclusion. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

In a conclusion to Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom (1989), gods and humans vie for control of the fabric of reality on earth and in an imaginary world. The Trickster has torn Zan the Wanderer's thread from the loom and cast her back into this world, leaving mortal Dreamweaver and gods Weaver and Namegiver fearful that chaos will overwhelm their world. The five who, led by Zan, had begun to bring them peace are now sent across the void to find her--in this world, she's troubled young Alexandra Scarsdale. When the Trickster herself follows, she nearly destroys Alexandra and the five, but the gods call Moot to resolve the nearly fatal imbalance in the two worlds. For love of a mortal, the Trickster chooses mortality; Alexandra becomes a new, independent god. A complex, convoluted but satisfying tale in which neither gods nor humans are ever quite what they seem. Sly events abound: the shapeshifter Ychass, trapped as a horse on a farm, performs some spectacular dressage; the Trickster, a Loki-like character, falls in love with a psychiatrist--like calling to like? For older readers with a yen for fable. Both books are needed to make sense of the whole. (Fiction. 14+) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (October 28, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395550084
• ISBN-13: 978-0395550083
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,687,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It definately wasn't boring!!!, January 3, 2002

By 

Tyger (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: FEAST OF TRICKSTER CL (Hardcover)

Three years have passed since Zan was ripped from the Dreamweaver's Loom, and in that time, the Dreamweaver's world has fallen upon harsh times. Back on Earth, Zan has convinced herself that the story she created about the cult is true and that the memories she has are mearly dellusions; she believes herself to be crazy. The Five (Ychass, Remarr, Vihena, Karivet, and Iobeh) are sent by the gods to bring her back in order to save their world and end her torments. The task, however, turns out to be more complicated than they thought. The new world the Five have been thrust into is very confusing to them, plus they have no idea how to find Zan.Meanwhile, the gods try to communicate with Zan through dreams, etc., not knowing it is driving her to the brink of insanity.

While this book does not mainly focus on Zan anymore, it takes new twists and turns, following instead the Five. You will get occasional glimpses of Zan as she struggles to cope with her feelings, of the Dreamweaver and three of the gods as she tries yet again to weave Zan and the Five a Fate, and of the Trickster (whom you find out is much more of a person than you think), who was also thrown into Zan's world and is trying to find her before the Five do. Altogether, it was an enjoyable book. (Who am I kidding? I couldn't stop grinning at the end! While it IS strange, it fits.)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unsatisfying Sequel, February 28, 2001

By 

Kezarahk (San Francisco Bay Area, Califorina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: FEAST OF TRICKSTER CL (Hardcover)

"Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom" (the prequel) was a decent read, with a surprising and hope-tinged (though not exactly happy) ending. But "Feast of the Trickster" was not written with the same attention to detail. The characters spend half the book doing things unrelated to the storyline, and are constantly manuevering to do something which they can never quite accomplish. As for the friend they're so urgently searching for (and who the reader would also like to see again), she's gone. T'san -- Alexander Scarsdale -- appears in name only, a hollow shell of the person she once was. There is no joyful reunion, no real revisit of the exotic lands and people we met before. Most of the action takes place in T'san's world, which the author describes only briefly. The ending didn't really satisfy me. Still, others might like it better.

It might be worth reading once, but I personally chose to "forget" this book and just remember the first. I would have liked a good sequel, but it is sort of fun to make up my own version of what happened next.

Oh, and for those of you looking for copies of these out-of-print titles, you may find some at the Advanced Book Exchange. The prices seem a little inflated, but they ARE out-of-print titles.

1.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing, October 21, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: FEAST OF TRICKSTER CL (Hardcover)

The first book was pretty good, but the second book... what a dissapointment. I mean, the heroine goes mad and stops believing her friends exist. Then, when she becomes most annoying, she turns into a goddess. Also, the "bad-guy" turns out not to be that evil. I mean, seriously! Make the trickster go all soft and emotional over some jerk psycologist- how nice. NOT! I would not reccomend this book at ALL!

I forgot to mention- Vihena the honor obsessive tries to kill my favorite character- the mute girl.