Trickster's Choice (Daughter of the Lioness, Book 1) [Paperback]

Tamora Pierce (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 28, 2004 | Series: Aliane

Tamora Pierce brings readers another Tortall adventure! Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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.

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10-Alianne, daughter of Alanna (Alanna: The First Adventure [Random, 1989]), is ready to create her own legend. As the book opens, Aly, 16, longs to follow in her father's footsteps as a spy, but her parents refuse to allow it. Annoyed, she sails off in her boat, only to be captured by pirates and sold into slavery, fortunately to kindly Duke Balitang. She meets Kyprioth, the Trickster, and strikes a bargain: if Aly keeps the Duke and his family safe for the summer, Kyprioth will return her to her family and persuade her parents to let her be a spy. With magic, spells, winged horses, crows that take human form (and provide a romance for Aly), brutal fighting, treason, and attempted kidnapping, this fantasy has plenty to hold readers' attention. It also offers an interesting examination of race, as well as a look at an adolescent's finding her independence, an especially difficult task with such a powerful mother. Aly is a strong, intelligent, and resilient feminist who stretches this fantasy to a parable of girl-power. The book at times bogs down in the sheer number of characters and relationships, and in the author's zealous attention to descriptive details, but Pierce's fans will enjoy it.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375828796
• ISBN-13: 978-0375828799
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (216 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tamora Pierce is a bestselling author of fantasy books for teenagers. Her books, known for their teenaged girl warriors and wizards, have received critical acclaim and a strong fanbase.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamora Pierce was drawn to books from a young age. Raised in rural Pennsylvania, the child of a "long, proud line of hillbillies," her family never had much. "We were poor, but I didn't know it then. We had a garden where my folks grew fruit and vegetables and our water came from a well," she explains. But one thing they did have was plenty of books. So Tamora read.

A self-proclaimed "geek," she devoured fantasy and science fiction novels, and by the age of 12 was mimicking her literary idols and writing her own action-packed stories. It was thanks to her father that Tamora began writing. "He heard me telling myself stories as I did dishes, and he suggested that I try to write some of them down," Pierce says.

But Tamora's novels had one major difference: unlike the books she was reading, her stories featured teenaged girl warriors. "I couldn't understand this lapse of attention on the part of the writers I loved, so until I could talk them into correcting this small problem, I wrote about those girls, the fearless, bold, athletic creatures that I was not, but wanted so badly to be."

Seventeen years later, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, a brief career in teen social work and some time spent writing for radio, Tamora Pierce held true to her childhood crusade, and published Alanna: The First Adventure, the first in a quartet about a valiant, young, female warrior. Pierce's heroine struck a chord with readers across the country and quickly earned her a loyal following.

Pierce is now a #1 New York Times bestselling author and has written twenty-five books, including her newest, BEKA COOPER #2: Bloodhound. "It's a pretty good life, if I do say so myself. Struggling along as a kid and even through my twenties, it's the kind of life I dreamed of but never believed I would get. Yet here I am, after a lot of work, a lot of worry, a lot of care for details, and a massive chunk of luck, the kind that brought me such strong friends and readers. Pretty good for a hillbilly, yes? And I never take it for granted," she says.

Pierce lives in upstate New York with her husband Tim and their three cats and two birds.


PRAISE

"[Tamora Pierce's heroines] 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." -The New York Times

BEKA COOPER #1: TERRIER

"With its rollicking adventures [and] appealing characters . . . Terrier will be in strong demand by Pierce's fans. It will keep readers on the edge of their seats." -School Library Journal, Starred

YOUNG WARRIORS
"Memorable characters and well-drawn settings. . . . This timely and appealing anthology will surely help swell the ranks of teenage fantasy readers." -School Library Journal

TRICKSTER'S QUEEN
"The plot sweeps readers along in a whirlwind of court intrigue, deception, murder, and romance. The humor is wicked, and the plot twists will keep the pages turning to the supremely satisfying end. Teens will be inspired by Aly's determination, her resourcefulness, and her heart." -School Library Journal

TRICKSTER'S CHOICE
"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

LADY KNIGHT
"Unrelentingly realistic in its depiction of the horrors of war, this novel draws the reader into a complete and believable fantasy world. Pierce provides exquisite details of the weaponry, topography, and culture of her world, and her control of a voluminous cast of characters is masterful." -Voice of Youth Advocates

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#39 in Books > Teens

#39 in Books > Teens

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Be careful what you say, or you'll give yourself away... July 14, 2004

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

First of all, I'd like to offer my congratulations to Ms. Pierce. After years and years of simply awful covers that publishers have slapped onto her books, she has finally been given a decent one. I mean, have you see some of her other covers? I'm not talking about these incredibly cool ones like the one for "Trickster's Choice". I'm talking about the ones created for such classic tales as "Wild Magic" or "Alanna: The First Adventure". Ms. Pierce has paid her bad-cover dues. Now she has truly earned a couple beautiful ones. I admit that much of my attraction to this tale was due to its alluring cover illustration. It was just my own good luck that the story inside was wonderfully gripping and well written as well.

This book follows Pierce's "Lioness Quartet", a series of books that centered on the lady knight Alanna. In "Trickster's Choice", Aly (Alanna's daughter) is now the center and focus. Aly is the daughter of a famous knight and a famous spy. Both her parents are fighters by nature, but somehow they just can't get it through their heads that all their sixteen-year-old daughter wants to do is become spy like her dad. When Alanna decides that her daughter has become too bull-headed about the matter, Aly takes off on a small adventure of her own. She gets more than she bargained for, however, when her boat is captured by pirates and she is sold as a slave to a foreign noble family. The fact that she has winded up with this particular group of nobles is no accident, however. The trickster god Kyprioth is determined to use Aly's spy skills to protect the family's children, whatever the cost. Before she knows it, Aly is caught up in court intrigues and a political battle between the dark skinned raka and their white skinned luarin oppressors.

I wanted to read my first Tamora Pierce book without having to read through all her previous novels. So I picked up "Trickster's Choice" and hoped for the best. As it happens, you don't necessarily need to have read its predecessors, though it certainly couldn't hurt. Pierce is fond of explaining all past activities and events in such a way that even a person beginning with this book (like myself) catches up easily. Admittedly, I was disappointed with her decision to continually comment on characters and events that had little to no bearing on the current plot. Still, these moments mostly came at the beginning of the book. If you can get through three chapters of this story you'll be successfully hooked and ready to read on.

As for the book itself, it's excellent. I was amazed to find it a wonderful spy novel. Forget Modesty Blaise and Emma Peal; Aly is the best female spy I've encountered in a long time. Pierce has a way of making her quick on her feet without rendering her perfect or flawless. She is mature for her sixteen years but very much the teenager. She's smart as a whip but incredibly funny and endowed with an excellent sense of humor. Maybe it was this humor that made me greatly prefer her to her well meaning but laughless mother. Tamora Pierce has a website dedicated to, what she calls, "sheroes". Aly is a worthy addition to this particular feminist genre. I even liked her choice of mate. Rarely do I ever understand the male heartthrobs in teen girl novels. But Aly's fella is not only adorable but danged sexy to boot. And I loved that though Aly was a fighter, she was by no means invincible. When Aly fights she does so to the best of her abilities. She's Buffy without the super powers, this one.

I was pleased to see that the sequel to this book, "Trickster's Queen", is available and promises to be just as good. If you've any interest in reading about a gal who outwits nobles and gods and is the companion of crows, this might be just the book for you. It's a great tale and one worth reading again and again. If you're tired of books in which the girls gossip and giggle, cleanse your palate with a little "Trickster's Choice". You're hardly gonna find action, humor, and great writing as easily anywhere else.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Tamora Pierce, at her best October 12, 2003

By Bookworm

Format:Hardcover

I have been reading Tamora Pierce for years now. I first picked up the Alanna series when I was about eleven or twelve and I absolutely loved them, I have enjoyed all of her books, Totallan or not.

This is the newest installment in her Tortallan books. The other characters from Tortall include: Daine, Alanna, and Kel. I have read about and loved each of these characters. The newest heroine in Trickster's Choice is Aly, Alanna and George's daughter. Unlike the other heriones Aly as a very noticeable sense of humor, she is more real than the other characters. She makes mistakes, she acts cocky, she loves her mother but gets easily annoyed by her. All of these things make Aly endearing to me. She isn't really good at the physical part of things like the other three heroines were, she uses her mind, her wit, and skill. I really liked the god, Kyprioth, he provides a lot of the humor in the book. I loved catching up on our old friends, Alanna and George, Daine and Numair, and Jonathan and Thayet, it's fun knowing what they're doing now.

I didn't really find this book fitting for the nine to twelve catagory that it's placed in. No there is nothing in it that wouldn't be suitable for that age group but I don't know if kids that young could follow the plot. This is a different kind of book than the rest of Ms. Pierce's collection. It is filled with an intricate plot and a lot of political intruige, I find this book more suitable for 12 and up, they would appreciate the plot more than anyone younger than that.

All in all, this is a wonderful book and a fantastic installment to the rest of the Tortallan series. Now... When does Trickster's Queen come out?

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Take a bow Pierce, you've done it again November 7, 2003

By Silver Sakura

Format:Hardcover

I love all of Tamora Pierce's books and this chapter of the Tortall era is no exception. Aly (Alianne) starts off this two part series with a blueberry-blue head and a plea for work as a spy. This particular plea is adressed to her father Baron George Cooper and later to her mother Alanna, the Lioness. Aly is on shakey ground with her mother, though throughout the book the trickster god Kyprioth (who inlists her aide in gaining control of his kingdom behind the backs of the Great Mother Godess and Mithros)shows her how much Alanna really cares. She gets caught by pirates, sold to a noble family, aides a revolution between raka and luarin, falls in love with a crow turned man, finds her calling, does some major spywork, and still keeps her identity and status a secret.

If your looking for a lot of kick-butt fighting sceanes, magical battles or struggle to be accepted as in Pierce's pre-Aly books, watch out because Aly is her own person with very little magic, insecurity, or major fighting skills.

Pay close attention to Daine and 'Uncle Numy's new baby, the fact that all the children of Alanna and George are named after Alanna's family [Thom, Alan (Aly's twin),and of course Alianne], and also the discription of the great mother godess.

All in all this book is totally awesome. Go and Buy it!!!