Trickster's Queen (Daughter of the Lioness, Book 2) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10–In this sequel to the well-received Trickster's Choice (Random, 2003), Pierce deftly weaves an unforgettable story about Alianne (Aly) of Pirate's Swoop. As the novel opens, the wife and children of the late Duke Mequen Balitang return to the capital city of Rajmuat from their exile on their distant estate. Aly has become a maid to Lady Dovasary, daughter of the late duke, and, more importantly, she is now the spymaster of the raka rebellion that is determined to put Dovasary's sister on the throne in place of the four-year-old luarin king. The light-skinned luarin have oppressed the dark-skinned raka for centuries, and the luarin co-regents now in charge of the Copper Isles are losing their grip on reality as well as on their kingdom. With Aly in control, the raka rebellion is able to stir up enough unrest to cause the uprising to begin. Aly, who is the daughter of Alanna the Lioness of Tortall (from the "Lioness Quartet" series), is delightful in her deviousness. The teen is exceptionally brave, sassy, and diplomatic. She is surrounded by a large supporting cast, which is well developed and necessary to the story. 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.–Anna M. Nelson, Seabrook Library, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 7-12. Pierce concludes the story of Alanna the Lioness' daughter, Aly, spymaster par excellence, in a fantasy thriller that continues the rich and complex tale begun in Trickster's Choice [BKL D 1 03]. Still bound by the trickster god Kyprioth to keep the Balitang children safe, Alanna now must make certain that the rebel conspiracy against the harsh Rittevon Crown and its supporters succeeds so that Sarai, the oldest of the Balitang children, will ascend the throne. But Sarai throws a wrench in the plans by eloping, and it's left to her younger, more intelligent and more committed sister, Dove, to prove herself to the people. Characterizations are complex and well developed, and the intricate intrigue is compelling as Aly uses her cadre of spies to collect information and manipulate events leading up to revolution. The growing love between Aly and Nawat, who had once been a crow and now leads the horde of crows in battle against the crown, adds its own spice to a thoroughly engrossing novel, sure to please. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 480 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1ST edition (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375814671
• ISBN-13: 978-0375814679
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (101 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,532 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful sequal!, January 17, 2005

By	Erik Weikum "eaweikum" (Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ms. Pierce's enjoyable sequel to the Trickster's Choice is a wonderful read. It is in this book that Aly's skills come into full blossom. As the rebellion swings into full tilt Aly is at its heart, playing her part of an ancient prophecy as being the Cunning One. Taking part in a rebellion in the works for Centuries, Aly is at her best teaching the Raka how to use their resources and planning assaults on key targets, it is here her unusual education comes into play.

This is a fun book to read for any age person. I started reading these books while looking for something for a young cousin who has gone onto buy the rest of these books for herself. This book is a real page turner, filled with battles, intrigues, humor and romance. I heartily recommend this book and the preceding book in the Aly series.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Tammy, Simply Brilliant, October 7, 2004

By	Bookworm87 (PA, USA) - See all my reviews

Well, Tamora Pierce has done it again, with her twenty second full length novel. Her loyal readers are especially pleased with the increased lenght of both TC and TQ, as the two books have been termed. While I had some spoliers thanks to a couple of online sample chapters, the storyline was not at all spoiled. The plot is interesting, just the right mix of fighting, intelligence, and fun, as well as a few twists and turns - the major one (which some people I know loved as well as predicted) being relatively easy to hurdle over.

One thing I would like to mention - Tammy (as she is dubbed by loyal fans) deliciously weaves factual cultural influences into all of her novels. For example, kohl is mentioned a couple of times and was used in the real world as eye makeup in ancient Egypt. Also, it was pointed out to me today that the word used by the natives of the Copper Isles for the flying horsed, Kundarung, is a mixture of two real Indonesian words meaning "horse" and "bird".

To get the gist of this book, the only other book you need to read is Trickster's Choice, in which the main character Aly must protect two girls, both having blood which would but them in the line to the throne of the country, until the end of summer. Trickster's Queen picks up during the next spring, and the Copper Isles are ready for revolution, with the girls being the key. Aly, now seventeen and already a master at the arts of espionage, takes the role of the conspiracy's spymaster, teaching us how to navigate the shadow world, where the whispers and lies told are easy for her to read.
As Aly's mission deepens, so does the relationship with Nawat, a crow who turned into a man for her in TC. It should be noted that the book is PG, possibly, but not in my opinion, termed PG-13.

I would also like to note: "Uncle Numy"? I laugh every time I read that. And the subtle tidbits information on characters from Tammy's other quartets were very welcome.

Once again, Tammy is awesome, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and adventure spiced up with intelligence and humor. Thirteen year old Dove - one of two royal blooded girls, who is very intelligent and with varied interests - has particulary good lines of dry humor.

To wrap it up, I'm on my third read of this book and I'm still not tired of it. Tammy, you've done it yet again.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is SOOOOO incredible!!!, October 6, 2004

A Kid's Review

Tamora Pierce has done it again. In all of her other books she has managed to captivate me and I have loved every single one. The Daughter of the Lioness Duet has only two books, but both are longer than in her other series. This is the second of the two and a fitting and impressive sequel to Trickster's Queen. There is more of the odd romance between Aly and Nawat than in the first book. This doesn't interfere or muddle the main plot so it's a good thing. Aly is just as witty and entertaining as before although she is the official spymaster of the Raka rebellion now. The characters that return from the first book are more developed now and new additions to the cast are developed enough although they could have lived with more. Some of the twists are entirely unexpected, some come about in an unexpected way. I don't think any of them were entirely predictable. Most of the time this book is dramatic, exciting and sneaky, but at times it's just sad. This is the only book that comes to mind that has actually made me cry. I'm not going to spoil the sad parts though. You definitely need to read the first before this, but really, if you're planning on reading a book find out if there's a first and read it beforehand! Anyway, this novel was an incredible ending to an incredible beginning and the series is a definite must read!