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Trickster’s Choice is a perfect pick. Author Tamora Pierce takes readers on a fantastic fantasy adventure with a superb blend of prophecy, perils and political intrigue.
Readers who have visited the Kingdom of Tortall in previous books by Pierce will be pleased to follow the daughter of Alanna the Lioness into the Copper Islands. A teenager full of hopes and dreams, Alianne wants to work with her father, spymaster to the king, but her parents feel she is too young and inexperienced. Then fate steps in. When she is captured and sold as a slave, she gets an unusual opportunity to use her skills as a spy.
Excellent writing and an exciting plot make reading this book a pleasure. The author has created a fantasy world with all the necessary elements: the characters and setting border on reality while taking readers one step beyond. The political and religious aspects of the book tie in well with the overall story line and provide the appropriate motivation. Alianne’s wager with the god Kyprioth starts the timer running on her adventure and also unveils a behind-the-scene look at the ruling deities of this land.
Alianne is a wonderful heroine whose bravery and cunning will inspire teen and tween readers. Her bargain with the local god puts her and others in danger, yet her clear thinking and bold actions yield her surprising success. The author also deals gently with the issue of discrimination, lending the narrative a relevant emotional appeal. An unusual touch of romance enters these pages in the form of a man-crow named Nawat. His innocence and loyalty will endear him to all readers.
Trickster’s Choice is the real thing in fantasy. This reviewer can’t wait to read the sequel.
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Trickster's Choice: Daughter of the Lioness, Book 1