Shaykitteh's World of Books

Tamora Pierce has always been one of my favorite authors for her gift in telling the story of a strong young adult in a fun and magical universe. While her books often have a similar theme, with the main character fighting against a preconceived notion, Pierce is able to tell her tales in a way so that every story is interesting and you are emotionally invested in the characters.

Trickster's Choice is no exception to this, being one of my favorite Tortall novels, and one that I re-read almost every year. Alianne of Pirates's Swoop is the daughter of Baron George Cooper and Lady Alanna the Lioness. Aly's upbringing has been slightly untraditional, as can be expected when your father is second in command of the realm's spies, your mother is a female knight and the King's Champion, and your "aunts" and "uncles" consist of mages and shapechangers. At age sixteen, Aly hasn't yet found anything to be passionate about... except perhaps avoiding her mother!

When Aly's ship is taken by pirates, she finds herself embroiled in the politics of another nation, caught between the original raka people and the luarin people who conquered the islands 300 years before. With a God pulling the strings on his grandest Trick ever, no one will ever be the same. Even Aly.

I absolutely love this book. Aly's cunning reactions to everything, along with her humor, brings a lightness to a story of treachery. All of the main characters are well fleshed out, and many of the supporting characters as well. A story of a past war and the discontent of the enslaved people might be interesting, but once you throw in prophecies, Gods, magic, and spies this becomes a book that you don't want to put down. While magic is used in this book, the main focus is Aly's intelligence and the crooked paths her mind takes, which is a great alternative to the previous books of sword and sorcery. Knowing the background of the Tortall Universe is helpful, but even newcomers can pick up Trickster's Choice and fully understand and enjoy the tale.