Saturday, April 30, 2011

Book Review: Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

Title: Trickster's Choice
Author: Tamora Pierce
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Young Adult (fantasy)
Rating: 3/5 stars
Why I read it/how I found it: I just felt like I needed to read some Tamora Pierce, since she's such a staple in the YA fantasy community.
Description: 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.
Review: I hadn't read the books about Aly's mother, Alanna, so I'm not sure if that was part of the reason the world was difficult for me to understand at first. But fairly soon I could pick up on their customs and life. The riff between the "luarin" (the white-skins) and the "raka" (the brown-skins) was portrayed very well and the influence can be seen in our world as well. The fight scenes were written excellently, something I very much admire in writing because that has got to be the hardest thing to write well. Although I must say, the love interest in this one just makes me feel uncomfortable, he's just very strange. I couldn't get into that aspect of the book. And while I could continue reading this book easily, it didn't have me plowing through to see what would happen next, either.
Recommendation: If you have the time.
Should I buy it: My copy was only $9, so if you're used to just buying books, go ahead. If you're on a tighter budget, I'd look in the library or a friend first.
Other information: This has one sequel, Trickster's Queen. You can find Tamora Pierce's website here.

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