Trickster's Choice
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| Trickster's Choice | |
|---|---|
| |
| A Novel of Tortall | |
| Protagonist | Alianne of Pirate's Swoop |
| Antagonist | Bronau Jimajen, luarin royalty |
| Setting | Copper Isles: Rajmuat and Tanair in 246 HE |
| Cover Artist | Joyce Tenneson |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Release Date | 2003 |
| UK Release Date | |
| ---- | |
| Series | Daughter of the Lioness |
| Preceded by | ' |
| Followed by | Trickster's Queen |
Trickster's Choice is the first installment in Tamora Pierce's fourth series of Tortall books. The second and last volume of this series is Trickster's Queen. In this novel Tamora Pierce tells the story of Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, the daughter of Pierce's first heroine, Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, the famed Lioness. Aly doesn't want to follow in her mothers footsteps and is enlisted to help the trickster god Kyprioth instead. Soon she plays an important role in the raka conspiracy, which wants to put a half-raka queen on the throne of the Copper Isles.
[edit] Plot
- "I proclaim the shallowness of the world and of fashion. I scorn those who sway before each breeze of taste that dictates what is stylish in one's dress, or face, or hair. I scoff at the hollowness of life."
- —Alianne of Pirate's Swoop to her father[src]
Alianne of Pirate's Swoop - normally called Aly - is the daughter of George Cooper, Baron of Pirate's Swoop, second-in-command of his realm's spies; and Alanna the Lioness, lady knight, King's Champion of Tortall, and a living legend. However, far from wanting to follow in her mother's footsteps, the career Aly wishes to follow is her father's; that of a spy. Frustrated with her parents, Aly takes her boat, the "Cub", and sails down the coast, but is captured by pirates along the way. The pirates sell her as a slave in Rajumat, capital city of the Copper Isles. Aly is given away as a general-work slave to the noble Balitang family, which consists of Duke Mequen, his wife Duchess Winnamine, their children Lady Petranne and Lord Elsren, and Duke Mequen's two daughters by his first marriage to Duchess Sarugani Temaida, Lady Saraiyu and Lady Dovasary.
However, shortly after Aly's arrival, the Balitang family falls out of favor with King Oron of the Copper Isles, and are forced to sell most of their slaves and household goods. When it is Aly's turn to be reviewed by a slave matcher the Balitangs hire, a god appears to her and the Balitangs. Aly sees the god Kyprioth, patron of the Copper Isles, who wagers her a quick, safe journey home and a recommendation to her father that she begin work as a spy, provided she can keep the Balitang children alive until the autumn equinox. He tells the Balitangs that he is the god Mithros, and tells them to keep Aly as his messenger to them and trust her insights.
Aly travels with the Balitangs to the highlands on Lombyn Isle, where they own a fiefdom called Tanair. There, Kyprioth sends Aly help, in the form of the native crows, who, after agreeing to spy for her, begin to teach Aly their language. At Tanair, Aly also learns of the raka conspiracy: the native raka people of the Copper Islands, led by many of the Balitangs' pure-blood raka servants and slaves, plan to overthrow the luarin invaders who oppressed them centuries ago, and put Lady Saraiyu, also called Sarai, on the throne. They believe Sarai, whose father is fourth in line to the luarin throne, and whose mother was one of the last descendants of the old raka queens, is the prophesised Twice-Royal Queen who will lead the raka to greatness. Aly agrees to join the conspiracy and serve as its spymaster.
Meanwhile, many things happen in the Copper Isles. The Balitangs are visited by Prince Bronau, a close friend of the family who has also fallen out of favor with the king, and who flirts constantly with Sarai. One of the crows, named Nawat, transforms himself into a man and begins to work as a fletcher at Tanair, while trying to convince Aly to mate with him. Aly is also visited by Kyprioth, who takes her on a spiritual journey to Rajumat, to see the death of King Oron and the coronation of King Hazarin, his son from his first marriage.
Prince Bronau returns to the capital, but politics in Rajumat change quickly. Before long, King Hazarin is dead of apoplexy, and King Oron's three-year-old son Dunnevon is king, with his sister Princess Imajane and her husband Prince Rubinyan as regents. Prince Bronau, who is Prince Rubinyan's brother, attempts to kidnap the new King, and soon there is a warrant for his arrest on a charge of treason. He returns to Tanair to visit the Balitangs, but, when they try and convince him to turn himself in, he brings in soldiers and tries to take Tanair by force. His plan is to marry Sarai, kill the king and, when Duke Mequen is King, force him to abdicate in Bronau's favour. However, the raka conspiracy, prepared for a fight, defeats Prince Bronau's forces with the help of the crows. In the fighting, Bronau mortally wounds Duke Mequen, and Dove kills Bronau. Although Trickster's Choice shows plainly that Dove kills Bronau, it is mentioned in Trickster's Queen that Sarai "...fought and beheaded her would-be lover, Prince Bronau".
At the end of the book, Aly's father arrives to take her home, but Aly decides to stay with the Balitangs as they live at Tanair through the winter, before their return to Rajumat in the summer.
[edit] External links
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