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| Author | Tamora Pierce |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Daughter of the Lioness |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Followed by | Trickster's Queen |
Trickster's Choice is the first book in the series Daughter of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce. It chronicles the adventures of Alianne (Aly) of Pirates Swoop, the only daughter of Alanna the Lioness and George Cooper.
Plot summary
Alianne feels out of place in her home at Pirate's Swoop. Her parents pressure her to do work, while at the same time denying her what she truly wants: to be a spy. She runs away from home, and gets captured by pirates. Sold as a slave in the Copper Isles, Aly is bought by Chenaol, the cook to a wealthy noble family, the Balitangs. Just after Aly is sold, she receives a visit from Kyprioth, the deposed god of the Isles. Kyprioth tells Aly that if she wants to get back to Tortall, she has to protect the Balitang children for the rest of the summer. Into the bargain, he adds a promise to make her father allow her to work as a spy. Aly agrees and follows the family to the highlands of Lombyn when they are exiled by the mad king Oron. On Lombyn, Aly learns just how far the tension between the native Raka and the invading Luarin goes. She realizes that what Kyprioth and the main Balitang servants want is a revolt against the corrupt Luarin government. Aly agrees to help the Raka achieve their goal of putting the eldest Balitang girl, Saraiyu on the throne as a half-Raka Queen. Aly acts as a spy master for the Raka rebellion, and pretends to be the servant to the Luarin god Mithros so that the Balitangs will listen to her advice and suggestions. Along with the aid of the crows, the chosen birds of Kyprioth, and the Raka rebels, Aly begins the work of protecting the girls and winning her wager with Kyprioth And unknowingly is falling in love with the crow-turned man Nawat. At the end of the book Alianne decides to stay with the family and help them through the hard times. Aly sees this as doing something with her life. Upon doing this she is also acting as a spy for Tortall. Kyprioth may just get what he wants- the best trick ever or will it all mess up? The first book is Trickster's Choice followed by Trickster's Queen.
Character List
- Aly (Alianne) of Pirate's Swoop - the main character, she accidentally gets kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave when she was only going to stay in a nearby town to give her parents time to think about her becoming a spy. She is the daughter of the famous female knight Alanna the Lioness, and of Tortall's spymaster, Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop.
- Nawat Crow - A crow turned man that helped Aly learn the crow's language. He is persistent in winning Aly's heart, but only knows how to do it the way the crows do.
- Kyprioth - the Trickster god, and Aly's new patron god. He was originally the god of the Copper Isles, but was overthrone by his brother Mithros and his sister the Great Mother Goddess 300 years ago.
- Dove - Dovasary Balitang is the younger of two half-raka Balitang girls. She is quiet but very intelligent.
- Sarai - Saraiyu Balitang is the beautiful but impetuous eldest child of duke Mequen Balitang. She is stubborn on the way she feels about certain things, but is not as calm as her sister Dove.
- Winnamine - Luarin duchess married to Duke Mequen. Has two children with Mequen: Petranne and Elsren. Was the best friend of Mequen's first wife, Duchess Sarugani.
- Mequen - father of Sarai and Dove; first wife was from the raka nobility.
