Customer Reviews

Trickster's Choice

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am so bored by this book; it is just so hard for me to pick it up. I have read other books by Tamora Pierce, ok only the Alanna series, but I thought that series was really amazing. When I saw this one and found out that it was Alanna's daughter I was so excited. I started reading to a pretty good conflict. Then I am completely bored by the constant dragging on about the story. I keep hoping something exciting is going to happen but it doesn't seem to ever happen. I guess it's your choice if you want to get this book or not. Looking at the other reviews I see a lot of them really liked the book. In my opinion it was one of the worst I have ever read so far.

Trickster's Choice does take me back to the "good old days" of Alanna's time, but something is lacking in this book. It's a twisting, confusing mass of "raka" and "laurin" glob that keeps growing and growing. Aly's character is likeable enough, but her power is sloppy. She can't wield a sword like her mother and doesn't have a take-charge attitude....yet. I loved Dove (Dovalyn) because she's that kind of gal that you have to watch out for; intelligent, cunning, and will eventually come to save everyone's backs. (More my cup of tea!) Also, the whole reunion of people from all of Tamora's previous Tortall books was just plain....MUSHY. Gathering everyone from Numair, Daine, Buri, Kel, and Raoul together...even FAITHFUL (only that bit I liked, heh) was a bit too much. It was over done, in my opinion. Their stories are done with, their tales are part of Tortall's history...but now a new history has to be set down, and that is of Aly's fight to save the family she has wagered to protect.
There are elements to the character of Aly that are missing. Since we're meeting her now, without having a background on her from any other book, we need a foundation to start on. The foundation Tamora gives is not a solid one...it lacks and she makes up for it by placing certain actions/events/things in places, as if to explain her character as the book goes along. But the placement is awkward. It should have been done at the beginning of the book!
The first book is a slow-paced, half-adventurous jab, which is sort of good because I realize that the second one will be twice better, as it will have to explain and unfurl the tangle that has stacked up in the first one.
Trickster's Choice is a good read, but I think (and I'm hoping) the second book will be much better - with more twists and turns than this dragging first book.

This book doesn't have enough action! Often during the book Aly lets people do the fighting for her. For the daughter of the Lioness, I would have thought that she would have had more spunk. I love action stories and this wasn't one. Aly is such a girly-girl! She dies her hair BLUE for godness sake! I'm not interested in spys, I'm interested in fighters! She needs to get a life!

In my opinion this was a bad piece of writing on Tamora Pierces part. In the past she has captured us with extrodinary tales that have taken writing to a whole new level, however I feel that in this book she has taken away everything that once made her books so wonderful. The plot was slow and boring, there was nothing that the character did that really captured my attention, although I like the idea of someone following George's footsteps,I thought this book could have played out much nicer. It lacked the suspense and emotion that is normally shared with one of her books. I hope that her next writing gives us a little more magic and fun than what was shown in Tricksters Choice.

If you haven't read the Alanna Series you may find yourself very confused. Or you'll have to read over it twice in general to make sure you understand properly. The book is very good. Its a complex world the author has created where the characters and the actions are so realistic.

You will be reeled in and find yourself thinking about the book for countless hours. Truly a masterpeice.

16 year old Aly isn't sure what she wants to do with her life, and her parents are putting pressure on her to make a choice soon. To make things worse, the only thing she does want to do - spying for her father - both of her parents are completely against.
After a fight with her mother, Aly decides to sail to Port Legann for a few days so her mother's temper can cool, and her parents can spend some time together. Unfortunately, before she reaches Port Legann her ship runs into a group of pirates, and Aly is kidnapped and taken to the copper isles to be sold as a slave.
After she fails to be sold, Aly is sent to the home of the Balitang family, as a soft of 'free gift' after they purchase a pastry chef at the slave market.
There, she meets the trickster god, Kyproth, and makes a wager - if she can keep the Balitang children alive until next summer, he'll return her to her home.

I loved this series - Pierce's books in the Tortall verse seem to be getting better and better as time goes on. Aly was a really interesting character, and you have to cheer on Nawat in his attempts to court her. There's lots of adventure and intrigue to draw readers into the story and keep their attention, and characters are well 'fleshed-out' with their own distinctive personalities and attitudes.

It's not wonder why Pierce is such a popular author! <3

First off, let me note that I have not read any other Tamora Pierace novels. I didn't know what to expect with this book but I came to find it is definetly a treasure to keep on your bookshelf.

Introducing such a fine, loveable character as Aly was a good move. You find yourself captured in Aly's world, pulled into her way of thinking and what might happen next. I warn all of you that as you read this make sure you have a lot of time on your hands. I started to read it and found myself sitting there for a few hours reading continously. Sometimes even now, I try to catch a few pages of the book in between other projects but its no good. You have to be completely into the book to really appreciate it.

Introducing a whole new world to me grew complex. I often had to check back to remember names and cities (thankfully there is a glossary in the back of the book). But as I continued things stuck with me and I completely fell captivated into the politics. Into the characters. Into their WORLD.

Definetly a treasure. Something I will value for many years, it is a book young adults will appreciate. Younger children may find themselves confused, so I would stick with older people.

Tamora Pierce's newest Book "Trickster's Choice" combines many of the older elements that Tamora uses so well with politics; something that she only dabbled in before. I was thrilled to read about the rich political background in the Copper Isles. The tumultous power play surrounding the throne enthralled me. Instead of changing the world with her sword swinging, Aly uses her cunning, intellect and sharp wits to protect those around her. Of course that's not to say she doesn't fight when she needs to, but I find Aly to be a much more rounded character than Alanna, Daine or Kel. I can't recommend any book more. I'll be waiting with both Tricker's Choice and Tricker's Queen in hand for Tamora Pierce to sign them. They promise to be her best series thus far.

After I read all the other Tortall books, I wanted to read another great book by Tamora Pierce. When Alianne (Aly) of Pirate's Swoop is forbidden by her father, George Copper, and mother, Alanna the Lioness, to become a spy, she goes on a visit. Befor she gets to her target, she is captured and made a slave (you can see the collar on the cover) in the Copper Isles. After she is sold, a god visits her and makes a deal. If she can keep her master's children alive for the summer, the god will transport her home. Aly works hard to meet her end of the deal. Different from the other Tortall books, I think this one is the best.

At the risk of perpetuating a very old cliche, I have to say that Pierce's early works were much better. When Pierce first came on the scene, her fiesty heroines and more realistic style were a breath of fresh air, but now she seems to have settled in a rut and content to perpetuate a 'winning' formula, but one that has been overused since she first began writing. That being said, this is certainly a light, well-written book, but one that pales in comparison to the Alanna series.