Alta: Joust #2

I couldn't wait until this book came out! i really liked Joust and i have read a lot of Lackey's books including the valdemar series which i really recomend. Anyway, Alta is a wonderful and exciting book that lives up to its predecessor Joust and i can't wait for the third one! The story is told well with twists and turns that i loved. The other characters are also very lovable and believable. Kiron, formerly Vetch, has found his place among the Altans and being only the second man to raise a dragon from birth he tries to teach the other Altan jousters what he knows and form and new type of jousters, those that raise their dragons from birth. As he does this he learns that there are always two stories to a war and that evil exists on both sides. i Highly recomend this book to anyone who has read Joust they will really enjoy it!

The follow up to Lackey's excellent "Joust", "Alta" follows young Vetch *now Kiron* as he returns with his dragon to his homeland. Now a young man and the second of only 2 men to ever hatch and raise a dragon to ride, Kiron discovers that Alta is not the shining land of hope that filled his dreams of freedom. As he works to build a name for himself with the Altan Jousters, he discovers a conspiracy among the wizards who advise the Altan rulers. Who is really running the show and what do they gain by the generations long war with Tia? Follow Kiron and Avatre as they begin to come into their own and struggle to save the land of his birth. Buy This Book!!

Alta is the second novel in this series, following Joust. In the previous volume, Vetch the Atlan serf dragon boy had stolen an egg, hid it in an unused pen, and, after it hatched, raised the dragonet in secret. When she flew for the first time, she headed for the hills with Vetch onboard. They outran all of the Tian Jouster pursuers except his friend Ari, who actually helped them to escape, paying the Bedu in gold to guide them through the desert to Alta.In this novel, Vetch reaches Alta and is no longer a serf to the Tians, but is instead Kiron, son of Kiron, a Jouster in training. As he and Avatre near Alta City, they rescue a noble girl from an irate river horse, but Kiron is badly injured and blacks out. Upon awakening, he finds himself in the home of the noble Lord Ya-Tiren. Both he and his daughter, Aken-ten, express their gratitude for his timely rescue; in fact, Aken-ten has been tending him while he was unconscious. Later, her brother Orest visits to express his gratitude as well.Aken-ten is a Nestling Winged-One, a priestess in training and a possessor of certain talents, including the ability to speak the Silent Speech with animals. She and Avatre have become friends while he recovered from his wounds. Kiron is very interested in her ability to actually communicate with his dragon.Orest is very fascinated with Avatre. Although the traditional approach to taming a dragon fails to interest him, the thought of actually bonding to a dragon excites him. This idea also appeals to several of his friends and Lord Khumun-thetus, the Jouster in charge of training, becomes intrigued enough with the possibilities to form a new unit to pursue the training practices used to raise Avatre.In this story, Kiron begins to suspect something is wrong in Alta. The Magi are too powerful and they have begun to use the Winged-Ones as sources of power to perform their magic. Moreover, the Great Ones who rule Alta are living too long, apparently with magical aid from the Magi.One of the new Jousters in Kiron's training unit is Toroth, who is one of the twin heirs to the throne. Toroth knows much more about the Magi and their assumption of power. Moreover, he and his twin, Kaleth, have plans to restore the power to the Great Ones when they gain the thrones. Soon the entire unit becomes part of Tototh's conspiracy against the Magi.This story relates Kiron's growing reputation among the Altan Jousters and the developing respect for his unit, both boys and dragonets. It also tells of the blooming friendship between Kiron and Aken-ten, which is slowly turning to love. And it shows the tremendous potentiality of a unit of alert, trained and willing dragons. The story expands into a tale of politics and corrupted power. Kiron finds himself with great responsibilities and willing associates, but very little ability to influence the situation. He and his friends resort to cunning, aided by the hubris of his enemies.As with most of the author's solo

Joust was great. The sequel, Alta, was even better. Unlike many writers, Mercedes Lackey developed her characters (especially Vetch a.k.a. Kiron)over the space of a year or more instead of an instantaneous, overnight miracle. She covered all of the bases of a growing adolescent: first and enduring love, first death of a friend, battles fought, and a mature adult who had the self-confidence and self-esteem developed through life's hardships to emerge as a true leader of himself and others, someone who could choose to do the right thing even though it meant hardship and battles. I liked the way she managed the relationship between Ari and Kiron as well as the connection between the twin princes. She showed that respect has to be earned - it cannot be ordered or bullied into being. The magi were an excellent example of how a group can use its power to abuse others - consistent with the workings of political, religious, and special interest groups - and how many such groups end up destroying themselves. Because of my monetary situation I will have to wait until it comes out in paperback to purchase it. It is a book well worth having in one's personal library. Thank you Mercedes Lackey.

The war between Tia and Alta continues because of the Jousters and their dragons, the first line of offense on the borders. Although Tia has more Jousters and dragons Alta has the magi which sends bad weather into Tia so that the dragons cannot fly. Kiron, a former serf made dragon boy to jouster Ari and his dragon Keshet discovers that he is the only one who besides Ari who does not have to drug his dragon to get him to obey him. In a daring move, Kiron steals an egg, empresses the dragonet when it hatches, trains it and flies back to Alta to try to end the war.He believes he can show the Altan Jousters a better way of fighting with the undrugged cooperation of their dragons even though his country men have less trained jousters. Kiron is accepted on to Altan training grounds and has eight youngsters impress their dragons and the nine become one wing united in their love for their dragons. There is a powerful shadow group in Alta who doesn?t want the war to end and will use horrific methods to achieve their goals. Kiron and his followers must prepare for the day that the enemy will want the Jousters dead.In JOUST, the prequel to ALTA, readers are shown the culture of Tia and how the ongoing war affects the conquerors, the serfs and the Jousters. ALTA shares the viewpoint from the other side and how one escaped serf gives hope and a plan of action to the demoralized Jousters. Mercedes Lackey, one of the great fantasists of our time, writes a coming of age story that is memorable and enjoyable.Harriet Klausner