Trickster's Queen

After the book Trickster's Choice (Daughter of the Lioness, Book 1), I was wondering how a sequel could possibly live up to the amazing book I had just put down. My worry was totally unfounded as I found myself gripped with the tale that lay before me. There are few books that captivate me like this one did. The relationships between the characters, the imaginative plot and the on-the-mark dialogue kept me wanting more. And though the mystical land of Tortall has been the setting of more than a dozen of Pierce's books, this one breathed new life into a country I wish I lived in. And Aly's relationship with Nawat develops in such an extraordinary way that I now watch the crows outside my window a little more carefully to see if my true love is among them. I have read this book twice now and can't wait to pull it out to read it again. Most of Pierce's books are published at quatrains, but she claims this set will only consist of two books. I say, bring us more Aly!

Ms. Pierce's enjoyable sequel to the Trickster's Choice is a wonderful read. It is in this book that Aly's skills come into full blossom. As the rebellion swings into full tilt Aly is at its heart, playing her part of an ancient prophecy as being the Cunning One. Taking part in a rebellion in the works for Centuries, Aly is at her best teaching the Raka how to use their resources and planning assaults on key targets, it is here her unusual education comes into play. This is a fun book to read for any age person. I started reading these books while looking for something for a young cousin who has gone onto buy the rest of these books for herself. This book is a real page turner, filled with battles, intrigues, humor and romance. I heartily recommend this book and the preceding book in the Aly series.

Wow. That's a good way to describe this book. I have always been a great fan of Tamora Pierce, and have read all of her books and this is definetly one of her best. Aly is returning to the capital, Rajumat(?) and is leading the rebellion against the monarchy in the Copper Isles as the spymaster. With war imminent, what will all of this mean for the future of Aly and Nawat? Aly is distracted by the rebellion, and Nawat is trying to find out what it really means to be a crow-man. How will it effect their relationship? With the help of the darkings, brought back from Daine's adventures in THE REALM OF THE GODS and many loyal friends, readers turn mysterious and exciting corners on an adventure full of suspense. When a surprising event falters the rebellion, will Aly be able to get the rebellion back on its feet? But most importantly, will they succeed in their goal? This suspenseful story, with Pierce's magnificent writing skills, is a must read for all book-lovers! Although this is a fantasy novel, it combines many real-life lessons in spying, all of which are very intriguing. A real page-turner, this book will leave you begging for more of Tamora Pierce's writing.

Well, Tamora Pierce has done it again, with her twenty second full length novel. Her loyal readers are especially pleased with the increased lenght of both TC and TQ, as the two books have been termed. While I had some spoliers thanks to a couple of online sample chapters, the storyline was not at all spoiled. The plot is interesting, just the right mix of fighting, intelligence, and fun, as well as a few twists and turns - the major one (which some people I know loved as well as predicted) being relatively easy to hurdle over. One thing I would like to mention - Tammy (as she is dubbed by loyal fans) deliciously weaves factual cultural influences into all of her novels. For example, kohl is mentioned a couple of times and was used in the real world as eye makeup in ancient Egypt. Also, it was pointed out to me today that the word used by the natives of the Copper Isles for the flying horsed, Kundarung, is a mixture of two real Indonesian words meaning "horse" and "bird". To get the gist of this book, the only other book you need to read is Trickster's Choice, in which the main character Aly must protect two girls, both having blood which would but them in the line to the throne of the country, until the end of summer. Trickster's Queen picks up during the next spring, and the Copper Isles are ready for revolution, with the girls being the key. Aly, now seventeen and already a master at the arts of espionage, takes the role of the conspiracy's spymaster, teaching us how to navigate the shadow world, where the whispers and lies told are easy for her to read. As Aly's mission deepens, so does the relationship with Nawat, a crow who turned into a man for her in TC. It should be noted that the book is PG, possibly, but not in my opinion, termed PG-13. I would also like to note: "Uncle Numy"? I laugh every time I read that. And the subtle tidbits information on characters from Tammy's other quartets were very welcome. Once again, Tammy is awesome, and I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and adventure spiced up with intelligence and humor. Thirteen year old Dove - one of two royal blooded girls, who is very intelligent and with varied interests - has particulary good lines of dry humor. To wrap it up, I'm on my third read of this book and I'm still not tired of it. Tammy, you've done it yet again.

Tamora Pierce has done it again. In all of her other books she has managed to captivate me and I have loved every single one. The Daughter of the Lioness Duet has only two books, but both are longer than in her other series. This is the second of the two and a fitting and impressive sequel to Trickster's Queen. There is more of the odd romance between Aly and Nawat than in the first book. This doesn't interfere or muddle the main plot so it's a good thing. Aly is just as witty and entertaining as before although she is the official spymaster of the Raka rebellion now. The characters that return from the first book are more developed now and new additions to the cast are developed enough although they could have lived with more. Some of the twists are entirely unexpected, some come about in an unexpected way. I don't think any of them were entirely predictable. Most of the time this book is dramatic, exciting and sneaky, but at times it's just sad. This is the only book that comes to mind that has actually made me cry. I'm not going to spoil the sad parts though. You definitely need to read the first before this, but really, if you're planning on reading a book find out if there's a first and read it beforehand! Anyway, this novel was an incredible ending to an incredible beginning and the series is a definite must read!