Trickster's Choice
Trickster's Choice, by Tamora Pierce
Aly, daughter of Alanna the Lioness, trained as a spy, is captured by pirates and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles. She becomes embroiled in the workings of a trickster god and the serious unrest between the islands' inhabitants.
Aly walks the line of 'what these people need is a honky,' but it strikes me as being about a. showing the target audience something about colonialism, b. Kyprioth being a troll, c. demonstrating how the native raka people have got their own share of hate and fear and mistrust goin' on, and d. linking prior Tortall books to this one which takes place in a new location. I also get the sense that even if Aly was not present, Kyprioth would find a way to facilitate the raka's retake of their lands and rule. She doesn't diminish their intelligence and skill and agency - it's not really so much about Aly spearheading everything as providing a vehicle for Kyprioth to act in a trickstery way to help himself and his people.
I heart Kyprioth and Nawat and Sarai and Dove and aaaa. Also, I love how truly crowlike the crows are - all of them, including (perhaps especially) Nawat.
I bounced off of this one back in 2005 when I bought it (according the receipt tucked between the pages), but decided to give it another shot now. I'm very glad I did. It has adventures and awesome ladies and awesome POC and awesome POC ladies and food and SPIES and TRICKSTERS and CROWS, and basically I enjoyed the crap out of it.
I will note that I've never actually read the Alanna books (I know, what?), but that didn't dampen my enjoyment any, since the characters in this one stand just fine on their own.
Tamora Pierce's website.
Aly, daughter of Alanna the Lioness, trained as a spy, is captured by pirates and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles. She becomes embroiled in the workings of a trickster god and the serious unrest between the islands' inhabitants.
Aly walks the line of 'what these people need is a honky,' but it strikes me as being about a. showing the target audience something about colonialism, b. Kyprioth being a troll, c. demonstrating how the native raka people have got their own share of hate and fear and mistrust goin' on, and d. linking prior Tortall books to this one which takes place in a new location. I also get the sense that even if Aly was not present, Kyprioth would find a way to facilitate the raka's retake of their lands and rule. She doesn't diminish their intelligence and skill and agency - it's not really so much about Aly spearheading everything as providing a vehicle for Kyprioth to act in a trickstery way to help himself and his people.
I heart Kyprioth and Nawat and Sarai and Dove and aaaa. Also, I love how truly crowlike the crows are - all of them, including (perhaps especially) Nawat.
I bounced off of this one back in 2005 when I bought it (according the receipt tucked between the pages), but decided to give it another shot now. I'm very glad I did. It has adventures and awesome ladies and awesome POC and awesome POC ladies and food and SPIES and TRICKSTERS and CROWS, and basically I enjoyed the crap out of it.
I will note that I've never actually read the Alanna books (I know, what?), but that didn't dampen my enjoyment any, since the characters in this one stand just fine on their own.
Tamora Pierce's website.