Tamora Pierce

I have not yet read a book by Pierce that I wanted to walk away from, that was not well crafted, where the characters were not engaging (even if very very foreign), where the world was not fascinating (even if very alien). This book is no exception. I think that it is a stronger book than the first in the series, which is always to be hoped for, but not always realised. It also pushes well into the YA category, whereas I would have been hard pressed to pick which side of the kids/YA line show more Book One fell on.

Here, the protagonist Alanna, having been revealed for what she is and having been validated by her peers (presumably in a previous book) is on a quest. *gasp* Shock, horror - fantasy setting, psuedo-feudal political structure, warrior protagonist - why would there be a quest?

Alanna believes that the quest is to find something to make her Prince proud of her, to strengthen her home country, and to take her beyond what she has already tried. I would argue that the secondary theme, of what do you do when you have achieved all of your goals, when those goals have only taken you to the beginning of adulthood, rather than all the way through is the much more important one.

As with all of the books set in this world, there is a careful balance between politics, romance, plot, and pace of the story. There are no unexpected betrayals, physical trauma is generally set off stage, and I was not aware of emotional trauma, other than that typical of an angsty late teen. I was very impressed with the subtle (but positive) references to a young woman with an active sex life - pleased that they were there, and that I didn't have to wade through pages of exposition regarding said sex life masquerading as soft porn. The implication was that this is normal, it isn't required, but it is an acceptable choice.

I do find this series frustrating in some ways - it shows a strong, competent woman, who got there by being one of the boys, by joining in the game and playing to their rules. And I get that it is important that that story be told, that it be an option for kids growing up to use as a role model. But my frustration comes from my perception that there are not enough stories about how being female is not a cage, not a trap, not a puzzle to work your way outside of. That strong women exist in their own realm, even if in the high-born feudal setting that realm is quite distinct from that of the men.

Strong characters, good (consistent) world building, solid plot, good pacing, no writing errors that threw me out of the story. show less

Summary: The second book in the Beka Cooper series. This time Beka has graduated from being a trainee police officer (a “Puppy”) into a full fledged “Dog.” New ranks mean new responsibilities, and soon Beka and her fellow Dogs face a counterfeiting ring that requires them to go undercover.

Review: I am hugely fond of Pierce’s Beka Cooper series. I like all her books but the Beka Cooper series has a special place in my affections because it’s not about magic or grandeur or show more aristocracy. It’s about a girl on the gritty streets, a girl who uses her fists, who uses her brains, and who gets dirty. The tight intrigue in Pierce’s latest works (I’m thinking of this series and the Trickster series) appeals to me. As usual, Beka is a great narrator, endearing me to her even through diary format, which is a format I’m not normally crazy about. I’m still not sure if the diary format is the best one for this book, but it didn’t bother me and it got the job done.

It was fun to see Beka leave Corus and go undercover. It forced Beka out of her comfort zone and introduced new characters and romantic interests. Her fling with Dale, while it didn’t thrill me because I never liked Dale that much, was a good stepping stone nonetheless. It was a little disappointing that we got to see so little of Corus characters like Rosto and Tunstall and Ahuda, but that’s what the next book is for. Also, there is a new animal character in this book: Achoo the scent hound. I liked Achoo but I can’t help but wonder if the animal companion thing is getting a little ridiculous. Then again I’m not an animal person, so maybe I’m just biased.

But the best part has to be when I realized that one of the major characters is gay and is lovers with a transvestite. Only in a Tamora Pierce novel. I love it, I love it, I love it, because Pierce always manages to bring genuine diversity to her cast, which is why her books keep me salivating even seven years after I first picked one up.

Conclusion: Another rollicking ride with Pierce’s trademark strengths. A little heavy on the animals and some characters don’t appear as often as I would like, but if it has a transvestite I’m satisfied. show less

Summary: When the Balitang family is recalled to the capital city after spending a year in exile, Aly is excited - being near the center of the government will make it that much easier to help spread the Raka rebellion that has been quietly fomenting amongst the servants and peasants in the countryside. However, the Raka are not the only ones plotting overthrow; the Luarin nobles are also displeased with the rule of the King's regents. Aly must use all her talents to navigate the two show more rebellions, bring down a kingdom, and restore the rule of the Copper Isles to the proper hands, all while keeping herself and those she cares about safe.

Review: This book shouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was. Aly spends most of the book acting as spymaster for the Balitangs and the Raka rebellion. However, the problem with acting as spymaster is that you have to sit around collating and distributing information while other people are doing all of the fun stuff, and the problem with writing a book about a spymaster is that your readers have to watch them... sit around collating and distributing information. Not exactly riveting action - and yet, it still managed to hold my attention.

Another reason I shouldn't have enjoyed this novel was that it was pretty predictable. Putting a prophecy in the beginning of your fantasy novel is kind of a double-bind situation. If the prophecy means what it says on first glance, then great, you've just given away the end of your book. But, on the other hand, most readers know that prophecies never mean what they say at first glance, and so will be scouring the text for clues as to the big twist. Even apart from the fact that Tamora Pierce's books all follow the same basic course, I figured out how most things in this novel were going to go from very early on. And yet, I still kept reading, wanting to know how the things I knew were coming were going to go down.

So, the fact that I kept listening, even in the face of predictability and mainly off-screen action, should speak pretty highly for the enjoyability of this book. I think Tamora Pierce's books are essentially YA fantasy comfort food: no big surprises, nothing too challenging, just reliable, solid, entertaining YA fantasy, complete with strong female characters, meddlesome gods, and little hints of romance. I was also thrilled to see the Darkings again. They were one of my favorite things (creatures? characters?) from the Immortals series, and they added some very cute, funny moments to Trickster's Queen. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Not great, but solidly good if you're in the mood for light YA fantasy. Plus, if you've already read Trickster's Choice, this one is pretty much required reading. show less

Eleven-year-old Alanna of Trebond wants to be a knight, but unfortunately she is just a girl. She disguises herself as a boy and swaps places with her brother so she can go to knight school. Bullied for being a "little guy" she bonds with the older boys who come to "Alan's" rescue and trains harder than anyone else so she can stand up for herself. She feels especially connected to Prince Jonathan, a few years ahead of her at school, who shares her magical Gift for healing, and George Cooper, show more the local thief kingpin. Years pass, and Jonathan selects "Alan" to be his squire when he is sent by his evil uncle to the southern Black City, full of demons.

There's so much going on in this middle grade book that took me ~3 hours to reread. Alanna has trauma from her mother's death and is afraid of the magical powers she inherited from her. The Duke is her magic teacher but is also clearly evil and trying to kill Jonathan and his parents because he's 4th in line for the throne. The groundwork is laid for Alanna to have a thing with Jonathan, which is icky when she's 11 and he's 14+ but gets less so as they get older, and also with George Cooper, who is possibly an adult?? The book spans years within just a few pages, which is hard to wrap my head around. I really liked the set-up of Alanna's bully Ralon being clearly foreshadowed that he would return. I hated the fantasy racism of the Bazhir, Persopolis, and the Black City.

I really enjoyed revisiting this book. I don't think I'll go on to reread the rest of the quartet, but it does make me want to pick up more of Pierce's books I haven't read yet. show less