Hilari Bell

This is the first book in Hilari Bell's Farsala Trilogy. We're introduced to Jiaan--a peasant-born bastard son of a noble taken into the Commander's household as a page, Soraya--the Commander's fiery, willful daughter and Kavi--a spy perhaps, but who knew where his loyalties truly ran? Each chapter follows from a third person viewpoint of one of those three young people--who's lives are intertwined together no matter what the distance (of land or experience) forces upon them. Additionally there are short chapters that fill in the legend of Sorahb, a legendary figure who will rise again when the need is great.

And frankly the need is pretty great as the book goes on.

I'll be frank I was recommended this book by a friend who thought it would be a fun joke to see me stumble through it. Its heavy on political intrigues and machinations as well as a healthy dose of murder, revenge and fighting. I hesitate to say its a hard book to go through because its not, its fairly simple as long as you keep the players of the game straight and their movements. In particular Kavi creates problems because he is a trickster, a guy who wants to watch out for himself and himself along, but finds himself caught up in plots that go over his head. He's not a bad guy, but he's blinded by his hatred for Farsala nobles who have only ever treated him like dirt beneath their boots.

Since this is the first book in a trilogy, the end is not tied up in a neat bow. Honestly by the end of it everyone is so far removed from who they were in the beginning, that its hard for me to remember (as I re-read the book) that Soraya really was that bratty or that Jiaan never spoke up for himself. Despite her flaws though Soraya is my favorite character--she's a brat, true, but she is also young and unable to fully understand what is happening around her. All she sees is her father sending her away as an unruly child when she wants to be seen as a young woman ready to embark upon her own life and hold herself equal to everyone else. She doesn't see that the Hrum (the enemy) has learned from their past failures, that the easy victory Farsala took for granted for so long is not a stone cold fact, that her father wants her to live and be free of what the Hrum will do to her if they caught her.

Kavi and Jiaan are interesting polar opposites. Very easily Jiaan could have been Kavi if the Commander hadn't taken him in and raised him far above what his peasant (bastard) status demanded. They also view the Commander and his 'generosity' in entirely different ways. Jiaan is grateful for the chance while Kavi is suspicious of a noble man who would act the way he does.

Overall this book is a great way to start a fantasy that makes you think and scheme like the characters. Nothing comes easy in Farsala, least of all answers to what it means to be a hero.
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In Trickster's Girl one of my main problems with the book was Raven and Kesla. Looking back I would almost venture to say that Kesla was using the 'save the world' hoopla to escape the reality of her father's death and possibly also with a minor death wish of her own. Jason--or Jase as he mostly goes by--is a different story altogether.

Disaffected, indifferent and mostly confused about his place in the world I resonated moreso with Jase then I ever did with Kesla. His awkward attempts to flirt with Raven were as amusing as his attempts to puzzle her out. Which while I'm on the topic of Raven, I like this version of Raven moreso than the attractive boy the trickster was in the first book. It honestly seemed to suit the character more, but some of that may be that Raven was genuinely trying not to make the same mistakes again.

Though that doesn't preclude all new ones from happening.

Whereas Kesla's journey helped her understand her father better and to deal with her grief, Jase's is all about healing a rift in his family that echoes the rift in the world Raven wants him to help fix. Something that like Kesla he wants nothing to do with. Bell captures the youthful conceit that if its not their fault why should they fix it attitude very well. In Jase's case its a bit more complicated as his Native American roots make him a perfect candidate to help Raven, but a fall out between his father and grandfather when he was younger all but makes him indifferent to the whole mysticism of his heritage.

I will say that Bell tries hard to make this accessible to new readers. The first half of the book or so is a recapping of everything we learned about the issues at hand in the first book mixed in with Jase's family troubles. Raven is just as un-forthcoming as she was in book 1 with Kesla, but seems more patient with Jase. And definitely more sympathetic to his family strife.

Bell focuses a lot on race and how one generation's perceptions can be wholly different from the next's. The family rift started because Jase's father wanted a law changed so that Jase could inherit--the law states you have to 1/4 Native American in order to inherit lands, money etc, but Jase is only 3/16ths. The lawsuit put Jase's father in direct contention with his father, the tribe's shaman and the fallout reduced Jase to infamy and difficulties connecting with the tribe.

I thought Bell had handled the cultural aspects very well--she didn't preach or sermonize, nor go into lengthy explanations better suited for a textbook. Everything she discussed or mentioned was important to the overall story of the book and to Jase in particular.

The end is perhaps not what I expected and Raven specifically acted differently. While romance isn't quite the point of things, Raven didn't shy away from using hormonal lust as a leverage to get Jase to do what she wanted (especially in the beginning), but her reaction to her adventures with both Jase and Kesla surprised me.

This was a good conclusion to the duet, though it did leave some questions in the air that were perhaps best left unanswered. I don't think Bell meant this to be a definitive 'end', but an end to a chapter. Raven is after all a God--she'll live for hundreds of more years, possibly face another cataclysm like this again or a new one. However Kesla and Jase's parts were over...but that doesn't mean she won't visit them from time to time.… (more)

I enjoy Bell's "Farsala" books quite a bit and her "Knight and Rogue" books are on my TBR pile. She's the reason why I find pseudo political fantasies so engrossing in fact. Trickster's Girl however is not a fantasy. Its a futuristic, scifi, almost dystopian tale with magic. And a strong 'save the trees' message.

Kelsa was a troubled, grief-stricken girl who felt lost without her father. She couldn't connect with her mother or younger brother; she felt betrayed by her mother for doing what Kelsa felt was the wrong thing when her father was dying and has felt inconsequential since. She has no outlet for her fears or worries so when Raven appears--well she doesn't jump at the chance to take a cross country trip with an enigmatic stranger talking about 'magic', but it offers her an escape she decides to take.

I liked that Bell didn't have Kelsa immediately agreeing to Raven's request, that Kelsa maintained a healthy wariness in regards to his claims and beliefs. And the small jab that girls seem to fall for the mysterious attractive guy on first sight was amusing. I was less keen on her notion that stealing her father's ashes to bury them elsewhere was a healthy response. I understood why she felt she should, but it still didn't seem like a healthy rationale.

Raven was amusing and cryptic and aggravating in only the way the Trickster God (of any mythology or religion) can be. Even though he was very serious about healing the ley lines and completing the mission, that didn't stop him from being frustrating. He had an air of arrogance that he wouldn't let go--even asking Kelsa for help made it seem like he was doing her a favor by asking. As you can imagine Kelsa, who was more of a control freak then I think she wanted to admit to, didn't take this well. The two of them sniping at each other makes the majority of their relationship.

There was no romance. Which I am glad for. Extremely glad for. If Kelsa had suddenly developed a crush on Raven, or if Raven (after chapters of critisizing her) suddenly professed love, I may have had to punch something. These two never get along, so much as learn to tolerate each other to get the job done. Mutual distrust, frustration with having to deal with each other and the problems of dealing with unknown variables made it hard for them to communicate or travel peacefully.

Here's the thing, while Kelsa and Raven amused me, I wasn't particularly fond of either one. On numerous occasions I found myself questioning just how sane Kelsa was (considering she jumped straight from her anger and grief over her father's death into this life or death struggle to save the world...). Raven, for all the fact that he liked humans moreso than some of his peers, seemed to have very little by way of patience.

There is no doubt in my mind that Bell created complex characters, with a vivid landscape and engaging plot. Unfortunately the book was almost preachy about how humankind has destroyed the earth. The environmentalist vibe was very strong in this book, which made it a bit much to bear at times.… (more)