Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

Copyright: 2004
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Young Adult
Challenges: Audio Book, Young Adult, TBR, 101 Fantasy, New Author

(wow...I can't believe one book can help me in 5 challenges. haha!)
New-to-me Author: yes
Author's Website



Simple Description:
Ali isn't sure what she wants to do in life, well, kinda. Her mom is The Lioness, the best female fighter in her country. Her Dad is a spy. Ali wants to be a spy, a field agent, but her parents forbid it. If she can't be a spy, what else can she do? When her Mother comes home for a rest and makes Ali her project, Ali decides to take an unexpected trip to a city close by. She leaves a note for her parents and leaves early in the morning before anybody is awake to stop her.

Unfortunatly things don't go as planned. Ali is captured by pirates to be sold as a slave. Luckily she made herself seem like a "fighter" and when nobody wants her she is given to a family for free. Luck is with her because this is a very nice family who treats her well. They are royalty and forced into exile by the current king.

Ali has plans to escape but before she can the Trickster god comes to her with a deal. If she agrees to stay with this family through the summer and keep their daughters safe, the god

will deliver her safely to her home and make sure her parents let her become a spy. Ali takes the deal.

Now what you really want to know....my thoughts:
I thought this was a great young adult book. One thing I love is that Ali is such a strong female character. Not to bash the Twilight books (heck..I did love them) but Bella is so weak. I've read several blogs where that's a concern or a complaint rather. But Ali, she is so freaking strong! She's a great role model for young girls, in my opinion anyway. Ali is super smart and courageous.

The story itself kept my interest. I wanted to know what was going to happen to each of the characters and how the book was going to end.

This is definitely a book I recommend to others who like young adult and a bit of the paranormal. Well, do I call it paranormal? I suppose. Maybe Urban fantasy would be a better genre to put it in. Ali has some "gifts" that are passed down from parents to their children. One of the characters, Nowat, is a crow who becomes a Man so he can help Ali in her attempt to keep the royal family safe.

I did listen to this book. I thought the reader did a very good job. I admit to be confused at times but think that I probably would have been even if I read it, there were a lot of people mentioned in this book. Also, my mind kept drifting while I was driving. I don't think this had anything to do with the book though, rather just with things going on in my life right now.

This book is part of my collection and was either bought or given to me. (I did read the very end of the book last night at home. I knew I was close to the end and couldn't possible wait till the next day to finish the story. haha!)

This audio book was rented from my local library.