Daughter of the Lioness
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The Daughter of the Lioness series (also known as the Tricksters series) by Tamora Pierce is a duology set in the Tortall universe. It is centered on Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, the sixteen-year old daughter of Tortall's legendary lady knight, Alanna the Lioness, who was the subject of the The Song of the Lioness quartet. The duology takes place approximately 24 years after the last book in the quartet, Lioness Rampant.
The books in the duology are:
- Trickster's Choice
- Trickster's Queen
Contents |
[edit] The Prophecy
In a Time of Fear, the One Who I Promised will come to the raka, bearing glory in her train and justice in her hand. She will restore the god to his proper temple and his children to her right hand. She will be twice royal, wise and beloved, a living emblem of truth to her people. She will be attended by a wise one, the cunning one, the strong one, the warrior, and the crows. She will give a home to all, and the Kudarung will fly in her honor.
-From the Kyprish Prophecy, written in the year 200 H.E.
[edit] The History and Politics of the Copper Isles
The Copper Isles, the country where most of the series is set, are a group of islands roughly west of Tortall, in the Tortall Universe. They were once ruled over by the native raka, whose inheritance came from the mother's line, and who allowed the oldest child to inherit, whatever gender. However, the raka were often engaged in disputes between tribes, and when the luarin - invaders from the Eastern Lands, lead by Rittevon of Lenman and Ludas Jimajen - arrived, they were able to conquer the raka quickly. They killed the queen, her family, and most of the high-ranking nobles. The raka that remained now either belonged to the luarin as slaves, or had to pay to live on luarin land. The raka wondered why their god, Kyprioth, did not come and save them, and so priests spread the story that Kyprioth had been defeated in the Divine Realms by his brother and sister, Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess. However, hope was returned to the raka in the form of a prophecy, which promised that a new half-raka queen would arrive, who was royal to both the raka, through one well-hidden branch of the last queen's family, and to the luarin invaders, through the Rittevon line.
[edit] Trickster's Choice
| Trickster's Choice | |
| Author | Tamora Pierce |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Daughter of the Lioness |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Followed by | Trickster's Queen |
"I proclaim the shallowness of the world and of fashion. I scorn those who sway before each breeze of taste that dictates what is stylish in one's dress, or face, or hair. I scoff at the hollowness of life." - Aly
Alianne of Pirate's Swoop - normally called Aly - is the daughter George Cooper, Baron of Pirate's Swoop, second-in-command of his realm's spies; and Alanna the Lioness, lady knight, King's Champion of Tortall, and a living legend. However, far from wanting to follow in her mother's footsteps, the career Aly wishes to follow is her father's; that of a spy. Frustrated with her parents, Aly takes her boat, the "Cub", and sails down the coast, but is captured by pirates along the way. The pirates sell her as a slave in Rajumat, capital city of the Copper Isles. Aly is given away as a general-work slave to the noble Balitang family, which consists of Duke Mequen, his wife Duchess Winnamine, their children Lady Petranne and Lord Elsren, and Duke Mequen's two daughters by his first marriage to Duchess Sarugani, Lady Saraiyu and Lady Dovasary.
However, shortly after Aly's arrival, the Balitang family falls out of favor with King Oron of the Copper Isles, and are forced to sell most of their slaves and household goods. When it is Aly's turn to be reviewed by a slave matcher the Balitangs hire, a god appears to her and the Balitangs. Aly sees the god Kyprioth, patron of the Copper Isles, who wagers her a quick, safe journey home and a recommendation to her father that she begin work as a spy, provided she can keep the Balitang children alive until the autumn equinox. He tells the Balitangs that he is the god Mithros, and tells them to keep Aly as his messenger to them and trust her insights.
Aly travels with the Balitangs to the highlands on Lombyn Isle, where they own a fiefdom called Tanair. There, Kyprioth sends Aly help, in the form of the native crows, who, after agreeing to spy for her, begin to teach Aly their language. At Tanair, Aly also learns of the raka conspiracy: the native raka people of the Copper Islands, led by many of the Balitangs' pure-blood raka servants and slaves, plan to overthrow the luarin invaders who oppressed them centuries ago, and put Lady Saraiyu, also called Sarai, on the throne. They believe Sarai, who'\s father is fourth in line to the luarin throne, and whos mother was one of the last descendants of the old raka queens, is the prophesised Twice-Royal Queen who will lead the raka to greatness. Aly agrees to join the conspiracy and serve as its spymaster.
Meanwhile, many things happen in the Copper Isles. The Balitangs are visited by Prince Bronau, a close friend of the family who has also fallen out of favor with the king, and who flirts constantly with Sarai. One of the crows, named Nawat, transforms himself into a man and begins to work as a fletcher at Tanair, while trying to convince Aly to mate with him. Aly is also visited by Kyprioth, who takes her on a spiritual journey to Rajumat, to see the death of King Oron and the coronation of King Hazarin, his son from his first marriage.
Prince Bronau returns to the capital, but politics in Rajumat change quickly. Before long, King Hazarin is dead of apoplexy, and King Oron's three-year-old son Dunevon is king, with his sister Princess Imajane and her husband Prince Rubinyan as regents. Prince Bronau, who is Prince Rubinyan's brother, attempts to kidnap the new King, and soon there is a warrant for his arrest on a charge of treason. He returns to Tanair to visit the Balitangs, but, when they try and convince him to turn himself in, he brings in soldiers and tries to take Tanair by force. His plan is to marry Sarai, kill the king and, when Duke Mequen is King, force him to abdicate in Bronau's favour. However, the raka conspiracy, prepared for a fight, defeats Prince Bronau's forces with the help of the crows. In the fighting, Bronau mortally wounds Duke Mequen, and Dove kills Bronau. Although Trickster's Choice shows plainly that Dove kills Bronau, it is mentioned in Trickster's Queen that Sarai "...fought and beheaded her would-be lover, Prince Bronau".
At the end of the book, Aly's father arrives to take her home, but Aly decides to stay with the Balitangs as they live at Tanair through the winter, before their return to Rajumat in the summer.
[edit] Trickster's Queen
| Trickster's Queen | |
 |
|
| Author | Tamora Pierce |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Lloyd Foye & Associates |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Daughter of the Lioness |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | Hard cover: 467 Soft cover: 592 |
| ISBN | ISBN 1 86504 740 6 |
| Preceded by | Trickster's Choice |
In the spring after the events of Trickster's Choice, the Balitang family returns to Rajumat, where Duke Mequen's aunt, Lady Nuritin, awaits their return. Lord Elsren is now heir to the throne, and the outer isles are beginning to revolt. Aly has trained a group of spies - her 'pack' - who report to her, calling her 'Duani', or 'boss lady'. She also faces relationship troubles with Nawat, who is struggling to find his place in the world of men, and puzzled over why she won't mate with him. He is soon sent away by the leaders of the rebellion to fight on the outer isles.
In the city, Aly faces many new challenges. The spymaster of the Copper isles is a man called Topabaw, a cruel man who became lazy as his reputation grew. Aly soon destroys Topabaw's relationship with the regents through psychological warfare, and he is executed, to be replaced with a far more inexperienced man, Sevmire Ambau. She also faces opposition from Taybur Sibigat, captain of King Duvenon's personal guards, who is the first to realize that she is a spy. Luckily, Taybur cares only about the King - he is not interested in politics, so long as Duvenon is safe. Dove, Sarai's younger sister, discovers the raka conspiracy and is allowed to join it, but Sarai remains unaware of it, save for the way the raka watch her wherever she goes. Finally, Aunt Nuritin is the head of a luarin conspiracy, which also plots to overthrow the current rulers, but has not yet made a move towards this goal. Aly also receives help; Daine, her adoptive aunt,gifts her with a collection of creatures called darkings through Tkaa the Basilisk, that agree to spy for the rebellion.
The rebellion's first major act is when a powerful member of the luarin conspiracy, Duke Nomru, is arrested and sent to Kanodang prison. Aly's pack successfully release all of Kanodang's political prisoners and get them to safety on the outer isles, where several rebellions are now in place. The rebellion continues to spread discord, while gathering popularity, and eventually begins to attract the attention of the regents. Noticing Sarai's popularity, they offer her a marriage to Dunevon in an attempt to control her. However, buried in spy reports and plots, Aly fails to notice Sarai's infatuation with Zaimid Hetnim, a young Carthaki healer, until it is too late. The couple incapacitate their servants and elope to Carthak, leaving the rebellion stunned.
However, this failure comes with a blessing - the rebellion now turns its attentions to Dove, who, as an intelligent and cool-headed young woman, is a far more suitable candidate for the throne. Shortly afterwards, Elsren joins King Dunevon on a boat trip to celebrate the king's birthday - however, a magical, Crown-produced storm destroys the ship, killing the boys and many others, and the regents become the rulers of the Isles. However, with the help of the crows, the darkings and the revolution, the Copper Isles are soon in upheaval - people are rioting, the raka on the outer isles are rebelling and the Crown's soldiers are spread thin. Even Taybur Sibigat, still captain of the King's guard, has joined the raka conspiracy, after the regents kill his beloved king. Tortall and Carthak stop trading with the Isles, and repeated attacks on slave ships mean that merchants will do anything to avoid carrying slaves.
Aly begins to turn the regents against each other, planting false 'proof' that Rubinyan is having an affair, and learns from the darkings that her plot has worked. Nawat returns, confident in his role as a man, and he and Aly sleep together for the first time, then every night. The revolt happens, killing many on both sides, even though the rebellion tries to avoid bloodshed. Ulasim, the rebellion's general, dies killing Prince Rubinyan, and Ochobu, Ulasim's mother, head of the group of rebel mages known as the 'Chain', is killed in the fighting. Many of Aly's Pack are also killed. However, the conspiracy succeeds, Princess Imajane commits suicide, and Dove is crowned Queen. Aly tells the rebellion's leaders, including Dove, about her true parentage, then goes on to marry Nawat Crow and becomes pregnant after removing the anti-pregnancy charm he gave her before mating.
[edit] Cast of Characters
Throughout the series, occasional appearances are made by many of the main characters from other Tortall books, including Alanna the Lioness, Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop, King Johnathan III of Tortall, Myles of Olau, Daine the Wildmage, Numair Salmalín, Keladry of Mindelan, the Graveyard Hag and Tkaa the Basilisk. The main characters of the series include:
• Aly (Alianne) of Pirate's Swoop – Protagonist of the duet, Aly - is the daughter George Cooper, Baron of Pirate's Swoop, second-in-command of his realm's spies; and Alanna the Lioness, lady knight, King's Champion of Tortall, and a living legend. while journeying to a nearby town in order give her parents time to cool of after her proposal of becoming a spy she is kidnapped by pirates and sold as a slave to the Balitangs, a noble family of the Copper Isles. As a slave and maid, she soon discovers and gains access to a rebel conspiracy within the Balitang household, and takes charge as the rebellion's spymaster. At the end of the series she chooses to become the Royal Spymaster for the Isles. She marries Nawat Crow, and they conceive by the conclusion of the second book.
• Bronau Jimajen - A non-royal luarin prince, brother of prince Rubinyan, who has a close, romantic relationship with Sarai. He is originally a friend of the Balitangs, but at the end of Trickster's Choice he kills Duke Menquen and is killed by Sarai.
• Chenaol - the Balitang's full-raka cook, a leader in the revolution. She provides the revolution with weapons.
• Dove - Dovasary Balitang is the younger of Duke Mequen Balitang’s two half-raka daughters by his first marriage. She is quiet, observant, and very intelligent.
• Dunevon - King Oron's youngest child, who becomes King after Hazarin. He is only five years old, and is killed by his sister, Princess Imajane, when she is acting as regent.
• Elsren - Duke Menquen's youngest luarin child and heir to Dunevon's throne after menquen's death. He is killed at the same time as Dunevon.
• Fesgao - A raka man-at-arms and the military leader of the rebellion.
• Hazarin - King Oron's half-brother, who becomes King after his death, before dying of an apoplexy.
• Imajane - King Oron's half-sister, wife of prince Rubinyan, who is regent to King Duvenon. When the rebellion succeeds, she jumps to her death.
• Junai Dodeka - A raka woman who acts as Ali's bodyguard. She is Ulasim's daughter, and dies in the fighting when the rebellion takes place.
• Kyprioth the Trickster - chief of the trickster gods, former patron of the Copper Isles, ruler of the Emerald Ocean. Overthrown by his brother Mithros and sister the Great Mother Goddess 300 years prior to the beginning of the series.
• Lokeij – Raka slave, chief hostler for the Balitangs, killed in the fighting at Tanair.
• Mequen – Duke, fourth in line to the throne, father of Sarai and Dove, married to duchess Winnamine. His first wife ,Duchess Sarugani was a member of the raka nobility.
• Nawat Crow - A crow who turned himself into a man. He has a romantic relationship with Aly through most of the series, but does not truly find his place in the world of men until near the end of Trickster's Queen. He works as a fletcher and a warrior, as well as Aly's main link to the crows. At the end of the series he and Aly are married.
• Nuritin - Duke Mequen's bossy luarin aunt; head of the luarin conspiracy.
• Ochobu Dodeka - Ulasim's mother and head of the rebal raka mage network known as the chain. She and her fellow mages agree to aid the conspirators.
• Oron - King of the Copper Isles at the beginning of the series, mentally unstable.
• Petranne - Duke Mequen's oldest luarin child.
• Prince Rubinyan - Luarin brother of Prince Bronau, and husband of Princess Imajane. Killed by Ulasim.
• Sarai - Saraiyu Balitang is the beautiful but impetuous eldest child of Duke Mequen Balitang. She is stubborn about certain things, and not as calm as her sister Dove. She elopes to Carthak with Zaimid Hetnim rather than marry King Dunevon.
• Taybur Sibigat - head of the King's guard. Joins the raka conspiracy after the death of King Duvenon.
• Duke Lohearn Mantawu - a.k.a. Topabaw, a Crown spymaster who is executed by the regents after Aly spreads rumors of his disloyalty.
• Ulasim Dodeka - Free raka servant, head footman to the Balitang family and general of the raka conspiracy. Junai's father and Ochobu's son. He dies killing Prince Rubinyan in the rebellion.
• Winnamine - Luarin duchess married to Duke Mequen. Has two children by Mequen: Petranne and Elsren. Was the best friend of Mequen's first wife, Duchess Sarugani.
• Ysul – Second-in-command of the rebal raka mage network known as the chain, assumes command aster Ochobu's death.
• Zaimid Hetnim - A Carthaki healer who falls in love with Sarai and elopes with her to Carthak.
