{"id":2293,"date":"2013-11-13T05:00:21","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=2293"},"modified":"2013-11-09T09:47:51","modified_gmt":"2013-11-09T17:47:51","slug":"mark-reads-tricksters-choice-chapter-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2013\/11\/mark-reads-tricksters-choice-chapter-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘Trickster’s Choice’: Chapter 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the fourth chapter of Trickster\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Choice<\/i>, Aly begins to understand just how complicated her wager with Kyprioth is going to be. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Trickster\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Choice<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Chapter Four: The Road<\/b><\/p>\n

THIS IS REALLY GREAT? And this book is utterly unlike anything in the Tortall universe<\/i>. This idea of essentially making Aly a slave and a spy at the same time makes for exciting reading and rich character development. And I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get over the fact that this is a new character in a new duology and she is already changing and growing<\/i>. Yes? YES.<\/i><\/p>\n

Also: KUDARUNG<\/i>. There are flying horses in the Isles!!!! Not hurroks, but just regular ol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 horses who can fly!!! CAN ALY FLY ONE, PLEASE? THANKS.<\/p>\n

Well, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s probably not going to happen, especially given that Ulasim reveals that the luarin king bred the horses <\/i>against raka tradition. And I like that the text itself criticizes Aly when it needs to happen, like in the instance where she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s insensitive in her curiosity about the kudarung<\/i>. Aly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s doing her best to learn as much as she can about this culture, but it was only a matter of time before she messed up. She takes in stride, too, knowing that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not about her. Take note, racists<\/i>.<\/p>\n

This chapter comprises a long and treacherous walk to Tanair Castle from Dimari, where the Balitangs will be spending their exile, and along the way, SO MUCH HAPPENS:<\/p>\n

\n
With one exception, the raka continue to eerily gaze upon the party, especially the two Balitang daughters, as they pass. NOT ONE RAKA EVER SAYS ANYTHING AND I AM SO CONFUSED<\/i>.<\/li>\n
The food described in this book so far has all sounded so delicious that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just angry<\/i>. I want it!<\/li>\n
A NEW SETTING! We get to experience the jungles of the Isles, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s awesome<\/i>.<\/li>\n
But the main plot thread here is Aly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s suspicion that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something deeply wrong with the silence and lack of raka once they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in the jungles. This is significant because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the first time Aly is put to the test. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got to protect Dove and Sarai, but she has to do so in a way that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expose her true intentions. Because of all the world- and character building prior to this, we know the stakes. We know how complicated this is going to be for her. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got to navigate her way through slave narratives, what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s expected of her from the luarin, and what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s expected of her from the duke and duchess, who are only aware that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been touched by a god.<\/li>\n
And she does this BEAUTIFULLY. Yes, she comes very<\/i> close to revealing a bit too much. I suspect that Fesgao is on to Aly, but other than that, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s able to get someone else to raise the issue with the duke and duchess, and then she mildly suggests the very plan that takes care of the robbers.<\/li>\n
However, the end result of Aly\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s plan doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t turn out as she anticipated, and for a moment, this chapter got immensely <\/i>uncomfortable. Killing some of the robbers turns out to be the easiest<\/i> solution to the problem presented to the Balitangs, since it will reduce the chance of more raka coming after the party to rescue those captured; plus, then there won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be any left to attack any caravans that follow them.<\/li>\n
And yet, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also the most difficult solution because Aly, Mequen, Dove, and Sarai know that these specific raka men are absolutely poor. The evidence of their poverty (which was the result of luarin imperialism) is staring them in the face. These people can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/i> live any worse, so what is killing them going to do?<\/li>\n
Of course, then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Sergeant Veron, who is a stereotypical luarin to a T<\/i>. The dude still refers to raka people as dogs, openly and with malice. Ugh, I like exactly no parts of him. Not a one.<\/li>\n
Amidst the decision that Duke Mequen has to make is the ongoing absurdity that is the raka\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s obsession with Dove and Sarai. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, the book is seriously taunting me to my face at this point. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t figure this out, and it hurts<\/i>. A god and<\/i> the raka people revere these two young women as if they are gods themselves. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get it! Who was their mother? Why do the raka robbers refuse to hurt them? What is happening<\/i>?<\/li>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m with Aly, though: I felt all kinds of things for Sarai and Dove, who refuse to entertain any option of dealing with the robbers that involves their death. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ignore that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re half-raka, and I assume that plays a part in why they refuse inhuman treatment of these people. In the end, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Dove who comes up with idea to enslave the robbers making them swear a blood oath to prevent them from turning on their owners. (Okay, I have to comment on the idea of blood oaths because holy shit that is so brutal<\/i>.) It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the best solution that protects the Balitangs without committing murder. (Though I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m utterly confused as to why the rakas thank Sarai after her sister was the one who saved them.)<\/li>\n
It speaks to something within these two girls. They have refused to turn themselves over to luarin mythologies and prejudices, even when it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t benefit them, and I was just so proud<\/i> of them, especially Dove.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That being said, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t figure this out. I recognize that Aly is in a precarious situation, so it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not like she can just go up to anyone and ask them. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s luarin to most of the raka, so it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way too complicated for that. Still, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m totally fascinated by where this story has gone already<\/i>. I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been so unprepared so quickly<\/i> before, have I?<\/p>\n
Please note that the original text uses the words \u00e2\u20ac\u0153idiot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153lame\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (in the context of a horse).<\/p>\n
Part 1<\/p>\n
<\/iframe><\/p>\nPart 2<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vndubYBDACU\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\nPart 3<\/p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XEToBwN2m08\" height=\"315\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\nMark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, <a href=\"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2013\/09\/help-keep-mark-does-stuff-running\/\">I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!<\/a> \n– Please check out the <a href=\"http:\/\/markdoesstuff.com\/\">MarkDoesStuff.com<\/a>. All Mark Watches videos for past shows\/season are now archived there! \n– I will be traveling for many events! Check the <a href=\"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/tour-dates-appearances\/\">Tour Dates\/Appearances page<\/a> for up-to-date tour events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the fourth chapter of Trickster\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Choice, Aly begins to understand just how complicated her wager with Kyprioth is going to be. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Trickster\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[429,278,430],"tags":[432,250],"class_list":["post-2293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-trickster-series","category-tortall-2","category-tricksters-choice","tag-mark-reads-the-trickster-series","tag-tamora-pierce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2293\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}