Deception's Pawn

January 1, 2015
A fiery Irish princess determined to make her own life decisions has trouble keeping her heart, and her men, in line in this overheated sequel to Deception's Princess (2014).Glad to be free of her beloved but manipulative father, High King Eochu, at last, Maeve joins a trio of fosterlings in neighboring Dun Beithe, where, along with meeting hunky Kian, son of the local lord, she is reunited with her adored kestrel, Ea. Besides briskly staving off blushing, smitten Kian and the much more aggressive Conchobar, the young king of the Ulaidh, Maeve faces a hard challenge in Bryg, a clever new foster child who nurses a deep grudge against her and orchestrates a campaign of not-so-petty torment. Except for a sojourn to meet Odran, her crush from the previous episode, this vicious little war takes up the story's heart. Maeve isn't exactly a model heroine, as she demonstrates by sneaking off to Odran after twice swearing to stay and endure her foster sisters' bullying and then concocting a lie that she had been stolen by the Fair Folk to cover her absence. Also, as hinted in her uncritical acceptance at the end of scheming Eochu's gift of part of his kingdom (and acknowledged in the tale's title), she's not the brightest bulb. Well, she's a dab hand at sharp repartee and generally tries to be kind to her social inferiors. For readers who like their ancient Irish legends larded with mean girls. (pronunciation guide) (Historical fiction. 11-14)

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February 1, 2015

Gr 6-10-In this sequel to Deception's Princess (Random, 2014), Maeve, daughter of King Eochu of Connacht, is grasping for independence from her father's reign while navigating a new court in a nearby highborn family's home. She finds herself among a group other foster girls her age who can be friendly and prankish. Caught between the vying love interest of her host family's son, and her father's greatest rival, Maeve pines for her lost love Odran. When a former foster returns to the court, the pranks turn vindictive and directed solely against Maeve, forcing her to wrestle free from building situations, and take destiny in her own hands. Friesner brings this rarely showcased first-century A.D. Irish setting alive with common traditions and roles of the Iron Age, but this tenderhearted Maeve is more a character of imagination than the one of Celtic folklore. The story's themes center on independence and personal agency. Moving at a faster pace than its prequel, most of the dramatic tension comes from Maeve's interactions with the other fosterling girls than through romance and adventure, leaving this book best suited for readers content to meander in a time and place, rather than those who prefer a high-action plot. Friesner's storytelling and context do not require having read the first in the series, but unresolved loose ends from the previous volume are tied up here. Romance scenes are tame, and though sex is alluded to having happened, it is offstage. VERDICT Purchase where the first book is popular.-Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR

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