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YA Friday Book Review: Deception's Pawn — Kid Lit Frenzy
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YA Friday Book Review: Deception's Pawn

May 1, 2015 Carolyn Gruss

Deception's Pawn
by Esther Friesner
Random House (April 28, 2015)
Audience: Young Adult
IndieBound | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:

"Fortune favors the bold in this adventurous tale of broken friendships, forbidden love, and a fiery heroine's journey to escape the role into which she was born. Perfect for YA fantasy fans of Shannon Hale, Malinda Lo, and Tamora Pierce.

Maeve, princess of Connacht, seems to have won her freedom. Her father, the High King, is finally allowing her to explore the world beyond his castle. But Maeve soon discovers that being the High King's daughter doesn't protect her from bullying or the attention of unwelcome suitors.

Struggling to navigate a new court, she must discourage the advances of her father's rival, who is vying with her host's son for her hand in marriage. Maeve is a pawn trapped between these two boys. Her bold defiance will bring her to the brink of disaster, but her clever gamble may also lead to her independence. Though she faces danger and intrigue, Maeve will also discover what kind of person-and queen-she's destined to become."

Carolyn's thoughts on the book:
Esther Friesner's Princesses of Myth series has been with me for a long time; I can still remember eight years ago when my sister picked up a copy of Nobody's Princess from our local bookstore and handed it to me the minute she finished reading it. I was only ten years old, but I was hooked: an in depth narrative about the (fictitious) early years of Helen of Troy, before she became a pawn in the Trojan War. Despite how Helen of Troy is so much of a symbol of passive femininity - given away as a prize, sparking a war over which man would claim her - she suddenly became a warrior, an inspiration in my mind and the mind of readers. Then came the next two books (Sphinx's Princess and Sphinx's Queen), focusing on Nefertiti, the famed queen of Egypt, and then a duo of novels focusing on Himiko, the Shaman queen of an early Japanese tribe. In her latest two books, Deception's Princess and Deception's Pawn, Esther Friesner lyrically and comedically explores the life of the fictitious Maeve, an Irish legend and a hero in her own right. Picking up where Deception's Princess left off, the story starts with Maeve settling in to her new home - and a whole new set of problems - as a fosterling in a foreign kingdom. Once again, she's seen by many only as a prize to be won, and soon Kian, the son of her hosts, and Conchobar, the son of her father's rival, are facing off to win her hand and her heart. And though she gains a set of friends, she just as quickly realize how deceptive friendship can be. Wavering loyalties and political upset complicates her relationship with her once-rival, Conchobar, and new revelations about Maeve's father's secrets cause her  to question his loyalties. Ultimately, Maeve's wits and passion prove to be her greatest strengths, and she proves herself far more worthy than any of her suiters of ruling the kingdom of Connacht. 

Deception's Prize is an excellent read, perfect for fans of folklore and historical fiction alike. I eagerly await the exploits of the next heroine Ms. Friesner choses to explore. 

Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays.

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