Review: Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell

Book Description via Goodreads:

In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.

The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but  human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

Source: Hilari Bell (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

I liked the concept of Trickster’s Girl. It was a fantasy novel with a science fiction setting. This was a different flavor of fantasy – one with a deep connection with nature, more nature less focused on magical individuals. This kind of fantasy was new to me but that did not stop me from appreciating it. The imagery was just breathtaking. Bell's writing was really good. It made it easy for me to picture every scene.

Kelsa was dealing with her father’s demise and the wall between her and her mother. She was a little angry, a little annoyed and a whole lot bothered with a gorgeous stalker who witnessed her bury her father’s ashes. She was a smart girl so I was startled when she handled and approached her ‘stalker’ on her own. But I also get her point, after her father’s death, her mother has been going through a lot. She did not want to add to that. At age 15, she was young, too young to be thinking of world-saving issues and carrying it on her shoulders. But in Trickster’s Girl, that was exactly what happened – Kelsa carried the responsibility of saving her world through magical leys, learning to trust a total stranger and risking her life in the process.

Raven, the trickster, was incapable of understanding human emotions. This made him seem insensitive, cold and uncaring. But then how could he ever understand feelings? He was not human. He was a shapeshifter who lived in a parallel world, focused on accomplishing one thing alone: recruiting and guiding a human to heal the leys – an important part of his and Kelsa’s world.

Together, they journeyed to Alaska, stopping by at different points to heal the leys. This book was just that – a journey. They encountered obstacles along the way, drug dealing bikers, shapeshifting enemies and border guards. It was a race for their lives and their future. Throughout the novel, I felt surprise, awe, worry and suspense. I was so focused on the magical journey that I almost took for granted the other part of the story. This was Kelsa’s journey on sacrificing, doing what she could do, trying her best to make a difference and above all, accepting facts. Everything happens for a reason and everyone has a limit. It did not matter if she would or she would not get to Alaska. What mattered was that she tried and she made a difference.

There was attraction in the air and partnership too. But then, being the romance fanatic that I am, I wished there was romance between Kelsa and Raven. Unfortunately, there was not. I wanted to know more about Raven, for Kelsa to know more about him. He seemed so far away, so unreachable eventhough he sided with humanity. This could have been better if that was done. The ending was firm and just but it left me with sadness. Trickster’s Girl is a new flavor of fantasy for me, a reminder for everyone and a warning for all of us. Magic and nature collides in this one of a kind fantasy.

*Trickster's Girl is officially out in stores today!

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