@JonSimantov hmm. "As a smaller part of a larger game" makes me immediately go to Brian Boru from Peer Sylvester. The trick taking is the action selection part.

Trick takers by themselves can be broken into two groups; those of Japanese origin and those from elsewhere. 9 Lives, and Cat in the Box are the two I recommend trying from Japan (and both have been reissued in the US). From elsewhere, I still think the old game of Stick 'em (Sticheln) is probably my top there but Wizard is an old favorite as well (although not particularly innovative).

@JonSimantov I haven't played it yet, but I've heard Arcs described like this.

My personal favorite is Shamans, it's like a social deduction team based trick taker. Lends itself to interesting strategies and interactions.

@JonSimantov the upcoming Arcs from Leder Games uses trick taking as an action selection mechanism I believe. My favourite trick taker to this day remains Nyet, where there's a draft of first player, Trump suit, trick values, and teams before each round starts!

I've also enjoyed Ghosts of Christmas where you play cards into past/present/future sets that can each affect one another

@JonSimantov Joraku is a great trick-taking game with area control and multi-use cards - can be used to place samurai in an area or use as action points to move your samurai and Daimyo or to remove opponents' samurai. It's quite thematic with the players' armies marching towards Kyoto (where lots of points are up for grabs) to impress the Emperor.

Honshu and Pi mal Pflaumen (Plums) are interesting cases as neither are technically trick-taking games (you don't "take tricks" and there is only a single "suit"), but both feel like trick-takers. In each round, each player bids by playing a card - the highest bidder takes one of the played cards, then the second highest bidder takes a card, and so on. Also, similar to Hearts and other trick-taking games, you might not want to win - though not to avoid negative points, but because coming in second or third might still get you the card you want (so you don't want to overbid).
Besides "trick-taking", Honshu's main mechanism is city building and it has an interesting market element (where you create both the supply and demand for goods in your own city) while Pi mal Pflaumen has set collection.