The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner opens with the Thief of Eddis spying on the Queen of Attolia. Eugenides makes quite a few trips to the Queen’s palace without getting caught. It is a game of cat and mouse for him that he enjoys playing. However, Eugenides is eventually caught and expects to hang. However, the Queen of Attolia metes out justice the traditional way by cutting off his right hand. Thus, Eugenides is sent back to Eddis to heal from his wounds and sinks into a deep depression. The Queen of Eddis learns of her Thief’s fate and declares war against Attolia. It is this action that sets the story off.
The Queen of Attolia was very good. This entry is much darker. You have political intrigue, plenty of suspense, great characterization. In the midst of all of this, you have a unexpected love story. It could probably be classified as unrequited in its subtely. Do you enjoy mythology? The Eddisian gods continue to play an important role in the story. Do you mind a complex plot? The story is richly complex and the author is quite heavy handed on the politics and the geography of the land. The story is supposedly set around an imaginary landscape that is similar to that of ancient Greece and other territories set around the Mediterranean. The pacing was good but it did tend to drag just a bit in the middle. However, this is a smartly written novel; there’s solid characterization as well as excellent dialogue as mentioned previously. This is young adult fantasy at it’s best.
In conclusion, I don’t know what Ms. Turner is doing right now but I sincerely hope that she is writing another book. This author deserves a huge reading audience. All the critical praise of her work is clearly justified. This book was excellent. Now, if you will excuse me, I have The King of Attolia to read next. My grade, A-. Read this book. Of course, start with The Thief first. Note: The books are geared toward the YA audience but this book is complex enough for adults to enjoy, too.
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I’ve read all three books in the series, and you HAVE to read the King of Attolia! I think it’s at least as good as The Thief (which I am in love with!)
I plan to! I look forward to it actually. I just need another excuse to go shopping on Amazon…
Hey Trisha, I can keep on reading about Eugenides. I love this author’s writing style. I am reading the King of Attolia right now. I started a little bit of it last night after work. Kailana: you need to get this series. I really think you’ll like it. And jmc it’s only after your reviews that I started reading them.
I have enjoyed all three of the Attolia books; Queen and King were two of my best reads last year. There is a MWT community on LJ that I lurk in. Rumor has it that there will be another book for Eugenides, but there is no timeline that I’ve been able to find in the posts and/or comments.
I had hoped to read this author. I had the first book in the series in my shopping card when I bought books online last and then I discovered that it took a really long time to ship and I didn’t want to wait that long for the rest of the books I was buying. Maybe next time because she sounds interesting!
Can’t wait to hear what you have to say about The King of Attolia. It’s my favorite in the series.
Back to lurking (at least until your next YA review).