The Queen of Attolia (Queen's Thief)

The characters are engaging and believable, a good mix of heroic and personal, but certainly include the character flaws of any truly interesting adventure characters.

The story was exciting and well written, with a number of interesting plot twists that really were a surprise.

This is the second book the Queen’s Thief series and was a good continuation of that series. This book deals mainly with the Queen of Attolia and her struggles to hold her throne against Sounis and Eddis.

This is a long book and a lot happens in it. Eugenides is in the story a lot but not as much as the first book. The point of view bounces between Eugenides, Eddis, Attolia, and the Medean ambassador Nahuseresh.

This book was much more epic fantasy-like than the first book with more about war between nations than any adventure. I didn't like it quite as much because of that but it was still really well done with some unique twists and turns, just like the first book.

My 10 year old son and I read it together and we both enjoyed it a lot; although we both agree that the we liked the first book better.

Overall this is a very well done epic fantasy and I plan on continuing the series with my son.

MINOR SPOILERS

First reading -- 2 stars

The first book shot to my top favorite books ever list. It was amazing. I really liked Eugenides. I still like Gen of the first book, but I can't connect him with the Gen of the second.

For one thing, the first book was written in first person! It was amazing! I really like 1st person, and I was sorry to see that the second book (and others, probably) is in 3rd person. Not nearly as good, though it does explore a lot more views, like the Queen of Attolia's view (and she rants a lot about how she should have killed the Thief).

Gen gets caught, and the Queen cuts his hand off. Gen turns into a sulky self-pitier for a winter while his kingdom goes to war. Then Gen starts to bounce back and everything looks grand (he steals Sounis's Magus and Attolia's queen), but he isn't funny. He isn't witty. Gen doesn't smile. THEN I found out Eugenides is in love with the Queen of Attolia. The hateful jerk who had his hand cut off and tried to take over his kingdom and nearly invited the Medes to take over. HER.

So, I don't like this Gen, and I wish he had gotten his hand back or never lost it. And I'm angry the gods betrayed him and all.

Second reading -- 4 stars

Reader thoughts:
I still agree with most points I thought 7 years ago. However, I now knew what was coming. I braced for it. I looked hard for redeeming qualities. I tried to find reasons to like the Attolian queen despite all she'd done.

Well, I found some things to like.

There are schemes happening off page, which is half of what so impressed me with book 1. I think The Runaway King was a better sequel with this type of writing (it kept 1st person!), but Queen of Attolia is acceptable. I can now identify the little clever things the queen and thief were doing behind the scenes against the Medes. They weren't as hugely clever as in book 1, but they were still clever.

I also better appreciate the last few chapters where the queen and thief are convincing each other that they're in love. Now, I don't think their relationship is healthy (goodness, both are afraid of each other and flinch when they come in contact), but at least they're talking with great respect for each other. I hope this grows in the next book.

I like the greater danger that the Medean threat provides.f I like that Attolia, Sounis, and Eddis are loosely based off Greece. I like the landscape, politics, and secrets. I wish we got to see more interactions and fewer stories about the gods (actually, book 2 held only 1 story, I think).

There are a few series with amazing book 1s and terrible book 2s. If book 1 is good enough, it will convince me to try book 3. This is sometimes good and sometimes bad. This series is probably the most extreme I've ever seen with how much I absolutely loved the first book and absolutely hated the second (for a while). I'm glad I tried again.

Writer thoughts:
Why switch pov? What did MWT gain?

Well, she got to peek inside Attolia's head so the reader sees how she views Eugenides. That was pretty important. We also got to see a little inside Eddis's head and see how she views Attolia and Eugenides. We got to see inside the Magus's head and how he views all three of them.

The problem is, MWT doesn't actually reveal a whole lot of what the characters are really thinking. We don't see their behind-the-scenes plots and machinations. We're left to guess and put it together at the end. So, what's the point of seeing inside their heads if their heads are so unreliable?

Maybe it was a fun exercise. She had already pulled off 1st person unreliable narrator. Now she has pulled off third person unreliable narrator.

I'm totally biased, but I think first person from Gen's pov and a few 1st person chapters from Attolia's pov would have done the trick (with the right dialogue and facial expressions from the rest), but to each his own.

Extraordinary intrege filled with plait twists left and right my largest complaint was a development towards the end of the book that changed every character trait that had been, moments before, so well defined. Eugenides was hanged from a witty unknowable Gand thief to a simpering weak youngster for reason that I can't say. And a new rapport that form between certain characters is found less and hurtful to the overall story and our image of the main characters. But as you continue on this development, though still shocking and still mostly baseless, slowly integrates itself into the story in better ways. The third book will take this new development and run with it, reforming the characters in a way that brings back the ones we knew and loved from the first one and a half books and creates a whole new development and subplot usin the grand development revealed at the end of the second book. All in all stunning character development, haunting and compelling plot twists, beautiful realistic settings, all of which deserves the highest of praise if we ignore the somewhat poorly handled plot twist at the end of the book. Personally, I believe it was just a new 'event' that the author was not experienced or well-versed in writing about.

I love this series of books. I discovered them by reading a post by Lois McMaster Bujold, one of my favorite authors. You should read all of her books, too. Bujold recommended this series, and I have not been disappointed. I gave the first book 5 stars, and I am giving this one 4 because I found it slightly more difficult to follow, given that much of the action is military or quasi-military. The first book was very personal, and this one is a bit more institutional, so I didn't find it quite as satisfying. But, it is wonderful. This series is among my favorite books for many reasons - they are well-written, ingenious, entertaining, and adventurous. Read them!

An excellent sequel to The Thief, The Queen of Attolia is exciting and more fast-paced than the first book. It was still somewhat slow for me at the beginning, but the pace soon picked up and raced to the end. It is a darker book than the first one; there is a bit more violence, and at times it is unsettling. There is plenty of political maneuvering, intrigue, back-stabbing, spies, and conspiracy to keep it interesting, and I never knew which way things would go. After having experienced the twist in book one, I expected a similar event in book two, but was completely taken by surprise when it happened. I truly did not see it coming. Now I cannot wait to read book three because I have no earthly idea how it's going to go!

You must read this entire series and do not read any of the summaries, lengthy book reviews, or even the dust jackets of the books. It would be so easy to be spoiled. And trust me, you want to enjoy the surprise of these fantastic books!

At first I thought Eugenides's charm would be lost in this sequel because the narrator's voice switches from first to third person, but after a while, I found that fortunately this is not true. Eugenides's smart remarks are still there, and the author retains her humor throughout the book. (The voice change, by the way, is necessary because this time there are actually two main leads--one of whom is supposed to be feelingless--in the book.)

Like has been said, this is a whole different story from The Thief. There are, however, references to the first book which can be ignored, I guess.

Although this is an awesome book, it is not without faults. First, I find it somewhat unsatisfying that characters are left disappearing throughout the story. This is probably because the focus of the book really is the relationship between Eugenides and Attolia. Events then happen that involve certain people we don't really care about. Next, the explanations/facts in this book don't quite match with the first book's. In the first book, for example, it is pretty clear Eugenides is not interested in Attolia romantically, while in this book he claims to have been in love with her since circa a decade ago. In addition, in the first book Attolia doesn't seem to know Eugenides and Eddis too well while this book says that in fact she and Eddis had been close.

But again, this is still an awesome book that I couldn't put down. I'm looking forward for the author's next book. :D

MWT has demonstrated a clear mastery of the subtlety of court plots, army manuvering and ruthless royalty!
I could well believe all that happens, with the Thief being deployed against Attolia, and then crippled and returned, he must struggle to overcome his handicap and self-doubt.

This part is well written, without being patronizing.

Imagine a land where they have a goverment post of imperial Thief... and a man who has previously held the post with astonishing bravery and success... imagine the same man now maimed and mentally destroyed.

The theif has returned from Attolia now unkempt & handicapped - unable to bring himself to court or rise from the miasma of gloom into which he has sunk, until he has one last mission.

Enter Attolia again and this time, kidnap the Queen.

Imagine this thief's reaction when asked to do the impossible - and imagine the courage it takes to rise to such a challenge.

Imagine the impossible tenderness of loving your torturer - and imagine the revelation when ones own heart is revealed.

It is easy to believe in the feeling that he has for Attolia, gradually revealed as we are led to the denouement.

You crow at the masterful plotting, and cheer on the good guys: Romance, intrigue & and some really close escapes!

This novel is quite self-contained and can be read as a stand alone book, without feeling one is missing out on anything. So if you can't get the Thief straight away, don't hesitate to read The Queen of Attolia first off.

I typically give books at least fifty pages to intrigue me. Even then, it's very rare that I stop reading - off the top of my head, I can think of only two books that I have ever just stopped reading and given up on. The Queen of Attolia will be added to the list.

I'd just finished The Thief, which didn't begin to really get me excited till 150 pages into it, then I enjoyed the rest. So I gave The Queen of Attolia a little over two hundred pages before I gave it up.

The Queen of Attolia opened up into an action scene, which I was pleased to see. There is a bit more excitement, then the war starts. And that is more or less all that you hear about for the next 150 pages or so. You get any number of brief scenes that really, show you almost nothing: there isn't insight into the character, there's only painfully slow progression into the plot. I was very disappointed, especially (***MINOR SPOILER ALERT!!***) when Gen comes for the magus - I was excited thinking that things would really pick up, but no, even that turns out to be very ho-hum, and the magus is promptly shipped off to a summer home, thus taking him out of play.

I skimmed a bit through the rest of the book and didn't find anything that piqued my interest enough to go back and pick up where I left off. I'm glad that other people have enjoyed it so much, but I personally found the pacing of the story to be snail-like at best, the story-telling flat and empty, and only the few interesting scenes I read during those 200+ pages made it earn the two-star rating instead of a single star. Clearly, the author has the ability to write some really exciting and intriguing plotlines with fantastic twists, but unfortunately her books seem to turn into repetitious, sluggish tales with just a few teasing samples of her potential thrown in.

Perhaps because I found The Thief so fun and heartfelt, and was enthralled by numerous others' lavish praises on the sequels, that I had extremely high expectations for THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA. It pains me to say that I didn't like THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA as much as I did The Thief, but it's still a good read in fantasy literature that will appeal across age ranges.

THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA is altogether different from The Thief. It's told in third-person instead of first. Eugenides seems older; the events and the premise of this book are a lot darker, dipping into the disturbing at times. THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA focuses a lot on the political tensions between the kingdoms, to the point where long sections of the book are dedicated entirely to dry accounts of political and military events. While I go gaga for books that are smart, yet interesting to read, I couldn't help but feel that all that information could have been presented to readers in a more engaging way.

Maybe this decision to report war news in such a dry way was a deliberate decision on Turner's part. In any case, it also affected by connections I had with the characters. Which is to say, I felt that the characters saw me, but instead of coming over to chat, decided to head to another room on the other side of the soundproof glass, where they continued to be aloof and secretive and unfriendly. Not quite how I wish to interact with characters.

As for the romance...eh. Well. It's not as if there weren't hints as to what would happen, and the turning point was kind of cute in a romantic-movie-swoon kind of way, but the characters' aloofness throughout the story up to that point took away from the impact of that scene, at least for me. I hope they'll be good for one another, even though I can't quite see how that will happen from the rest of the book, but hey, it would go beyond my realm as reviewer to question the decisions of the characters and author, so I'll just leave them to do their thing.

THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA didn't sweep me off my feet as The Thief did, but perhaps I was in the wrong mindset when I read this book (ten years too late, perhaps?). I'll still continue with the series, though, since it's gotten so many rave reviews from every reviewer I respect. Perhaps, however, by toning down my expectations, I will get more out of my reading experiences.

The Queen of Attolia has been fuming, harboring a slowly building hatred for a thief who not only succeeded in stealing Hamiathe's Gift from her lands, but has been taunting her within her own palace for months. She knows he has been spying for his queen, he could pass unnoticed, but instead Eugenides chooses to leave her evidence informing of his presence. Attolia has finally found a way to capture Eugenides, and when she does, he will be at her mercy. Little does she consider the consequences of her judgement upon the thief...

I sometimes find it easier to write reviews for books that I hated, or just liked, than those that I've loved. With those books that I fall absolutely head over heals for, I'm afraid that I could not possibly formulate words that would do my feelings about the book justice. Hence, my reviews for this series may be somewhat shallow or short, but it's not because I don't have strong feelings for this books, it's because I love them too much.

I really feel that I have grown up with Eugenides after reading the short story, Thief!, and the first in the series, The Thief. Megan Whalen Turner has a unique talent for writing for the age of her characters perfectly, and it has been lovely to see the development of Eugenides as a 10 year old scallywag to a young man. The Queen of Attolia is far more complex than The Thief in a way that enriches the story and draws one in even further than before. While The Thief highlighted the mythology of the old gods, The Queen of Attolia focuses on the current political situation. It is unfortunately rare that an author is able to convey the intricacies of complex politics without either info-dumping or causing intense boredom. Turner does this beautifully, presenting the situation naturally. I adore stories where you get to see all sides of a conflict, understand that there is no true `bad guy', and see the strategic motivations of all involved.

Of course, the character of Eugenides, as well as the other characters in the cast, gain much more depth in this second book. I love Eddis, she reminds me so much of Mercedes Lackey's Selenay that I just want to hug her and be best friends forever. Eugenides balks against all stereotypes of thieves created by other works--he doesn't come from a broken home, he's not riff-raff or street trash, he is nobility in his own right and holds a very respected position among his countrymen. Unlike The Thief, which was told entirely from Eugenides's point of view, The Queen of Attolia offers us an array of perspectives, including that of (surprise!) the Queen of Attolia, who must deal with the consequences of Eugenides's capture and punishment while balancing the snakes lurking within her own court.

Alas, much like The Thief I am reticent to say too much about the story lest I give anything away.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner is the sequel to the Newbery-Honor winner, The Thief (read my review). I was impressed by the intricate writing Turner managed in The Thief, and was very eager to continue with this series. Although the writing in each book is very similar, this tone is different between the two. The Thief is rather lighthearted and fun. It has its depth and importance, but the overall tone is fairly light. The Queen of Attolia is... not so much. The mood and feel of this book is considerably darker and heavier.

But really, that's okay, because I loved this book just as much, if not a little more than The Thief. Turner's writing is as compelling in this book as it was while reading The Thief, although the focus is also a little different. Where, to me, The Thief is primarily about the characters, with Gen (Eugenides) being our obvious focus, The Queen of Attolia is more about the story and the intrigues rampant in court life. The Thief was a story, but the characters are the most important part. In Queen, the characters are still very important and are well developed and complete, but we already saw the beginnings of their development in Thief, and can now focus on the importance of their individual and connecting stories.

Before, Gen was our narrator in The Thief, and unless I'm remembering wrong, he tells the whole story. In Queen, we are given other narrators to help Eugenides tell this story. Although I do love Eugenides, he has become one of my most favorite fictional characters, my favorite narrator in this book was the Queen, Attolia herself. I loved the way her mind worked, and trying to guess ahead of time what plots and tricks she was working through. The face she presents to the world is ruthless and hard. She doesn't appear to be overly conniving, but as we listen in on her thoughts, it is clear that she has a very keen mind, one that is constantly assessing and reassessing the situation and all it's possible implications.

The plot to the story holds a very tight, intricate weave, one I was anxious to watch pull together. Each character has their own motivators, and their own interests to promote. At some point, each character believes that they hold the advantage and it's not until the end, when everything begins to wrap up and come together that we really are able to understand what has been going on this whole time anyway.

Once again, I must also point out Turner's fantastic world building. She set up the mythology and the guidelines for her world in The Thief and continued to build upon them here. I love spending time in this world that Turner has created because it is vividly real and the characters are written so much like real people that I wonder why we can't be friends.

The Queen of Attolia is a wonderfully interesting book. Its characters are easy to love (or hate). The detailed description is impressive, and brings you right into the story. The plot in itself is incredible; and even though the main character literally wallows in self pity for several chapters, it never becomes boring. It does become a tad depressing between the main character's cut-off hand and the war his country is fighting, but is always revived by pieces of humor and the good-nature of its characters. If I were to judge, I would have to say that this author's greatest strength is in her endings. They are very surprising but not unrealistic, and when you think about it, you can tell that the author was hinting at the end the whole time.

This book would be best for upper middle-school aged kids. Slight language, romance, and general fantasy nonsense is involved, but not enough for over-concerned parents to worry about.

The sequel to Turner's Newbery award winning "The Thief" starts out with a jarring opening. Eugenides, formerly Gen of his earlier exploits, has stolen into the Queen of Attolia's palace walls and is caught within it's depths. He is caught and thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon, where the Queen comes to interrogate and question him. Before she leaves she rewards Eugenides with the traditional punishment for thieves and cuts off his right hand before she sends him back to Eddis in feverish pain. The Queen of Eddis fears for his life and has her best attendants working on him. After the initial fever passes the depression sets in, rendering Eugenides even more useless than he would have been without his hand. The whole point in cutting off his hand would be that he could no longer steal anything, a thief needs all of their limbs to be successful, but the damage is done and it is a greater blow to his ego and mind than anything else. Eugenides suffers from frequent nightmares, partly induced by a drug called lethium (distilled from poppies) which he takes to help him sleep.. And then he begins to develop a dependence on the lethium as well.

With all that is going on with Eugenides there is still a lot going on outside of the Eddisian kingdom. War is brewing on all sides, Sounis is encroaching and Attolia, with the aided funds of the Medean Empire, is starting to build up an arsenal as well as an army. Nahuseresh, an ambassador from Medea, is quite clever in his advice to the Attolian Queen (Irene), who takes it with a grain of suspicion. It becomes obvious that Eddis has to do something to defend itself, or perish forever, and the Queen of Eddis (Helen) comes up with a plan that will use Eugenides to his fullest ability. .. After all, just because Eugenides lost his hand doesn't mean his mind is damaged (relatively speaking), and his wits are really all he needs to be a successful thief.

Turner has outdone herself with this addition to her already fascinating universe. The atmospheres are so lush and realistic, the dynamics between all the parties are thrilling and gripping. The politics are just unsettling enough that you actually feel as if you are a member of each court and your very peace is at stake... and then there are the characters to talk about. Attolia is very fierce, very commanding, but underneath it all she is a scared little girl trying to eke out a living in a world filled with domineering men who would overthrow her in a heartbeat. She has to be subtle in order to survive, and she plays everyone like a master conductor in an orchestra. Eddis is a more sympathetic queen, one whose soft side gets frequently shown what with all of the intimate moments spent between her and Eugenides, a man whom she has been friends with since childhood. However, Eddis' craftiness and ability to adapt is what keeps her protected in what could be a terrible onslaught.

And the there is Gen, Eugenides, the Queen's thief. Eugenides is the character that I wish I would have created were I to write a book. In fact, were I to write a book I wished it could have been the first book in this series. "The Thief" opened my eyes as to how fantasy should be written just when I was starting to lose faith in the genre. And Eugenides just gets better with time and age. Where "The Thief" left off as far as character development was nothing short of brilliance. Eugenides was one of the most well rounded characters I have ever read about in all literature, not just the fantasy genre (though for fantasy you could equate him to Steerpike of "Gormenghast" or Taran of "Prydain"). He had run all of the gambits of human emotions and encountered his own gods when he needed them. As Attolia says in the end of the book "rare the man whose gods answer him". This is the best way to describe Eugenides, rare. But whatever happened to him in "The Thief" was nothing compared to the depths of emotion he encounters in this book. Eugenides goes from being well rounded to being utterly sympathetic with one fell stroke of, well, a knife as it cuts off his hand. It's as if in the first book he's leaping off the page at you whereas in this book you can reach through the pages and caress him as he is sleeping in a lethium induced haze. Eugenides has become the quintessential hero, and the greatest thing about him is that he is profoundly, utterly flawed. He knows he is starting to depend on lethium, and yet he keeps taking it, even making a joke that he should start drinking because it makes a pleasant change at one point. He's a liar, he's a cheat, and yet we love him because he is human to us, and that is precisely what makes Turner's world and characters so real, is how human they all can be, how weak and how strong, and it is this duality that lends credibility to all fiction.

As a child's book this is a stretch. Oh sure, I would have read it in my youth, but I am a fan of dark fantasy (as evidenced by my earlier references to "Gormenghast" and "Prydain"). However, this book will reach out to kids looking for something thrilling and different, and to be quite honest all of the thematic elements that are not necessarily kid appropriate are buried between the lines. I don't think a child will realize the political intrigue that is occurring here, or the addiction that Eugenides is nursing. It is one of those cases where it might blow completely over a child's head... however, a smart child who likes to read will probably devour these, and be able to pick up all of the nuances of Turner's storytelling. Still, overall, a fantastic add to the Attolian/Eddisian world. I doff my cap to Turner once again and eagerly await reading the next book in the series, which I have an advanced reader copy of thanks to work (yay!). For those of you looking for a tremendous series you should read Turner's work. This book may stand out without the strength of the first, but the first will make Eugenides seem all the more fleshed out, so yeah, I recommend starting with "The Thief" first. You will not regret it.

Almost may only count in horseshoes and hand grenades, but being able to write a sequel almost as good as the original is not small accomplishment, at least not in this case.
THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA, by Megan Whalen Turner, continues the story of Eugenides, thief of the Queen of Eddis, this time using a third person narrative, and a much darker plot. After getting caught in the palace of Attolia, Eugenides loses his right hand, and, seemingly, his ability to thieve. He returns home lost, and holes up in his room for many months, not knowing that a war has been started between the three small countries of Eddis, Attolia, and Sounis, and overshadowed by the threat of the powerful Medes.
However, once Eugenides comes out of his dejection, he immediately goes back into action, hoping to be able to save his small country from certain destruction by stealing nothing short of peace. How he does this makes for quite an interesting book, and once again Turner manages to put a surprising little twist towards the end, one which should surprise you at least a little bit. Certainly not one to rival that found in THE THIEF, but still a good one.
I read THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA in one sitting, not being able to put it down, and as a result I didn't go to sleep until at least 1:30AM. I highly recommend this book, but be warned: it is much darker than is predecessor, and Eugenides is not nearly as entertaining. That was my biggest disappointment, for I had been hoping for more of his excellent sense of humor. Also, many don't like that there are no stories told within the book, and that some of the main characters from THE THIEF are barely even mentioned. Be that as is may, this is still a good book in it's own light, and well worth reading.
Enjoy!

Wow, this little book really surprised me. It ended up being WAY BETTER than I expected when i began reading. The beginning was sort of bland and formulaic but about a third of the way in, things began to get interesting, and the last third was brilliant. Very fully-fleshed, interesting, unique characters. Extremely complex political intrigues and wars and treaties and strategy. My only real complaint was that this book did not contain a map. I found myself often flipping to the beginning in search of the non-existent map. Normally I could care less about such things, but the political and geographical realms were so intricate, I'd have appreciated a visual aid. Still, a very interesting and enjoyable (and fast) read.

Meh! It really does seem that ideas are invented to carry something forward only pages before their conclusion. The characters are flatter now, and while the love/fear dynamic is interesting, the trudging nature of the storytelling and plot leave one wondering where this all is going.

After years of waiting, Ms. Turner has finally written a sequel to The Thief! You thought Gen was finished with his sneaking around? Think again! This time he's been spying on the Queen of Attolia (you remember how pleasant she was in the first book?) and he's caught in the act. When the unthinkable happens, Gen must learn to draw on new reserves of courage and strength...and he rises admirably to the challenge.
Ms. Turner develops her wonderful characters even more, and elaborates on things from the first book. Gen is delightful as always, a sweet and tragic character as well as a smart-alecky dare-devil.
I highly recommend this book, and its prequel (The Thief - a Newbery book). I am looking forward to the promised sequel.

I found this to be an interesting and enjoyable story. I liked it better than the 1st book so I'm glad I kept reading. This book carries some surprises that I certainly didn't see coming and made the book enjoyable. One of the interesting components of these stories is the relationships between the different leaders. Looking forward then the next book.

I really loved the Thief; it was a fantastic read, so I was psyched when I picked up this book. But after the entire opening scene and then the long march to the end of the book... This book is a journey. If you are looking for the plot twists and turns that made the first book fantastic, you won't find it here. This book is more about people, politics, and the forces that move countries. It is about the world in which these stories take place, not just about a few people. Once you begin to see this book as its own entity and not just as an extension of the first book, you will enjoy it immensely. This is a great book.

This is a much darker, convoluted version of the previous book. In both the focus of the content and the attitude of the main character, this book has a much darker, depressed feel to it. Unfortunately, this makes it lose much of what I enjoyed about book 1: (minor book 1 spoilers) the flippancy and uncrushable spirit of the main character, who was willing to spend months in prison on a gamble to complete a job. The author is also a bigger fan of similes and metaphors than I normally am, and the twist ending wasn't too big of a surprise, after I knew to expect a twist after reading book 1. All in all though, an entertaining read, and I think worth it for those who enjoyed the first book in the series.

This book is dark but it's a fantastic, effective read. The first book I literally couldn't put down.

The first sequel to The Thief, the tone of this story was a bit of a surprise at first, but I was so drawn in I didn't mind. In fact I think the darkness of the plotline was perfect as a follow-up to the first of the trilogy and as a precursor to The King of Attolia.

I recommend this book as a purchase because I know from my own experience that one reading is not enough. You'll want to read it again. It's that good.

It was a dark smokey passageway. Then to a street bellow a parapet with quarrels clattering as they produce echoes that sound down the alleys. The beginning of the Queen of Attolia is mystifying, thrilling, and amazing. I enjoyed this book tremendously particularly because of its astounding ability to capture the reader and hold them in the manacles of suspense. Whether in the beautiful countryside or in a dank prison cell the Queen of Attolia is a marvelous book that everyone should read!

Queen of Attolia took me by surprise when I found it stashed away with the W's and Z's on the bottom shelf of Walden's Bookstore. I picked it up, and almost put it back. But then the words "Eugenides" and "The Thief" jumped out at me.
Whatever might have been lacking from The Thief can be found between the covers of this wonderful and entrancing novel. The characters that you have fallen in love with are all back. Shockingly darker than before, with a gritty yet exciting feel, The Queen of Attolia might leave you a little frustrated...
but satisfied.

The amazing sequel to The Thief, The Queen of Attolia continues the adventurous story of Eugenides, the sardonic and clever royal thief. The story begins with Eugenides falling into the hands of the Queen of Attolia. The tables turn for Eugenides as the Queen punishes him for his trespassing by taking from him the most valuable tool of his trade-and his pride. The Queen stands by with a cold, blank mask of callousness on her face. As Eugenides returns home and comes to terms with his loss, the Queen soon regrets her decision when war breaks out with her country and his. As she is conflicted with fear of his revenge and regret of torturing him, the Queen rages at herself for not killing Eugenides while she had him. Meanwhile, the The Thief is making plans of his own...

This book is my FAVORITE of the four. I love, love, love this book! Why? Oh what is there not to love? Again, Turner keeps us on our toes as the plots twists and turns in ways we never imagined. She has a talent for writing exactly what she means while making you think something entirely different until she brings everything in full-circle revelation. I am always surprised, shocked and deeply satisfied when reading these books. I could not put this book down! Oh, and I read it again immediately after reading it once because I loved it so much.

I love all the characters in this book, especially Gen, of course (and he reminds me of my husband :-)) Eddis (Helen) and Attolia (Irene) are both strong women characters in very different ways. The character development is strong and believable and Turner eloquently brings us inside their worlds and heads. The secondary characters are endearing also.

The Queen of Attolia is full of humor, adventure, and life. The characters show strong characteristics of friendship, loyalty, love, and integrity.

But the cherry on top-and the reason this book is one of my favorites-is because the themes of redemption and unconditional love are beautifully played out in this novel. There is something about this story that reaches deep into the heart and pulls hard. It symbolizes a deep, unconditional, supernatural love for which we all deeply long; not a superficial, sexually-driven love found in novels such as Twilight. Ah, the power of the written word!

Eugenides returns to Attolia to continue to harass the queen, yet finds somehow he has been betrayed. He ends up caught and given the punishment of a thief- the loss of his right hand. As war looms on the horizon, Eugenides plays his hand at resuming his role as a thief. (sorry- I couldn't resist the pun)

Even though it was darker than the first book, Eugenides proves time and time again, even without his hand, he is still the best thief around. The story changes from the first- which is more of an adventure, to more of a political book focusing around the courts and their power struggles.

Eugenides, the Queen's Thief, is not just a thief, he's a spy, and he's been spying on the queen of the neighboring kingdom of Attolia since they were both children. He fell in love with her the first time he saw her, but she's become cruel and ruthless under the strain of ruling her realm, and when she catches him in her palace, spying, she turns all her cruelty on him in a way that nearly breaks both of them.

Despite her unforvigable act, Eugenides can't help but understand the pressures on this queen, can't help understanding her, and despite his fear and fury, can't help loving her.

What an amazing sequel to 'The Theif! Although this one stands just as well on it's own you might need a little backstory. 'The Queen of Attolia' takes the characters in the first book deeper than in the first one, particularly Gen who has to deal with a deep loss right at the start of the book and has to find some way to retake his place as Queen's Theif of Eddis. His character changes and we see him grow up from the ingeniously cocky young man we met in 'The Theif' into a more serious, determined and singularly stubborn Theif with his own clever schemes and plans. Just as clever and witty, but a little darker and more serious than the first book, which, in case you haven't guessed, I am in awe of, this is another one that you absolutely HAVE to read, if only to see what happens to Eugenides. As I said, it is a darker book and the particularly squeamish may be a bit put off by what the Queen of Attolia does to poor Gen and a few of the not-so-poite terms she calls people but these only pop up a few times and if you can handle them, this is a marvellous book that I picked up and did not put down until I reached the end.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story. Turner did a nice job of working out the plot without giving away any details prematurely. She built suspense and intrigue into the story and kept it flowing smoothly.

contrary to the title, i am definitely not 'severely annoyed' with the book. the book is fantastic, and i get chills just thinking about it. that's why i've been blackmailing my friends to get it as a birthday present for me.

i'm just annoyed that people are saying it is unsuitable for YA. it is perfectly alright, i read it when i was 11/12, and i did not get creeped out or anything. the plotlines were a bit complicated, but i survived. gen's getting a hand lopped off is not scary. it is central to the plot, and the excruciating pain of it is like the 'propellor' of the characterisation. to be honest, i am pretty sadistic, and i was going 'oooh' rather than 'nooo' when his hand got cut. i was wincing, though. maybe it's because i didn't read the first book (i still haven't-i know i'm missing a lot), so i didn't really have any feelings for gen.

the most disappointing part was the beginning. first page. gen crawling around. second page. gen still crawling around. third page. i was getting bored. the beginning is not engrossing. of course i was wondering what was going on, but it wasn't the i'm so excited wondering. it was the when's the story going to start?! frustration. but it got so much better after the beginning, and i truly enjoyed reading it. i would definitely read it again...when i get the book =)

there's hardly a perfect book in the world, but this one comes real close.

Book two of one of my favorite series. Megan Turner does a really good job of capturing you with her interesting story lines and lively characters, and giving you a fun ride with unexpected twists and turns. She manages to keep surprising you in each of the four books. I didn't think she would be able to do so after the first book's ending, but the second one did not disappoint me.

A riveting story of the completely unexpected (by the protagonists and everyone who knows them) love story of two brilliant, proud, courageous people who must use all their abundant abilities--and learn to see everything in a new, understanding light--to triumph over their dangerous enemies and themselves.

Turner doesn't write sequels; she writes original, exciting stories never pall and always ring true.

For those who have read The Thief, this sequal is a must! It is hard to explain the turns of events in this book without giving out important information, but though there are many loose ends, all are tied up beautifully. The characters are unique and interesting, the plot surprising, and the descriptions are so realistic. The one complaint I have is that some of all the warfare tactics are hard to understand . . . all you need to know for the most part is that a war is going on . . .

I've read this series several times and totally enjoy getting lost in the world of the thief and the queens.I like the way the characters come to life. I would love to read more about costis also about what happens to the queen of Edis

Clearly, my opinion is in the minority, but I didn't care much for this book. I liked The Thief, although I wasn't crazy about the plot twist at the end. However, I found this sequel to be a complete disappointment.

I hated the switch from first person to third person, since Gen's wiseacre voice was one of the things I enjoyed in The Thief. I liked the lighter, funnier tone of the first book.

I found the relationships to be unbelievable in the extreme, particularly between Gen and the Queen. I won't give away any plot points, but given what happens in the beginning, I found the end of the book particularly hard to swallow. And while I really like characters who are neither completely good nor evil, I found these characters a bit schizophrenic -- acting one way at one moment, then pulling a complete character switch at the next.

Finally, I find the author's writing style hard to read and sometimes hard to follow. She has a habit of "telling not showing" -- that is, describing what the characters are talking about rather than showing the actual conversation. For me, that's a more boring style of writing. It reminds me of a short story rather than a novel.

Just my opinion, since other readers apparently loved this book.

The Queen is a fantastic rainy-day read; intruiging plot twists & the fresh, well-developed story-line cause you to want to read the entire book in one sitting! From the moment you are first introduced to Eugenides in the midst of his trials to the very satisfying end, you are captivated by Turner's unique book & fresh dialogue.

Absolutely one of my favorite books.

Hi! I consider myself a veteran of fantasy books and this is one of my favourites! I can reread this a thousand times: you always discover things you missed out before every time. It's basically about the thief's further adventures and more of his private life. I loved the description of how he got the whole palace coming for his blood and all. The Queen of Attolia was a flawless character in this book, how she was so fearless and scared of the world at once...a priceless jewel!

"The Queen of Attolia" is a really cool book about a theif 'Gen' who is torn between the love of one queen, Attolia and the loyalty to another, Eddis. He is caught up in the queens battle to distroy one another. I loved this book's charectors and how they seemed so real. I read it more like a movie than a book. I didn't like the ending though, because Eddis was my favorite charector and she should have gotten the thief. I hope in the next book, {cross my fingers that there will be one} Eddis will get back her thief.

I loved The Thief-- we were completely inside his point of view, and he was funny and clever. I couldn't wait to read this sequel.

But in the sequel, the author goes on for pages and pages about the politics of the countries involved. She tells us about wars and stuff... it's like reading a history book and I frankly had trouble following it. Scenes that actually have Gen in them are rare, and when we do see him a lot of the time he's just acting whiny and other characters are concerned about him. It goes on for pages and pages and it gets old.

There are rare moments when Gen actually pops into the story and does something, and those are delightful-- the only reason I'm giving the book two stars instead of one.

A challenging, rich fantasy for lovers of the genre, this story continues the exploits of Gen, hero of The Thief. He is captured, imprisoned, and his hand is severed by the cruel Queen whom he secretly loves. Gen recovers to be the clever and bold royal thief who can still manipulate the dicey relations among neighboring states always posed for war. Great characters, great adventure.

I came across this book while wandering around the local library a year ago, and to say the least I was stunned by the sheer brilliance and beauty of this novel. In the time since I first read it, I have re-read it over and over; its the type of book that allows you to discover something new everytime you read it. I am desperately hoping for a sequel to this totally amazing book! Well done Ms. Turner!

The Thief was an imaginative adventure and I was hoping that its sequel would follow in the same vein. The Queen of Attolia went in a completely different dirction, both stylistically and in the plot. This book was more political than character-based and if I didn't already know the characters from The Thief, it would have been completely forgettable. To be frank, it kind of ruined The Thief a little bit just because the events afterwards are so dreary and Gen's life is so crappy and dark.

The Queen of Attolia is an interesting read. The character of Ged is developed well as you see not only the side of the Thief from the previous book, but also the more cunning devious side of him as well. Ged really grows up in this book.