The King of Attolia (Queen's Thief)

(This review was originally posted on Goodreads as Shakespearesgirl. This review deals with the content of the book, and not the physical book. This review was not written for any kind of compensation, monetary or otherwise.)

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with this one. It seemed like it was building up to some big reveal, but the climax at the end was a more subtle one. It seemed a little like Turner didn't deliver on the promise she'd made at the beginning of the book.

There were moments of the kind of brilliance I expected, but they never actually paid off at the end.

I still liked it, but I was a little annoyed that there wasn't a bigger resolution at the end. I was expecting more from my experience with the previous two books, particularly the last one, which had a war at the conclusion. It seemed a little anticlimactic for the final installment in the trilogy.

Reader thoughts:
I loved this book! This was almost as good as book 1. It was deep and funny. It had conflict with human relations and Medean empires. It had baron traitors and guard pranks. It had true love. It really reminds me of False Prince again.

Basically, Costis is a guard who despises his new king. He is assigned as the king's personal bodyguard. Soon after, he sees that the king is not as foppish and lazy and idiotic as he pretends to be. It takes awhile to convince the rest of the palace and kingdom that the king is worth following.

I could listen to this book again tomorrow, I think, and have just as much fun. Not very many books are good enough to read again right after you finish them.

My 2 favorite scenes are the dancing scene and the dueling scene. And maybe the assassination scene. :)

In the dancing scene, Eugenides and the queen dance. His left hand compensates for his missing right hand, and he pulls off all the dance moves as if he has both hands. Somehow, while he is doing this, he steals the queen's hairpins, and her hair falls loose. I loved it!

The dueling scene is where Costis forces the king into dueling him (with practice sword, which Gen uses so creatively!). This duel takes place in front of the other guards, and it's just epic. Through it, Gen complains about a headache, how tired he is, and he makes bets with other guards. It's like he wasn't even paying attention to the duel.

Writer thoughts:
This is a perfect example of where the MC (Main Character, usually the pov character) is NOT the protagonist (the person who makes everything happen). The pov character for 90% of the book is a palace guard, Costis. The character who is doing all the scheming and action is definitely Eugenides, the king.

Why would MWT choose to write the book this way? What does she gain?

Well, some characters can be more interesting from the outside than they are from the inside. We already saw Gen from his own pov in book 1. We saw him from his close friends' povs in book 2. Now we see him from a stranger's pov in book 3. His quirks, lies, and attitude look very different from this perspective, and it is so fascinating.

These books are some of my absolute favorites in the world. I read the first book in this series, The Thief, back when I was in middle school, and in the years since discovered that the book was actually the beginning of a series. Most of the books are really more like companions to one another, but of course when I recommend to someone one of the books I need to recommend them all because they're just that wonderful. I can't remember how many times I've read The King of Attolia before but this is the first time I've finished and thought to review it!

Many of the characters from the previous books of the series make an appearance. Eugenides and the Queen of Attolia feature most prominently, as well as a new main character, Costis. I remember that I didn't like him so much at first; I think it was because I wanted more of Gen in the book and so much is told from Costis' perspective. But I've grown to love him and his stubborn soldier personality. If anyone else was getting so much attention in this book, I'm glad that it was him. In previous books we haven't heard much from people who grew up and live in Attolia; it was time to learn more about the country and its people, rather than focusing on Sounis or Eddis.

Of course, Gen is still up to his old tricks even though he now has an immense responsibility as king. I never imagined that I'd ever see him in such a position--and he never thought that he would, either. It was entertaining to see how he acted with the court and flounced all of the rules that everyone else took so seriously!

The edition that I have includes a bonus short story at the end that tells a tale from Eddis' childhood. If you have the chance, you absolutely must read this as well because it's so fascinating and gives a new perspective of the gods and their interference within this world.

These are books I'd recommend to anyone, throughout my life. Everyone needs to read them!

This, the third book in The Thief series, is FANTASTIC. I laughed, I cried, I was shocked, I was moved, and I loved every minute of it. I cannot say too much about this book without giving too much away. It's just too good a book to ruin for anyone. Do yourself a favor and read this series from start to finish without reading the dust jackets, the synopses, or any longish reviews of the books. Go into it completely unaware and I promise you will not be disappointed.

Just like the previous book, The King of Attolia is filled with courtly intrigue, conspiracies, political maneuvering, lying, deceit, torture and pain, and unbelievable twists. And I felt it got started right from the first chapter. For me, there was no lag in the first half of the book as there was in the previous two installments of this series. I was hooked from the beginning.

Megan Whalen Turner is a master of character and plot development. Her writing is flawless. It's astonishing how perfectly these books are written. It's as if she deliberately chose every single word in every single sentence and willed it to be there and to be perfect. No words are wasted and not one is superfluous or out of place. My mind is blown.

I only hate that I can never go back and unread this book...just for the pleasure of reading it again for the first time. Truly a gem and one of the few five-star books I've read this year. I will definitely be adding this entire series to my personal collection.

Eugenides, the former Thief of Eddis, has found himself in an uncomfortable situation as the reluctant new consort of Attolia. Beyond nearly anyone's comprehension, Eugenides didn't marry the queen to become king, he became king to marry the queen. Costis, a young guard, finds himself reluctantly dragged into the king's circle, acting as the brunt of his ploys. Grudgingly, his scorn for the new king turns to respect as Costis realizes that Eugenides has more to offer Attolia than it would appear.

A story that had matured in The Queen of Attolia has officially reached a point where I hesitate to say this series is really Young Adult any longer. Not that it isn't a perfect read for the intended age group, but it saddens me that so many adults probably overlook this series not realizing its depth and complexity despite the fact that at this point all of the characters are adults (yes, I realize this is the second time this week I've bemoaned labeling). While many YA authors churn out books at the rate of one or more a year (and I am in no way degrading the work they put into them at this pace), Megan Whalen Turner takes around 5 years to write each installment. This pace alone should be a tip off of the many layers of complexity and intrigue that exist in The Queen's Thief series; if MWT takes five times longer to write her books, the result appears to be that I will be five times more satisfied and boggled when the pages run out.

The writing of The Queen's Thief series is incredibly subtle, and I appreciate that MWT gives her readers the credit they deserve. She doesn't feel the need to explain everything, but lets you figure it out from the context, and she doesn't use dialog unnecessarily. Words aren't needlessly repeated or wasted when actions or previous conversations can explain things. You can divine the nature and strength of relationships from things so simple as the usage of names. For example, the usage "Gen" vrs. "Eugenides" vrs. "Attolia" can exemplify the character's relationship to Eugenides without us needing a lengthy explanation of their feelings toward one another.

I love the usage of folklore and mythology in these books. Each book has at least one break where we get to learn a new tale of the gods or an old folktale. The presence of the gods is really the only point of `fantasy' in this series, but it's enough. The existence of the gods as not only real but immediate and powerful and interested in mortal lives is unique. The stories we are told are always pertinent to the story, but come into play without hitting us over the head.

I realize this "review" has been more like "ramblings on The King of Attolia" but what're you gonna do? I love it. I love the feeling you get when all of the pieces finally click into place and you can see the big picture. MWT never hides the truth from her readers, but that doesn't make the truth easy to see, and I cannot wait to go back and reread to see all of the breadcrumbs as they're laid. When I began, I was heels-digging-in-the-ground stubborn about the point of view change to a character we had never even heard of. By the end, however, I could completely understand the reason for this and ended up loving this story told largely from a guard's perspective.

After waiting six long years, The King of Attolia, sequel to The Thief and The Queen of Attolia, finally came out. Continuing the adventures of Eugenides, the former thief of Eddis, after stealing away the Queen of Attolia, falling in love with her, and exchanging unexpected marriage vows, even though the woman had his right hand cut off, which would render most thieves completely useless. This tension, along with the wonderfully-drawn political intrigue introduced in Queen of Attolia set the stage for the events of King of Attolia.

Eugenides is having a tough time adjusting to his role as king. Not only is he unfit for the title, but seemingly could care less. Despite this, Attolia tries to help Eugenides rise to the occasion and gain respect from his subjects, particularly the palace guards. But it doesn't take long for rumors to swirl. Does the Queen truly love Eugenides? Does she just mean to use his love to control him in some political game? Should Eugenides continue to be the king, or is another better suited. Told primarily through the eyes of Costis, Eugenides' man servant and personal assistant, who tends to spend most of the novel disgusted with his master.

King of Attolia signals a massive shift in the The Queen's Thief series so far. Instead of following the adventures of a thief, instead readers watch as a fish-out-of-water tries to cope with his new surroundings and adapt to political games. There is less action than in previous novels, which may make it difficult for some readers, but King of Attolia is instead chalked full of political intrigue, witty court games and good old backstabbing. Yeah, I love it.

Whalen's writing style has also matured in the six years she's been away from Eugenides's world. In particular, her ability to portray characters has significantly improved. Eugenides was particularly well-drawn, easy to visualize and fully three-dimensional. Heck, I could almost imagine him as one of my friends I hang out with regularly. I got to know him that well with the details Whalen included -and didn't include.

King of Attolia is highly recommended for fans of the series, and for YA readers. Even though King is the third book in the series, it's essentially a stand-along title, so readers won't be completely lost if they start here, but I would recommend reading the other books first to get a full picture of the world and the characters.

This author was recommended to me, so I tried the first of this series -- I DEVOURED it, and soon after, read it again to try to catch hints that I had missed! I promptly went on to the sequel and this third entry, and found them just as good. (One of the benefits of being belatedly introduced to a series is that you don't have to wait!) All are wonderfully crafted, beautifully written, ever-surprisingly SNEAKY books, with a unique protagonist who is far from obvious or shallow, but totally human.

In _The King of Attolia_, we get to see Gen from the outside (not that his previous first-person narratives were fully revealing!), from the perspective of a young man who basically ISN'T subtle, and who only gradually perceives how much more there is to his despised new king.

Younger readers interested in fantasy/historical adventure stories shouldn't have much problem with MWT's vocabulary or grammar, but they'll probably miss a lot that's there to be read "between the lines". Even so, I doubt they'd find any of these books boring. I'd say reading them is worth the challenge, but judge for yourself.

The author hasn't yet revealed (as far as I have found) whether she plans 2 more, or only 1 more, "Thief" books: Eddis and Attolia are now at peace, but there's still Sounis to unite with, and the Medes to defeat. So now I do just have to wait, and hope that the gap[s] will be briefer than between books 2 & 3 -- Excellent writing takes time, but excellent reading goes all too fast!

**Update** A Conspiracy of Kings (Hardcover - Mar. 23, 2010) is about Sophos, heir to the kingdom of Sounis. Gen again plays a secondary role, though he's an important factor in Sophos averting anarchy and/or subjugation for Sounis.

For you to properly evaluate my rave, I should probably make it clear that I'm a 30-something female, not a kid, who loves genre fiction (SF/F, mystery, romantic suspense/paranormal, etc.) with satisfying plots and sympathetic protagonists, as well as skilled use of language. So much fantasy gets marketed/shelved as Young-adult (a.k.a. Juvenile), even when adult readers can fully enjoy it, that I always keep my eye on that section, too.
My all-time favorite author is Lois McMaster Bujold (pretty much anything she writes, SF *OR* F), so when I call MWT a fine writer, I know whereof I speak.
The varied range of other sci-fi & fantasy I enjoy includes:
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's LIADEN UNIVERSE,
... and many books by
Mercedes Lackey (VALDEMAR et al),
Julie Czerneda (esp. WEB-SHIFTERS),
Anne McCaffrey (esp. early PERN),
Patricia Briggs (for this readership, I'll highlight her RAVEN duology),
James White (SECTOR GENERAL),
Patricia Wrede (e.g. ENCHANTED FOREST, _The Raven Ring_),
Diana Wynne Jones (e.g. _Howl's Moving Castle_),
Elizabeth Kerner (THE TALE OF LANEN KAELAR),
Jim Butcher (DRESDEN FILES),
Robin McKinley (esp. _The Blue Sword_),
Tamora Pierce (My favorite TORTALL sub-series' are THE IMMORTALS and TRICKSTERS, but then I don't have the right mind-set to be an obedient soldier/knight),
and Josepha Sherman (e.g. _The Shining Falcon_),
et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Seriously, if you have not read this book, you ought to. I personally believe each book in the series could be read alone, although they are best appreciated in order. Megan Whalen Turner's writing style is brilliant, and she WILL shock you near the end of each book.

Be known, there is mild language, an array of gods, and though the corruption of the court is not expounded on, you know it's there. As for romantic content, Eugenides is a married man very much in love with his wife (which is a shock in itself considering their history), but everything is seen through the lenses of Costis, so I didn't find that area a problem.

Treachery, assassins, political upheaval, economy, war, love, faith, and truth permeate this brilliant tale set in a royal court. And believe me, after reading this series, I would not become a monarch for a million dollars!

If you have read the first two books, and thought you knew Eugenides, be prepared to relearn him and discover how magnificent he is as the King of Attolia.

This is definitely one of those series that just keeps getting better with each book. What has been interesting, is that each book is told from a different perspective. The first book was told in a first person narrative with a little twist to it, the second is third person primarily from the point of view of the main characters and this was third person again but this time from the point of view of one of the guardsman of Attolia. I wasn't sure how I was going to like reading about the main characters through the eyes of a secondary character, but it was done impressively well. Costis is a likable character and he is honest about how he feels about Eugenides. Knowing what we do from the second book, it was neat to see Gen from an outsider's perspective. The story moved at a quick pace and I did not want to put it down. I was engrossed from page one until the end, there were no slow spots to the book. I am definitely planning to read book 4 next.

Though I originally classified this series as YA and I think that the first book does fit that category, I think that the series has outgrown that classification and is simply a good fantasy series.

THE KING OF ATTOLIA marks the third book that follows Megan Whalen Turner's mischievous and dangerous hero, Eugenides, who is known to his friends as Gen. While returning readers may be disappointed that this installment is not narrated by the roguish master thief (the story is primarily told by a young guard named Costis), they will appreciate the returning cast of characters. Newcomers to the series shouldn't be too confused, though everyone should probably read this book twice to get all the political intrigue.

The book picks up with the former Thief of Eddis, Gen, now the newly crowned king of Attolia, except no one is taking him seriously, not even himself. The people of Attolia are furious with "the goat foot" who stole their beloved queen, and humiliating the king has become a national pastime. Poor Eugenides has found snakes in his bed, sand in his food, and has been attacked by the palace dogs, but isn't willing to enforce his authority. His court thinks he's an oaf and a pushover, and an unwilling king is a serious detriment as Attolia faces a war with the Mede Empire.

When Costis, a young idealistic member of the Queen's Guard, makes the mistake of showing his dislike for the king, he thinks he gets a fate worse than death; Eugenides promotes him to a lieutenant and makes him his personal guard. Though being the king's scapegoat is no easy trip, Costis soon realizes the difficulties Eugenides faces as a foreign sovereign in a hostile court. All the characters are tested in THE KING OF ATTOLIA as various forces vie for political power.

This book was a joy to read. Megan Whalen Turner gives the reader rich descriptions of both the sumptuous Attolian palace and its many inhabitants. The novel seems even more plot-based than her previous two books. It twists and turns around the topics of espionage, assassination, and diplomacy. While a reader can still make sense of the story without reading THE THIEF or THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA, this book is a special treat for returning fans. One of the surprising things for me was how the wonderfully charismatic and clever Gen is transformed into a clumsy idiot under the prejudiced eyes of Costis. Turner hints at the drawbacks of underestimating people without being moralistic. I have waited over six years to read this novel and I'm delighted that it leaves plenty of room for future stories.

Reviewed by: Natalie Tsang

Having read and loved The Thief and to be followed with all the marvelous and clever twists in the Queen of Attolia, I did not know if it was possible to be surprised, and satisfied by a third book with two amazing and original predecessors to top, although the twists in the Queen of Attolia gave us even more of a glimpse at Megan Whalen Turner's breadth. But happily I was EVEN MORE ENTHRALLED by the King of Attolia, as original and unpredictable as the first two, full of more sophistication and intrigue and hilarity. Megan Whelan Turner outdoes herself in continuing to expand on her characters: Eugenides, who is quirky and irreverent, ridiculous in feinging the idiot, but is brilliant nonetheless; and the Queen, who took off Eugenides' hand in the last book when he was captured, and is now his wife, is one whom we come to understand in her ruthlessness as a match for Eugenides and whom we come to love as we see the relationship of the King and Queen unfold under the scrutiny of the stuffy court as well as in private; Costis, poor pawn that he is, is likeable in his staunch loyalty and honor and who comes to love the King in the end. The unravelling and overcoming of the corruption in the Attolian court by the hand of Eugenides (in record time)with its unexpected outcomes is shear genius of writing.

Megan Whalen Turner is no lightwight fluff-writer, but a savvy writer who is at home in her element and understands her art. I was spellbound by the depth of Megan Whelan Turner's writing. The recurring theme of transformation, redemption and change of perceptions pervades the entire series. Our perceptions as readers turn topsy turvy and completely alter from one extreme to its complete and unexpected opposite as we were first introduced to Eugenides as a convict, dirty, uncultured gutter-spawn in the first book, The Thief, and who then is revealed throughout the series to be so much more, a member of the royal family of Eddis, a scholar, the Thief of His Majesty, the Queen of Eddis, only to find himself affecting a series of events, as a matter of State of (and of his unmitigated attraction and ironic love) to thus wed the beautiful Queen of Attolia, the woman who took off his hand, to become King of Attolia (this is such a clever version of the whole, sizzling arch enemy attraction thing which turns into a refreshingly different but touching love story.) In addition, change happens within the story as characters within the story change their perceptions of eachother turn topsy turvy as well. The Magus in the first book changes from enemy to respected friend. Costis like all other characters changes his perceptions of the king, from one guilty of possible treason, to loyal defender of the King. The Queen changes from bloodthirsty merciless sovereign (who again took off his hand) to a strong but tender wife, and one willing to compromise and grant mercy. And most of all, Eugenides, having gone through a transformation from handicapped idiot to king, not only redeems himself, but has the power to grant redemption to those around him. While life and people have dealt him a wicked blow, somehow, he in his unconventional way is able to get over it, "stop whining" and emerge on top. Megan Whelan Turner presents this them in a wholly uncliche and fresh manner and she makes my list of favorite authors, along with Stephanie Meyer and Jonathan Stroud.

My prediction (and hope) is that a 4th book must be coming since the issue of Sophos, the heir of Sounis in unresolved: he is still missing, captured or dead, and there was speculation that young Sophos may marry Eddis. If not, there ought to be another installment, and I hope there will be a whole string in the series to follow! Few series have been as satisfying! LONG LIVE THE KING!!!

None of the guard like their new King of Attolia, and that is shown when one of the Guards, Costis, hits the king making him fall. Costis believes he is going to be executed for his actions, but the King instead pardons him and ups his rank to Lieutenant and makes Costis follow the King everywhere. Thinking it is all a joke, Costis goes along with it to show the king he can handle it all.

Through the book we follow Costis around as we watch him change as his life takes an unexpected turn. The king is putting him through many hardships and Costis takes it all. Costis learns a lot from his experience with the king and he learns to appreciate the king as well. Also we see a lot more about the king and is hardships.

Like the first two books, there are some twist in the book but they were easier spotted this time around than the first two books. I really like reading about the guard and the way Costis handled everything. Of course I enjoyed how the king was able to figure everything out and trick everyone. I liked the King when he was only the Queens Thief and now I like him even more as the King. I also like seeing a different side of the Queen of Attolia. She is more gentle in this book with the king. I began to like her more his book than I did in the previous book.

I read this book without reading the first two books. In some ways I think it was better that way. I spent the first half of the book thinking the king was a complete idiot. The end was certainly a surprise for me. After this I went and read the other books. It made a lot more sense.
After reading the other books I realized how perfect this book was. The Queen of Attolia left unanswered questions. Sure you've established that Irene and Gen love each other, but that still doesn't mean they are happy. You also know there will be questions in Attolia about the king. The questions were answered in this book.
The fact that the book was told by a guard added to the story. He ended up being important to the storyline and it also was good that it was told by a spectator. You don't know anymore than the guard, Costis, and so you are surprised when something happens and catches you totally unaware.
Hearing about Irene and Gen's relationship is interesting also. At the end of The Queen of Attolia you know that they will have the strangest marriage, and in the King of Attolia you realize how truly peculiar it is. Everyone thinks that Irene hates Gen and was forced into marriage or something.
The whole book focuses on Gen getting respect as Attolia's King and people actually realizing that despite him acting like a fool he has his own intelligence: swordsmanship, circumventing threats to the throne, and various other useful skills.

cdm

Third in a series of books beginning with 'the Thief', by Megan Whalen Turner.

In 'the Thief', Gen was a witty, nimble thief, always on his toes and ready with a comeback. It seemed nothing could bring his wit or cleverness down.

In 'the Queen of Attolia', Gen lost his right hand, then stole the Queen of Attolia.

Now he is married to her, and has become the King of Attolia. But the troubles are far from over for our clever thief. Made ruler of a land whose people don't trust him, and a court who thinks of him as a joke, Eugenides must face the ambition of the barons, the treachery of the court, the 'harmless' tricks of his attendants, and all those who regard him with disdain, without his friends behind him. He's all alone in the bloodsucking court, with a wife who, in the minds of her people, only married him because she was forced to.

Although the book continues the adventures of the former Thief of Eddis, it focuses mainly on one member of the guard, Costis. In a moment of anger Costis knocks Eugenides over with a punch, putting the squad leader's life at stake. But the king visits him while he's thinking over his fate, and some time later Costis finds himself, relieved of his position, but still alive. Costis is later made a lieutenant of the king's personal guard, an action many regard bitterly. He thinks of it as the king's personal joke, but he may soon realize Eugenides is far from laughing.

Although Costis shares his comrades' opinions about the king, he who stole their queen and couldn't rule to save his life, he finds himself gradually realizing he's been underestimating the clever thief.

'The Thief' was also a children's book; Queen of Attolia left that behind with a spectacular flare of political manipulation plus action; and now King of Attolia sneaks up from behind to offer a clever twist of court intrigue and drama that is exciting as well as enthralling to read. With adequate (but not elongated) descriptions and interesting dialogue, it doesn't get boring and is hard to put down.

This may not be for young children to read, holding some mildly offensive language etc., but I did manage to read it to my 10-year-old sister with relative ease.

I'm not sure, but King of Attolia very well could be better than the two before it, and it definitely ranks high in my list of the best books in the world.

It was worth the long wait, and we can only hope that this will not be the last book Megan Whalen Turner writes about our friend, the King of Attolia.

No one said marriage is easy. The one between Eugenides, the spy/thief of Eddis and his sworn enemy the queen of Attolia seemed doomed from the start, a marriage of political convenience, imposed on Attolia by its rival kingdom. For how could the thief possibly love the queen responsible for the loss of his hand?

But Eugenides is anything but predictable and has married the queen for love, even if by doing so he must leave his beloved Eddis behind.

As the third book in this excellent series starts, Eugenides is stranded in the Attolian palace. Ridiculed by the Attolian courtesans, despised by the Queen guards and his own attendants, he endures their daily pranks, pretending to be a guileless idiot while weaving a web of intrigue to gain his queen's heart and bring his enemies to their knees. If only he lives long enough.

Cleverly plotted and beautiful written, the story moves at a fast pace to a satisfying conclusion that answers many questions while posing new ones,

Is the Queen pregnant as her fainting may suggest?
Where is Sophos, the heir of Sounis? Would he marry the Queen of Eddis?
Would the political situation in a not distant future set Eugenides against his cousin, the queen of Eddis?

The only thing I know for sure is that I'm impatiently waiting for the King's return.

Young and too clever for his own good, Eugenides, former Thief of Eddis, is now King of Attolia. He wanted the Queen, but not the Kingship that comes along with it, but with the Mede Empire still out there threatening, and with the Queen of Attolia having to deal with fractious barons and uneasy relations with neighboring kingdoms, Eddis and Soulis, Eugenides needs to truly become King. Unfortunately, the court has no loyalty or trust in him, seeing him as an uncouth upstart from Eddis who has been thrust on them in order to have peace between Attolia and Eddis. Courtiers and servants and guards supposedly there to serve the King are careless or outright negligent. Pranks and disobedience is rife. Eugenides, as always, plays a mysterious role, seemingly uncaring. Meanwhile, there are assassination attempts and intrigue.

Much of the tale is told from the point of view of Costis, a member of the Queen's Guard who is being punished for knocking Eugenides down by having to serve him.

This is the third book about Eugenides the Thief, and possibly the best yet, as the he yet again seeks to overcome difficult odds.

Anywheedle, tonight I discovered that I dig this series because I am a huge fan of the long con, and all three of the books in the series I have read have delivered on this point. "Why am I digging this book so much?" I kept asking myself. And now I know. I love seeing how it all comes together.

Also, Gen is A+++. As is Attolia. So there is also that.

Contrary to the advice of several of the other reviewers, I read this book without having read the first two (and I still haven't, though I've just ordered copies).

Having no background knowledge, I saw things only through Costis' eyes, and it was fascinating to see what this barbarian clod of a king turned out actually to be like. The writing was subtle, yet enough hints were given that occasionally I would narrow my eyes and think, "Hmmm, now wait just a minute - is Costis interpreting that correctly...?" and often it turned out that he wasn't.

I'm sure that once I've read the first two books I will pick up on more points that eluded me this time, and it will certainly be interesting to find out what went on before this book; but nonetheless I think that reading it this way gives just as interesting a perspective as reading the books in order.

Turner's writing is splendid; she is skilled both at creating a plot and at writing descriptively, and her characters come alive. I, too, hope that there will be more books about the King of Attolia.

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 there is not much substance to the plot. I still loved the book, and I was still astonished by the revelations at the end of the book that I would never have anticipated. It definitely left me wanting more. Turner is an amazing author, and I hope that she continues to write.

Who would have thought that the clever theif from the first book Gen would be king. He is rewarded at the end of the Queen of Attolia by getting the outcome he hoped for only to seem that it might not have been everything he wished going into the next book The King of Attolia. Eugenides now must play an even more complicated game to keep both the queens he is loyal to on their thrones.

From the first book which was written from Gen's point of view, we now follow other people in the story. This I found intriguing, but also hard to transition into after reading The Thief. I would have preferred to stay reading along with Eugenides and seeing everything the way he was playing it, but then the third book would not have told the same story.

Much better than Book 3 and Megan does a fabulous job of weaving the new plot developments into the characters that have grown and changed through the series with us. The plot twists and mind games that are played through this book rank it higher than both the first and second book. A strongly suggested reading with outstanding but subtle character development, extraordinary world and setting creation, that leaves the reader constantly excited for more amazing developments.

Oh my word. Megan Whalen Turner rewards devoted fans of this series by presenting a third installment that is suspenseful, plot-twistingly smart, and surprisingly romantic.

Eugenides, former Thief of Eddis, only wanted the Queen of Attolia, but he got the title of king as well. Attolians openly scorn and ridicule their dim-witted and utterly incompetent foreigner king, but, even with only one hand, Eugenides has many more tricks up his sleeve, starting with all the events that transpire after an encounter with an honest young guard named Costis...

When you read or reread MWT's books, you never do so with the intention that you'll completely understand how these characters' minds work. That's what I admire so much about this series--even if, at times, I do not completely like the books. Do you know the difference? Eugenides and Attolia are not entirely likable: they're each way too clever, powerful, manipulative, and ruthless for me to actually want to be friends with them. I related most to something that Costis' friend Aristogiton said regarding loving the queen: he would follow her to the ends of the earth and give up his life for her, but he would never for anything be her lover or partner. Eugenides and Attolia clearly work together, yet we readers, just like pretty much all Eddisians and Attolians, cannot precisely describe how.

In a ways, Megan Whalen Turner's unique narrative style allows this distant admiration of the two main characters. Instead of giving us the point of view of the narrator--and furthermore, in MWT's case, the narrator(s) and main characters aren't necessarily one and the same!--MWT often gives no character's point of view: the "narrator," the flimsy definition of which is just the character whose reactions might have been mentioned first in each scene, is simply an outside observer like us readers. The result is that THE KING OF ATTOLIA read like a true "novelization" of a movie or TV show--because, just like when you watch movies or TV, you see the actions and characters' reactions, but never entirely get their thoughts on matters, so you have kind of the same thing going on in KING. It's a rare occurrence in literature, and does nothing to help you better comprehend Eugenides, Attolia, and others, but it's precisely how MWT manages to keep readers on their figurative toes throughout the entire book, even if all the little action going on is confined within palace walls.

The series stumbled for me a bit with The Queen of Attolia, because I thought that MWT's unique narrative style didn't work quite as well when the plot revolved around a multi-country war, but KING pulled me right back in by focusing more on characters and their relationships with one another. Like I mentioned earlier, KING rewards devoted fans of the series by the very fact that it keeps us out of the minds of the beloved main characters, making it so that the allure of the enigmatic continues to surround them even as we read more about them. I thought I had figured Eugenides out after accompanying him through two books, but that was not the case, and it delighted me all the more that I was never able to pin what I know down enough to successfully make any predictions about plot or character at all.

THE KING OF ATTOLIA is a literary feast for the intelligent, for sure. Megan Whalen Turner keeps you on your toes right from the start, and continues to do so all the way to the end, where she still succeeds in shocking you. What a book. What an accomplishment.

This book is taut, funny, quaintly human and consummately well written. The smoke and mirrors royal intrigue reminds me of I, Claudius (though less brutal, and ultimately less bleak) This book is focused more on the complexities of human beings, their desires, loyalty, illusions, their shortcomings and moments of grace, their relationship to themselves, to each other, to power, responsibility and to the Divine. For ultimate suspense, read this book before you read the others. Megan Whalen Turner is just getting better and better.

After 6 years of impatient waiting (for me, anyway)the third book in the series, The King of Attolia, has fianally been released, much to the joy of the more avid fans. Now that Eugenides is king of Attolia (to the anger of the queen's loyal subjects), he has a task: to prove himself to the Attolians, who believe him to be nothing more than an impudent and mischeivous boy set out to shame Her Majesty, never thinking that he could be smarter than he shows. The King of Attolia explores the subjects pranks and actions, the monarchs relationship, all through the eyes of a guard, Costis, who has been forced to become Gen's assistant after punching him in the face. Anymore would spoil the story, but I can promise you, this a very worthwhile read!

How is it humanly possible that the vast majority of the population has never heard of Megan Whalen Turner?? How?? It boggles the mind!! It defies perception!! The people must be told!!

She creates multidimensional worlds and characters that you can't help but love- with the single exception the queen of Attolia. She's just scary, because she's so enigmatic, but I have confidence that we'll see more of her soon. It will just take time, just like sawing through a log with a butterknife takes a while. Anyway, back on to the subject of Turner's brilliance. She blew me away with Queen of Attolia. Every time I reread it, I find some new nuance in the storyline. While The King doesn't quite achieve that level of delicious complexity, it more than earns the five star rating. Even a reader who's new to Gen can appreciate him and his absolute awesomeness, but I recommend that you read the first two prior to this one, because when you know Gen better, you can see into his world and understand him and his issues far better. My only complaint is that it isn't as grand in scale as The Queen, but once you read the ending, it doesn't seem to matter, because you see that The King is just a superb series filler, and that greater things will soon come.

One last thing. I shall simply wither away from pure, uncut misery and boredom if I have to wait for six years for the next book. But, if it just so happens that it does take six years for true quality, take your sweet time Mrs. Turner, because I would rather spend my years withering and waiting for true quality than just having the sequel be a plain old book.

Every so often, a book comes along, published for young people, that I find myself pressing on all those folk I know who love bokks but don't spend their professional time toiling in the vineyards of children's and teen literature.

This is one of them. Elegantly constructed, doling out information to its readers in small shards, with a captivating hero and heroine and a regular guy/guard, from whose perspective we see most of what goes on.

There are wheels within wheels, glancing insights into truth and falsehood, perception and reality, love and loyalty, but all of this happens in the midst of a completely absorbing story. Wow.

This book is a modern classic to be treasured! It is fantasy, but seems almost to take place in Greece in an alternate world, which i believe is what the author intended. The characters are so rich and likable: Costis with his serious dedication to his country, Eugenides (known earlier as Gen) with his love for both making mischief and the queen, Attolia (also known as Irene) with her sharp tongue and clever hindsight, and too many others to mention. The relationships between the characters are also fascinating. In my opinion, it is the best of the three books, and while, however, it *could* stand alone, i tried reading it about three times without getting into it, but when i read The Thief and The Queen of Attolia, i immediately was absorbed into this book.

After Megan Whalen Turner's Eugenides series, I have been spoiled for smart fantasy. Starting with the first book, The Thief, I was hooked, and finally struck gold after perusing "children's book" for my fantasy shelf.

The first book was first person, second was third but still focalized through Eugenides. The third takes the reader one more step backwards and shows our favorite thief through the eyes of a guardsman who has no respect for his new king, and slowly realizes the King's true mettle.

Exceptionally fine writing makes this third part a joy to read. As the events are narrated through Costis the guard, every act and word has a double, triple meaning, that clearly unfolds as the book progresses. The story shows us how carefully Eugenides wins over the court of Attolia, with seemingly ridiculous and even buffoonish tricks and ploys, and above all, infinite patience. His relationship with the Queen is touching and wry and one of the most beautiful love stories I've seen in a while, deftly done with none of the tired cliches that send "children" readers running rightfully away from "grownup" romance in their books.

Above all, The King of Attolia is FUNNY. Smart and funny, from Eugenides's machinations, to his conversations with Costis, the Queen, and his gods. The tone of the book is gentle mannerpunk, and as soon as I finished the whole series in an afternoon, I was reading it over again from the beginning.

When a book has made me laugh more than a dozen times from sheer joy, cry over injustice, then right it again so beautifully that it makes me want to read it again and again, I'd say: instant classic.

As The Thief is adventuresome and funny, and the Queen of Attolia is intriguing and just a little dark, The King of Attolia isn't the hybrid, exactly, but the golden mean.
In this one, Gen's predicament is entirely psychological, something he obviously isn't used too. Not one for responsibility, he doesn't want to be King because he knows that Attolia enjoys being Queen and doesn't want to get in her way. But you just can't get away with not being King, and he figures that out with his cruel attendants always playing dumb to irk him, priestesses that will not let him into the temple he requested be built, and even up to an assasination attempt that wouldn't have failed if they didn't think he was such a pathetic, whining wuss who couldn't even tell the hilt of sword from it's point.
We all know Gen to be one to reveal his true self at the end as he did in the Thief, but he does in a much more magnificent way in the King of Attolia.
I love the ending because he doesn't prove by just a deed that he is King--he does that too--but he as usual explains everything that he has done behind the scenes for the benefit of the people around him.
Let's face it. Gen is not meant to be a King. And that is why this story is so incredibly interesting, because he is dealing with that inner conflict to the very end.
By the way, there is a new character in the book--Costis is generally Gen's stereotype of the boring, brawn and no brain soldier until he shows his sense of humor and his care for the King.
But he is still our Gen. This is my favorite line of the book:
"I am in speechless, Costis." (that's Eugenides speaking.)
"Not noticeably so, your majesty."

I have been an enthusiastic fan of Megan Whalen Turner's stories about Eugenides since the first page of The Thief. It and The Queen of Attolia demonstrate Turner's keen plots, full-fleshed characters, and delicious control of language. It was exciting to learn that there was to be a third book--with optimism that it could measure up to its predecessors.

There is no need to fear disappointment from this book. Every line was sheer pleasure, but for knowing it brought the end a line nearer. Eugenides and his Queen are written with satisfying complexity and understanding, measuring up to and perhaps surpassing their characters in previous books. Other well-known characters--Sounis' Magus, Eddis, and references to an endangered Sophos--draw away from the fairly intimate main setting of the Attolian court and are welcome reminders of old friends.

The new central character Costis is a genuinely good man whose slow coming around to the king leaves the reader saying, "Yes, NOW you understand why you have to like him; he's GEN." It is particularly interesting to note his and others' views on subjects which the readers have previously experienced through other eyes; for example, one soldier comments that it was probably Eddis' idea that Gen marry Attolia--although we know she was in fact violently oppossed.

For those who prefer the political and personal intrigues of the stories there is also nothing to fear; the same complexity demonstrated in Gen and Attolia is practiced in the plot, which unravels with Turner's trademark precision.

All of my hopes were more than lived up to, and this may very well be my favorite of the three. Not only that, but it simply shouts sequel--so here's hoping a fourth is forthcoming, as soon as possible and as good as this.

Words fail me. I absolutely love this book. And Megan Whalen Turner's other books. I have never read another book like this, and I have read a multitude of books. Let's see, where to begin.
First off, this is the third book in the Queen's Thief series. I hesitate to call it a series because even though the books do fit in perfectly with each other, it isn't a series in the traditional sense of the word. The Thief is the first book, The Queen of Attolia picks up about a year after that, I believe, and The King of Attolia picks up basically where The QoA left off. The King of Attolia can be read as a stand-alone novel, but of course it is better to read them in order.
The King of Attolia reads like great historical/political fiction, without being too heavy. The writing in these books is simply gorgeous, and the dialogue is clever and inspired. There are scenes that make me laugh, some that make me cry, and some that make me talk out loud to the characters (which, I have to say, was rather embarassing, seeing as I was in public). I would sell my soul to be able to write like Ms. Turner. She is a writing godess. And the characters, oh the characters. Eugenides in my absolute favorite fictional person ever. I want to be him. Or marry him. But he's already married. (curses!) And the queen. Somehow I am able to pity her, be slightly afraid of her, and be in awe of her, all at the same time.
So, that being said, you should read these books. All of them. if you read nothing else this year, read these. And please, Ms. Turner, another book soon!

Costis is a young soldier in Eugenides regimen who has gotten himself into an undeniable trouble. Because of his anger at Eugenides being the King of Attolia he has lashed out at him by punching him in the face during a training exercise. Now Costis awaits his doom, leaning between suspected exile or seizure of his family's farm and hanging as his punishment. To his surprise Eugenides grants neither of these boons but instead makes Costis be one of his chief guards. Costis is abhorrent of this position, but when Attolia threatens to kill Costis' commanding Captain, Teleus, Costis knows his has no choice.

As Costis guards the king he slowly is able to see him in a new light, especially when the political intrigue begins to hit the fan. Since Attolia's wedding to Eddis' former Queen's thief the Mede Empire (who funded the war on Eddis) is gunning to be compensated, and is slowly gearing up for war. Meanwhile there is scandal within the palace walls after an attempt on the king's life by [...] plagues Costis with rumors that Costis really killed the assassins, not Eugenides. Before Costis knows it the man he formerly loathed begins to become his true king.

The interesting thing about this book, well, about all of Turner's books about Eugenides really, is that we always get to see him as perceived by someone else. In the first book we saw him largely through the eyes of the Sounis Magus. In the second book it's largely through the eyes of the opposing queens of Eddis and Attolia. Well in this book it's largely through Costis' eyes, and also through the perceptions of his peers. So it is not surprising that the antics of the king seem arrogant, flippant, and as if he doesn't care...unless you have read the first two books. Then, at least, Eugenides seems to be far more human.

I liked and disliked this book. For one thing it felt like nothing immense happened, not like in the first two books. It was packed with bravado and male posturing, especially in the end when the only way for Eugenides to prove himself as king is to prove how manly he is. However, the intrigue in this book was much more subtly than previous titles in the series...the machinations were only between a few people as opposed to between countries... and Costis is a relatively interesting character to me. However, having read an advanced reader copy of this book it is hard for me to say whether some of these minor annoyances have been cleaned up in the final draft. Don't get me wrong, a minor work by Turner still beats most fantasy every given day of the week. However I couldn't help but feel like I wanted more resolution, especially seeing as how none of the impending war with the surrounding countries was handled. I guess that means that Turner will write another book to tie up all of those loose ends, which I would enjoy. This book just felt like a light stop on the way to bigger and better things, but a good stop nonetheless. I am not overly disappointed in the results.

This is an excellent book. Cleverly written with fantastic characters and interactions that leave you turning back a page just to read them again.

Ms. Turner takes a long time between books and, while I am anxious to see what she comes up with next, the wait seems to be worth it.

I would not start at this book, although it might work as a stand alone. Read The Thief and Queen of Attolia first. And buy them because you will want to read them again and again and again!

Costis is a young soldier in Eugenides regimen who has gotten himself into an undeniable trouble. Because of his anger at Eugenides being the King of Attolia he has lashed out at him by punching him in the face during a training exercise. Now Costis awaits his doom, leaning between suspected exile or seizure of his family's farm and hanging as his punishment. To his surprise Eugenides grants neither of these boons but instead makes Costis be one of his chief guards. Costis is abhorrent of this position, but when Attolia threatens to kill Costis' commanding Captain, Teleus, Costis knows his has no choice.

As Costis guards the king he slowly is able to see him in a new light, especially when the political intrigue begins to hit the fan. Since Attolia's wedding to Eddis' former Queen's thief the Mede Empire (who funded the war on Eddis) is gunning to be compensated, and is slowly gearing up for war. Meanwhile there is scandal within the palace walls after an attempt on the king's life by [...] plagues Costis with rumors that Costis really killed the assassins, not Eugenides. Before Costis knows it the man he formerly loathed begins to become his true king.

The interesting thing about this book, well, about all of Turner's books about Eugenides really, is that we always get to see him as perceived by someone else. In the first book we saw him largely through the eyes of the Sounis Magus. In the second book it's largely through the eyes of the opposing queens of Eddis and Attolia. Well in this book it's largely through Costis' eyes, and also through the perceptions of his peers. So it is not surprising that the antics of the king seem arrogant, flippant, and as if he doesn't care...unless you have read the first two books. Then, at least, Eugenides seems to be far more human.

I liked and disliked this book. For one thing it felt like nothing immense happened, not like in the first two books. It was packed with bravado and male posturing, especially in the end when the only way for Eugenides to prove himself as king is to prove how manly he is. However, the intrigue in this book was much more subtly than previous titles in the series...the machinations were only between a few people as opposed to between countries... and Costis is a relatively interesting character to me. However, having read an advanced reader copy of this book it is hard for me to say whether some of these minor annoyances have been cleaned up in the final draft. Don't get me wrong, a minor work by Turner still beats most fantasy every given day of the week. However I couldn't help but feel like I wanted more resolution, especially seeing as how none of the impending war with the surrounding countries was handled. I guess that means that Turner will write another book to tie up all of those loose ends, which I would enjoy. This book just felt like a light stop on the way to bigger and better things, but a good stop nonetheless. I am not overly disappointed in the results.

This is an excellent book. Cleverly written with fantastic characters and interactions that leave you turning back a page just to read them again.

Ms. Turner takes a long time between books and, while I am anxious to see what she comes up with next, the wait seems to be worth it.

I would not start at this book, although it might work as a stand alone. Read The Thief and Queen of Attolia first. And buy them because you will want to read them again and again and again!

I have preemptively selected three books for your Christmas Gift List! The three books form a never to be forgotten series: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner. To appreciate the genius of Turner's writing, one MUST read the books in order. This is NOT optional.

Rarely does one receive so generous a personal invitation to explore inside the mind of such a profoundly gifted character as the King of Attolia - especially in a fantasy novel - but Turner, obviously gifted herself, has managed to put down on paper a magical weaving which will speak to your mind long after the words on the page have been eagerly devoured.

To the uninitiated who have yet to enjoy the indulgent thrill of this series: Come, now, do put away your chocolate and your remote control, and carve out some prime time for an immensely self-gratifying, invigorating, unforgettable adventure with Eugenides, in The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia. Perhaps you, too, will come to love his deliciously discriminating, incomparable mind, as delicately exquisite as a night in moonlight.

And so, without further ado, I most earnestly present to you the unpretentious, portentous KING OF ATTOLIA. Live long and prosper.

I really loved The Queen of Attolia, and was apprehensive that the next book would be a little bit of a let-down, but in fact it is just as good - even better. The story is really intriguing, the characters are interesting and the dialogue is believable. The story itself is very well-crafted, and overall it is just a fantastic book that I couldn't put down and still read over and over again. I can't wait for her next book.

If you enjoyed The Thief & The Queen of Attolia, you will absolutely devour The King, which is more humorous than the former two. Turner once again brings to life the ornery, lovable Eugenides with an enviable ease: & from a unique perspective. The story itself is tightly knit, with no loose threads dangling to marr the flow of occurences, or leave readers scratching their heads. An extra bonus is the brilliant illustration on the cover--a harbinger of the excellence inside.

Absolutely one of the best books you could ever read. Order now!

i wanted this story to keep going. it was masterfully written. i not much for politics but this one kept me extremely entertained. as expected there were a number of twists and turns to keep me occupied. i loved this book and it was left open for an opportunity for another sequel. I CANT FREAKING WAIT ANOTHER FIVE YEARS FOR A DOSE OF GEN!!!! what a wonderful bunch of characters!!! BUT.... i was not as fetching as the first book. although i do like this new character Costis, the book strays too far sometimes from the main character, Gen. But when the story focuses on him the pages fly at the speed of light. If your a fan of this series this is a must read!!!!!

Readers will not fail to build upon the tremendous admiration built up from the previous two novels in this well-plotted series. Lots of surprises, and a wonderfully subtle love story in a fast-paced, intricate story. Extremely entertaining for ALL ages, a real page-turner. Some loose ends indicate that there is at least one more novel to come. We can only hope!

Every book in this series (including the fourth, A Conspiracy of Kings) is a wonderful, riveting, unpredictable read. This is my favorite of the four, followed by "Conspiracy" "Queen" and the first "The Thief".

The King of Attolia is filled with the piercing and unexpected. Our hero is witty and human as ever, and this book captures the painful yet irresistible nature of love. Don't be intimidated by what may seem to be an elusive plot and twisting plot - Megan Turner has saved the best for last. Enjoy.

Meghan Whalen Turner writes excellent fantasy. This final book in the Attolia trilogy is perfect - again things are not exactly as they appear, the writing is fast-paced and often humorous, and Gen is such a human hero. Love these books! Ms. Turner, please write more!

This is an incredible book. Told mostly from the point of view of a soldier assigned to the new king of Attolia, you get to experience firsthand how most of the country sees the Thief of Eddis. Megan Turner once again leads readers through a fascinating tale of hidden identities and intent as Gen rises from his role as a "puppet king" where the queen pulls the strings to a king of kings in charge of his own destiny and actions. A truly wonderful read.

Turner delivers another stunning book in her Attolia series. The twists and turns are never the same as the previous books; therefore there is no way to predict how Turner lets the secrets be revealed. I can't wait to read #4.