The King of Attolia audiobook

It's weird how I find the most difficult books to review are those that I knew were going to be amazing... and yep, this was amazing! I mean, what do you say that actually means anything? I could ramble on about fantastic writing, brilliant characters, excellent plot, this would all be true but the words are so empty and don't convey what I love about this series.They don't say how this intricate fantasy world pulls you in with it's politics, it's culture and it's superstitions. It's like the excitement of walking through a wardrobe into the strange land of Narnia and not knowing what's around every corner, but needing to find out. There is no map provided in these books (at least not in my editions) but the parts of the world that we have explored so far are completely imaginable to me. I can imagine Attolia by the coast and picture the mountains running through this world that forge geographical, political and cultural boundaries. Am I starting to waffle? That's because I am in love with this series; is this how Romeo felt? "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night." Okay, all right, I'm stopping before it gets even weirder.I don't understand how so many authors can write in 1st person and still fail to create characters that interest me as much as Megan Whalen Turner does so easily in her 3rd person perspective. Perhaps it is that she only reveals what is absolutely necessary and the characters we think we know can so easily surprise us. This book is told from the point of view of Costis (an Attolian soldier) who is assigned to be the King's lieutenant and witnesses much of the goings on around the palace. I'm starting to think that this is ultimately the more effective way to tell a story. Well, Wuthering Heights was told entirely from the point of view of secondary characters, for one!The story was excellent, I loved visiting Eugenides again and seeing how far he has come and how much he is still the same little devil we met in book one. This is a novel full of palace politics, new friendships, conspiracies, assassins and a dash of romance. I wasn't sure how the relationship between the new King and the Queen of Attolia would work out, but Turner handled it perfectly and the chemistry between two such unlikely companions was very exciting to read.Oh and, of course, this is Megan Whalen Turner so you can be sure that nothing is as it seems...

“Are you badly hurt?”“Hideously,” said the king, without sounding injured at all. “I am disemboweled. My insides may in an instant become my outsides as I stand here before you.” Attolis, the new king of Attolia, is a pawn. He is lazy, unloved by his wife, and there to be a victim, unaware of the political machinations of his court. At least, that’s what his guard thinks of him; they love their queen, of course, but do not love their king. This includes Costis, his newly appointed guard, who hates him. With a clever point of view shift to a new character, this book is a clever and eerie ride.This series feels so classic, like something everyone would’ve been obsessed with ten years ago. I hope people will still obssess over it now. So what do people always praise about this series? Because item #1 is the plotting, and item #2 is the character work. I second both. I’ve been thinking a lot about why the plotting of this series is so great, and it’s because Megan Whalen Turner is so good at planting and payoff. If a plot element shows up in the beginning of the book, it will be become a part of the book further on; within the world, with political elements, with character elements. Element after element is used for plot twists and it is always so satisfying and compelling.And perhaps even more importantly, the character work here is fucking incredible. Gen is a fantastic mastermind. Costis is an impressively likable character, especially as he’s just shown up. Gen and Irene are one of the most endearing couples I have ever read about. Also, I absolutely love and adore the dialogue. It’s glorious and adds so much to these characters.So why only four stars? You know, this has gotten the hype of being the best book in this series, and I have to admit, I’m not sure it lived up to that. One of my absolute favorite parts of The Queen of Attolia was the development of Irene; her slow character arc, the growing relationship between her and Gen. This book… lacked Irene. Okay, she’s there plenty, but I LOVE her and she was not in this book enough. Costis is a really interesting character and I really loved the growing relationship between him and Gen, but I admit, I was disappointed by the overall smaller scale of the plot twists and the action. I do really like that this series is becoming primarily the story of small but powerful players within a very large world, but the shift was surprising, especially as the narrator, Costis, drives very little of the plot. It’s an interesting plot device, but as a result, I found myself losing focus on action within the middle. But this worked pretty well, because we’re so invested in the characters involved in the action. And when it comes down to it, I really enjoyed this. It’s such a fun classic fantasy; I feel reminded of old Kristin Cashore and Tamora Pierce in the best way. It is a fantastic read and I cannot wait to get to the next book. here are my other series thoughts: book one - ★★★☆☆book two - ★★★★★book three - ★★★★☆book four - ★★★★☆book five - ★★★★★book six - TBDBlog | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

With this book Megan Whalen Turner has cemented herself as one of my all-time favorite writers. I absolutely loved "The Queen of Attolia" and "The King of Attolia" is a remarkable follow-up.Eugenides, the famous Thief of Eddis, is now the King of Attolia. He is married to the woman he loves but he doesn't enjoy the power that comes with it. Gen is despised by Attolians, they think him a lazy fool and a treacherous abuser of their Queen. But of course, things are not at all what they seem to be...The book is almost entirely written from the POV of Costis, an ordinary guard who at the opening of the book physically assaults the King. Instead of being executed, Costis is pardoned by Eugenides and soon even becomes one of his closest attendants and a center of various court intrigues. Slowly Costis, and we together with him, starts learning who his new King really is, the nature of Gen's relationship with his Queen and his schemes that are intended to reshape the landscape of Attolian politics.As Turner's previous book, "The King of Attolia" is filled with political intrigues and power play, this time almost exclusively within the Attolian court. Another excellent addition - Turner's examination of royal power and the nature of loyalty to the superiors - a very skillful and clever touch. The characters (I am mostly talking about Gen and Irene) still remain almost anonymous to us (as they are to Attolians), the narration is not overburdened with their emotional turmoils, but whatever we get a glimpse of - for instance, Gen's complicated relationship with his wife (we all know their history and they both are not quite over it) - is touching and deep. What else can I say? "The King of Attolia" is another masterful novel by Megan Whalen Turner. I expect I will enjoy "A Conspiracy of Kings" just as much.

If I tell you that each book in this series just gets more and more exceptional, will you believe me? Or will you believe that I, like Eugenides, am simply telling you a version of the truth to get you to do what I want you to do? (In this case, to get you to read these books yesterday). Both things are true, by the way. The King of Attolia is even better than its predecessor and I will tell you anything to get you to read these books. Yesterday. Plus, check out my favorite cover of the three. Look at the feather scar on his cheek. Her hand on his shoulder. His grip on the sword. So awesome.Eugenides has just embarked upon his self-imposed life of exile in Attolia. And to any and all onlookers, he is ill at ease in his new home. The queen appears to despise him, the court thinks him an idiot of epic proportions, and the guard are ready to murder him on their queen's behalf. The story follows a young lieutenant named Costis who is having a shockingly bad day. In a fit of righteous indignation, he hauled off and punched the king in the face in front of several witnesses, including the captain of the guard. Certain he will hang in the morning, Costis is shocked and discomfited to find himself assigned to be the king's personal assistant. Forced to serve the man he hates, Costis soon finds himself on the receiving end of a most unorthodox education of a lifetime. Through his eyes, the reader gets an intimate, exquisitely poignant look at the relationship between the King and the Queen of Attolia. This third installment is the big payoff in many ways. The Thief set up the key characters, briefly sketching out their backgrounds and motivations--all against a background of a grand quest--and it did it with humor and style. The Queen of Attolia delved into the complicated psyches of the two main players, word by artfully chosen word, making your heart ache for them, ensuring you fall in love with them. The King of Attolia cements the whole gorgeous package. This is where Eugenides comes into his own. This is where you realize he's smarter than you. And so is Megan Whalen Turner. And you wouldn't have it any other way. This book is the real deal. Every scene is choice. Every sarcastic exchange. Every vicious riposte. Every hidden glance. It's a rereader's paradise and, as Oscar Wilde said, "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all." The King of Attolia is so worth it. I can already tell I will be reading about these characters for the rest of my life.

Buddy Read with some series fanatics at Buddies Books & Baubles This series isn’t your typical sort of fantasy. Most of the book is more intellectual than actionable in that I spent most of the time trying to figure out the subtle interactions between Eugenides and the Queen of Attolia.After a few books shown from the PoVs of Eudenidies and The Queens it was interesting that most of this book was shown from the perspective of Costis a member of the Attolian guard. At first I didn’t really understand what the author was doing, but then it made perfect sense. It was a much more interesting story to see how everyone else in Attolia perceived Gen and try to figure out what he was really up to. If we got the story from his perspective then the mystery of it wouldn’t have been half as entertaining. I almost feel bad for Costis caught in whatever game Gen is playing. “Don’t hang Teleus. But I don’t see how you can hang Costis if you won’t hang his superior officer.” The queen turned back to face him. “I could hang you,” she said. Eugenides looked up at her. “You missed your chance for that,” he said. The queen lifted a hand to briefly cover her eyes. “It is remarkable how you cloud my otherwise clear vision,” she said. “What is it you propose?” “I propose that you let me trade him to Teleus. His life in return for Teleus’s good behavior.” AND LET THE GAMES BEGIN…..The people of Attolia have made sure that Gen does not feel the least bit welcome in their country. Most of the time they like to refer to him as a jumped-up barbarian goatfoot and play little vengeful tricks on him in order to chip away at his resolve and respect. It was so weird to see what they thought of him since we know how deadly he truly is. The gods above knew that the king could be laid out by a toddler with a toasting fork. What hope had he against an assassin, trained as a sword is sharpened, honed to one purpose, to murder? I really enjoyed trying to figure out myself what game he was playing and why he was pretending to be so much less than he was. While I was certain there was something up I struggled to put the clues together. Everyone thought that they were getting the best of Eugenides, when he was really maneuvering them to move to the steps of the dance he set in motion. We get little glimpses of Gen and the Queen together and it made it all the more special to also see those through Costis’s eyes. There aren’t a lot of them as this is not a romance per say but the moments we get really are pretty beautiful and spectacular because there aren’t a lot of them. “Tell me you won’t cut out my lying tongue, tell me you won’t blind me, you won’t drive red-hot wires into my ears.” After one moment of gripped immobility, the queen bent to kiss the king lightly on one closed eyelid, then on the other. She said, “I love your eyes.” She kissed him on either cheek, near the small lobe of his ear. “I love your ears, and I love”—she paused as she kissed him gently on the lips—“every single one of your ridiculous lies.” There are a few moments of action in the book. But for the most part it is a political maneuvering conspiracy and most of the fun was in the revelation of clues and the big reveal of why Eugenides would put up with so much for so long. There was a great sword fight towards the end and I enjoyed the reason behind it and why it finally happened. It was great to see Gen finally figure out his place in Attolia and claim it in true Thief fashion.

I honestly think these books should be required reading for any aspiring fantasy author. And more than a few published fantasy authors. It's just a masterclass in fantastical storytelling.This is the third in the Queen's Thief series, and so far it's the strongest. The story is primarily told from the perspective of Costis, an Attolian soldier. In less skilled hands, this switch in perspective could have been disastrous. Instead, in Whalen Turner's more than capable hands, it reinvigorates a series that I didn't even think needed reinvigorating!Looking back at the series as a whole, I get why Whalen Turner made the choice to distance the reader from Eugenides, who we've followed closely through two previous books. In this installment, Gen feels isolated and alienated. The perspective switch is a smart way to mirror these feelings in the reader without turning them off the book, without making them feel alienated from the book itself . It's just... So good. And by choosing Costis as our new perspective, Whalen Turner simultaneously expands the world and adds nuance and complexity to the plot. The previous books were focused on the upper echelons of society--kings and queens, courtiers and court advisors. Costis is a solider, and seeing the more intimate details of his world in turn expands the greater world of the Queen's Thief series.It also adds nuance to what could have easily become a standard formula for Whalen Turner. We know Gen, we love Gen, and it is incredibly fun watching him scheme his way to success. In book two, The Queen's Thief, Whalen Turner subverts our expectations by having Gen fail utterly, fail spectacularly. But how could she possibly do that again in book three? Enter Costis. By giving the Attolian people a stand-in perspective, suddenly the Attolians aren't just simple antagonists to stand in opposition to Gen. We see their perspective, understand their hesitations and even hatred for Gen. It makes Gen's new challenges all the more complicated, and the story all the more compelling.I could go on, and on, and on, about these books. The short of it? They are absolutely brilliant.

So fabulous. I absolutely love Turner's characters. Love them. And I think this book is the most brilliant of the trilogy. Each of them has a twist at the end, but really this one was the best. I wanted to hold it to my heart and sigh at its perfection when I finished it. And, oddly enough, I thought that I wouldn't like it! It's from the POV of a new character, and I wanted to get back inside Gen's head more. But it turned out better that way, because it made Gen's actions all the more surprising.Reread 2021: Too true, it's better to be inside Costis' head, to see Gen as the Attolians see him. So freaking great!

 “Why can’t you act like a proper king?”The most difficult thing about this book was trying to understand why is Eugenides behaving like an idiot all of a sudden.In King of Attolia we follow our thief and his royal wife through the eyes of Costis, a young member of the Queen’s Guard. Now, Costis is a darling, bless his heart. He is honourable, very straightforward and idealistic (is that how you spell naive?), so you can imagine what kind of a narrator is our guide through the confusing maze of courtly intrigues. We meet this young man when he is awaiting punishment for punching Eugenides in the face. Yes, Costis unabashedly, wholeheartedly, and consequences be damned, hates the guts of the “goatfoot” who tricked Attolia into marrying him. And to be honest, as we start the book, it is very hard not to share Costis’ derision and lack of respect.After reading The Thief I had the impression that the Queen’s Thief series will be a light, pleasant, but not too complicated coming-to-age story with a nice hero and not very fast, though exciting, plot. How terribly wrong I was! The Queen of Attolia changed my perspective, and King of Attolia only reinforced it.The outsider’s view on Gen (and Attolia), allows us to see both of them in an entirely new light, and this change of perspective is particularly rewarding when it comes to the Thief. We had two books already to help us grow a soft spot for him, and so to see Gen bared naked and without the saving grace of any positive bias is so refreshing. The young soldier has no insight into the schemes and games played by Eugenides and Queen Attolia (nor does the reader, with the latter having an advantage over Costis because we at least already know the Thief’s intelligence and cunning). Contrasting such straightforwardness with Gen’s multilayered guile is extremely entertaining (albeit also a bit aggravating at times). It prevents the reader from making presuppositions, which would result in boredom. Personally, I love to witness the actions of intelligent, cunning protagonists, especially when most of the time, they put on a mask and use deception, which enables them to fool everyone around them. I also love watching the reaction and shock of the other characters when they discover what was truly going on, beyond all the appearances.The good news is that there are several such moments in the book, and more than once, I snickered when the world turned upside down for this or that member of the royal court. And although this time the scale of events is smaller, as we are limited to the capital of Attolia, there is no shortage of political intrigues, and they seem to be both more complicated and far reaching. Minuses? Some people may have a problem with the slow development of action, because the book is not filled with spectacular battles, the plot is not dense, and there is virtually no magic (supernatural elements are limited to occasional visits by the gods). The romance might be a downer for others. Also, at this stage, Thief's genius renders the book predictable in the long run.Still, I was completely stolen by Eugenides. Long may he reign. Also in the series: 1. The Thief ★★★★☆2. The Queen of Attolia ★★★★★4. The Conspiracy of Kings ★★★☆☆5. Thick as Thieves ★★★☆☆6. Return of the Thief

This third instalment in Megan Whalen Turner's The Queen's Thief series is easily the best yet. I feel like this series is getting better and better as it progresses as Turner seems to have figured out what works and what does not and makes the correct adjustments. This series is an old school coming of age YA fantasy story in many ways but what sets it apart is that the focus tends to be on intrigue and character development rather than flashy action scenes. It also helps that Turner is a clever writer. Scenes that at first glance tend to feel a little throwaway often tend to turn out to be significant set up work for later happenings in the story. It leaves the reader feeling like Turner had the story planned from start to finish and that there is very little waste and padding. The world itself was heavily inspired by Greek mythology.The story in this one pretty much picked up from where the last book ended. Eugenides is now the King of Attolia. The problem is it is a title and role he never really wanted even if he does recognize the necessity of it and the people of Attolia have good reason to resent him. What we got was a story with a heavy focus on character development and court intrigue. I felt like Turner nailed both so I found this to be a super engaging tale from start to finish. Structurally I feel like Turner did a lot of clever things that made this story the best in the series so far. The scope was very tight with pretty much all of the action taking place in the palace in Attolia and pretty much all the major characters in the story being members of the Attolian court. There was much less of an epic feel to this instalment of the series than there was in the previous books but surprisingly this turned out to be an advantage as the characters and the court intrigue benefited from being the sole focus of the story. The other really clever thing Turner did in this one was switch the focus away from Gen and Attolia. The pair were still the main characters and the stars of the book but the fact that we saw them from the eyes of Costis, a young Attolian guard, and a few other servants in the court was a master-stroke. It left the motivations of Gen and Attolia a bit of a mystery and also gave us the chance to see both characters from a different perspective and I felt like that really enriched the story and gave it extra depth. All in all I really enjoyed The King of Attolia and hope the rest of the series delivers this quality of storytelling. Rating: 4.5 stars. I'm rounding down to 4 stars here on Goodreads but that is mostly because I've been picky lately!Audio Note: Jeff Woodman is a fantastic narrator.

Second read: 5⭐️Every time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I’m feeling SO DOWN right now. Why must all good things come to an end? 😣This series keeps getting better and better with each book and Eugenides just keeps surprising me in ways I never see coming. Outstanding writing. Intricate political intrigue. A damn fine lead character whose brilliance and cunning ways leaves you wanting more... ughhh!👏🙌 SO. GOOD!

This is my favorite book in one of my favorite fantasy series. It starts out a little bit slow, although it's fun watching for all the clues in the text that I missed the first time I read it. But the second half of this book: it is completely made of awesome. I love every single page of it.Full review to come, after it's posted on www.fantasyliterature.com.July 2015 reread with the Buddies Books and Baubles group.Prior review:This book is just so brilliant and well plotted. I've noticed that of all the books on my "Favorites" list, this one has the highest overall average rating, and it's for a very good reason. I can't think of anyone I know who wouldn't enjoy this book and its plot twists.Presumably if you're reading this review you've already read (or are thinking of reading) the first book in the series, The Thief, which is also a wonderful book, though I found it a little slower than this one. You really do need to read The Thief and The Queen of Attolia to understand and appreciate The King of Attolia, though. Personally I didn't like the 2nd book in the series (or the 4th, for that matter) nearly as well as the 1st and 3rd, but they're all worthy books. So go plow through the 2nd book, if only so you can get to this 3rd one in the series. It should not be missed.

UPDATE 5/2022: I’m just incredibly obsessed with this couple and I continually reread their sections, so I decided this deserved a boost to 5 star famedom.~~~The romance in this book? Exceptional. I loved it. The King of Attolia thrilled me and was definitely the best book in the series. I loved everything in this book, from the political intrigue to the romance and swordplay and trickery. Thanks MWT!

Buddy read with my girls at Buddies, Books, & Baubles.I kept putting off starting this one. I think it was because I just couldn't warm to Attolia, at all, so I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book. I'm so happy that I was dead WRONG!I was hooked my the second chapter & started binge reading until 3 in the morning. I couldn't figure Gen's motives for most of the book. I only knew he wanted to be underestimated. I didn't understand what he was doing with Costis beyond securing the Captain of the Guard. I mean, it didn't earn him any loyalty. I was in the dark about Attolia & Gen, what was going on? I LOVE BEING KEPT GUESSING! This is my most favoritest book evah in The Queen's Thief series. Excellent plotting and storytelling. I put these books on both my middle grade and young adult shelves, it's hard to believe they're classified as middle grade. Megan Whalen Turner made it onto my favorite authors shelf, that woman can write! I very highly recommend this series. Most of my GR friends rated the first book lower than the rest. I was opposite, I rated the second book slightly lower because Attolia was hard for me to appreciate. I still feel a bit like I don't know her. Gen is such an excellent, intriguing character, he could carry the series alone if he had to. I think I'd probably laugh harder at his antics if I reread the first book, The Thief, knowing his secrets. When he gets his master-thief-mojo on, he's stinkin' incredible! His grandfather was not wrong when he said that a thief's greatest weapon is his mind!I want to know if Sophos is alright. I loved him in the first book and really want him and Eddis to make each other happy. Please, don't let him be dead.