The Queen of Attolia
One of the few good novels that I read last year was Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief, the first novel in The Queen's Thief series. I liked the wit and it was very entertaining and I must say that The Queen of Attolia was more of the same. It was not boring or static, like many sequels can be, but rather fun and compelling.
In the first novel of the series we met Eugenides, sometimes called Gen and often referred to as The Thief since he’s the Queen of Eddis thief. In The Thief, Eugenides steals a long-lost medallion that makes him both famous, appreciated and feared. In The Queen of Attolia, Eugenides small country Eddis goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia and in Eugenides eyes it’s his job to rescue his land. To succeed, Eugenides – a man who has claimed to be able to steal anything – will have to steal something from the Queen of Attolia that she gave up a long time ago. The fate of not only Eddis but Attolia and Sounis as well, rests on Eugenides shoulders and one mistake can bring the Medean Empire to their continent to run over them all.
Like I said, I thoroughly enjoyed The Thief but I was careful to not have my hopes up too high for the sequel. The Queen of Attolia was, however, wonderful and well written. Eugenides is a lovely character. He’s funny, smart, sarcastic and daring. He fights for what he believes is right and he always has something extra up his sleeve. He goes through some substantial changes in The Queen of Attolia and I think Whalen Turner tells his story in a very good way. I don’t want to spoil what’s going to happen, but Eugenides must learn to live in a whole new way, something that’s not easy for him. I felt for him so many times in this novel, but I did enjoy following along on his journey.
In addition to Eugenides new life, The Queen of Attolia presents a few new, very important, characters, like the Mede ambassador in Attolia. The backstory of Queen Attolia is also revealed, which was very interesting. A substantial portion of the novel takes place in Attolia and you get a lot of information about Eddis neighbouring country as well. However, I do feel that Eugenides journey is the biggest part of the story and seeing him grow, from a reckless boy to a clever young man, was interesting.
What I think really makes these novels special is the way Whalen Turner tells the story and all the daring and, sometimes, downright crazy, plans and ideas Eugenides has. It’s so much fun seeing all the crazy things he does and how often he ends up in trouble for it, only to solve it in a hilarious way. Both the first and second novel is thrilling, exciting and funny. I have a hard time finding it all in one novel, but these certainly have everything you could ask for, and more.
I will certainly continue reading this series and if you haven’t picked the first novel up yet, what are you waiting for? This is a fantasy series when it’s at its best. Intrigue, lies, love, war and a conniving thief hellbent on always being right – what more do you want? Do yourself a favour and read these books. You won’t regret it.
In the first novel of the series we met Eugenides, sometimes called Gen and often referred to as The Thief since he’s the Queen of Eddis thief. In The Thief, Eugenides steals a long-lost medallion that makes him both famous, appreciated and feared. In The Queen of Attolia, Eugenides small country Eddis goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia and in Eugenides eyes it’s his job to rescue his land. To succeed, Eugenides – a man who has claimed to be able to steal anything – will have to steal something from the Queen of Attolia that she gave up a long time ago. The fate of not only Eddis but Attolia and Sounis as well, rests on Eugenides shoulders and one mistake can bring the Medean Empire to their continent to run over them all.
Like I said, I thoroughly enjoyed The Thief but I was careful to not have my hopes up too high for the sequel. The Queen of Attolia was, however, wonderful and well written. Eugenides is a lovely character. He’s funny, smart, sarcastic and daring. He fights for what he believes is right and he always has something extra up his sleeve. He goes through some substantial changes in The Queen of Attolia and I think Whalen Turner tells his story in a very good way. I don’t want to spoil what’s going to happen, but Eugenides must learn to live in a whole new way, something that’s not easy for him. I felt for him so many times in this novel, but I did enjoy following along on his journey.
In addition to Eugenides new life, The Queen of Attolia presents a few new, very important, characters, like the Mede ambassador in Attolia. The backstory of Queen Attolia is also revealed, which was very interesting. A substantial portion of the novel takes place in Attolia and you get a lot of information about Eddis neighbouring country as well. However, I do feel that Eugenides journey is the biggest part of the story and seeing him grow, from a reckless boy to a clever young man, was interesting.
What I think really makes these novels special is the way Whalen Turner tells the story and all the daring and, sometimes, downright crazy, plans and ideas Eugenides has. It’s so much fun seeing all the crazy things he does and how often he ends up in trouble for it, only to solve it in a hilarious way. Both the first and second novel is thrilling, exciting and funny. I have a hard time finding it all in one novel, but these certainly have everything you could ask for, and more.
I will certainly continue reading this series and if you haven’t picked the first novel up yet, what are you waiting for? This is a fantasy series when it’s at its best. Intrigue, lies, love, war and a conniving thief hellbent on always being right – what more do you want? Do yourself a favour and read these books. You won’t regret it.