The Queen of Attolia - Megan Whalen Turner
Apr. 4th, 2014 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silverflight8I inhaled The Queen of Attolia today. I haven't read much fiction for awhile 1 but today I actually had time and so I sat down in a two-hour chunk of free time, nearly lost my mind about halfway through the book, and finished it.
The Queen of Attolia is the sequel to The Thief and even the summary spoils the previous novel, so I'm going to cut the whole thing. Brief thoughts: I thought it started rather slowly--not in terms of pacing/action but as in interesting/funny writing and compelling action--but when it got going, it really went. I do recommend both The Thief and The Queen of Attolia!
The Queen of Attolia picks up with Eugenides infiltrating the palace of Attolia. He is caught after he unexpectedly stumbles into a trap set up by Attolia, and Attolia cuts off his right hand. He is then returned to Eddis, and while he is in recovery (mental and phsyical), Eddis provokes war with Attolia.
I almost stopped reading after the amputation part (I really hate maiming in fiction.) But I really liked The Thief so I went on and I'm so glad I did. The part where war was happening and Eugenides was closeted in the library was not as interesting, because while there was politicking, it was being relayed via reports from Eddis and also I kept getting the POV confused. I think it's probably because I was using my e-reader and some weird things happen with the formatting sometimes, and there are two queens so sometimes it'd cut from Eddis to Attolia and there was no outward indication. It just wasn't very interesting, as much as I like politics; it was the essence of telling and not showing, which is unavoidable but not interesting to read.
But once Eugenides got out and started doing things, it got interesting. Also, it was a return to his very sarcastic personality, which was enormously entertaining. He broke down and bleated at Attolia after she called him goatfoot, you guys. I also really enjoyed the double-crossing, and how Turner drops in little hints that suddenly resolve into full-fledged plots. The part where the messenger is shot with a crossbow quarrel (i.e. Eddisians) and the captain of the guard just accepts the letter and bag and sends them off to the barracks, with the Medean ambassador thinking "I thought I'd stopped all the messengers" was perfect. I thought Turner was signalling information about the Mede ambassador and his intentions, underhandness, etc, but it was also a clue that these aren't actually Attolian soldiers. Also, that must have been a very cold and long night for the soldier who had to lie on the ground all night pretending to be dead.
I liked that there was a lot more about Eddis (Helen, the person, not the land) and also Eugenide's father. I'm not really sure how to feel about Attolia yet; she seems to swing from malicious/cruel to trapped-in-role and I'm not really convinced about her characterization. I enjoyed her cleverness and scheming, and her showing up the Medean ambassador was great.
Because I can't turn that part of my brain off, I kept trying to fit the events and names and pantheon with the Greek/Mediterranean area. Even though Turner says they're not correspondences twice, first at the end of The Thief and again at the end of this one. It was a change, though, to have a fantasy novel set on/around the Mediterranean rather than northern Europe.
And though I hate maiming and was hoping some magic reversal would happen soon, I'm glad Turner didn't have the gods just magically heal Eugenides at the end. After so long with him learning to deal with it, it would have felt cheap, and I'm glad she didn't. (In the narrative sense, I mean.)
All in all, it started a bit slow and then suddenly I could not put it down. I look forward to what Eugenides and Irene/Attolia do next. They're either going to work really well, or they'll quite literally kill each other. 9/10
1 I thought about it and I think it's because in my system of mental accounting (to borrow the concept), "reading accounts" are fungible. Or rather, "time spent reading different genres" is fungible. So if I read stuff for not-pleasure (work, etc) then it gets classified under the general "reading" which is a leisure category, which means I have filled up my quota for the leisure spent and so stuff like "reading fiction" i.e. actual fun is pushed off because I have already used up my Reading Time. I don't actually differentiate, I guess. And that's my ten minutes of dorkiness for today.
The Queen of Attolia is the sequel to The Thief and even the summary spoils the previous novel, so I'm going to cut the whole thing. Brief thoughts: I thought it started rather slowly--not in terms of pacing/action but as in interesting/funny writing and compelling action--but when it got going, it really went. I do recommend both The Thief and The Queen of Attolia!
The Queen of Attolia picks up with Eugenides infiltrating the palace of Attolia. He is caught after he unexpectedly stumbles into a trap set up by Attolia, and Attolia cuts off his right hand. He is then returned to Eddis, and while he is in recovery (mental and phsyical), Eddis provokes war with Attolia.
I almost stopped reading after the amputation part (I really hate maiming in fiction.) But I really liked The Thief so I went on and I'm so glad I did. The part where war was happening and Eugenides was closeted in the library was not as interesting, because while there was politicking, it was being relayed via reports from Eddis and also I kept getting the POV confused. I think it's probably because I was using my e-reader and some weird things happen with the formatting sometimes, and there are two queens so sometimes it'd cut from Eddis to Attolia and there was no outward indication. It just wasn't very interesting, as much as I like politics; it was the essence of telling and not showing, which is unavoidable but not interesting to read.
But once Eugenides got out and started doing things, it got interesting. Also, it was a return to his very sarcastic personality, which was enormously entertaining. He broke down and bleated at Attolia after she called him goatfoot, you guys. I also really enjoyed the double-crossing, and how Turner drops in little hints that suddenly resolve into full-fledged plots. The part where the messenger is shot with a crossbow quarrel (i.e. Eddisians) and the captain of the guard just accepts the letter and bag and sends them off to the barracks, with the Medean ambassador thinking "I thought I'd stopped all the messengers" was perfect. I thought Turner was signalling information about the Mede ambassador and his intentions, underhandness, etc, but it was also a clue that these aren't actually Attolian soldiers. Also, that must have been a very cold and long night for the soldier who had to lie on the ground all night pretending to be dead.
I liked that there was a lot more about Eddis (Helen, the person, not the land) and also Eugenide's father. I'm not really sure how to feel about Attolia yet; she seems to swing from malicious/cruel to trapped-in-role and I'm not really convinced about her characterization. I enjoyed her cleverness and scheming, and her showing up the Medean ambassador was great.
Because I can't turn that part of my brain off, I kept trying to fit the events and names and pantheon with the Greek/Mediterranean area. Even though Turner says they're not correspondences twice, first at the end of The Thief and again at the end of this one. It was a change, though, to have a fantasy novel set on/around the Mediterranean rather than northern Europe.
And though I hate maiming and was hoping some magic reversal would happen soon, I'm glad Turner didn't have the gods just magically heal Eugenides at the end. After so long with him learning to deal with it, it would have felt cheap, and I'm glad she didn't. (In the narrative sense, I mean.)
All in all, it started a bit slow and then suddenly I could not put it down. I look forward to what Eugenides and Irene/Attolia do next. They're either going to work really well, or they'll quite literally kill each other. 9/10
1 I thought about it and I think it's because in my system of mental accounting (to borrow the concept), "reading accounts" are fungible. Or rather, "time spent reading different genres" is fungible. So if I read stuff for not-pleasure (work, etc) then it gets classified under the general "reading" which is a leisure category, which means I have filled up my quota for the leisure spent and so stuff like "reading fiction" i.e. actual fun is pushed off because I have already used up my Reading Time. I don't actually differentiate, I guess. And that's my ten minutes of dorkiness for today.
no subject
Date: Apr. 5th, 2014 11:21 pm (UTC)i've always believed the point of Attolia's character is that she was not born cruel, but the circumstances of her position as a female monarch in a misogynistic society required her to exercise a certain ruthlessness in order to hold on to her throne and, quite honestly, her life. but now that she has established her power and has Gen to help her, she can learn to be a more moderate ruler.
King of Attolia is great, too, by the way, especially if you like the more subtle storytelling style Turner uses. the 4th book i didn't like as much, but partially is because it focuses on Sophos with Attolia and Gen as side characters.
no subject
Date: Apr. 6th, 2014 03:27 am (UTC)I am currently inhaling The King of Attolia! It's great so far, although what's going on with the Attolian court re: Eugenides makes me very sad :(
There's a fourth book?!?!
no subject
Date: Apr. 6th, 2014 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Apr. 6th, 2014 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Apr. 6th, 2014 11:19 pm (UTC)Did I ever mention that one of my favourite character tropes is someone who hides behind the cover of a fool but is actually wildly competent (especially if it involves swordsmanship)? BECAUSE YES
ETA I mean it's a good keysmash, I just realized that that wasn't clear.
no subject
Date: Apr. 6th, 2014 11:28 pm (UTC)it's definitely a series that makes you want to re-read, because again, what's on the surface is totally different than what is really going on. the 4th book, as i recall, is a little more straightforward. it's still very good, but i missed Attolia and Eugenides.
no subject
Date: Apr. 7th, 2014 03:06 am (UTC)I've been re-reading the last two books and you're totally right. All the parts I read and wondered what Turner meant (eg why the coin keeps flipping lilies instead of 50/50, why Gen is furious at the oracle's answer, why Attolia does this or that...) I re-read and suddenly it all clicked into place. I'm still re-reading and understanding it better. I love books that are like this--same with poetry, really.