This is the third book in a series. If you haven’t read The Thief and The Queen of Attolia, don’t read this review yet!
Eugenides, the Queen’s Thief of Eddis, is now the King of Attolia. Through the eyes of a young guard, Costis, Eugenides is an incapable ruler deserving only his disrespect. When he punches Eugenides in the face, Costis expects dismissal, if not execution, but instead finds himself promoted and near the king at all times. As his derision for Eugenides slowly turns into respect, the rest of the court also realizes that this King of Attolia is far more capable than he wants to let on.
I have really, really enjoyed this series and I’m glad there is another one coming. There is just so much to like about this book. Having read the first two, I knew Eugenides was capable even without one of his hands and I was certain he was playing a game. While it’s frustrating to watch everyone mock him, given how fond I became of him, it’s incredibly gratifying to watch the tide change and his careful plan unveil itself. This is a well-plotted book and it unfolds in a way that made me want to keep reading to figure out what was actually going on. It’s subtle but fascinating and complex. Eugenides in particular has developed a ton over the course of the series, but he’s so well written that it’s obvious he’s still the clever boy turned into a man with a great amount of struggle behind him.
There is also the love story here between the King and Queen of Attolia. We never see things from their viewpoint, just from outsiders, which is a refreshing approach to a romance. We know they feel for each other, but their romance still changes and grows, and the fact that we’re never in their heads makes us curious as to what is going on. This is also great because Turner trusts her readers to figure things out for themselves. She doesn’t always spell out the fact that they’re in love, she just shows it.
I’m going to keep this review short because otherwise I’d just continue gushing about The King of Attolia. If you appreciate YA fantasy, I really recommend this series. You won’t be sorry.
I’m an Amazon Associate. I purchased this book.
I wasn’t familiar with the series. These look terrific! I bet Booking Daughter would enjoy them in a few years too!
I’ve said before that I completely agree with you on this series! Love it
However, not a huge fan of the queen (Irene?), I admit. I prefer the Eddis queen, who I hope is in the next book more!
.-= Aarti´s last blog ..Amazing Book Video =-.
Carl really enjoys YA fantasy, so this might be for him.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Interview with Ann Pearlman, author of The Christmas Cookie Club =-.
Ok….that’s a great way to get me to read three books.
I haven’t read any. LOL
I will now. Thanks
.-= Wisteria Leigh´s last blog ..Sunday Salon, November 22, 2009-Houri, by Mehrdad Balali =-.
Oh, Eugenides. How much do I love you?
The only thing that I didn’t like about this book is that I wanted more–more Eugenides, more of the relationship between him and the Queen! It was actually quite frustrating. I can’t wait until the next book in the series.
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..The Fallen =-.
Since you told me not to read the review yet, I won’t, but I wanted to tell you that I have “The Thief” winging its way to me thanks to your review!
.-= Jen – Devourer of Books´s last blog ..Bad Girls Don’t Die – Book Review =-.