Megan Whalen Turner

Queen of Attolia

The King of Attolia

ploral

I loved this book. It's full of my favourite elements like court politics and sparse romance. I hadn't even meant to start this but I randomly opened it and the next thing i knew I was 70 pages in. It reads like water. It's easily my favorite book of the series.

But it's definitely not perfect. It failed in the plot sadly. The politics was limited to attolia in this book which after the queen of attolia was a major stepdown. I kept wanting to know about what was happening in other countries and was disappointed. The court politics was very well done though so it made up for it.

All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this book. Finished it in less than a day. Simply couldn't put it down!

Eugenides, still known as a Thief of Eddis, faces palace intrigue and assassins as he strives to prove himself both to the people of Attolia and to his new bride, their queen.

I love this series and this book is very enjoyable to read!

Rachel Stratton

Maria

invented love and girlbossing/gaslighting/girlslaying and i will need another 7 to 14 business days to recover

Forsaken by the gods and left to his own devices, Eugenides, Royal Thief of Eddis, summons all his wit and wiles in an attempt to conquer the rival Queen of Attolia.

The Queen of Attolia

brilliant incredible amazing showstopping spectacular!

“He is Annux, a king of kings.” 

see, with every book in this series i’m like “this one is my favourite” and then i get to the next one and i’m like “no, THIS one is my favourite”

Christine

this is the most insane love story ive ever read in my life

Kiandra Rodgers 

This is what I’ve wanted from this series! I fought my way through the first one, and had to push through the second one as well. I was ready to give up, but this third one is what finally pulled me in!

was going to give this book 3 stars but changed to 1 star when finished. it was a major disappointment. all about politics and rather dull one. i mean, we all know that a political book can be very entertaining (see Song of Ice and Fire) but this is not the case. like, nothing interesting happens on the political front AT ALL

as for "romantic part" - uhhhh. i'd take it if it were just non-existent. but it's worth. the motivation of the heroes has no logic whatsoever. (view spoiler)[it starts when the SHE orders to CUT HIS HAND OFF, literally. she being a queen and he being a thief. he nearly dies, suffers enormously without hand, thinks how she ruined his life and all. then at the end of the book he's SUDDENLY like - i love you, marry me. and she's like - yeah, i love you too. WHAT DA FUCK WAS THAT??? you want me to believe this shit??? (hide spoiler)]

not gonna read the further books, obviously

Cat H

2.5 Stars. This book isn’t terrible by any means and I’m sure there are people who love the series. I like the premise and the politics that take place. There is also great description of the settings. Personally, I feel that it was too slow and dragged on far too long before any action took place. So I don’t know yet if I will continue the series.

Jeni Enjaian

I came to this book with the disadvantage of having read the first book in the series 4 years ago. Thus, I remember practically nothing about the plots, the characters and anything else relevant. 
That being said, the author's technical ability is profound. She crafts a compelling narrative that forces the reader to the next book. (I already have the next two sitting in the to-read stack at home.)

The reason that I gave the book three stars instead of 4 has to do primarily with the plot. It may be a fairly decent plot that made sense to people who have read the first book more recently than I did. It did not make sense to me. I could not figure out who was on what side and with which people and what certain actions meant and who was being betrayed but not really. Also, the attraction between two of the main characters really did not make sense to me. I have a feeling that that point of criticism may be directly related to the lack of a recent reading of the first book. 

It's a fairly decent (albeit somewhat gruesome) young adult novel.

I really want to like these books. However, the political intrigue aka the constant back and forth left me more confused than satisfied with the "outcome" of the book. I did apprentice the shift to an "outsider," Costi, for the narration. That being. Said, it still seems above the usual young adult fiction threshold. Perhaps if I read it much slower I could understand the intricate web of characters and shifting allegiances, emphasis on "perhaps." I read the fourth book in he series but only to finish out the series.

Discover the world of the Queen’s Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. The brilliant thief Eugenides has visited the Queen of Attolia’s palace one too many times, leaving small tokens and then departing unseen. When his final excursion does not go as planned, he is captured by the ruthless queen. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings, and Thick as Thieves, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. This edition of The Queen of Attolia includes "Knife Dance," an exclusive story about Eugenides by Megan Whalen Turner, an introduction to the characters from the world of the Queen’s Thief, a map of the world of the Queen’s Thief, and an exclusive teaser to Thick as Thieves. A Booklist Top 10 Fantasy Books for Youth ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age Parent’s Choice Gold Award A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book “The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer "Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail—you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again."—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows “Megan Whalen Turner proves to be one of the brightest creative talents. With each book, she continues to add new levels and new luster to her sparkling imagination.”—Lloyd Alexander, Newbery Medalist and National Book Award-winning author of The Chronicles of Prydain “Readers will be spellbound.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Turner’s storytelling is so sure that readers will want to go along with her—and discover whatever it is that Eugenides will do next.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “[An] intense read . . . thoroughly involving and wholly satisfying on all fronts.”—The Horn Book (starred review)

B. K.

I loved this, and I'm so glad I finally decided to continue on with the series. The remaining four books are on my TBR for this year. I enjoyed the plot, the worldbuilding, and especially the characters. 

I listened to the audiobook (2017 version), narrated by Steve West, and would recommend it.

Discover the world of the Queen’s Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. Eugenides, no stranger to desperate circumstances, has gotten himself into difficulties he can’t get out of. Used to being treated with a certain measure of wariness, if not respect, he suffers the pranks, insults, and intrigue of the Attolian court with dwindling patience. As usual, nothing is as it appears when he rescues a hot-headed young soldier in the Palace Guard. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings, and Thick as Thieves, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. This edition of The King of Attolia includes “Wine Shop,” an exclusive story about Eugenides by Megan Whalen Turner, an introduction to the characters from the world of the Queen’s Thief, a map of the world of the Queen’s Thief, and an exclusive teaser to Thick as Thieves. School Library Journal Best Book Horn Book Fanfare ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age “The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer "Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail—you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again."—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows “One of the most fascinating and original children’s fantasies to appear in years. . . . Rarely does one see a hero as psychologically knowing and irresistibly attractive as Turner’s Thief.”—The Horn Book (starred review) “A winner.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Eugenides, the former Thief of Eddis, is back and just as clever as ever.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

Easily 5 stars. I didn't want to stop reading this book to do other things- like sleep, or go to work. These books are filled with complex, fascinating characters and great plots.

Similar to when I read The Queen of Attolia I listened to the 2017 audiobook for some parts, and would recommend it.

Hala Abdulaziz 

This was some journey..

At the beginning of the book, something brutal happened that made me strangely happy; and the reason behind that was because I had clicked with the writer at that point and I knew i can trust her to be realistic. She showed me that she's not afraid of real stakes and real consequences and I was so excited about that. The losses and the grief and the insecurities and the PTSD .... I just knew from then on this author would not disappoint me no matter where the story went. 
And then... something was revealed later in the book, and I lost my mind because it made absolutely no sense to me. And i thought it was some elaborate plan and i was waiting for it to go away... but nope, it turned out to be real and the book ended and I was left with a "huh?" Face. 
I have to say that I was disappointed with how things turned out later on in this book, i'm not sure if it's because it's unrealistic or because it doesn't fit the characters in my head, it really didn't make any sense to me.. 

The book is heavily political too, it wasn't my favourite part but it wasn't too annoying either. 

Will I continue the series though? I feel like i've grown comfortable with the main character, and I'm sure I'll miss following him in his stupid journeys but i might need a break for a while to wrap my head around this book

Emily C Peterson

Hope Brockway

** spoiler alert **
           According to my records (otherwise titled "Goodreads said so"), I began reading this in February 2019. I said I didn't finish this book because it was due back at the library. That was true, but it was not the complete truth. You see, I fell in love with Gen in The Thief. His sarcasm, his cleverness, and his unreliability as a narrator enthralled me. So I had a hard time at the beginning of The Queen of Attolia and an even harder time and the end. I was still in shock about the events of the aforementioned book that, try as I might, I couldn't push through this book. Getting happy scenes of Eugenides with Eddis one moment and the marriage of Attolia who appears to loathe him was a bit too much to swallow. Then watching Eugenides's life spiral into what looked like a miserable, self-destructive hole was a bit hard. So I stopped reading. 

It was too bad that I didn't give this book a second chance because I would have loved it. On one hand, I am glad I gave myself two years to process Eugenides's marriage because it made this book that much more satisfying. The stolen moments of love between the King and Queen were glorious. And, slowly, my view of Attolia shifted. I began to love her (and, though I am still the slightest bit salty at her for the unhanding) I think they are super cute together. I misjudged her cold, cruel exterior and I'm fascinated by the real Attolia, or should I say Irene, beneath. 

And Costis, the poor, confused guard. Writing pretty much all of the book from his perspective was honestly such a genius move. Costis's perpetual state of exhausted confusion made Eugenides's plans even more mysterious and satisfying. And when it inevitably all came together, I was shocked and thrilled and I loved it.

I enjoyed jumping back into the world of Eugenides (because, honestly, he can do whatever he wants). I'm excited to see where the story goes from here. I have a sneaking suspicion this series is about to get a lot wilder.