| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Browse the best books for every age and adventure including popular series, classics, and editors' picks in our Kids Summer Reading Store. |
When his small mountains country goes to war with the powerful nation of Attolia, Eugenides the thief is faced with his greatest challenge. He must steal a man, he must steal a queen, and he must steal peace.
But his greatest triumph-as well as his greatest loss-can only come if he succeeds in capturing something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago.
Readers who first met Eugenides as the rascally teenager Gen in the Newbery Honor-winning The Thief will find that in this sequel he deepens through suffering and loss, but keeps the same witty talent for elaborate, crafty schemes of espionage and theft. Caught between two rival queens in a landscape based on that which surrounds the Mediterranean Sea, Eugenides is loyal to Eddis as her Queen's Thief, but in love (despite himself) with the beautiful and seemingly ruthless Attolia. In her small mountain country, Eddis controls the only bridge between the valley nation of Sounis and the coastal kingdom of Attolia, while all three are threatened by the ships of the powerful Medes. As the web of intrigue and shifting allegiances expands, and war is imminent, the Queen's Thief risks everything on an audacious and cunning military strategy to bring the two queens together--and to steal Attolia for himself. This remarkable fantasy, with its appealing characters, emotional intensity, witty dialogue, and inventive plot, will have teen fans panting for more. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
It has to be hard, being the sequel to a Newberry Award-winning book, but "The Queen of Attolia" manages admirably, in part by being different from its predecessor without losing the familiar context of characters and setting. A third-person narrative allows the reader to view the situation from the perspectives of various characters-mostly Eugenides and the Queen of Attolia-but also distances the characters; fortunately, Megan Whalen Turner maintains such detail in her descriptions that many third-person passages feel like first-person narratives. There are changes to deal with in familiar characters as well. The war tests everyone, Eugenides the most: formerly quick-tongued and irrepressible, he responds to his loss by withdrawing into himself, often bitter at what he sees as his failure and the gods that have abandoned him; you miss the adolescent Gen of "The Thief." The magus of Sounis betrays one alliance in hopes of salvaging another. Even the queen of Eddis, as beloved as she is unbeautiful, is not even sure whether or not her actions are as honorable as she first thought them. It's a sure sign that the author is doing a good job when you hurt in sympathy with the characters! But all is not lost: while there's much to endure before peaces comes to Eddis and Eugenides both, there is also a very good story. Turner keeps the tension high and never lets the political intrigue outweigh the interactions between the characters, and there's even a tale of the old gods which serves as a kind of mirror to the action in the latter part of the story. (Also a twist halfway through which changes everything you thought about Eugenides' motives; it works, too.) All in all, like "The Thief," "The Queen of Attolia" is one very good story of a convincing place that never was and people who, fictional or not, truly matter.
"The Queen of Attolia" continues the drama of Eugenides - Gen - as he steals one thing after another, engages in a war, and makes his usual snide remarks and complaints, which somehow make you like him more than ever. Eugenides struggles with his emotions, fear, love, hate, pain; and he is faced with many decisions and dangers, and involves himself in risky plans and strategies during a war between the countries of Sounis, Eddis, the Mede, and Attolia that keep you gripping the book and wondering what will happen next. A spellbinding tale that has charm, adventure, action, a good plot, and (don't let this put you off!) a little bit of love. Do read this sequel, it's worth it.
You definitely need to read "The Thief" before you dive into this book, or it won't make much sense.
This book is darker and more mature than its predecessor. It's still categorized as a young adult novel, but if you had a hard time handling some of the situations or vocabulary in "The Thief", you might want to let this one sit on your shelf for a year or two.
Ms. Turner does an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and the political situations she introduced in the first book. Although it has a satisfying conclusion, things are definitely left open for a third book, which I will certainly be waiting in line to buy.
|
|
