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In the firelit torture chamber the executioner's sword descends--and the Eugenides--the Thief of Eddis--no longer has his clever right hand. The Queen of Attolia sits calmly and watches the dreadful amputation behind her carefully cultivated mask of coldness, but later agonizes over what she has done to him. At the same time, she rages at herself for not hanging her captured prisoner outright.
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 the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
This spellbinder of a sequel to the Newbery Honor-winning The Thief is every bit as devilishly well plotted and grandly conceived. As it opens, Eugenides the thief has fallen into the clutches of the queen of Attolia, who still seethes from his besting of her (relayed in The Thief). Unwilling to execute him, lest she start a war with the queen of Eddis (Eugenides's cousin and ruler), she orders his hand cut off. The drama is high, and the action grows only more engrossing. As Eugenides tries to reconcile himself to the amputation, war breaks out, involving Attolia, Eddis and Sounis, tiny countries modeled on ancient Greece and other Mediterranean nations. For the most part, Turner eschews battle scenes, although she executes these with flair. Instead, she emphasizes strategy, with brilliant, ever-deceptive Eugenides a match for Odysseus in his wiliness and daring, perpetually catching readers by surprise. When, fairly late in the novel, Eugenides decides that he must wed the fearsome queen of Attolia in order to achieve a more lasting peace--and that he loves her--it requires a certain leap of faith to accept that his terror of her coexists with desire. But 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. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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HE WAS ASLEEP, but woke at the sound of the key turning in the lock. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
HE WAS ASLEEP, but woke at the sound of the key turning in the lock. Read the first page
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5.0 out of 5 stars
What can a one-handed thief steal? Apparently... quite a lot!,
By
This review is from: The Queen Of Attolia (Paperback)
I am really enjoying Meagan Whalen Turner's style of writing. She doesn't describe things excessively, preferring to leave hints and clues through dialogue and the way the characters react and interact. This is just how I like it! Working against these minimal direct-descriptions is the fact that she writes very well, so your eyes just move across the page faster than your brain can actually digest what you're reading. I re-read some of the parts that I thought were such astounding surprises, and realized that the text was sprinkled with clues. But, you'd have to be very aware of the clues in order to pick out what is actually happening, despite what the characters are saying or doing. It all lends to the atmosphere of intrigue.This story is based around several warring nations: The Medes, The Attolians, The Eddisians and the Sounisians. The fantasy world is sort of based on the ancient civilizations (I'm thinking of the Greeks and the Romans). There are gods and goddess involved with the plights of the mortals, sacrificial rituals, centurions, megarons' but there are also guns and cannons! And the dialogue! So rife with hidden meanings. Especially from Eugenides. He can be infuriatingly cryptic and tangential. I think part of what makes this story so interesting is that even though the focus point of the story is about Eugenides, you never really know what he's thinking. He's a real trickster. One moment, he's moaning from the pain of his wound in a very private scene, and the next moment someone enters and he throws out a witty remark and gets them while their guard's down. I share in Attolia's frustration at whether or not to trust Gen. He's a thief after all! But, I think that tension in the relationship is part of what makes the (still unsettled) romance so heart tingling. Especially because Attolia is the last person to trust anyone at all, since she's grown up having to lead an entire kingdom amidst an environment of corruption and power hungry barons. The way she disposed of anyone who contended with her rule was quite bone-chilling. But, it was very poignant that only Eugenides, the Thief, could steal away her most private possession, despite her defenses and without her knowing it. Her majesty, the Queen of Attolia. Or Irene (but you'll be risking your head to address her so informally). She's such a great character! A very strong woman, who keeps her emotions out of the business of running her kingdom. Her courtiers are afraid of her because of her stony face and her quickness to act on something she doesn't like. But she is one self-isolated and truly lonely girl! The novel gives very nice glimpses into her mind and the story of her transformation from the 'shadow princess' to the 'stoned faced queen' is very sad yet proves how strong she is. Read more reviews by Sharry at [...]
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice.,
By a reading father (Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Queen Of Attolia (Paperback)
This is a VERY good book - a sequel that succeeds better than the original "The Thief" (which is outstanding) in grabbing our interest, making us care deeply about the characters, and letting us walk for a while in a flawlessly imagined alternate world.If you enjoyed "The Thief" and are reading these reviews in order to decide whether the sequel is worth reading, the answer is a fervent "Do it!" While you're at it, better buy "The King of Attolia" as well, so you can sit up late two nights in a row, because these are impossible to put down.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing,
By
This review is from: The Queen Of Attolia (Paperback)
This is not the type of book that catches your attention by its title, cover, or synopsis. But once you get into it...this is an overrated expression but.. you just can't put it down. It's not terribly suspenseful or anything, it's just GOOD.
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