The King of Attolia
The King of Attolia is a young adult fantasy novel by Megan Whalen Turner, published by the Greenwillow Books imprint of HarperCollins in 2006. It is the third novel in the Queen's Thief series that Turner inaugurated with The Thief in 1996.[1]
 First edition cover[1] | |
| Author | Megan Whalen Turner |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Vince Natale[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Series | Queen's Thief[1] |
| Genre | Young-adult fantasy, political fiction |
| Publisher | Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins[1] |
Publication date | February 2006 |
| Media type | Print, audiobook |
| Pages | 387[1][2] |
| ISBN | 0-06-083577-X |
| OCLC | 57754053 |
| LC Class | PZ7.T85565 Ki 2006[2] |
| Preceded by | The Queen of Attolia |
| Followed by | A Conspiracy of Kings |
Setting
The books are set in a Byzantine-like imaginary landscape, reminiscent of ancient Greece and other territories around the Mediterranean. The action takes place in the countries of Eddis, Attolia, and Sounis. The characters' names are also Greek, and references are made to actual Greek authors, but this is fantasy, not historical fiction. The gods of Turner's pantheon, ruled by the Great Goddess Hephestia, are her own, and her world possesses such items as guns and pocket watches.
Plot
Eugenides, the one-handed former Thief of Eddis, has married the Queen of Attolia, bringing peace to the two countries and becoming king. He appears to sleep during important briefings, makes snide remarks, wears ridiculous clothes, and refuses to be more than a figurehead, letting the Queen rule as she has always done. The Attolian court resents him as a young foreign upstart who appears to also be an ineffectual fool.
The story is told largely from the point of view of Costis, a young soldier in the Queen's Guard. When the king insults Teleus, Captain of the Guard, Costis loses control and knocks the king down. He expects to be executed, but the king spares his life and makes him into a reluctant confidant. Costis finds the king obnoxious and conniving, but slowly begins to have some sympathy for him as a young man far from his mountain home in Eddis, married to the beautiful but ruthless Queen.
The plot twists through an assassination attempt and political intrigues involving the traitorous Baron Erondites and his sons Relius, the Queen’s master of spies, and Eugenides's old enemy, Nahuseresh of the (fictionalized) Mede Empire. Costis discovers there is more to the king and gains a clearer understanding of the young man’s abilities, motives, and relationship with the Queen. Costis finds his own life and reputation at risk, and the fate of three nations hinges on Eugenides's internal struggle to accept his own destiny as the King of Attolia.
Reviews
The King of Attolia received starred reviews from School Library Journal, The Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, and Library Media Connection, as well as positive reviews from other sources. It was a School Library Journal Best Book, an ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults,[3] was on the Horn Book Fanfare list, the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age list, and the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Masterlist.
References
- The King of Attolia title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 2015-11-03. Select a particular edition (title) for more data at that level, such as a front cover image or linked contents.
- "The king of Attolia" (first edition). LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- American Library Association (2007). "2007 Best Books for Young Adults". Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
External links
- Megan Whalen Turner (official)
- Sounis fan discussion of the series at LiveJournal
- Megan Whalen Turner at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database