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    The Queen of Attolia
    The Queen of Attolia
    The Queen of Attolia
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Queen of Attolia

    Written by Megan Whalen Turner

    Narrated by Steve West

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Discover and rediscover the world of the Queen's Thief, from the acclaimed novel The Thief to the thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making conclusion, The Return of the Thief. The epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief can be read in any order.

    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. 

    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, #1 New York Times—bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

    “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)

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 16, 2017
    ISBN9780062693839
    Author

    Megan Whalen Turner

    Megan Whalen Turner is the New York Times–bestselling and award-winning author of five stand-alone novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. Return of the Thief marks her long-awaited conclusion to the epic and unforgettable story of the thief Eugenides—a story more than twenty years in the making. She has been awarded a Newbery Honor and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. She has twice been a finalist for the Andre Norton Award and won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature.

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    Reviews for The Queen of Attolia

    4.5/5

    222 ratings58 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I was digging it, drawn in to Eugenides' depression due to the loss of his hand and his attempts to drag himself out for the sake of his queen and country... and then I was hit by the dumbest ending in the history of smart books. He's in love with the bitch queen who cut off his hand? And she falls in love with him, too? Seriously, is this adolescent fanfic? Gender-swapped abuse fetishization is mildly interesting, I guess -- but it's still abuse fetishization, and it's creepy as hell.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The Queen of Attolia is the sequel to The Thief. While they are very different books, you probably should read The Thief first. The Queen of Attolia jumps into action immediately, and you’ll likely need the background information that The Thief provides.Whereas The Thief was a more limited story with a first person narration, The Queen of Attolia is a much broader story with a third person omniscient viewpoint that helps it show the relationships and intrigue between three warring kingdoms.Sounis, Attolia, and Eddis are three neighboring kingdoms, all threatened with invasion from the powerful Medes. The countries must unite to stand against the Medes’ powerful empire, but which kingdom will rule the others? Who’s independence will be sacrificed? Eddis, the small mountain kingdom, has one of the most precarious positions of all, but Eddis is determined to maintain her freedom.Much of the book revolves around the battle of wills of the queen of Eddis and the queen of Attolia. It would be easy to fall into the Good Queen vs. the Bad Queen trap, especially as the country of Eddis is the one belonging to the protagonists. However, the situation’s more complex than that, and Attolia is never presented as one dimensional or evil. She’s simply acting as she has to in order to maintain power and do the best for her country, even if it involves taking brutal steps. “She thought of the hardness and the coldness she had cultivated over those years and wondered if they were the mask she wore or if the mask had become her self. If the longing inside her for kindness, for warmth, for compassion, was the last seed of hope for her, she didn’t know how to nurture it or if it could live.” Compared to Attolia, Eddis has an easy time of it. She was instantly accepted as queen and her court adores her. She has people around her that she can trust. She can afford to be nice where Attolia can’t.The characterization is splendid. Eugenides, Eddis, and Attolia are at the heart of the novel and all fascinating characters. If you haven’t guessed, Attolia’s the one who I find most interesting.While Queen of Attolia is marketed as young adult, it almost has more in common with the second world fantasy novels aimed at adults. Political intrigue is not a common feature of the YA genera. However, this makes Queen of Attolia a breath of fresh air. It doesn’t fit into preconceived genre tropes and is allowed to be original and different.My one qualm is that I was a bit dubious with how the romance worked. I was alright with it in the end, but I was giving it sideways glances the entire time.I’d recommend The Queen of Attolia to fans of well written second world fantasy.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I find this series to be very engrossing and a great reread. I feel like I got something quite different out of it when reading it closer to the queens age than I did reading it as Gens.
    • 4/5
      The premise: Eugenides luck finally runs out while he's thieving in the Attolian court and caught once more by the beautiful but cold and heartless Queen of Attolia. And her punishment is worse than death, throwing Attolia into war with Eddis, Eugenides's home. And Eugenides isn't recovering from his trip from Attolia very well, which encourages Sounis to attack Eddis as well. But that's not all: Attolia has allies, the Medes, and if the Medes manage to win Attolia over, the whole continent could be lost. All Eugenides has to do to stop it is steal a man, steal a queen, and steal peace.My RatingWorth the Cash: WITH CAUTION. If you've read The Thief, be prepared that despite the same setting and same characters, this is an entirely different book, especially in terms of voice. I can see how people coming to this book FIRST without having read The Thief will have an easier time than I have, because they won't be jarred by the voice or certain revelations. However, coming from The Thief, I am now very suspicious and cautious about reading The King of Attolia. I will, don't get me wrong: I want to see how this trilogy ends and how it fits together as a whole. Whereas The Thief was personal, bold, and often funny, The Queen of Attolia is quiet, reflective, and distant to a certain degree. Like the title character herself. I may have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't had The Thief to compare it to, so it'll be interesting to see how the final book compares.The full review, which contains spoilers and explains in detail the trouble I had reading this, may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.REVIEW: Megan Whalen Turner's THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIAHappy Reading! :)
    • 5/5
      When someone loses a hand in the first 30 pages, you know its on. YA fantasy at its best. Turner expands the world in an effortless and masterful way. Reminds me of Cashore's Graceling and Fire, only better.
    • 5/5
      Heart-wringing in places, as Eugenides makes political moves between his Queen of Eddis and the ruthless Queen of Attolia. Is he a pawn or a player? Or are they all pawns of the gods?
    • 5/5
      Something happens at the beginning of this book that is just kind of heartbreaking, and it too me a little while to get over. It's a pleasure to get to know the character progressively throughout the story. This sequel is a lot more intricate and complicated than its predecessor, but not less enjoyable.
    • 2/5
      I enjoyed this book like the rest of the series but the structure and the point of view was personally very hard to read. I kept feeling a bit dismayed at all the times we bounced between characters and the overall 3rd person viewpoint made it hard to empathize with the characters like I normally do. The characters also felt a bit flat from this angle with emotion muted through the entire novel. This was deliberate on the author's part but still made me feel at times as if I was reading a precise and not a story for enjoyment.The story was enjoyable with unexpected twists and turns almost from the start. Ms. Turner obviously has a devilish mind and enjoys plot twists that are hard to see coming, much more so than the first book in the series. I found the craftsmanship of the way it fit within the series was good but on the whole I think the author's change in perspective should have been saved for another type of story. gallandrl
    • 5/5
      The saga centers on Eugenides, or Gen, named after The God of Thieves. Indeed, he has been trained, and has trained himself, to steal anything and everything in service to his cousin Helen, Queen of Eddis. Eddis is one of neighboring countries frequently at war, including Sounis, Attolia, and the Medean Empire. The countries surround a sea, much like the world would have been near the Mediterranean Sea in ancient times. Gen often helps Eddis realize their political aims (his father, it should be noted, is the Minister of War), but as The Queen of Attolia begins, it is the Queen of Attolia who "steals" Eugenides by having him captured.Irene, the Queen of Attolia is beautiful, but keeps a rigid countenance at all times, and her emotions at bay. She cannot show fear or revulsion or weakness; she felt she needed a stone-faced mask to rule.:“Surrounded by people who hated or feared her, she trusted no one and told herself that she didn’t need to.”How heart-breaking it is when she shares her thoughts about love!Something then very bad happens to Gen, something that makes him question his gods, but it seems the gods have long-range plans for him that unfortunately included some suffering, and ironically add a welcome and touching note of reality to this fantasy.The book ends though on a charming note.Evaluation: This is a terrific series. For those who fear the steep learning curve of many fantasies, these books won’t put you off at all. Most of the complexity is in the characterization and relationships. The writing and pacing are excellent, and there are plenty of twists that aren’t “artificial” but rather reflect the ongoing political machinations of the actors. Female characters tend to be stronger than the males, but the males won’t disappoint you. The romances are some of the most nuanced and realistic you’ll find in YA books. Prepare to have your heart stolen!
    • 4/5
      Absolutely worth the read but slow until halfway through, so slow I wasn’t sure I could last.

      I’m honestly not sure why people say this series is written for children.
    • 5/5
      I could not put this down, the sparse writing hints at emotion without pouring it over your head. This is the most delightful and yearning romance I have every read, with a good lot of political intrigue thrown in. I'd give this to people who enjoy Patricia McKillip, the feel of Greek mythology, or mythic tales.
    • 5/5
      Oh my! Even better than the first of this series, [The Thief].Eugenides is captured again, this time by the Queen of Attolia. When he’s returned (after nearly being hung and tortured and well, spoilers) to his Queen Eddis, Eddis declares war on Attolia.Eugenides, meanwhile is badly broken, in spirit, mind and body. He’s afraid, feels worthless, and is more a danger to himself than to anyone else, although Queen Attolia isn’t convinced, and continues to fear him dreadfully. As part of her plan to defeat Eddis, she allies with the Mede kingdom outsiders, who want to not only invade Eddis, but control Attolia by marrying the queen and then defeating Sunnis as well.What a terrific book. It’s hard to talk about it without a ton of spoilers, but this series is such a terrific read! The writing is first-rate, the action constant and exciting, the characterizations are deep and believable, and the plot twists, wow!Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Gen is in big trouble this time - he's been captured in the castle of Attolia. That sets up the whole book.I enjoyed this one, but not as much as the first in the series. One of the things I really loved about the first one was the blend of religion or myth and action. That wasn't as much of a element in this one, and I missed it. Still, I'm really looking forward to the final book.
    • 5/5
      After loving The Thief so much, its sequel wasn't going stay long on both the wishlist and the TBR pile. I was expecting more adventures with Gen, more of his awesomeness, more of the mythos of Eddis, Attolia and Sounis, and, going by the name of this book, a lot more about the queen of Attolia.What I was not expecting, though, was to like this one even more than the first.The Thief was amazing, introducing Gen and his quirks and cunning and cleverness. But it was focused mostly on Gen. I am not complaining, but the rest of the characters of this series are quite good as well. In this book, the queens of Eddis and Attolia get more air-time, and they are quite different from Gen. They are complex and, being queens, there is a lot about them that has to do with how they rule. (Oh, and they rule!)And if, to those two queens, we add one king, one pesky foreign ambassador and a whole bunch of disloyal barons and ministers, we get a lot of political intrigue. And I really like that. The expression that comes to mind about this book is "political machinations". And to do yet another comparison with The Thief, in the first there was a lot of cunning on Gen's part, a lot of twists, and a lot of surprises. So this time around, I was on the lookout for those, having learnt to expect the less sensible course of action from Gen. But that doesn't mean that it didn't surprise me here and there (it did, and especially at the beginning that I was afraid of the direction the story was going), but there was nothing really major as on the first book. But I did spend a lot of the time trying to figure out how exactly Gen would get out of his troubles.So, to summarize, I loved this book and will keep on reading (the next book is on its way!).Also at Spoilers and Nuts
    • 4/5
      When his small country goes to war, the Thief of Eddis must use all his cunning to keep the nation from destruction.I came to this book through The Thief, which I read last month. I was a little leery going into it, but my fears were largely unfounded. The first book took quite a long time to get going, and lacked that certain panache that makes slower stories seem engaging. This one has got panache to spare. I really, really enjoyed it.I think Turner made a good move in switching from first person to third. The shift allows for much more character development as Turner invites the reader inside each character's head. It wasn't the plot that hooked me so much as these beautifully realized fictional people. It's possible to see where everyone is coming from, even when you disagree with their decisions. I really came to care for them, and I was always eager to see how things would turn out for them.That's not to say that the plot is shabby. It most definitely isn't. Turner opens the story with a pretty big bang, and the intensity never lets up. She definitely doesn't pull any punches; like all the best children's authors, she treats her young audience as capable of dealing with whatever she throws at them. There's a lot of dark stuff here. Bad things happen to good people. Characters are forced to do terrible things in order to survive. The war gives rise to a lot of issues surrounding combat and political struggles. Turner does an excellent job of dealing with all these plot elements, and she manages to do so while still delivering the sorts of clever twists and turns that fans of the first book are sure to expect.Much as I enjoyed it, though, I did feel that a couple of things surrounding the final resolution could have been developed a bit better. Hopefully they'll be fleshed out in the next book.
    • 4/5
      It's always a treat when the the second book in a series is better than the first.
    • 4/5
      More palace intrigue in this sequel, which begins with the Thief of Eddis caught and maimed by the Queen of Attolia. He survives, but he’s traumatized, and Eddis, Attolia and Sounis descend into conflict, to the happiness of the Medes waiting to sweep in and take as much of all three countries as they can. Attolia, her position precarious with her barons restive and her Medean advisor taking ever greater liberties, becomes a fascinating character—to us and to the Thief she nearly destroyed. I quite enjoyed this volume and look forward to the next.
    • 4/5
      I read the first book in early 2018 and really enjoyed it and for some reason didn't pick up the second book right away. As always when I do that I forgot what I had read in the first book so it took a bit to get into this second instalment. Once I got into it I really liked both Queens and Gen, for very different reasons. I have picked up the third book right away and hopefully will buy more from this series this year.
    • 4/5
      This is insanely good. The craft with which this is written is just unbelievable.
    • 4/5
      Aww.. :) Happy Endings. <3
    • 3/5
      I had decided to pick this series up because I had dipped briefly into the sequel, "The King of Attolia" and found it intriguing. The first book, "The Thief", had much to recommend it, with its invented Greek mythology, its Alexandrian science (these ancient Greeks have primitive guns), its unreliable narrator, and its rather Roman architecture. This one, while still innovative in its way, is contrived, with a grim tale leavened with unsuitable humour, some bizarre plot holes, and no real explanation of the gods' behavior. I'm still hanging in there for the third one, since that is what got me interested in the series in the first place.
    • 4/5
      It's rare that the second book in a series stands head and shoulders above the first. In my opinion, this second book is worlds better than the first. The characters are more complex, the twists more satisfying, and the plotting tighter. The world-building is good but not great, but the awkwardness of setting doesn't stand in the way of this ripping good story.
    • 5/5
      Oh how wonderful! I love Turner's ability to seemingly slow down the plot while simultaneously having chaos and war at stake. The character development in this is second to none and I was awestruck by her portrayal of the Queen of Attolia as I went from loathing her to being utterly impressed by her by the end of the book. Her female characters are amazingly complex and some of my favourite passages have to do with the two queens' developing friendship. Such carefully detailed writing too which conveys a range of emotions. Beautiful series.
    • 2/5
      Wow, this is interesting, I really almost feel betrayed by this book. There's a lot to love about it, especially the characters of the two queens, but the romance? I didn't believe it. At all. I just don't even know how to react to it.
    • 4/5
      Very, very different from the first book in the series. A lot darker, and a lot more "grown up". I was very taken by it, yet it took me 7 days to read the first 150 pages. Granted, I then sat down and gobbled up the rest yesterday ;) It wasn't that it was slow to start, it was just too easy for me to put down.Unlike the first book, The Queen of Attolia was written in third person, which I preferred. It was necessary for the plot, and I appreciated hearing parts of the story from other people's POV as well. I'm not entirely sure I bought the final twist from Eurigenes... it seemed a bit too convenient and too much tell, not show. I think I liked it though - it all depends on how it's explored in later books
    • 4/5
      The second book in this YA fantasy series moves the point of view from first person to third, and having become used to Gen’s voice, this feels a bit distancing at first… but not for long. Things get darker quickly in this instalment, and the shock drags the reader back into the story and renews our bond with the Queen’s thief, and is clearly necessary for the widening of the focus of the story. Eugenides, known by his full name now that he is back in court, has a devastating blow to overcome; Queen Eddis is at war with Attolia and Sounis, manoeuvring carefully to keep her own land from falling to either, looking also for a way to prevent Attolia’s land falling – through treaty or treachery – into the hands of the Medes, who will overrun all three countries as soon as they have a foothold in the region. And Attolia, distracted by the thief of Eddis, listens to the advice and courtesies of the Mede Ambassador, keeping her thoughts carefully hidden behind her mask of tractability. Once again the author plays cleverly with the expectations of the characters and the reader; not all the surprises in this book are unforeseeable, because after the first book the reader is aware of her enjoyment of making a mockery of assumptions, but they unfold delightfully all the same.
    • 4/5
      Plot: …I don’t know how to summarize these three books without giving everything away. The series follows three small countries (Soumis, Eddis and Attolia) and their rulers. They are all facing the threat of foreign invasion and are each dealing with it in their own ways. In the first book the king of Soumis is trying to win the hand of the Queen of Eddis so that he might claim her country and strengthen his own. To this end, his highest adviser leaves on a quest with a thief to find a holy object. In the second book, Eddis, Attolia and Soumis go to war. And in the third Attolia’s new king must adjust to his new role and bring the country’s rebellious barons under control so that they can confront the invaders with a united front.That (purposely vague) plot description does not do this series justice. This is a wonderfully rich fantasy world with complex and realistic political intrigue (and people behind the intrigue) and a compelling pantheon of gods. I’m not entirely sure why this series is often shelved with the children’s books in book stores, or even the YA (though it is put out by Harper Teen, an imprint I’ve grown quite fond of). These are dense books about adult characters and about politics. There is nothing inappropriate in them (a little gruesome violence aside) and I would have loved these as a teen, still I find the editorial choice interesting. I suspect a lot of adult fans of political fantasy (like myself) are missing out.The writing quality and style develops beautifully over the three books. I admit that I had a bit of trouble with the first book, The Thief, mainly because of the first person narration. The main character in all three books is an intelligent man who wins through trickery and manipulation. He’s wonderfully good at it and even tricks the reader at times. But this is also why the first person narration bothered me. How do you trick someone who is in your head? The big reveal at the end of the first book left me feeling a bit betrayed. But the two other books do away with the first person narration and are better for it.The King of Attolia is definitely the best in terms of plot, character development and intrigue (though there is now a forth book, The Conspiracy of Kings, which I would love to find even better) but they all have something to commend them. The Thief, whatever else I may say about it, makes beautiful use of stories and storytelling. And the Queen of Attolia pits two strong, powerful, intelligent and deeply interesting women against each other in a battle that I became as invested in as they were. To think I found them in a remaindered book sale and picked them up for the pretty covers.
    • 3/5
      I liked The Queen of Attolia, it turned out to be a great book about loyalty and had many political aspects. The queen of Attolia especially went from dislike to hatred to mild admiration all in one book, although admiring might be too strong of a word just yet.I liked seeing elements of high fantasy play about in this book that weren’t as pronounced in the first book. It got a bit boring in the middle where it was a lot more setup and we’re just waiting to get on with the main twists.Learning more about Attolia’s history as well as Eddis was really amazing, and showed their maturity at relatively young ages. One of the things that threw me off was the out of nowhere love for Gen had for Attolia (if someone can pinpoint when exactly he fell in love with her, I might’ve missed it somehow).Also, the book has some bargains set that really turned the book around for me. It was basically like watching a historical TV show unfolds all in one episode. And I found that a lot of the dinners could’ve been skipped in the middle but I see Turner was trying to show Gen’s desperation after basically losing his life’s meaning. Beginning of the book: 4 stars, middle: 2 stars, and end: 4 stars.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      The Queen of Attolia catches Eugenides sneaking around her palace. Eddis sends her people to negotiate, but the situation does not look good for the Queen's Thief - until Attolia decides to invoke an older rule in which thieves were not hung, but lost their right hand. How can Eugenides continue in his role one-handed?Once again, this story reads beautifully whether the first time or as a reread, where I catch small hints here and there that I passed over the first time reading. Though I'm a little sad that this book does not have Eugenides' first-person narrative, I will (albeit grudgingly) admit that the story would not work as well without the distance created by this method. On the other hand, this story is incredibly satisfying and, despite the fact that this is my third time reading it, I still had trouble putting it down.