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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
According to goodreads, I read this book in 2014, but I had no memory of it whatsoever, so I’m considering this essentially my first read. Having read it now after having recently read The Thief, I expect I missed quite a lot the first time around.
I'll be frank. I find myself somewhat enamored of this world, and of this series. Eugenides is winsome, unreliable protagonist who a reader can rely for absolutely nothing except to do what is right when it matters. The opening scenes, when he is first caught at the Queen of Attolia’s castle, were absolutely gripping. He’d so easily escaped dangerous situations in the last book. I’ve read a lot of books where people have bad things happen to them, but it’s been a while since I’ve wanted it not to happen as much as I did in this one. The long months of grief and nightmares and despair were almost as awful as the actual tragedy.
But of course, the story does not end with despair. As always, even in abject failure, Eugenides plays the long game, making magic out of nothing, though with a new hardness around the eyes. The deft hand with which Megan Whalen Turner brought my emotions, perceptions, and opinions of various characters from one extreme to the other can only be applauded. That she should be so bold as to make a romance out of a story like this!
The first book was good, but this book had more depth, while retaining the cleverness of the narration. The plot had a few twists, but the strength of this story is as much in the telling as it in the plot itself. There were a couple of scenes so perfect, so exquisitely satisfying and rewarding, or so bittersweet and moving, that I actually rewound my audiobook a few minutes and listened to them again. I get the feeling that Megan Whalen Turner is an author who, in the manner of Greek tragedies, folktales, and myth, perceives the strength and truth of a story where, like in life, everything comes with a cost.
(As an aside, I recommend listening to the audiobook for some wonderful accents. I'm so glad that all these characters can have British accents in my head now)
I'll be frank. I find myself somewhat enamored of this world, and of this series. Eugenides is winsome, unreliable protagonist who a reader can rely for absolutely nothing except to do what is right when it matters. The opening scenes, when he is first caught at the Queen of Attolia’s castle, were absolutely gripping. He’d so easily escaped dangerous situations in the last book
Spoiler
that I didn’t anticipate she would actually cut off his hand. Perhaps it was simply because I was listening to it on audiobook, and not reading it myself, but it was...it was pretty horrifying, honestlyBut of course, the story does not end with despair. As always, even in abject failure, Eugenides plays the long game, making magic out of nothing, though with a new hardness around the eyes. The deft hand with which Megan Whalen Turner brought my emotions, perceptions, and opinions of various characters from one extreme to the other can only be applauded. That she should be so bold as to make a romance out of a story like this!
The first book was good, but this book had more depth, while retaining the cleverness of the narration. The plot had a few twists, but the strength of this story is as much in the telling as it in the plot itself. There were a couple of scenes so perfect, so exquisitely satisfying and rewarding, or so bittersweet and moving, that I actually rewound my audiobook a few minutes and listened to them again. I get the feeling that Megan Whalen Turner is an author who, in the manner of Greek tragedies, folktales, and myth, perceives the strength and truth of a story where, like in life, everything comes with a cost.
(As an aside, I recommend listening to the audiobook for some wonderful accents. I'm so glad that all these characters can have British accents in my head now)
This book. Gen spent over half the first book lying to the readers, and it's really no different in this one. If you've read The Thief and haven't picked up the Queen of Attolia, you have to. Right now. Gen is precious and obnoxious, and one of the best protagonists of a YA novel that I have read in years.
Maybe I'm uncultured swine but I don't understand the love of this book. The entire thing felt like one staff meeting after another. The twists are hardly that. Being beautiful and ugly at the same is all you need to be redeemable in this story.
Not for me, I'm done.
Not for me, I'm done.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Excellent and perhaps better than the first which would be a very tall order.
This is the first of about a dozen books that I'm rating waaaaay after I read them, so these "reviews" aren't actually reviews. I love Turner's series so much. I saw these pop up in my list of books that I need to mark as finished and I wanted to read them all over again. Such a fun ride.
brilliant incredible amazing showstopping spectacular!
maybe I need to reread this and book 1 to really buy the [spoiler], but idc it was gripping all the same
Did not need the love story, cause like she cut off his hand.