Reviews

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

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trenchcoat_moss's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

lmh5113's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

aceinit's review against another edition

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2.0

This was definitely my least favorite volume in the series. Though it is through no flaw in the writing but rather from the choice of subject. I read these books for Gen and Irene, and perhaps for Eddis, so to see them take such a back seat to Sophos's story was a bit of a disappointment.

I had forgotten he was even a character in the series before getting his own book, and I didn't find him particularly engaging as a character until the voting began at Elisa. It was only after his reaction to his uncarried regency that I began to take him seriously.

The first-to-third person narration jumps also bothered me. It's been a few years since I read the other books in the series, so I don't know if this is something that has occurred before or if it is new and specific to this particular volume, but I know that in this particular book it really jumped out at me and I found it very jarring.

I am curious to see how the inevitable war with the Medes will be shaped in the next book, and if Eddis's horrible dreams come to pass. I am most curious to see what, exactly, is wrong with Gen.

At some point, I need to go back and re-read this series from the beginning. As a whole, it is really so much better than this review gives it credit for. I will endeavour to do so before the release of the next book.

catsnflags's review

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adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

bzliz's review against another edition

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adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

For the first time in the series, we move to Sounis for the majority of the story. A subplot in the previous book mentioned that Sophos was missing. In retrospect, we follow the story of how Sophos gains control of his country after his uncle’s death. New challenges are faced, like rebel barons and more political intrigue than we’ve previously seen. Readers be warned that Sophie does spend a long portion of the book either literally enslaved to a rebel baron or lavishly incarcerated by similar foes.

I still enjoyed it but I prefer the earlier books, which are more heavily weighted toward adventure and discovery rather than courtly politics and war. Sophos makes for a lovable protagonist thanks to his kind heart and inquisitive nature. The dynamic between him and the other monarchs of the area settles into a nice place and I so desperately want them to be a team against the conquering force headed their way.

Content Warnings

abbergator's review against another edition

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5.0

Love it!

I enjoyed every chapter! This is a rich piece of work and the author's writing was on point. I recommend this to anyone who loves deep characters.