The Queen Of Attolia

[redbrunja]

I first read The Queen of Attolia ten years ago when it first came out, not realizing it was a sequel to The Thief.  I never went back and read the first book, or the subsequent third book, because while I was enthralled by the prose, I was also in a state of emotional shock from the intensity of a romance between the Machiavellian Queen and the thief who loved her even after she cut off his hand. At twelve, that was just a little too much to take. For ten years after one reading I clearly remembered Gen describing how he watched Attolia dance alone under the trees and the recounting of Attolia's rise to power; how she sat through her husband's last dinner with her lips numb from the poison that would kill him.

I recently reread the first three books of the series (both the second and third got blazed through in under twenty-four hours) and adored them. (I also discovered that my memory of Attolia doing paperwork every evening while Gen was tortured in the background was false.)

Anyway, I adore Attolia so much it's hard to be rational about these books. (As soon as I can, I am totally buying a copy for my own, with the badass paperback cover where she's holding a hook in her hands.) I was so thrilled that in The King of Attolia she was still stealing the book (in Queen, page-time-wise, she should almost be categorized instead as a supporting character) as the remote yet beloved queen who allowed people in her army to rise based on their merits and has the loyalty of many good men. I almost choked when she handed Gen her cup during a dinner, and I loved seeing their relationship continue as prickly as ever, and that Attolia lost none of her power by getting married.

Comments

[arquileon.livejournal.com]

I do remember picking up the Queen of Attolia a while ago (maybe 5 years...?) because I LOVED The Thief... and ended up hating it. It was probably the hand thing. But I have to say reading your positive review I kind of feel like giving it another go.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

You know, if you really loved the The Thief... I might recommend you stay away from the sequels. Because the later books are TOTALLY different in tone, and I could imagine that reading them might ruin your ideas of what happens to Gen post-Thief, if that makes sense.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

I first read it when I was thirteen, and liked it, and then six months later read it again and suddenly WHAM it hit me that the book had everything I wanted in a book ever, and it's been my favorite ever since. I totally understand your inability to be rational, because Attolia kicks SO MUCH ASS.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh god that icon.

*flails*

I totally understand your inability to be rational, because Attolia kicks SO MUCH ASS.

She does! And the narrative TOTALLY supports that, it's awesome.