The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen TurnerI might be more in love with Eugenides than I am with Miles Vorkosigan.
Miles is flashier and I love him to bits, but Eugenides isn't just clever and suffering and single-minded, he's pious. And that might be the difference.
I'm not sure. But, in "The King of Attolia" - which is totally about Eugenides - the main point-of-view character isn't Eugenides at all, but a palace guardsman named Costis. And having a side character show us the story allows Turner to play her customary hide-and-seek games with the plot, sneakily revealing one fascinating detail after another in order to distract us from what she's doing with her other hand.
It took me well into half the book to realize that the main conflict wasn't all the showy fights between Eugenides and his rebellious barons, but the argument that Eugenides was having with his god.
The argument between Eugenides and his god.
This is why I love really, really good fantasy: because it is the best kind of literature for the devout. In the story world, anyway, fantasy authors take theology seriously. That's my kind of story.
Anyway, I won't say much more about any of the story, because it's best read, not recounted. But only this one more tidbit to entice you:
On the side matter of Eugenides and our poor POV character Costis: at first I thought that Eugenides was being hilariously mean to his poor guardsman. But then I realized: Oh wait, he's being kind. Ruthlessly.
Eugenides is that kind of character.
Please write more about him, Ms. Whalen? Please?
-Jessica Snell
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2 comments:
I read the Thief to my husband for dish washing reading a few years ago, and enjoyed the creepy feeling that my apartment has strange hide-y holes and crawl spaces.
In conspiracy of kings - I wonder where Costis is - Media? And I don't quite get why Helen is so cross with Sophos. Sometimes I have to re-read and re-read those tricky books. My favorite whoa moment was in the Queen of Attolia when Gen told the Magus he should sympathize with Sounis for wanting a woman he couldn't get.
Aren't they great? (And it's fun to hear we're not the only couple who has dishwishing reading sometimes. :D )
My impression was (and I read it fast, I need to go reread at leisure) that Helen was upset with Sophos because he wasn't properly recognizing her queenship. I think. It was something like that - but to be more specific, I'd need to go reread. But I think he wasn't acknowledging her agency, in some manner or another.
I like your favorite moment. It's probably a common one, but I loved the moment that Attolia came out wearing Gen's earrings.
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