There is no shortage of
terrible sequels in modern entertainment (Batman and Robin, anyone?).
In the YA world, I've often found myself disappointed when an author
creates a fantastic world in the original installment, and then can't
find anything worthwhile to do with it as the series progresses.
Megan Whalen Turner's
The Queen's Thief series turns this trend on its head. The
first installment, The Thief, was good. Good enough to be
declared a Newberry Honor Book in 1997. I thought it dragged badly in
the first half, but ended strong. I liked it, but I wasn't dying to
get my hands on the sequel.
Eight months later, I
picked up The Queen of Attolia and kicked myself for waiting
so long.
In The Thief, we
meet Gen as he is being released from prison. Sounds promising,
right? Unfortunately, Gen is moving out of the frying pan and into
the fire.
The King of mythical
Sounis has heard of Gen's thieving skills (read: Gen stole his seal
and bragged about it in the local pubs), and forces Gen on a quest to
steal a divine artifact that will give the wearer the right to rule
neighboring Eddis. Should I mention no one has ever come back from
the underwater maze that houses it alive?
I enjoyed Gen's smart
mouth and good heart, the religious myths, and the complex companions
that accompany Gen on his journey.
It is hard to talk
about The Queen of Attolia without giving spoilers for The
Thief, but I will say this: I am a difficult reader to surprise,
but there were several moments in this book where I literally stopped
and said to myself, “Did Turner really just do that? I can't
believe she really just did that!” And do yourself a favor, and
don't read the dust jacket — discerning readers might
anticipate some of the twists with it.
Beyond her even more
unpredictable twists and turns, Turner deepened and introduced
fantastic characters. The Queen of Attolia herself would have been
easy to make into a cliched villain, but Turner gives her depth and
nuance.
It would have been easy
to keep Gen as a sarcastic and successful trickster, but Turner grows
him into a man. I care about these characters, and appreciate their
humanity and growth.
The intrigues and
deceptions of the courts in this installment are complex and
satisfying.
The series chronicles
several countries at war, so naturally there is some violence and
occasional profanity, but nothing graphic.
I devoured The Queen of
Attolia, and I'm eager to pick up the next two in the series —
The King of Attolia and A Conspiracy of Kings. She
takes her time writing this series (sixteen years between the first
book and the fourth), and has nebulous plans to publish one or two
more at some unknown date. At least she crafts her books as
self-contained stories with their own action and resolution.
Soldier through this
series' dry beginnings — the sequel is worth it.
Read this book if...
You love courtly intrigue, twisty
plots, and a rascally hero.
Not that you aren't fond of your
own religion and all, but you enjoy a good religious myth. The myths
connected to her pseudo-Greek Pantheon are lyrical and imaginative,
and she even delves into the nature of faith, devotion, and the role
of the divine in our lives.
You enjoyed Jennifer A. Nielsen's
The False Prince and Melina Marchetta's Lumatere
Chronicles.
Target Audience: Ages
10 and up. 8 would probably work for the first book, but things gets
darker as the series progresses.
Erin
Cowles is a mother of two, living in the Washington D.C. suburbs.
Before motherhood, she used her masters in library and information
science in a law firm library. Now she uses it to find good books for
her family at her local public library. She teaches part time for a
SAT prep company, where she enjoys the challenge of making rather
dull subject matter interesting and making college a reality for her
students. During women's history month, she profiles Mormon women
that inspire her at ldswomenshistory.blogspot.com.
Erin
currently serves as a counselor in her ward's primary
presidency.