Harpercollins put all these extras in the paperback version of A Conspiracy of Kings. This is a sick marketing ploy to make the loyal fans who already spent fortunes on the hardcover buy the paperback as well.
Well congrats harpercollins. It worked, because I will be buying the paperback. I really hope Megan becomes extraordinarily wealthy from my efforts.
“It would have been preferable if you had thrown off your chains of bondage solely for the love of me. It would certainly have been more flattering. I am willing to accept, however, that we are real people, not characters in a play. We do not, all of us, need to be throwing inkwells. If we are comfortable with one another, is that not sufficient?”
—Helen of Eddis (A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner)It's Queen's Thief Week: Let me just begin by saying that if you could only read one book series for the rest of you're life, you should pick this one...
The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner are by far the best novels I have ever read. I began with The Thief when i was about ten years old, and I couldn’t put it down. Almost 8 years later, I have read the other three novels in the series so far, and am eagerly awaiting the next one.
Now if you go to a bookstore to get these, they will most likely be found in the Kids 9-12 section, or the stores equivalent. Please do not let that put you off. I for one do not believe that they belong in that section of the store. These novels contain (non-explicit) torture, murder, (mention of) sex, romance, love, Gods, and above all, political intrigue. The themes reach far beyond the years of those they are sold to.
The characters of these novels are immensely complicated, with more layers, more desires, more alternative motives than you could ever guess. The is fast paced and insightful with cleverly-written twists and turns that are breathtakingly surprising and perfectly set up.
Set in an Ancient Greece-like country populated with scheming kings, heartless queen, undermining courtiers and headed by a thief who is much more than he seems, I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, historical-fiction, any combination of these, all of these or even none of these. (It never hurts to try!)
I say again, these are the best novels I have ever read. I come back to read them time and time again, and if there’s one thing you should do after reading this, it would be to go buy or borrow these. The writing is funny, detailed and very thought- provoking while still being fun.
Though the POV’s change throughout the novels and the installments come very slowly, these are worth it a million times over. Now GO READ!
Oh, and here’s a link to the author’s website:
Proper reading order: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings….
Oh boy have I got two stories for you!
So, thanks to the lovely Sounis livejournal community, I was able to find TWO stories—the one from the back of KoA, “Eddis”, and the one from the back of ACoK, “Destruction.” YAY.
Eddis: Click HERE to go to Harper Collins’ online CoK book. Look at the top right; click the “Table of Contents” button, and click the little blue down arrow until you see the link “Bonus Page.” Keep doing some scrolling down after that; it’ll take you to a “This page is not available” automatically but if you scroll down one more page, BAM, there it is!
Destruction: Click HERE to read. Same instructions as above.
“Indeed,” said Akretenesh, “I have heard much of Her Majesty. She is by all accounts most admirable, demonstrating that character in a woman is far more important than the superficial beauty or excessive pretensions to intelligence of her counterpart in Attolia.” I stared at him for a moment, thinking that the historian Talis once said that to be underestimated by an enemy is the greatest advantage a man can have. Presumably it is true for women as well. One part of me couldn’t let the comment pass, while another part of me that I must, and I stood paralyzed as they warred their way to a mutually agreed-upon truth. “The queen of Eddis is as beautiful as the day and as brilliant as the sun in the sky,” I said. He was a fool if he didn’t believe me, but I wouldn’t tell him so.”
—A Conspiracy of Kings; Megan Whalen Turner
#secretly costis is my favorite I have so many Costis feelings ;~; This passage in particular was one where I had to put the book down so I could giggle into my pillow asdkfj; I just love that you get to see their relationship through his eyes and asdfkj;lkj i just. i just.
[SPOILERS FOR THE KING OF ATTOLIA & A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS.]
I LOVE COSTIS. I love that he’s this big, noble, grumpy, long-suffering guy with hardly any sense of humor, and he always gets stuck with the bum jobs because he’s too soft to say “no,” and whenever he gets mad at anyone he feels bad about it later, and he’s wretched with honor and faith, and Eugenides accidentally contracts BFF feelings for Costis and then he’s like oh noooooo because friendship wasn’t part of the plan (but Costis is so loyal and earnest and such a good listener and occasionally dry-witted, of course Gen falls into friendship with him), and Irene likes Costis but she evaluates him firstly through the lens of his usefulness to Eugenides, and he’s so, so loyal both to Irene and to Eugenides, and HE’S JUST
A GIANT
PUPPY
and I was so sad when we didn’t see or hear of him in A Conspiracy of Kings. HE’S STILL EUGENIDES’ GUARD, RIGHT? THEY’RE STILL BFFs, RIGHT? Costisssssssss. ;___;
“I'd suggested eating it before we left the market. I'd also suggested eating it on the road. I was not so comfortable with my new authority that I could say, "We eat the chicken now!" but the magus had seen that I was considering it. Shaking his head, he had said, "Your Majesty, with your very kind permission, we will find a place to sleep for the night off the road, and we will eat the chicken then." ”
—A Conspiracy of Kings“Perhaps you can bring out better in them?" Eugenides shook his head. "I pulled the carpet out from under them very thoroughly. They will not cross me, but they won't love me, either. I am not Eddis. People do not hand me their hearts." Sounis wondered. He would have given Eugenides his heart on a toothpick, if asked.”
—Megan Whalen Turner, A Conspiracy of Kings(Eugenides and Sophos, on Eugenides’ attendants)
