atirandomness's review against another edition
5.0
"Guard my back, Teleus, and I will keep her safe"
rebeccazh's review against another edition
EDIT: reread this whole series again. so good! one of my absolute favorites in the series -- the clever narrative turns, the lyrical writing, the solid characterization...
lcasswrites's review against another edition
4.0
As many of the comments have said, the books in this series just keep getting better and better. I was intrigued by the first, fully engaged by the second and adored this book! The plot is so clever, yet not too complicated that you can't follow without going back to re-read pages. The characters are even better, beautifully depicted and with fantastic dialogue. Eugenides is wonderful and flawed at the same time, and the supporting cast around him play off him in a really entertaining way. I definitely recommend this series!
aelynreads's review against another edition
4.0
I have a few things to say about the books in this series as a whole so far (no spoilers, don't worry).
1. the characters are well-rounded
The main characters in this series are complex and interesting and I love how Megan Whalen Turner has crafted their multi-faceted and realistic personalities. I feel that I understand all of the characters and their motivations, which lends authenticity to their actions and makes the story immersive and believable.
2. the religion, mythology and world building are great
The world this series is set in is fantastically built. Megan Whalen Turner has created four distinct kingdoms and an engaging political climate which makes the world feel incredibly real. The inclusion of the religions and the folklore stories that are told across the series are intriguing and add character to the world and the plot.
3. the pacing is a little uneven
The plot will, seemingly at random, skip over weeks or even months of action by summarising the events during the missing time in just a few sentences. Obviously this is ideal if nothing happens in the missing time, but the story skips over a lot of the war strategy and the moves and counter-moves of the different nations. It leads to these little pockets of what I'm calling 'plot dump' and you emerge on the other side into a new political situation where you have to find your bearings despite not actually reading through the action.
4. the story is twisty and turny and surprising
To be fair, some of the plot is quite predictable which is true of almost all books, but this series has also managed to surprise me a couple of times. And more than that, this series manages to be original and offers a refreshing and new story that doesn't rely on overused tropes or plot devices that are so common in this genre.
Overall I am really enjoying this series. It has engaging and likeable characters with strong motivations and personalities, a realistic romance subplot that evolves naturally over several books, intriguing political manoeuvring and war strategy within and between kingdoms, and deep, rich world building, religion and lore that offer insight into the setting, plot and characters.
1. the characters are well-rounded
The main characters in this series are complex and interesting and I love how Megan Whalen Turner has crafted their multi-faceted and realistic personalities. I feel that I understand all of the characters and their motivations, which lends authenticity to their actions and makes the story immersive and believable.
2. the religion, mythology and world building are great
The world this series is set in is fantastically built. Megan Whalen Turner has created four distinct kingdoms and an engaging political climate which makes the world feel incredibly real. The inclusion of the religions and the folklore stories that are told across the series are intriguing and add character to the world and the plot.
3. the pacing is a little uneven
The plot will, seemingly at random, skip over weeks or even months of action by summarising the events during the missing time in just a few sentences. Obviously this is ideal if nothing happens in the missing time, but the story skips over a lot of the war strategy and the moves and counter-moves of the different nations. It leads to these little pockets of what I'm calling 'plot dump' and you emerge on the other side into a new political situation where you have to find your bearings despite not actually reading through the action.
4. the story is twisty and turny and surprising
To be fair, some of the plot is quite predictable which is true of almost all books, but this series has also managed to surprise me a couple of times. And more than that, this series manages to be original and offers a refreshing and new story that doesn't rely on overused tropes or plot devices that are so common in this genre.
Overall I am really enjoying this series. It has engaging and likeable characters with strong motivations and personalities, a realistic romance subplot that evolves naturally over several books, intriguing political manoeuvring and war strategy within and between kingdoms, and deep, rich world building, religion and lore that offer insight into the setting, plot and characters.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful, gripping and angsty continuation that manages to repeat the success of the previous volume with regard to plotting while reaching new levels with its emotional arc.
My one complaint is
My one complaint is
Spoiler
that the focus has shifted more and more to male characters compared to the previous volume; I felt like there wasn't enough Queen Attolia, or Eddis, or at least: not enough about them that wasn't about Gen. And the characterisation of Attolia seemed to go in circles a little. A pity, since she is my favourite character overall.ippym's review against another edition
5.0
This book cemented Megan Whalen Turner as an incredible author. While the previous two books in the series were enjoyable, this one was spectacular. The political intrigue, the POV, and the tender and unique romance (which I felt was lacking in the previous book) were just ridiculously well done. I also love that she doesn't need hundreds and hundreds of pages to make a compelling world or story.
Seriously, hot dang!
Seriously, hot dang!
heroicandromache's review against another edition
5.0
↠ The King of Attolia: ★★★★★
This is probably one of my favorite books/series of all time. My heart was beating so fast while reading this. Definitely a good political intrigue angle. Oh Gen. Oh Attolia. Oh Costis.
I’m having a book hangover.
This is probably one of my favorite books/series of all time. My heart was beating so fast while reading this. Definitely a good political intrigue angle. Oh Gen. Oh Attolia. Oh Costis.
I’m having a book hangover.
science_dragon's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this one and also read it the fastest because I had the audiobook and experiments followed by a long drive.
Costis really is florbo from my sequels and I love him.
I have so many feelings about Gen and Irene. I love them so dearly.
Costis really is florbo from my sequels and I love him.
I have so many feelings about Gen and Irene. I love them so dearly.