The Queen of Attolia

By Megan Whalen Turner
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

Turner follows up her Newbery-Honor winning masterpiece The Thief with further adventures of Eugenides, the Queen of Eddis' Thief. The novel begins with Gen being caught by the Queen of Attolia, one of the rival countries to Eddis. The Queen of Attolia was still smarting from the robbery Eugenides had committed in her country previously, and from his frequent visits to spy on her. She decided that rather than kill the Thief, she would do something even worse to him--cut off his hand. What good would a one-armed thief be? Eugenides spins into despair and meanwhile, the countries of Eddis, Attolia and Sounis begin a war. Gen eventually comes out of his funk to think of an intricate plot to help his country survive the war. Meanwhile, the Queen of Attolia, tortured by what she has done to the Thief, does her best to weave her way through the treachery that is besetting her own country, and to also survive the war. This novel is full of well-developed characters, detailed military manuevers, and involved plots and court intrigues. If you don't pay attention, you will miss an important moment in the story. Luckily, readers will want to pay attention to this excellent story. There is drama, fighting, thieving, loving, hating, and much more. It helps if you have already read The Thief, but the story does stand on its own. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy and great plot twists.You might also want to check out this website onMegan Whalen Turner. And definitely read the sequel, The King of Attolia (see review).