[identity profile] an-english-girl.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] queensthief
Welcome back to the community read-along of all the books (so far!). This week, we’re starting A Conspiracy of Kings, reading from the start of the Prologue “The king of Attolia was passing....” to the end of Chapter 12 “...You came in. And you laughed.” Thirteen chapters sounds like a lot, but some of them are actually very short, so please keep reading and don’t panic!

These discussions are spoiler-free for the new short stories The Wine Shop and The Knife Dance, as well as for the ARC Thick As Thieves. If you have any comments on these in relation to ACoK, please write them down or tell them to the cat, so you’ll remember them to share with everyone else in Less Than A Month’s Time!!! :D

Obviously, there will be spoilers for the four extant books, so if you’re very very new to this fandom, I echo the Queen of Attolia: Go Away – and finish reading all four books!


So, so, so. This book contains some of the most uneven chapter lengths Megan’s ever published, so for discussing, I have divided the narrative into 6 parts:

1. Reunion (Prologue)
2. Life – and death – at the villa (Chapters 1 & 2)
3. An unexpected escape (Chapters 3 & 4)
4. Life and learning (Chapters 5 & 6)
5. An unexpected rescue (Chapters 7 to 9)
6. Flight to Attolia (Chapters 10 to 12)

For each of these, (in imitation of [livejournal.com profile] pendrecarc) I have added a few rather random thoughts and questions in separate comments below. As you’re reading through and want to comment, pick the thread that matches your section and reply. Quotes, comments, suggestions, elaborations, arguments -- all welcome!

Enjoy! And don’t delay! Next week is section 2 of ACoK led by [livejournal.com profile] ibmiller, while May 16th gets nearer every day!

Re: Reunion

Date: 4/24/17 12:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] checkers65477.livejournal.com
I do love that line. It's just so...Sophos-y. It reminds me of TT when he says, "I swim very well!"

I did suspect right away that it was Sophos, but I'll admit to knowing that the book was about him.

Re: Life -- and death -- at the villa

Date: 4/24/17 01:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] checkers65477.livejournal.com
A theme which runs through the whole of ACoK is Sophos making plans.

Yes, that struck me, too. And he doesn't give himself credit for how quick a thinker he is, in addition to being a good judge of character.

I'm impressed how the first-person writing from Gen's POV and Sophos's are so different. I love Sophos's voice so much because he is so self conscious and has so many self doubts. He's always putting himself down and second guessing every thought and action. That makes his growth in this book so delightful. Gen wasn't forced to change--he chose to make changes in his life. Sophos wasn't really forced, either. Eventually, he makes the decision to leave captivity and assume his role as heir and later king.

Re: Life -- and death -- at the villa

Date: 4/26/17 03:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manderelee.livejournal.com
I love Sophos's voice so much because he is so self conscious and has so many self doubts. He's always putting himself down and second guessing every thought and action. That makes his growth in this book so delightful.

This is why, even though I love Eugenides and Attolia, my love for Sophos is on another level. I have a soft spot for characters like this! (Which is probably why I really loved Maia from The Goblin Emperor as well!)

Re: An unexpected rescue

Date: 4/26/17 03:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manderelee.livejournal.com
"I hit him with the accumulated force of a thousand thousand shovelfuls of dirt."

This is such an iconic moment for me the first time I read ACoK. One of the most unforgettable lines in the entire series!

Because Sylvie is hip and cool! Just kidding. Well, she probably thinks that Sophos is earnest in his need for help, and would not intentionally hurt Berrone.

Oh, I thought Baron Hanaktos recognizes Sophos, and becomes incensed that he was there the entire time in his land, and he never knew!

Date: 4/24/17 05:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mollyringle.livejournal.com
I just re-read ACoK! I love how Sophos is such an innocent sweetheart compared to snarky Gen (though of course I love him too)--a very different POV experience. Then of course that makes his arc in this book even more dramatic and surprising. (Similarly, in The King of Attolia, it was rather surprising when Gen and Irene ended up showing mercy and kindness at times when you wouldn't have expected it of them, given their ruthless histories.) Always keeping us on our toes, MWT.

When Gen is cold to Sophos upon his arrival in Attolia, I assume that's meant to harden Sophos up so he'll understand right from the start what it's going to take to be king? I.e., it's going to be a different treatment than just being Gen's friend, though they'll still be friends.

Date: 4/25/17 12:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] checkers65477.livejournal.com
I wonder if Gen was cold to Sophos because he knew he was manipulating his friend and, in the end, sort of stealing his country. Maybe he figured that Sophos was going to hate him, so he'd protect his own heart by drawing away first. I don't know. What does everyone else think?

Date: 4/25/17 04:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mollyringle.livejournal.com
Oh yes, that feels right to me too! And Gen did sort of warn him ahead of time when he said he was "so sorry" in the prison cell, just before leaving. Gen is always contrary that way, I suppose, since then later he finally gets friendly again when Sophos gets genuinely mad at him. :) Contrariness is part of his nature, so that fits.

Date: 4/25/17 07:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com
I've always thought the same. Doesn't he say something like, I'm stealing his country, I'm not going to charm it away!

So, I think it's a mix of tough love and refusing to use his relationship with Sophos as political leverage.

Date: 4/26/17 03:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manderelee.livejournal.com
I don't know... it felt weird. I think I pretty much agree with Eddis, and just brush it off as one of Gen's idiocy.

Actually, it would almost echo Attolia's attempts to sow fear and doubt in Eddis when *she* took the throne. Remember how Attolia took her aside and gave her advice about how to treat her barons and how to act, because she thought that Eddis's reign would mirror hers? I feel like Gen was projecting the same way Attolia was. In their experiences, they had to be hard and ruthless, so that's how they in turn treat their fellow monarchs because they think it's for the best.

Re: Afterthought

Date: 4/26/17 03:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] manderelee.livejournal.com
Ahhh, yes, I was going to comment on this!! *sorry, I just finished the section for this readalong last midnight, so I'm a bit late*

This was one of the things that really struck me this time in my re-read. Mostly because I'd forgotten that the Eumen conspiracy was mentioned in TT the first few times I read ACoK. This time though my re-read of the series have almost been back-to-back, and the Eumen conspiracy is still fresh in my mind.

Looking back, I feel myself oddly sympathizing with Ambiades. If his relatives were involved in the Eumen conspiracy, that means that they were the ones who helped Sounis take the throne. And *then* they were killed to shut them up. Sophos also mentions that Ambiades was the magus's apprentice long before Sophos came. So what must it have been like for Ambiades to wake up one day and find that the heir of the current king is the 2nd apprentice of the magus? And not only that, but have Sophos be the better student? Ugh, that must have stung!

To be honest, in his place, I would have turned to Attolia too.

Oh gosh, poor Ambiades. He was a jerk, but he was in poor company. I'd be a jerk too if I was him. In Sophos's words: "So many things are obvious in retrospect, aren't they?"
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