A few questions

[smills47.livejournal.com]

It mightn't be too surprising that I arrived here bursting with questions, some of which have been answered by my delving through the archive, but others of which are still out there (well, I'm still delving, but curiosity is getting the better of me). If any of these have been discussed before, I'd be most grateful if someone could point me to the source.

Question #1: In KoA, Eugenides makes a point more than once of complimenting Heiro's earrings. Why? Maybe they remind him of the ruby earrings? Or had he himself secretly given them to her, as a kind of consolation for her being beaten by her father on his account? Or do they just happen to be pretty earrings that awaken a Thiefish impulse to steal them as an offering to Eugenides the god? Or something else?

Question #2: At what point did you all start to like Attolia? I read the books in order, without any preconceptions except for knowing the titles of all three, and after reading TT, the idea I had was that Attolia was the Beautiful But Wicked Queen who was going to be vanquished. That impression was reinforced by the beginning of QoA; in particular, her staying for the cauterization because she wondered if he would scream this time seemed to me more than a little ghoulish. It wasn't really until the last part, when I realized that they must be meant for each other after all because, by gum, she was as good at dissembling as he was, that I really warmed to her.

Question #3: I'm now (naturally!) on my first re-read of TT and finding so many hints, foreshadowings, and hindshadowings (if that's a word) that my eyeballs are revolving. My favorite so far is: "[Sophos]'s going to be a duke?" I said, surprised.... "If his father doesn't strangle him first," [Ambiades] said. (PB, p.52) Do you all have any other favorite lines?

Comments

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

#2. When I read the part in QoA where Attolia wonders when she had sunk so low that she had started torturing boys, and admits she'd listened outside Gen's cell, it was a revelation for me. My entire view of her suddenly shifted. I didn't really like her, though, until I read KoA and was relieved at how well she (usually) treated Gen.

#3. I think my very favorite line is at the end of QoA: "Gently she stroked his maimed arm, and he shivered at the warmth of her touch and its intimacy." There's lots more, especially some of the funnier ones, but that one comes to mind first.

[smills47.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's right, her wondering when she had sunk so low... the hand-cutting was really a kind of turning point for her as well as for Gen, wasn't it? I mean that if it hadn't been for him she could well have segued from sternness to harshness to cruelty without fully realizing it. But he (inadvertently) saved her from herself.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

#1. Because they are secretly in looooooooooooooooooooooooove Probably because Gen really likes earrings. Plus, it's a way to indicate he favors her without being overt.

#2. Well, I read QoA first, and so I didn't ever dislike Attolia; for me the hand-cutting-off was just what kicked off the plot. So I thought she was a cool character, and by the end of the book, I was absolutely in love with her. She is my favorite character in the whole series. (All of my female characters aspire to be as awesome as she is.)

#3. Dead is dead. Also, Because I believe but I do not choose to worship. Also the quote in my icon. Also the whole "jealous...of Dite?" exchange. Also Costis. In general. XD

[smills47.livejournal.com]

I LOVE the quote in your icon. She rose to the occasion so splendidly, I quite admired her then.

[in-my-niteshirt.livejournal.com]

#2 I suddenly started to appreciate Attolia when we read how she was forced into this terrible marriage but she got the better of him, and also of the next guy that wanted to make himself king. I loved her strength and at the same time that helped me understand why she's so harsh. But I couldn't forgive her really, until Gen declared his love for her. If he could forgive her, and still love her, well that won her points in my eyes. What really made me love her was when Gen tells Eddis she's too precious to be left alone. I believed him. (Even though he lies - he he)
#3 The thing that hit me hardest (fall out of my chair laughing) on my first time re-reading TT was when the Magus says, Eddis has a thief, his name is Eugenides. Maybe you're related to him. And my favorite the first time reading it (can you guess?) From KoA: In my nightshirt? ........ but not in your nightshirt.

[smills47.livejournal.com]

And it demonstrates that even after the growth spurt he's still small enough to fit into her nightshirt :)

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

LOL to both of you. I do love that line (and had absolutely no idea that was where your username comes from--excellent choice!! XD).

I love the "she's too precious to lose" line. It's so...because you really get the sense that she too knows that she's losing herself but doesn't know how to get out, and he's the only one who can help her. ♥

[coyul.livejournal.com]

#1. I think he just has a thing for earrings, to be honest. Plus, by commenting her on something, I think he helped her out with the court politics thing.

#2. I loved her from the moment we met her in The Thief. I love demented acting characters, especially the women. My love grew for her when, after cutting off his hand, she was almost immediately sorry for it and wanting him healthy, not just because of the hostilities between Attolia and Eddis, but because it was him. Also, I loved her message at the end of TT wondering how Gen was and saying she'd like to see him again.

[coyul.livejournal.com]

Now that I'm awake, continuations of my answers because I didn't realize I left these things out.

1. The majority of the jewelry Gen stole to put on the alter for the god Eugenides are earrings.

2. Also, I loved her message at the end of TT wondering how Gen was and saying she'd like to see him again. ...even if she meant it as a taunt. Actually, especially since it was a taunt. :D

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

I think he has a thing for earrings, but I also think Heiro must have particularly good taste. Gen rather prides himself on his fashion sense, and I suspect he noticed Heiro's taste in earrings (and really wished he could steal them), and that led him to discover that Heiro was a smart cookie, and loyal into the bargain.

Ooh, I never noticed the echo about fathers strangling their sons before..

[smills47.livejournal.com]

I like your idea about the earrings better than any of mine.

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

1. I've wondered about that, and about the various girls that Heiro tells Gen he might like to dance with - her friend, Lady Eunice, and a few others. Is it that they are safe? Safe in what way - their families are loyal, or the girls themselves, like Heiro, have eyes in their heads?

2. I read KoA first, so I never disliked Attolia; just was a bit puzzled by her. In spite of what Costis' point of view was telling me, I didn't get the idea that she disliked her king. I started being really suspicious at the point where he was driving Relius nuts playing with the coin, and she kicks him in the ankle. That definitely seemed like something you wouldn't do to someone you hated and had married against your will.

3. Oh, my favorite line, as pretty much everybody else has heard me say over and over, is "You have any mistresses and I'll cut off your other hand!"

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

That's my favorite, too, Leslie.

[smills47.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. I kind of thought that "your other hand" was meant as a euphemism ;)

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

*chokes*

*laughs madly*

[empmai.livejournal.com]

*laugh*

[netslefj.livejournal.com]

As the Magus' party is riding out of town at the beginning of TT, Gen is glancing longingly at the window of the earrings shop.

Maybe he should pierce his ears... start an Attolian male fashion trend.

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

... my favorite line:

"Why did you come if not to murder my king?"
"I came to steal his magus."
"You can't," said the magus in question.
"I can steal anything," Eugenides corrected him, "even with one hand."


But my favorite foreshadowing part... dunno. I really like it when Attolia is alone in her room, wondering if the shadows are empty and if she wants them to be.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

"You can't," said the magus in question.

I...I just really love that sort of prose trick, where you do a funny dialogue tag like that. Every time I read it, I am just filled with glee. I can't fully explain why it makes me so happy, but it does. :-D

a perverse wish to summon her nurse to chase the shadows away, perverse because she didn't know if she wanted them to be empty or not.

I love it when words are turned on their heads like that. :-D

*loves*

[smills47.livejournal.com]

"I can steal anything," Eugenides corrected him, "even with one hand."

   "Eugenides," she said, "what can you steal with only one hand?"

   "Nothing," he answered hopelessly.

He's baaaaack!

[empmai.livejournal.com]

#2 From the first moment we saw her in TT. I kind of saw her as a Beautifully Wicked Queen. (in a good way). And since I thought Gen was in love with her I decided to trust Gen's taste.

But I think the moment I starting adoring her was in QoA and her indignation that Gen kissed her instead of killing her.

#3 There's too many I can't decide. But I think it might be the "Baaaaaaaaaaaa" when their walking up the stairs in QoA.

[rowana.livejournal.com]

1. I'm with most other people, I think he just notices earrings. :)

2. I think that I really warmed to Attolia when we learned about her past, and about how she had taken matters into her own hands in a pretty admirable way for a teenage girl, and possibly done a wonderful thing for her country in the process. That really shifted the way I saw her. (The dissembling helped too, of course :D)

3. I love Gen's lines in 'The Thief'. All the conversations he has in 'The Thief', actually, especially when they're read in hindsight. :)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

#1. Maybe "she has lovely earrings" is a euphemism for "she is a lovely person," said in a way so as not to chance getting another hand cut off. :)

[chocolate-chan.livejournal.com]

2. (I'm a long-time lurker who actually decided to comment for once...) I, like some other people, read KoA first, so I always pretty much liked Attolia. However, when I finally read QoA, I finally understood how he could more clearly marry someone who cut off his hand.

3. I was just rereading bits of KoA when I noticed a little bit of foreshadowing (which, perhaps other people have noticed and I've just been blind the first 7 - maybe 8 - times I've read this):

In KoA, Attolia suggests that Gen should stop sleeping during the court sessions and the following conversation ensued:

"I was listening," the king said, aggrieved. "I closed my eyes to listen better."
"What did you hear?"
"I'm not sure," he said." That's why I was listening so closely. I may have to ask the baron [Artadorus] to repeat some parts of his report on his grain tax."
"I am sure you can arrange an appointment."
"I am sure I can too."

And then several pages later, Gen makes said 'appointment' when he arrives in Artadorus' bedroom with a knife and demands that he pay his taxes. (And afterwards Attolia is annoyed at him for a while.) I grinned when I realized that. :)

oh lol.

[seachild930.livejournal.com]

Oh lol, that is pretty funny. Man, I must be the slowest fan in the world. It takes me so long to connect all the dots. Oh Gen. I do love him so.

[embergirl.livejournal.com]

I just re-read TT and I had a crazy time finding all the foreshadowing too. THe whole book is practically some kind of shadow or other...

I always thought he was looking at the earing shop because Earings were one of his favorite things to steal. It was what he always dedicated on the alter after all.

I always found Attolia interesting. I began suspecting he liked her near the beginning of QoA

#2

[(Anonymous)]

I can't remember it exactly, but I fell in love with this exchange from when Attolia is arguing with herself,
"...He was brave. He was loyal.
Not loyal to me. Not brave on my behalf.
Brave and loyal, she insisted.
A fool. A fool and a dead one."