ACoK: Chapters 12, 13, 14, and 15!

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Don't worry! Reading this post will not spoil anything! However,

DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED LIKE MOLDY BREAD!

It's here, Sounisians! Many of us now have our hand(s) on copies of the lovely new book known as A Conspiracy of Kings.
This system of posts is designed to put a little bit of organization in the chaos. Thus, if you want to discuss what happened in ACoK, leave your squeeings, questions, exclamations, and happy-sparrow-in-the-nest chatter in the comments. There will be a post for every four chapters, so it will be extremely lovely if the comments are placed in their approximate place. Of course, that isn't always possible for overall themes, etc. Don't worry. We won't put you in prison. :)
Also, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY WAY, of course. This chapter by chapter thingy isn't meant to monopolize discussion. It even may disappear after a few days in the deluge of excitement that's currently sweeping toward and around us, threatening to wash away everying more than a day old on the Recent Entries page. Yeah. So. Just remember to use lj cuts for any discussion of the content of ACoK!

Happy discussing! Be blessed in your endeavors! We are Sounisians, hear us roar like bears!

Comments

[katewaits.livejournal.com]

Chapter 12: "The simplest way to end a war is to admit that you have lost it."

I sat there for a full minute saying 'OMG, OMG, OMG'. Poor Sophos. But I loved the way that chapter ended.

"You came in. You took one look at me. And you laughed."

I knew it was Eddis by then and I got all fangirly.

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

There's probably a lot to say about these chapters, but the one thing that is jumping out at me in my memory is that it seems Gen never really reconciled with his attendants. I thought maybe once Sejanus was gone they might prove themselves to be better behaved. So, even Philologos, who I liked, is still a ass?

Not sure why, but I'm quite sad about this lol.

[viviolo.livejournal.com]

"No doubt she had overcome her own rebels with ten men and a penknife."

I had to put down my book for a full minute while I flailed at the pure awesome of this line.

I must admit that ever since Gen said "I'm sorry," in the Prologue, I suspected he was going to have to emotionally sucker-punch Sophos somehow. The payoff didn't disappoint!

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

Oh, I believe theres hope yet. I'm not sure I could ever see Gen being way close and buddy-buddy with his attendants, at least not all of them, but I can see the posibility of their relationship improving. IF Gen gives them a chance that is--they already know enough about him to know to give him one. They ARE giving him one, I think. He's just got to take it.

Its making me think about Attolia's relationship with her attendants. I definitely think their relationship improved after she married Gen--am I the only one who senses a subtle but distinct difference between that relationship in QoA and KoA? But even in QoA, though they weren't friends and she would never confide in them, they still supported her. I want to say this is Extremely Different from how Gen is with his attendants, but now that I think about it, there are similarities. A seemingly incompetent ruler shows him/herself to be competent, attendants give respect, a Change is necessary for the ruler to accept/become comfortable with that respect.... or am I just making this up?

[viviolo.livejournal.com]

No, I can totally see the parallels there! In QOA, Attolia's attendants support her but are fearful because of the manner in which she must rule. In KOA, she's warming up a little, and she's more relatable to them on a personal level.

But now Gen is in the same position with his attendants in COK that Attolia had in QOA--Gen has finally shown himself to be competent, but he terrified all his attendants in the process. I think the attendants may well be loyal to him (what with that line to Sophos that it's none of his business what Attolis' sleeping arrangements are), but Gen is still keeping them off-balance and fearful with his... behavior.

tl;dr, I agree. :P

[spellcoats.livejournal.com]

I have not gotten my copy yet. Someone please tell me pimp!magus is in the final version.

[katewaits.livejournal.com]

Chapter 15 has the conversation where Sophos asks Gen when he knew he was in love with Attolia. I love that he was sitting in a bush spying on her totally misunderstanding Dite's proposal and 'suddenly it wasn't funny anymore.'

It brought back that moment in KoA when he said 'like falling in love with a landslide. Only you would fail to notice.' (from memory)

I love his affection for Irene and that she sometimes comes off as kind of a dork.

[dihong.livejournal.com]

I loved this line, too. As an Irene-fan, it made the book for me. What little we saw of Attolia through Sounis' eyes was deliciously pithy.

[dihong.livejournal.com]

Me too. I also like how this explanation of what Gen saw makes that scene in KoA so much richer-- he must have had that in mind. With MWT's books, I feel like you can always go back and re-read to get more and more out of the story.

Oh Irene... so jaded in some ways, so clueless in others.

[sangoire.livejournal.com]

"We do not, all of us, need to be throwing inkwells."

AHHH THE ROMANCE. I'm sitting here grinning like an idiot.

[sangoire.livejournal.com]

"Attolis's attendant, walking just ahead, turned to speak over his shoulder. "They are not the royal apartments. His Majesty chose the rooms in preference and has arranged for the queen to remain in the royal apartments, as it suits them both." He managed to convey that they had rooms every bit as nice as any in Sounis and also that it wasn't anyone's business but theirs where their king slept."

Oh, I laughed and laughed. I love the casual bitchery of Eugenides' attendants.

I like how unrelentingly competent Attolia is. She is a woman who is sure of herself wherever she goes.

The backtracking on the Eugenides-must-be-King! issue is a little strange and expository. Wasn't that the entire point of King of Attolia? And yet here Gen is lounging around and letting Attolia do the real meat of the ruling. Is it that he's king enough to terrify the barons, and hands them over like a wedding present to her governance?

"Polystrictes, which one of us is a god?" --> LOOL.

[jennifer19l.livejournal.com]

"He managed to convey that they had rooms every bit as nice as any in Sounis and also that it wasn't anyone's business but theirs where their king slept."

It made me laugh all the harder when I recalled KoA ... as if the attendants actually know where he is sleeping each night...

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

"Am I King?"

ROFL

Am I King?

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Ooops that is in reply to "Polystrictes, which one of us is a god?"

Love the parallels.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Oh, I KNOW!!!

I love when mwt goes all simple sentency at perfect moments. I can even hear the slight accusation in his voice. (The readaloud for ACoK is going to be awesome.)

Bwahaha! But I already had guessed that it was Eddis.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, and I'm admiring your connections.

I think it has to do kind of with Gen's lil inferiority complex he has (the whole "no one would give me their heart" think in the Sophos And Gen Chapter Of Awesome). And, the ... behavior that Viviolo mentioned. Gen thinks that they still hate him, and he probably still isn't used to the role that attendants play.
But they DON'T hate him, or at least we know the Ion in Attolia doesn't. It's the "boy hero" thing all over again; they love him and see him as something apart, but he doesn't notice, maybe because he doesn't quite realize what an amazing Eugenides he is. And grrsh, the whole thing with the boots was really sad.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Poor Dite. If he only had known...

Re: Am I King?

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

Whoa, dude, YES! You wise person.

btw, my last name is King, and I try to think of excuses to say that line all the time.

Join the club. The grinning idiots club.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

I LOVE THAT LINE SO MUCH!

Oh, Eddis. You are so in-the-know about everything. Like the *ahem* habits of you beloved cousin and cousin-in-law. (haha cousin in law.)

And I love the whole thing that it's acknowledging the fact that they want to marry each other, but in the long run it's about their countries. Because they ARE their countries.

Because it needs to be said.

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

"Sophos, you sleep with a knife under your pillow? I'm hurt."

"Sorry.

"Gen, it's the middle of the night."

"I know."

OSOJFKJ;LJP92KLKDOSIOS!!!!!
Sorry, I can't quite quote it all from memory, that's the best I can do so far, but MWT, CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE EMANATING FROM ME WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT THAT SCENE?

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I loved that line as well. =D

Re: Because it needs to be said.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

The first time I read "I'm hurt", like a total protective Gen dork fan, I thought Sophos had actually nicked Gen with the knife. =/

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I felt it, too... that line hurt. Poor Sophos. His friend became a king!

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

I think there's hope yet as well. I loved the line from Philologos when Gen smashes his wine cup.

Re: Because it needs to be said.

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

So did Sophos! Which just makes it more awesome!