Obvious in retrospect.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I hope I'm not the only one ready for another round of obsessive, in-depth, delight-and-amuse-Megan-by-finding-what-isn't-(or-is-it?)-there book discussion!

Because I just finished a 2nd reading of A Conspiracy of Kings.



I'll skip the mile long squee fest that naturally follows the reading of MWT's books and get right to a couple questions. (I'm sure they've been discussed here before, so I'm looking forward to your quick and clever answers.)

1) Sounis swears his loyalty to Attolis, not Attolia. I'm sure I knew this the 1st time, but it wasn't until my 2nd time reading that it fully registered, followed by an immediate, "Why?" I'm further puzzled by the fact that, unlike so many details of the Sounis/Eddis/Attolia negotiations, it goes by without so much as a blink, a discussion, an explanation... like the characters assume from the first that that's how it'll be. No doubt the reason is obvious to everyone but me. My first and only thought is that it must have something to do with safeguarding Gen's kingship. Perhaps even an evil baron would think twice about assassinating Gen if it means the loss of a vital alliance with Sounis (against the Mede). Could it also have something to do with winning over the Eddisian people? Would they be much more comfortable settling in Sounis knowing it was loyal to Gen, one of their own, versus the Attolian queen? Yes? No? Thoughts?

2) I also found myself wondering where in the existing timeline A Conspiracy of Kings takes place. For some reason I thought it overlapped with KoA, and maybe it does in the beginning, but then it seemed like it came after. It's those pesky Mede quadruplets messing with my head...

Comments

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

1) Because everyone *knows* Attolia is a monster, of course! I don't mean to imply that you missed the obvious, I mean that I think that that is the natural conclusion every average Sounisian and Eddisian comes too. She poison's her husbands and hangs people by their thumbs. They probably use her to scare their children into exemplary behavior! I think the thought of Attolia makes the other Penninsular-ians (If that's a word!) nervous. So they went with her husband, who has a *little* less frightening reputation. Just my opinion ;)

2) I think the beginning overlaps KoA - but I got the impression that Sophos was a slave for some time, so he was still a slave after the events of KoA, and then made his way to Attolia. Again, Just my opinion!

Thanks for the excuse to dissect!

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Perhaps Gen is just the better diplomat. (Scary thought.)