QoA Section Three - Read-Along Week 3

[pendrecarc.livejournal.com]

Many thanks to ninedaysaqueen for organizing this!

This is the third discussion for Queen of Attolia. The first section is here, and the second is here.

These discussions are spoiler free for the new short stories, “The Wine Shop” and “The Knife Dance,” as well as the Thick as Thieves arc.

There will be spoilers for books 1-4, so if you haven’t read all the published books yet, proceed with caution.

Next week is a break week with a chat on March 19th.

***

I'm going to structure this a little differently, with a very brief (and irreverent) summary under the cut and discussion topics in comments to this post. If you want to start new comment threads with completely different topics, please do!

Section three runs from Chapter 15, which begins "Attolia turned to look at him, where he kneeled watching her face," and Chapter 21, which ends, "And she believed him."

In which...Teleus has a terrible evening, Attolia and Eugenides enjoy a romantic moonlit excursion and share fond memories of their last meeting, Attolia redefines the term "statement jewelry", Nahuseresh is schooled in diplomacy, Eddis looks a little vulpine, Eugenides naps dramatically (twice), and Attolia needs to replace her palace windows.

Comments

Ex Machina

[pendrecarc.livejournal.com]

At the very end of the book, we learn (along with Eugenides) that the gods have betrayed him twice, first leading to the loss of his hand and then to his capture by Nahuseresh. We also learn the reason why.

1) Any theories about the identity of the goddess who comes to speak with Gen after he sacrifices the goat? Is it someone we've met or heard about, and will we ever learn her name?

2) Why do you think it was necessary for Moira to tell Nahuseresh how to capture Eugenides? Attolia had already agreed to marry Gen by that point and make him king--how would the outcome have been different if they'd simply moved forward from that point?

Re: Ex Machina

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

2) The immediate outcome wouldn't have been different, but the long term one would. If Gen hadn't been captured, Irene would have felt forced into the marriage and they wouldn't have started off on the equal footing they did. Remember, when she accepted his proposal she told him to never drink from her wine cup. But, once the tables were turned and she was in control of him again, she realized that she loved him and even wanted him to be king. Gen's capture was necessary, the same way that the loss of his hand was. I guess is was the only way the gods to arrange for Eddis, their favored country, to survive.

Re: Ex Machina

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Interesting point, Checkers. Below, we were discussing Eddis' visions of the Sacred Mountain erupting, and it's interesting that Gen shares these visions once he's in place to become king of Attolia. He later plays his part in maneuvering Sophos (who also finds out his dreams are more than just dreams) into becoming Sounis and providing an escape route for Eddis. Which comes first, I wonder... Do the gods meddle with people because they also happen to be (useful) monarchs or do people become monarchs because the gods are meddling? *thinking face emoji*

Re: Ex Machina

[an-english-girl.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is at that point that Irene has an absolute choice between Gen and the Mede, and what they each offer for herself and for her country. And it is at that point, I think, that she finally comes to "know her own mind", rather like Eowyn in LotR, when her heart either changed or she finally understood it :)
After all, Irene has been carrying Gen's earrings about with her, even as she has flirted gold out of Nahuseresh...

Re: Ex Machina

[pendrecarc.livejournal.com]

After all, Irene has been carrying Gen's earrings about with her

Yes, that struck me for the first time on this reread--she hasn't just left them lying around, but actually brought them with her to Ephrata!

Re: Ex Machina

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, I never realized that! She takes the earrings with her when she travels. :-0

Re: Ex Machina

[ibmiller.livejournal.com]

Well said. Without Irene feeling like she had a real choice - not a "marry me or die" choice but "I hold your life in my hands and still chose to marry you," I don't think she would have trusted Gen to take down the house of Erondites, or any of the other things he would need her trust to do.

Re: Ex Machina

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Yes, trust is the perfect word. Irene's trust in Gen, because of everything that happened at the Pricus Springs and in Ephrata, leads to her trust in him during the early days of his reign.