Community Read-along: A Conspiracy of Kings section 1

[an-english-girl.livejournal.com]

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 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 ibmiller, while May 16th gets nearer every day!

Comments

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[an-english-girl.livejournal.com]

And he wants Sophos to make an informed and aware choice, between Eddisian/Attolian frankness and Mede smooth-talking?

[an-english-girl.livejournal.com]

Sophos is rather bumbling around like a big, clueless puppy once he arrives in the Attolian court, though, isn't he? It's like he goes: "Phew, with my friends, I can relax." And Gen's like: "Hang on, here; we are kings, you and I. Other responsibilities at least come into play. Formality in front of prying eyes, for one..." I see it as one of the reasons he goes on to smash that wine cup, and what he finally succeeds in when Sophos pushes him over -- trying to get his friend to see that a king has to act in different ways, on different levels, in different places -- but is still the same person!

[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.