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

Afterthought

[an-english-girl.livejournal.com]

In Baron Hanaktos' field-house, we learn a lot more about the Eumen conspiracy than originally mentioned in The Thief. What light does this add to the character and actions of Ambiades, whose family lost everything in it? And also that of the Magus, who took the son of a Eumen conspirator's family to be his apprentice?

Re: Afterthought

[manderelee.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, yes, I was going to comment on this!! *sorry, I just finished the section for this readalong last midnight, so I'm a bit late*

This was one of the things that really struck me this time in my re-read. Mostly because I'd forgotten that the Eumen conspiracy was mentioned in TT the first few times I read ACoK. This time though my re-read of the series have almost been back-to-back, and the Eumen conspiracy is still fresh in my mind.

Looking back, I feel myself oddly sympathizing with Ambiades. If his relatives were involved in the Eumen conspiracy, that means that they were the ones who helped Sounis take the throne. And *then* they were killed to shut them up. Sophos also mentions that Ambiades was the magus's apprentice long before Sophos came. So what must it have been like for Ambiades to wake up one day and find that the heir of the current king is the 2nd apprentice of the magus? And not only that, but have Sophos be the better student? Ugh, that must have stung!

To be honest, in his place, I would have turned to Attolia too.

Oh gosh, poor Ambiades. He was a jerk, but he was in poor company. I'd be a jerk too if I was him. In Sophos's words: "So many things are obvious in retrospect, aren't they?"