The Queen of Attolia

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

It's week two of QT Reflections! On to The Queen of Attolia, but first an announcement. If you're just joining us, catch up HERE.


We're still very much in need of volunteers for the Thick as Thieves re-read leading up to the release of Return of the Thief. The deadline to sign up is February 3rd, which is only about a week away. Leading a discussion is a lot of fun and not a terribly big time commitment, so please consider helping us out if you can, thanks! Please, email me at ninedaysaqueenmod@gmail.com if you'd like to sign up. I just need your LJ username, which section you'd prefer, and if there are any sections you cannot cover. Below are the sections available. After February 3rd, I will contact you and officially assign you a section.

Chapters 1-3 (p1-85 85 pages total)* Feb. 17th - Feb. 23rd

Chapters 4-6 (p86-181 96 pages total)* Feb. 24th - Mar. 2nd

Chapters 7-10 (p182-269 88 pages total)* Mar. 3rd - Mar. 9th

Chapters 11-13+Envoy (p270-337 68 pages total)* Mar. 10th - Mar. 16th

*page numbers are from 2017 hardcover edition


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Published four years after The Thief was first released, The Queen of Attolia came out in April of 2000. The book recieved critical acclaim equal to that of The Thief. The Queen of Attolia received the Parent's Choice Gold Award of 2000, was on the Blue Ribbon list of the same year, and was listed on several other notable book lists in 2000 and 2001.

The Queen of Attolia ultimately inspired the founding of sounis, which was established in 2005 in anticipation of the release of The King of Attolia.

Megan didn't initially plan to write a sequel to The Thief. She only started to consider a sequel after being asked for one by Barbara Barstow, a librarian in Cuyohoga County, Ohio. Megan decided that the next important part of Gen's story needed to be about him taking too big of a risk and getting caught.

The Queen of Attolia will be turning 19 this spring.

How fitting is it that it's thanks to a librarian that we have this series?


Gen as an old man cover. Also known as "the boat one."


The creepy hand one.


The hook cover. Also known as the what-is-she-holding? cover. This cover is "on point" as Megan says... XD


The board one. This edition includes the short story, The Knife Dance, which you can read HERE.*
*You must be a community member to access this link.


2010 Re-read
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

2017 Re-read
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Please, answer the questions in the comments below in order to participate. If your answer is the same as last week, just skip that one. Have fun!

(1)Favorite line/scene?
(2)Favorite plot twist?
(3)Favorite fanart/fanfic for this book?
(4)How did this book affect you and your life?
(5)When did you first read this particular book?
(6)What were your first impressions and did your opinions change over the years?
(7)Favorite cover/edition of this book?
(8)Did you ever read this book in a language other than English?
(9)Do you own multiple copies of this book? If so, which editions?
(10) Have you ever convinced family/friends/co-workers to read this book?
(11) Any fun stories about sharing this book?
(12) Have you lent out copies that never got returned?
(13) Have you ever listened to the audio book? Which version?
(14) What's your favorite Sounis post about this book?
(15) Any fond memories of discussing this book on Sounis?
(16) If you could choose only one word to describe this book, what word would that be?

(Bonus) Have you read The Knife Dance? What are your opinions on it?*

*I recommend you copy/paste the questions into your comment and answer them there, but if you're have trouble with that, I’ve also elected to give them numbers.

Comments

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

(1)Favorite line/scene?
Gen and Irene climbing the stairs to meet the Eddisians there, and Gen being desperately, anxiously intent, but also incorrigibly obnoxious, stealing and making goat noises.

Also the exchanges between Gen and Eddis, especially his discussion of at least waiting until he got outside the hospital room before throwing up.

(2)Favorite plot twist?
Probably realizing the earrings Attolia was wearing.

(4)How did this book affect you and your life?
My husband (then pen-pal friend) recommended The Thief to me, and we were ready and waiting when the second book was published. This book didn't have as much of an impact for me, but was something fun to discuss and argue about with the friend who'd recommended the series to me.

(5)When did you first read this particular book?
The same year it was published, when I heard a follow-up book had been published.

(6)What were your first impressions and did your opinions change over the years?

Honestly, this was my least favorite for a while. I didn't like it a ton when I first read it. The beginning was so upsetting to me and such a sudden maturation from the more lighthearted tone of the first that it honestly took a long time before I really developed an appreciation and emotional understanding of their relationship through some of my own life experiences (fortunately no limb loss). KoA helped a great deal, too.

(7)Favorite cover/edition of this book?
I think the 'on point' cover is the most 'on point' if you will of the covers I am familiar with and have owned, and I think it captures a lot more of the highlights and essence of the book than, say, the creepy hand book (which I haven't seen before today).

(9)Do you own multiple copies of this book? If so, which editions?
We've owned the Gen imagines he's a pirate in a boat edition, and currently have green dress lady wields a prosthetic.

(16) If you could choose only one word to describe this book, what word would that be?
Broadening, perhaps.

[canonisrelative.livejournal.com]

This:

Gen and Irene climbing the stairs to meet the Eddisians there, and Gen being desperately, anxiously intent, but also incorrigibly obnoxious, stealing and making goat noises.

and this:

Probably realizing the earrings Attolia was wearing.

So very much yes.

[canonisrelative.livejournal.com]

(1)Favorite line/scene?

I have a great fondness for outside-POV and seeing favorite characters through others' eyes. So this is going to sound weird as a favorite scene out of every one in this amazing book, but it was one of the first to come to mind: During the trek down the Aracthus, when Xenophon is talking to and thinking about Eugenides, watching him both as one among the other men, and as the architect of this plan. "You're sure they're above the level of the river / They were a hundred and fifty years ago" and also when the cannon hits the platform, everyone else clutches the netting but "Only the Thief didn't."

Okay okay but actual favorite line:

She recalled the Thief as he reached the steps back up to the door.
"My Queen?" He turned back, unsure what she wanted.
"Only for that," said Eddis.

Me: *weeps*


(2)Favorite plot twist?

The cannon :D


(3)Favorite fanart/fanfic for this book?

Fic: This one that I wrote back in 2010 and I'm not even embarassed about it. (https://archiveofourown.org/works/4082914) There's some pretty dark stuff in the book, it was crying out for a light-hearted send-up.

Eddis stared. "Your capacity to land yourself in a mess because you didn't think first, Eugenides, will never cease to amaze me. What do you mean you didn't think about being king? Is Attolia going to marry you and move into my library?"


(4)How did this book affect you and your life?

It made me want to Write Like Her.


(5)When did you first read this particular book?

I don't know exactly. I'll have to confer with my sister one day to figure out the timeline. All I know for sure is I read TT when I was still in high school, so ~2003, after my sister had already found and fell in love with it, but it was a few years after that before we even discovered there was a sequel. I know I read QoA before KoA was out, and I feel like I...didn't love it. I mean, I thought it was brilliant, but I missed being in Gen's head, and I was so upset by what had happened to him, and I really didn't get the romance between him and Irene. To be honest, I'm still not 100% sure that I do -- but more in the way the attendents put it in KoA... "The love of kings and queens is beyond the compass of us lesser mortals." I think I only read it a couple times before King came out -- and I fell the *&#$ in love with Costis and this officially became my favorite book series.


(6)What were your first impressions and did your opinions
change over the years?

Sort of covered that above. The main thing that's changed is just picking up more and more of the nuance and an ever-growing appreciation for the way she turns a phrase. Also -- more on this in the King discussion -- once I finally succumbed to the Eugenides/Irene romance, Irene's chapters became much more interesting to me.


(7)Favorite cover/edition of this book?

The old man pirate cover, because it was the first.


(8)Did you ever read this book in a language other than
English?

No

(9)Do you own multiple copies of this book? If so, which editions?

I've given away at least one so when TaT came out I re-bought the whole series with the new covers. That's the only one I know where it is.


(10) Have you ever convinced family/friends/co-workers to read this book?

I don't think so, I've had a run of weird luck where I recommend it only to find out they've already read it.


(11) Any fun stories about sharing this book?

(12) Have you lent out copies that never got returned?

Yes.

(13) Have you ever listened to the audio book? Which version?

Both. Didn't like the old one, love the new one to distraction.


(14) What's your favorite Sounis post about this book?

(15) Any fond memories of discussing this book on Sounis?

(16) If you could choose only one word to describe this book, what word would that be?

Gratifying


(Bonus) Have you read The Knife Dance? What are your opinions on it?

I have but I think only once. Putting it on the list.

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

I think Xenophon is one of my favorite characters who doesn't get enough 'screen time'.

Never thought of it specifically before, but I wonder if the "only the thief didn't" startle bit is a product of Gen's long training that something as little as a jolt doesn't phase him, or if it's also a further example of his trust in his God that won't let him fall until it's his time and so he doesn't try to catch himself.

KoA certainly went a long way to making QoA a lot clearer to me. Glad MWT didn't just stop with the sequal a librarian bugged her for. :)

[canonisrelative.livejournal.com]

product of Gen's long training that something as little as a jolt doesn't phase him, or if it's also a further example of his trust in his God

Yes...to both, I think! Plus some of...what shall we call it...fatalistic attitude about this kind of thing? If he's going to fall he's going to fall. One of my other favorite lines -- in that it gives me chills and haunts me -- is when he cries "It was my right to fall" when challenging the gods in Attolia's palace, when he learns that Moira/his gods orchestrated his capture. This is before all of that and the "safely dead" talk of the next book, but I reckon the seeds of it are planted here...

KoA certainly went a long way to making QoA a lot clearer to me. Glad MWT didn't just stop with the sequal a librarian bugged her for. :)

So very very much!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

(1)Favorite line/scene?

For QoA, I'm caught between "War, then." and Irene's diplomacy burn. "Where there is life, there is hope." is another (see icon).

Fav scene is when Gen sulks in the temple, gets told to stop whining, and eats the ceremonial bread. Partially because it leads to the MoW helping Gen into bed like he's a little kid. The MoW is a good father!

(2)Favorite plot twist?

The wooden cannons and the MoW being one of the soldiers Gen is captured with.

I have to give an honorable mention to Irene's name meaning peace.

(3)Favorite fanart/fanfic for this book?

Leng's Irene fanarts. The red dress (https://www.deviantart.com/mander-lee/art/Draw-It-Again-506132013) and the green dress. (https://www.deviantart.com/mander-lee/art/Attolia-658422294)

A Temporary Inabilility to Go Either Up or Down (https://archiveofourown.org/works/140983) by lightgetsin.

(4)How did this book affect you and your life?

It taught me not to fear the removal of Plot Armor.

(5)When did you first read this particular book?

Right after I read the TT, so 2007-ish.

(6)What were your first impressions and did your opinions change over the years?

First impressions was, wow, this is much darker and more political than the last book. The stakes have been raised!

I think I grew to appreciate it much more with additional re-reads. There's as much misdirection as TT. A comma changed the whole plot!

I also didn't know during the first half that I wasn't suppose to hate Irene. I mean, I just couldn't dislike her, which I felt guilty about at first. I'm glad she didn't turn out to be a villain.

(7)Favorite cover/edition of this book?

The British one. (http://www.theliteratemother.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/The-Queen-of-Attolia-Book-2.jpg) I'm also fond of the boat one. If Gen didn't look twice his age, it would probably be my fav. I do really appreciate the hook one and how the artist drew Irene's dress exactly as it was described in the book.

(9)Do you own multiple copies of this book? If so, which editions?

I have the hook one, the ebook, and the new one.

(13) Have you ever listened to the audio book? Which version?

Jeff Woodman's version several times, which I love. He made Irene sound really scary. I was able to upgrade to CDs with this one! XD

(14) What's your favorite Sounis post about this book?

There was a vampire version of QoA thelasteddis and I came up with. I don't remember where it is, but it was really funny!

(15) Any fond memories of discussing this book on Sounis?

Taking about the creepy hand cover with Agh comes to mind. We both shared the experience of realizing we were holding a severed hand...

My opening post for the 2017 re-read fostered a lot of great discussion.

(16) If you could choose only one word to describe this book, what word would that be?

Enigmatic.

(Bonus) Have you read The Knife Dance? What are your opinions on it?

I love the The Knife Dance and the characters in it. It's my favorite short story of the lot. I also think it's the only short story with a big twist. OMG, Eugendies the god is possessing Gen!!!!

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

"A comma changed the whole plot" - which comma?

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

"Those in the rear struggled with block and tackle, roughly squared wooden beams, wooden carriages and cannon." p164

At first glance, this just looks like an absence of the oxford comma. However, since there is no oxford comma, wooden is modifying both carriages and cannon. Note, this is when they are still in the river, long before the plot reveal that the cannons are made of wood.

[whataliethatwas.livejournal.com]

Oh, right! I remember laughing at that one on a re-read once. I forgot it was because of a MIA comma. That's amazing.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

(1)Favorite line/scene?
This is my favorite of the series, so there are so many to choose from! I think the last scene in the book is my favorite, when Irene and Gen both let down their guards and have an honest conversation. But a close second is when Attolia and Eddis rush to the room where Gen is being held and Attolia fears that Gen's been poisoned. So many feels, and Megan writes that scene (the way Gen is lying, the wine cup overturned) that *you* immediately fear the same thing. I'm not sure how she does that but it's a lovely example of "show, don't tell" that I wish other authors would learn.

(2)Favorite plot twist?
Oh, by far, the earrings! When Attolia said, "Not those." I remember yelling, "holy crap! Does she mean what I think she means??"

(3)Favorite fanart/fanfic for this book?
The drabble icon with stick figures and gushing blood. I don't remember who drew it but it makes me laugh every time.

(4)How did this book affect you and your life?
It's not too much to say that this book was life-changing for me. It was the first I read in the series, so the chop-chop part didn't affect me in the same way it did some of you. I barely knew Gen, so I wasn't as upset about what happened to him. The plot twists, emotion, dialogue, EVERYTHING, made me examine the book in a way I don't think I'd ever done before. I went and read TT and liked it, but not to the extent of my love for QoA. I loved it so much I urged everyone I knew to read it...and no one did. :-( That's why I went online and started looking for book discussion groups. It was really my first foray into using social media for that. I found the Readerville site, which had an excellent active TT/QoA discussion group (unfortunately, it's no longer around and the site is gone, although some Sounis members were there, I think). Seems like every day I'd go online to see if there was any info about a sequel. I just had to have another book! That's right about when sounis started and my life was changed again by meeting all of y'all. And, it resulted in several real life meetups, including with Megan. I've made some good real-life friends as a result of reading QoA.

(5)When did you first read this particular book?
2005, I think.

(6)What were your first impressions and did your opinions change over the years?
I *hated* Irene for a long time, and found it hard to forgive here. I also learned some tricks from Gen about how to poke people to see what direction they jump in.

(7)Favorite cover/edition of this book?
The English one. I bought it just for its cover.

(9)Do you own multiple copies of this book? If so, which editions?
Yep. My Gen-as-a-Rapist-in-a-Boat is falling to pieces.It's the first one I owned.

(11) Any fun stories about sharing this book?
Ha, I loaned one of my copies to a student at my school who loved the series. When she returned it, if had spaghetti sauce or something on one of the pages and I was a little peeved.

(15) Any fond memories of discussing this book on Sounis?
It was so nice to discuss the book with others who could help me figure out all the little clues, motivations of the characters, age of the characters, etc, etc. I think we all missed a lot the first time we read it and it was great getting ideas and perspectives from others who were smart readers.

(16) If you could choose only one word to describe this book, what word would that be?
Life-changing (see 4 above!)