A Conspiracy of Kings

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

It’s the last week of Reflections! This week we’re covering A Conspiracy of Kings, but first an update on the TaT re-read. If you're just joining us, catch up HERE.


The community wide re-read of Thick as Thieves will begin this coming Sunday, February 17th. Your section leads will be…

Chapters 1-3 (p1-85 85 pages total)* Feb. 17th - Feb. 23rd
checkers65477

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

Chapters 7-10 (p182-269 88 pages total)* Mar. 3rd - Mar. 9th
starmy63/whataliethatwas

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

*page numbers are from 2017 hardcover edition


If you would like to get ahead start, this is a good week to start reading the book.



A Conspiracy of Kings was released in March of 2010--four years after The King of Attolia. The fourth book in the series returned to the supporting character, Sophos, not seen since The Thief, and ran parallel to the timeline of The King of Attolia and after. A Conspiracy of Kings was announced along with Megan’s review of the first Hunger Games novel.

The first Queen’s Thief book to chart on the New York Times best sellers list at #6 in April of 2010, A Conspiracy of Kings received many notable awards including: the LA Times Book Award for Young Adult Literature (2010) and the Mythopoeic Award (2011, with the rest of the series). The book was also a finalist and the winner of the “undead" poll during Harper Collin’s 2011 Battle of the Kids Books.

A Conspiracy of Kings is, essentially, a bridge book, as Megan realized she could not simply summarize Sophos’s journey to becoming king and he needed his own book.

sounis was in full swing with hundreds of members by 2010 and had an influence on the final cover, now known as the Great Mustache Debate. This was the last book to have a cover by the artist, Vince Natale.

A Conspiracy of Kings will be turning nine next month.



The "why-does-Sophos-look-like-Orlando-Bloom" cover. The paperback of this edition featured the short story, Destruction.


The new one with the pigeons.


2017 Re-read
Part One
Part Two
Part Three


Please, answer the questions below to participate. If your answer is the same from previous weeks, 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 Destruction? 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

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Okay, I admit... I haven't filled out the questions for the previous books, because the sheer amount of LOVE I feel for all aspects of this series makes it an overwhelming task. I've never been good at isolating favorite lines or scenes or characters. But, as I've made known in the past, there's a very special spot in my heart for ACoK. I'd read the previous 3 books when it was published, but winning an ARC copy of ACoK is what brought me officially into the fandom, and to Sounis. I've loved it more with every re-read. And Sophos has my heart on a toothpick.

So, I'm gonna make an attempt.

(1)Favorite line/scene?
The ones I'm most likely to use in everyday conversation: "WE EAT THE CHICKEN NOW!" or "A natural! A natural!" come to mind. :)

But this book is a gold mine of good/iconic QT quotations:

"He would have been a better man under different circumstances."
"But does a good man let his circumstances determine his character?"
(Sophos and Gen, discussing Ambiades.)

"I don't think unlikely means to him what it does to the rest of us." (The Magus, about Gen.)

A personal favorite, because it just plain rocks:
"If I couldn't be Eddis, I would be Attolia."

And the one that never fails to make me laugh out loud:
"Muse of poetry, come to his aid, I thought. Could the man produce one more metaphor of husbandry? He seemed to be trying.
"Green wood," I suggested, but even he sensed that there was something unfortunate about a metaphor for a king in which you dry out your royalty before you set fire to it."

Sophos may compare himself negatively to Gen, but he really is witty.

(2)Favorite plot twist?
I was concerned when I thought the Magus was having a stroke--that cunning devil! It's also adorable how much Sophos's family, including his father, actually love each other. And obviously, Sophos showing up to a (verbal) knife fight with an (actual) gun. Gen is such a bad influence...

(3)Favorite fanart/fanfic for this book?
I'm fond of this one: https://ofgodsandthieves.tumblr.com/post/172848096256/minuiko-rowansr-replied-to-your-post

(4)How did this book affect you and your life?
A lot. Positively. I loaned the ARC to a whole bunch of friends and we started a book club of sorts and then I joined Sounis and made more wonderful online friends and met MWT and decided I wanted to be a writer too and... the entry of this book into my life has been quite profound, really.

(5)When did you first read this particular book?
Before it even came out. :) :) (I was thrilled, in case you couldn't tell.) I think I was 19 or thereabouts, which is weird to think back on now.

(6)What were your first impressions and did your opinions change over the years?
My first impression was that I was confused by the POV shifts, but that's basically my experience with every QT book. My second impression was that I related to Sophos, maybe too much. My third was that I loved him.

I can't pick a favorite QT book, but over the years I've come to feel that ACoK is a stellar but underappreciated addition to the series!

(7)Favorite cover/edition of this book?
Unapologetic stan for all the Natale covers.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

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

(9)Do you own multiple copies of this book? If so, which editions?
I've kept that original ARC for sentimental reasons, and I have a hardcover of the Natale cover, as well as a paperback with the new cover art. (I did have a Natale paperback, but I think I gave it to someone.)

(10) Have you ever convinced family/friends/co-workers to read this book?
So many. I've lost count.

(11) Any fun stories about sharing this book?
See my answer to question 4.

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

(13) Have you ever listened to the audio book? Which version?
Not yet.

(14) What's your favorite Sounis post about this book?
Oh, probably one of the many from 2010, during all the buzz surrounding its publication. Those were fun times.

(15) Any fond memories of discussing this book on Sounis?
Again, so many.

(16) If you could choose only one word to describe this book, what word would that be?
Enriching. Both to the world of QT, and to my life.

(Bonus) Have you read Destruction? What are your opinions on it?
Is this the one where we get concrete information as to the age difference between Helen and Gen? Or is this the bonus scene where the Gift is destroyed? Sorry, I can't remember. Anyway--yes, I've read all the bonus material, and loved it. (Knife Dance is my favorite, though.)

[eachase.livejournal.com]

Ditto to pretty much everything freenarnian said above, particularly the 1st paragraph, the "I don't think unlikely means to him what it does to the rest of us" quote, and Natale covers.

This is my favorite title in the series (to date), but I have a really hard time answering questions about individual titles because I really think of the whole thing as one epic.

I think I read this one the Thanksgiving weekend after it released. I do remember getting to the end and immediately starting it again.

The developing-cover-art posts for CoK is really what brought this fandom to my attention.