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[cabin-boy.livejournal.com]

I suppose I should introduce myself. >.> I am a friend of mycenaeth. Specifically, I am the shy friend whose illustrations she posted a while ago. ^.^; Mycenaeth lent her copy of The Thief to me years ago, and I adored it. When I decided my illustration thesis was going to be a series of cover illustrations, I knew The Thief had to be included (if only to see the look on Mycenaeth's face- priceless, I tell you XD <3)- so I went out and bought my own copy of the book to reread and check as reference. It was the last illustration in the series that I completed, and by far my favorite.

Now, this was a year ago. And since then I've been desperately trying to find the two sequels in stores, to no avail. I don't know if they're just not being carried as much, are insanely popular, or I just have terrible luck (I believe it's the latter, but I can hope it's choice two ;D), but I wasn't able to find them. But I've been very much in a reading mood for the past few months so eventually I just gave up and ordered them online. XP

Having finished them I wrote a lengthy little ramble about them. It's what I do best. XD A review of sorts (with no regard to spoilers, so be warned), that Mycenaeth insisted I post here. I rewrote it a little since you guys are a different audience than, you know, my eljay friends, but it's similar.


First off, I must say I have come to the conclusion:

Gen : wine :: Jack Sparrow : rum

Yes.

I very honestly imagined Jack's manner of speaking in many of Gen's lines. Especially the drunk lines. He was still very much his own character through the entire thing, but equally hilarious, and there was the same method of bringing up old jokes or references that were so poignant the first time that you can't help but remember them, even if they were made an entire book (or movie) earlier.

"Stop whining."

and

"Go to bed."

come to mind, specifically.

:D

Fives words spanned between two books that made me laugh so hard I had to stop reading because they completely blew my concentration. XD

But now unfortunately I'm going to go into my main topic at hand:

I did not like Queen of Attolia so much.

It was a good book, well written, don't misunderstand. But something was not... right. I do not like it unto itself. It fits nicely in the sequence, but it is... a bridge, too rickety to be comfortably traversed. D:

The Thief was amazing and by far still my favorite. Gen is made out to be a fool and an idiot, and every other character- and even the reader themselves for the most part- believes this to be true. Written in the first person, you can't help but believe what you are being told as truth.

But oh, he is such an excellent liar. <3

King of Attolia is the second verse of the same song. Everyone around him once again believes him to be inept, but now- now *you* know better. But you are no longer inside his head. You have no idea wtf he is thinking, and therefore no idea how much is accident versus how much is intricate planning.

Apparently, he also does very little by accident. Sheesh. XD;

But Queen of Attolia... I guess I should explain that I like to think of Eugenides in a split sort of way. There is Gen and there is Eugenides. I adore Gen, the charmingly foolish yet somehow astonishingly intelligent boy; but Eugenides is not that same trickster. He is calculating and serious and stone. The Thief stars Gen, Queen of Attolia stars, mostly, Eugenides, and King of Attolia contains equal appearances of both.

I knew two things I probably shouldn't have, going into Queen of Attolia. One was that by the end he falls in love with and marries Attolia, thus becoming the King referenced in the title of the next book. The other was that he loses his hand.

I had no idea how closely the two points were involved.

I had assumed that he would lose his hand around the climax, possibly in a thievery plot gone wrong, or a swordfight he unwilling partook in. The last thing I expected was for it to occur at, very nearly, the opening of the book... at the hands of Attolia herself.

He then spent half the book incredibly depressed. This was distressing but understandable, and despite the nature of it I probably enjoyed this part of the book the most (that and the part directly after it, involving the asplodings and the magus stealings. >:D) The boy hiding in his library, yelling at the people trying to help him... even though it was of a serious nature and not just his usual idle tantrums, this was a Gen I recognized.

Far more problematic was, after his eventual recovery from his depression, his insistance that he was in love with the woman who had cut off his hand, who had caused him that misery, who had made him contemplate his own life (specifically its worthlessness, and his taking it.) She caused him nightmares- nightmares that he awoke from screaming. When he was captured by her once more, he was so terrified that he tried to kill himself rather than be left to her devices.

...this is love?

I found it rather unsettling; upsetting.

Now, I have read other arguments in Sounis for and against Attolia and Gen's sudden relationship. I know someone linked to another rather anti-Queen of Attolia review recently. But I know there are a lot of supporters, and to head you off I want to explain that I understand your reasoning. Although it seems rather clear at the end of The Thief that he despises her, I can see that maybe Megan herself hadn't decided they would fall in love. I can accept Gen's later infatuation- that she grew on him somehow- and how he acts on it. Sneaking around Attolia, leaving gifts and teasing her- it is very Gen, and I think it's adorable. XD Attolia's reaction is also understandable. She is the ruthless queen, who doesn't know what to think of this nuisance of a boy. When she catches him, she not only has his connection to Eddis and therefore threat to Attolia to consider in her punishment, but also his teasing and humiliation of her. Yeah- that most definitely did no good in alleviating your sentence, Gen.

Eugenides himself knows and understands this. He repeatedly defends her, stating that it was a suitable- if antiquated- punishment for a thief; that it was within her rights. I may even have accepted their relationship if he had forgiven her at that. But despite what his words say, the nighttime screams and his thought of suicide rather than accepting capture a second time- this terror he develops turns his words into yet another of his many lies.

Attolia's love... that I can accept. She acts like a child who broke her favorite toy in anger and later regretted it (ironic how the manipulative Eugenides hides his true character in public childishness, whereas the publically mature Attolia is rather childish in private.) But Gen... Why, Gen? Why her? Your torment, your nightmare and greatest fear?

I sympathize with Eddis. I'm very glad that Megan wrote her point of view in there, else I would have just thought everyone had gone crazy for not seeing what was so wrong with this situation. Eddis regretted putting her Thief in such a position, having to marry his nightmare. She wondered at why he was doing it- *how* he could be doing it; offered repeatedly to find another way, without marrying the two.

But no, Eugenides wanted to be married to his tormenter. Gods know why. (And they do, apparently- having set up the entire fiasco! I did like the end, where he speaks to the gods. I'm not sure if this was the case with everyone who read it, but I knew very well they did not betray him. They hurt him, but they hurt him so that he would go where he needed to be, and do what needed to be done. Rather like Attolia herself, really- willing to take a harsh means to a necessary end.)

But like Eddis, I deeply care for and want what's best for Gen. And I hated, absolutely *hated* seeing him do this to himself.

But you know, it works. I don't know how, but it works, and I almost hate him for it. For making me question him- really, at this point I should know better than to question Eugenides, because I loved King of Attolia. Not only does it bring Gen back in full force, but it did miracles to smooth my distress over their marriage. They are, realistically and believably throughout the entire thing, in love. She can still be harsh and cold, but we all know Gen of all people needs someone like that to keep him in line. ;D And she needs him: a thief to steal away that abhorrent mask of hers.

So! I come to my final conclusion about the entire thing:

Each book is very much like the country it takes place in.

Sounis representing The Thief, and Attolia itself as King of Attolia. Thus leaving Queen of Attolia as the connection, the passage through the mountains that is Eddis' very same crucial role to the other two countries. It is a necessary bridge, if in my opinion a rickety one, to King of Attolia, where Gen returns to shine with all his tricks and idiotic genius. Attolia herself becomes a much more likable person, and the references both of them make to what happened are filled with regret and apology and even, still, hurt- and I love every bit of it. <3

...

Sophos had better not be dead, though. Being "missing" is rather similar to being "stolen" and I'm crossing my fingers that a certain Thief is responsible. But he seemed as shocked himself, and it would seem like such an obvious a conclusion... But Sophos was just such a sweetie, and would be so adorable with tomboy Eddis. D: <3

That's really all I have to say (as if it was so little, hah!) For reading through all this, a small bonus: Mycenaeth showed you all the illustrations I did, but didn't have any images of the final bookcovers. I only had enough time to make four, out of the six total illustrations, but The Thief was of course included. So, here are some photos of the finished products~