*The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

The Queen of Attolia is both diabolical and lovely; Eugenides loves her despite the choices she must make on behalf of her crown.

*The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. Greenwillow Books, 2017 (originally 2000). 416 pages.

• Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15

• Recommended For: Ages 12 and up

Eugenides, the cocky thief from The Thief, has been caught.

The queen of Attolia has caught him red-handed. She knows he’s been snooping around her castle, and this time, she caught him fleeing the grounds. Now what do with him? Punish him for sure. Use him to send a message to his queen, Eddis. A queen must demonstrate strength and resolve in front of her subjects. She must rule with an iron fist or they will deem her unfit and seek to put a man back on the throne. But what is the best way to send a message, both to Eddis and her own subjects? Not death. No, that won’t do. What about the ancient punishment for thieves? Yes, that will do nicely.

A one-handed thief is useless, or so Eugenides thinks. He’s sent home to Eddis once he recovers enough from the Attolian queen’s barbaric act; once home, Gen confines himself to his room and sulks. But the machinations of state do not wait for our feelings to resolve themselves, and Gen must be pressed back into the service of his own country once again. This time, he plans to steal a queen.

Perhaps more than any other volume in the six-volume series, The Queen of Attolia is a romance. But it is also a political thriller and the story of two queens who grow to respect one another. It is the story of men and women who put their own wishes aside to better serve their country. And it is still the story of Eugenides, working away behind the scenes as no one else can, as no one else dares to.

Considerations:

• Religion: One of the most distinctive parts of this series is the panoply of gods that Turner creates for her mythical world; Gen’s relationship with his god is one of the most profound pictures of a human relating to a god that we know of in contemporary literature. Characters are often talking about the “gods” or swearing by the “gods,” but only Eugenides has a real relationship with his god. And he’s bold enough to ask serious questions (including “why” about events); even more startling (to other characters) is that his god answers him. Ask your teen readers how this relationship helps us think about our own relationship with our God.
• Violence: A man’s hand is cut off.
• Language: (profanity; several instances of “damn” and “by the gods” and one “bitch”)
• Lifestyle: As one would expect in a pagan society, members in this one engage in drinking and similar behavior.

Bottom Line: An outstanding follow up to the first volume in the series.

*indicates starred review. A best of the best in its field.

Related Reading at Redeemed Reader:

• More Queen’s Thief Reviews: We like books 1-3 best of the series (read our review of book 1 here); we recommend reading our thoughts on the final volume, The Return of the Thief, for insight into how the series ends up.
• A Review: Once a Castle by Sarah Arthur (starred review) is a lovely read, especially for teens who might not be ready for The Queen’s Thief books.
• A Review: Those who enjoy this volume will also enjoy Lovely War.

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