The Queen of Attolia

Megan Whalen Turner

Sep 2009 · Queen's Thief Book 2 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

Discover and rediscover the world of the Queen's Thief, from the acclaimed novel The Thief to the thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making conclusion, The Return of the Thief. The epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief can be read in any order.

New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin.

The brilliant thief Eugenides has visited the Queen of Attolia’s palace one too many times, leaving small tokens and then departing unseen. When his final excursion does not go as planned, he is captured by the ruthless queen. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. 

This edition of The Queen of Attolia includes "Knife Dance," an exclusive story about Eugenides by Megan Whalen Turner, an introduction to the characters from the world of the Queen’s Thief, and a map of the world of the Queen’s Thief.

A Booklist Top 10 Fantasy Books for Youth
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Parent’s Choice Gold Award
A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book

“The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer

"Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail—you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again."—Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows

“Megan Whalen Turner proves to be one of the brightest creative talents. With each book, she continues to add new levels and new luster to her sparkling imagination.”—Lloyd Alexander, Newbery Medalist and National Book Award-winning author of The Chronicles of Prydain

“Readers will be spellbound.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Turner’s storytelling is so sure that readers will want to go along with her—and discover whatever it is that Eugenides will do next.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[An] intense read . . . thoroughly involving and wholly satisfying on all fronts.”—The Horn Book (starred review)

Ratings and reviews

Short and Sweet: The Queen of Attolia was a huge step up from the first book in this series, The Thief, in terms of the storyline, politics, writing and especially Gen, our main character. Let’s go more into detail: Like I said in my review of book one, I couldn’t help but feel that The Thief was more prequel novella than anything else, mostly because I felt like the ‘Master Thief’ that we were promised was just someone with a lot of luck. Also, the book was too nice and not at all filled with backstabbing and cunningness that I would expect from a book told in a Thief’s POV. (Thanks Six of Crows) The Queen of Attolia, like I hoped it would be was SO SO MUCH BETTER. For starters, there was a lot more going on in the book. I adored Gen’s descriptions in this book of his thieving encounters. They felt real, and pumped with adrenaline and actually showed off his skills unlike in book one. I also REALLY LOVED the basic plot of this story. It showed us Gen is a whole different light. He was smart, capable and slightly cocky like in the first book but at the same time, after he gets caught, we see a more human as he wallowed in self-pity. He also made mistakes that he had to work to overcome, find his way back to becoming a capable Queen’s Thief and I really liked seeing him grow as a character. Another thing I loved about the book was how we got to know the Queen of Attolia a lot more. We met her for a brief scene in the first book and here we also got to know her better – her motivations, the numerous pressures on her and how she survives as a woman in a man’s world. I also loved the REALLY WELL DONE politics in this world, and all the war (battle) strategy. It is, after all, a book that encompasses the political nature of three countries – Eddis, Sounis and Attolia – and it took on that all important feeling that I expected from it. As I said in my short and sweet, I liked this book a WHOLE lot better than book one, but I still didn’t fall in love and flail about it! Hopefully I will in book three, though. 4 stars.

This book is a masterpiece. The writing is engaging, the story is intricate and exciting and expertly crafted. The story unfolds in unexpected ways. It is even better reading it for a second time and seeing the foreshadowing and hints. It is like being part on an inside joke. The characters are multifaceted, each with their own faults and strengths loves making each one utterly believable. Gen in particular is possible the best literary character I have ever come across. I feel like I have met him in real life. He is all kinds of awesome. I would not class this as a children's book because of the nuances of the plot and the beautifully subtle romance. There is also some violence. I think it would be suitable for mature 12 year olds and adults. Read "The Thief" first. Do not read spoilers. Then read the rest of the series.

This book is amazing, the best book I've read, with the king of attolia being the second best. I've read many book series ranging from Harry potter, fablehaven, the hunger games, Percy Jackson, Eragon, and many more and I would recommend this before any of those :)

About the author

Megan Whalen Turner is the New York Times–bestselling and award-winning author of five stand-alone novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. Return of the Thief marks her long-awaited conclusion to the epic and unforgettable story of the thief Eugenides—a story more than twenty years in the making. She has been awarded a Newbery Honor and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. She has twice been a finalist for the Andre Norton Award and won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature.