Book: The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen TurnerGenre: YA Fantasy
Rating: A
For: F2F Book club summer assignment
From: I bought it!
I read this book, well most of it, during our recent family reunion. In the car driving for six hours, during our breaks from activities, and in the car driving home. What this means is that I was fairly distracted and I'm bugged by that because I don't think I got the full impact of this book. Hate it when that happens. (I should have picked a different book for the trip, but I was so anxious to read this one!!)
Anyway, this book surprised me from the beginning because it was not from Gen's point of view... instead, we get to see Gen from one of the King's Guard dude's point of view. This guy gets in trouble right at the beginning of the book and ends up, as his punishment, being "forced" to attend to the king. The things he learns and observes and discovers and decides all changes his mind about the king.
And Gen (Eugenides, what a name) finds himself in a situation where he has to use his manipulation skills like he's never done before! What an expert he is at this! He has to prove himself and deal with homesickness and hide his cleverness so know will guess what's really going on. Anyone read The Scarlet Pimpernel? Yeah, he acts a bit like that, silly boy.
I love the writing of these books. I love the language and style. I love the characters (mostly Gen of course.) I'm totally enjoying this summer book club assignment to read these books. I want to savor it. I don't want it to be over, and now there's only one book left! Dang. Then I just might have to start over again and read them all again, because I know I've missed a ton of stuff.
Bottom line: I loved it!
Other reviews:
Angieville
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Dear Author
It still amazes me how my students can read or write with music blasting or talking with friends, so your point about all the distractions is understood because when I read I need it quiet and little to no distractions. Imagine how much more you would have loved this book if you hadn't had the distractions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review.
When I started this book I had just finished the other two and I could not put this one down. I LOVED it and out of all of the books in the series this is the one I could see myself reading again, right away.
ReplyDeleteawww yes These series are the stuff I tell you! Especially this one, I completely loved it, and while it took me for a loop (the beginning that is) and how it was from the king's Guard's point of view, It made the brilliance of it that much more beautiful. Lovely I tell you! *sigh*
ReplyDeleteGood to know you are loving these. I am still waiting for the first to come in at the library.
ReplyDeleteJan: Yes, some distractions I can take, and others I can't. It all depends.
ReplyDeleteJana: Interesting. I think I'll need a re-read myself.
Kika: Sigh is right!
Bethany: So glad to see you commenting more these days! I hope the books come soon. They are pretty cool.