The King of Attolia

The third in Megan Whalen Turner’s stunning series reaches new heights – or depths, depending on your point of view – as Eugenides, the former Thief of Eddis and now husband to the Queen of Attolia, struggles to stay afloat in the festering cesspit of Attolian politics, beset by treacherous nobles, scheming courtiers and soldiers who owe him no loyalty.

The problem for Gen, as he is known to his friends, is that no one sees him as King, and they all think that’s his fault. He wears the wrong clothes, falls asleep on the throne and can’t defend himself as his right hand was cut off when he fell foul of the Queen in his former role. In short, to the Attolian court and its hangers-on, he’s only fit to be the butt of their jokes.

The two opposing kingdoms of Eddis and Attolia are no longer at war, reduced now to glowering at each other like guests at a wedding where the bride’s family thoroughly disapprove of the groom and vice versa. It won’t take much to bring them to blows, so it’s hardly surprising when one of the young officers in the Queen’s Guard expresses his disapproval with a well-aimed fist.

Eugenides insists on his wife sparing Costis’ life. The young man is demoted and forced to act as the King’s sparring partner each morning. Costis accepts his fate with bad grace but little by little is reeled into the dangerous net drawing ever closer to the twin thrones of Attolia.

Gen, simply known as the King in the parts of the story told from Costis’ point of view, is as ever playing some very dangerous games, relying mainly on his considerable wits to keep himself and those close to him alive. He’s still struggling with the loss of his hand, plagued by nightmares and beset by the petty and cruel games of those around him who insist on serving uncut food he can’t eat and laying out mismatched clothing that makes him look ridiculous.

His real feelings are buried deep, as are his talents, but it’s never wise to underestimate Eddis’ former Thief, as Gen brings all his expertise to bear on an increasingly volatile situation that will take all his ingenuity to survive.

I absolutely adore this outstandingly clever, warm and at times very funny series. Whalen Turner’s world isn’t quite our own ancient past, but it’s similar enough to provide a comfortable backdrop, with mentions of Greek philosophers and familiar-sounding kingdoms scattered with casual ease throughout a largely unfamiliar landscape. Here, the gods are a capricious bunch – no change there – and it’s easy to feel sympathy when Costis is deeply unsettled by his encounters with them. Talking to the gods is one thing, but no one really expects them to talk back. Gen is more phlegmatic about their interference in his life, but then he’s had longer to get used to them.

Gen’s relationship with the Queen is central to the book and is another delight in this multi-layered story. They are stiffly formal with each other as the shadow of a dismembered hand looms large over their marriage. They sleep in separate rooms, so far apart that discreet nightly visits appear an impossibility. Everyone believes the power remains with the Queen. But nothing in Attolia is ever quite what it seems, as the hapless Costis quickly learns.

As old rivalries and new loyalties collide, Gen must employ all his very considerable skills to stay on top of a lethal game.