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Apr. 7th, 2010 12:05 pmIt has recently been pointed out to me that I have been exceedingly negligent and never formally posted about my love for Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series! This is because I read the first three books just before I started officially booklogging. But that is really no excuse. Fortunately I am currently in the middle of rereading the series in preparation for the new one, so I now have a perfect opportunity. :D
General Info and Recommendation Points: The series is set in an imaginary Mediterranean culture. Sounis and Attolia are wealthier kingdoms, with access to harbors and more extensive fieldlands and resources; the mountain kingdom of Eddis controls the pass between them. The kingdoms are threatened by a larger expansionist empire, and most of the politics are centered to one degree or another on the eventual need to resist that empire. The politics and worldbuilding and mythology ground the series, and are complicated and thoughtful and amazing. The characters likewise so!
In other news, Megan Whalen Turner has confessed to a love of Dorothy Dunnett and has included at least two references to Diana Wynne Jones novels in her books so far that I know of. Her books have the twists and politics and high angst value of Dunnett combined with the dry humor and valued sense of the ordinary and attention to small mundane details of DWJ. So basically what I am saying is they are my catnip.
The Thief (Without Spoilers): Gen made a (loud and public) bet that he could steal the king's seal. Then he actually did steal the king's seal. Then he languished in prison for a long time until the king's magus came along and recruited him for a top-secret mission: if he steals a mysterious item successfully, he gets to go free. On the surface, this is the simplest of the books, but all the seeds of the later political complexity are sown here. It's also amazing as a quest story for the attention it pays to small details - in Turner's books, people always need to remember to eat and comb their hair and make sure to wash their wounds in case they get re-infected. Also, Gen is a brilliant and unreliable narrator - and you know how I love characters who are unafraid to be justifiably whiny and cranky when occasion arises.
The Queen of Attolia (Without Spoilers): This book ramps up the politics, as a war breaks out between the three countries of Sounis, Eddis and Attolia. It's about making difficult political choices; it's about the different ways of being an independent and reigning queen in a non-equal society. The Queens of Eddis and Attolia come into sharp focus here, and are awesome. It's also about rebuilding your life after dramatic (and angsty) loss, but Dunnett readers can rest assured that no one actually goes blind from sheer angst. ( Okay, this part is a very minor spoiler. )
Coming soon (when I manage to acquire them): The King of Attolia and CONSPIRACY OF KINGS OMG.
General Info and Recommendation Points: The series is set in an imaginary Mediterranean culture. Sounis and Attolia are wealthier kingdoms, with access to harbors and more extensive fieldlands and resources; the mountain kingdom of Eddis controls the pass between them. The kingdoms are threatened by a larger expansionist empire, and most of the politics are centered to one degree or another on the eventual need to resist that empire. The politics and worldbuilding and mythology ground the series, and are complicated and thoughtful and amazing. The characters likewise so!
In other news, Megan Whalen Turner has confessed to a love of Dorothy Dunnett and has included at least two references to Diana Wynne Jones novels in her books so far that I know of. Her books have the twists and politics and high angst value of Dunnett combined with the dry humor and valued sense of the ordinary and attention to small mundane details of DWJ. So basically what I am saying is they are my catnip.
The Thief (Without Spoilers): Gen made a (loud and public) bet that he could steal the king's seal. Then he actually did steal the king's seal. Then he languished in prison for a long time until the king's magus came along and recruited him for a top-secret mission: if he steals a mysterious item successfully, he gets to go free. On the surface, this is the simplest of the books, but all the seeds of the later political complexity are sown here. It's also amazing as a quest story for the attention it pays to small details - in Turner's books, people always need to remember to eat and comb their hair and make sure to wash their wounds in case they get re-infected. Also, Gen is a brilliant and unreliable narrator - and you know how I love characters who are unafraid to be justifiably whiny and cranky when occasion arises.
The Queen of Attolia (Without Spoilers): This book ramps up the politics, as a war breaks out between the three countries of Sounis, Eddis and Attolia. It's about making difficult political choices; it's about the different ways of being an independent and reigning queen in a non-equal society. The Queens of Eddis and Attolia come into sharp focus here, and are awesome. It's also about rebuilding your life after dramatic (and angsty) loss, but Dunnett readers can rest assured that no one actually goes blind from sheer angst. ( Okay, this part is a very minor spoiler. )
Coming soon (when I manage to acquire them): The King of Attolia and CONSPIRACY OF KINGS OMG.
