The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Note: The Queen of Attolia is the sequel to The Thief

Plot: Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, has taunted the queen of neighboring kingdom, Attolia, too many times. He cleverly steals items from Queen Attolia's strongholds and places them around her castle for her to find, sure that he will never be caught. But the Queen of Attolia is furious, and determined to capture and punish the Thief once and for all. Eugenides has heard the stories of what prisoners in her palace endure, and rarely survive, but he is cocky, and confident that he is under the protection of the gods. But will the gods protect Eugenides from fate, and from his own destiny?

Comments: I loved this book! I read the whole thing in one night (which I really wasn't planning on), and only after I had gotten hooked did I realize - there was a prequel. Oops. So, I read The Queen of Attolia before The Thief, but there really wasn't much I didn't understand. I suggest reading the books in order, but I'm sorry I can't give you a review on the first book before the second book's review. This is a great adventure book, and I recommend for reading all at once (it's hard not to).

Reading the inside cover, I thought this book would be focused on the queen attempting to capture the Thief, and the Thief doing his best to escape. But really the story is more about the Thief's struggles back at home and the political war going on between multiple empires. I like reading about the political games the enemies play and the meaning hidden among polite words exchanged between them. Don't think, however, that this book is about politics - definitely not! But a big part of the story is the witty, clever tactics used in war, and I had a good time imagining the plot unfolding.

I can easily imagine all the characters, especially Eugenides. I can't necessarily relate to all of them, but the different traits and personalities often remind me of people I know, which made it more fun and easier to imagine the people. I love the different personalities, from witty, dry Eugenides to mature, strong Queen Eddis. The variation of characters makes for a colorful setting.

Rating: I rate this book a seven and a half out of ten.