hiba's Reviews > The King of Attolia

"whether he wants to or not, he belongs in the open. the world needs to see what a king he is."

so this is what carefully brilliant writing looks like huh.

honestly, the king of attolia being structured in a way that keeps readers in the dark about what's really going on would've made it an extremely frustrating read under a less skillful hand. but megan whalen turner is a master of her craft. even with the thoughts and motivations of characters being deliberately hidden, i was completely invested and desperate to know the truth. i liked the subtle hints and how key pieces of information were revealed at just the right time.

eugenides is an endlessly fascinating character to me - exceptionally clever, humorous, misleading, disruptive, always a step ahead of everyone. i'll never get tired of seeing him execute his schemes and shocking everyone around him time and again. i also loved how his powerful, intelligent nature was contrasted with his pain, his love, his rage, and his inner turmoil about being king.

i think it's so interesting how this story centered around the interior conflict of the titular character was told almost entirely through exterior POVs. a bold choice that strangely worked. i wasn't sure how to feel about costis and his POV at first, but his journey from intense hate for the king to grudging respect to undying loyalty by the end was so satisfying. the ending itself was quite cathartic and rewarding.

also, gen and irene are such an unhinged couple and i'm kinda mad at how the author developed their entire relationship behind closed doors yet had me so engaged in them. but i still wish we could've had more on-page moments between them, and that we could've actually seen their thoughts and feelings about each other.

overall, this is court intrigue and drama at its finest with subtle writing and memorable characters.