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A Conspiracy of Kings
A Conspiracy of Kings
A Conspiracy of Kings
Audiobook8 hours

A Conspiracy of Kings

Written by Megan Whalen Turner

Narrated by Steve West

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Discover and rediscover the world of the Queen's Thief, from the acclaimed novel The Thief to the thrilling, twenty-years-in-the-making conclusion, The Return of the Thief. The epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief can be read in any order.

New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner’s Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deceptionThe New York Times bestseller A Conspiracy of Kings won the Los Angeles Times Book Award and is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin.

After an attempted assassination and kidnapping, Sophos, heir to the throne of Sounis, disappears. Those who care for him—including the thief Eugenides and the Queen of Eddis—are left to wonder if he is alive and if they will ever see him again. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. 

Winner of the LA Times Book Award

New York Times Bestseller

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book

School Library Journal Best Book

“The Queen’s Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner’s books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer

"Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail—you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again."—Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

“Megan Whalen Turner is one of my all-time favorite writers . . . impossible to put down.”—Holly Black, award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Modern Faerie Tale series and The Darkest Part of the Forest

“Romance, intrigue, mystery, surprises, and sheer beautiful writing.”—Cassandra Clare, award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments and Lady Midnight

“The world Turner creates is so tangible that not only do I believe in its characters, I almost believe in its gods.”—Kristin Cashore, award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Graceling Realm series

A Conspiracy of Kings brings the sweetest, sharpest kind of reading pleasure. Megan Whalen Turner’s books are pure joy.”—Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author of When You Reach Me and Goodbye Stranger

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 16, 2017
ISBN9780062693884
Author

Megan Whalen Turner

Megan Whalen Turner is the New York Times–bestselling and award-winning author of five stand-alone novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief. Return of the Thief marks her long-awaited conclusion to the epic and unforgettable story of the thief Eugenides—a story more than twenty years in the making. She has been awarded a Newbery Honor and a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. She has twice been a finalist for the Andre Norton Award and won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature.

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Reviews for A Conspiracy of Kings

Rating: 4.409090909090909 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A satisfying conclusion to the series. When I saw that the book was dedicated to Diana Wynne Jones, my all-time favourite children's author, I knew I was in safe hands.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Oh that was lovely. I do enjoy Megan Whalen Turner's writing in this series so much. Now I want to start over and read the whole series again from beginning to end. In fact next month I think I might. What vivid characters and situations!! Somehow in just a few well chosen words she makes me see these people and care about them. I actually gasped at a couple of points, I had gotten that absorbed in the story. Just so good.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A Conspiracy of Kings, the fourth book in Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia series, makes some serious departures from the tone of the first three books. Turner again employs her genius for different narrative voices to convey the story in the most effective way possible. We last left Sophos, heir to the throne of Sounis, in the hands of rebels who attacked his father's villa. In this installment, Turner picks up the thread of his story... which of course intertwines with the fates of the three small nations struggling to maintain their autonomy against the powerful Mede Empire.Be warned that this review will contain some incidental series spoilers. The Queen's Thief series has so many great twists that it's really a pity if you know about them beforehand. And if you haven't read them yet, why are you wasting time reading this review? They are, in order, The Thief (a Newbery Honor book), The Queen of Attolia (my personal favorite), The King of Attolia, and now A Conspiracy of Kings. I can't recommend them highly enough for fans of fantasy and YA fiction, and really for anyone who enjoys great characters, wry humor, and sensitive, strong prose. These books are fantastic.I found A Conspiracy of Kings to be rather grimmer than the rest of the series. There are flashes of Turner's trademark humor, most often in the wryly witty dialogue, but there is very little of the playful tone of the earlier books. Not that any of the stories are fluffy jokefests; The Queen of Attolia in particular dwells on some pretty horrific things like torture and maiming, and the first three books are all raise weighty questions of religion and royal power. But even with those heavy subjects the humor is still there, side by side with the serious things. In this story there seemed to be less of that easy companionship between the two elements, and I rather missed it.I really like what Turner does with Sophos/Sounis. In The Thief he is dubbed Useless the Younger by Gen, and as he narrates most of this story, we become intimate with his insecurities. This installment is told both in the first person (Sophos) and the third person omniscient. Turner's device of establishing characters through one narrative voice, and then letting them tell their own stories later, is very effective here. Sophos' view of Gen really isn't a surprise, but it's great to see him grow into that friendship and slowly conquer his feelings of inferiority. I wasn't sure what Turner was doing with the character of Ion; his role seems like a repeat of the Relius subplot in The King of Attolia. But it's entirely possible that I missed the subtleties there.A lot of readers will probably dislike Gen in this book. Turner is showing us that the Thief is not just a fun character who gets the better of all his enemies and lives happily and irreverently ever after. Sometimes he gets the better of his friends, characters we are rooting for, and we're forced to acknowledge once again that he is complex enough as a character to divide our feelings. I think I understand why Gen acts the way he does toward Sophos. Sophos has to grow up, learn to assert himself, and decide what kind of king he is going to be. In some ways Gen is acting like his gods — not exactly manipulating those around him, but knowing them so well that he can foresee what they will do. Interesting.The story ends with a flourish, a perfect moment paused on the screen of your imagination like the closing scene of a film. Though there is a good sense of closure with this plot, Turner has certainly left herself some fantastic material for the two more books she's planning. I especially liked how this story dovetails with Eddis' dreams of the coming volcanic eruption (first mentioned in The Queen of Attolia). That part when Eddis relates her dreams has always struck me as rather awkwardly dropped in, as a not-so-subtle hint of future plots. But it's all coming together now, and not in a way I expected. Perhaps it's just because I've been waiting for A Conspiracy of Kings for years and building all kinds of crazy expectations for it, but though it's very well written, I set it down feeling a little deflated. Disoriented might be a better word. Maybe it's just because it's new material that develops (and in developing, changes) the characters I've come to love. It's almost as if any further adventures are non-canonical somehow. This story does lack the oh-my-goodness! twist of the previous three. I suppose it would be difficult to keep pulling them out on a fan base grown wary and watchful! There is a twist, but it isn't of the shocking variety. It's memorable and well written, though.I will probably reread this book very soon and fall in love with it. But right now I'm still digesting. Disoriented, divided, and digesting — but not at all unhappy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyable, but not as compelling as the previous book in the series the King of Attolia. Solid addition the story arc.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Summary: War has come to the kingdom of Sounis, and Sophos, the reluctant heir to the king, is kidnapped and enslaved. As he grows and toughens, he realizes that in order to bring peace to Sounis, he needs the help of his old friend Eugenides, the King of Attolia.Review: I love this series. Love, love, love. I’ve had [A Conspiracy of Kings] pre-ordered since the moment I found out that Megan Whalen Turner was writing another book. I could gush on and on, but I’ll actually try to say something intelligent, haha.Megan Whalen Turner is a writer’s writer. A master of the craft. She writes slowly (painfully slow, her fans would say!), but her every word seems deliberate and subtle, nuclear-packed with information. I often had to go back because there was a crucial piece of information hidden in a passage I had foolishly overlooked. Just as often I reread passages to savour the way Turner builds hugely important moments out of ordinary material. Just a word here, a look there, and the story becomes richer than if there were pages and pages of explanation.And the characters! All of them very human and yet very enigmatic. Turner’s POV is so, so tight, and she makes you realize how constrained and limited it is, especially in this book where she shifts from Sophos/Sounis’ first person narration to the third person omniscient. It hurt a bit to see Sophos grow from the rather naive boy we met in the first book to a king who has to make tough decisions. I wasn’t sure if I would like a Sophos-centric book when my favourite characters of the series have always been Gen and Irene. But Sophos turned out to be capable of the same steely resolve and tender vulnerability. The scene with him in the amphitheater of Elisa? I was clutching my chest!And I love, have always loved, the hardness of this series. How queens and kings cannot always be good people, though they may try. How loving someone does not mean an absence of cruelty. How people are not so much born great as they are forced by necessity to be great, because they want to save their country, their family, their friends.Conclusion: Squeeeeee.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I am thoroughly enjoying the growing and deepening relationships between these fascinating characters; all the fighting maneuvers and intrigues not so much as I find them tedious and boring, albeit a necessary and integral part of the overall story. Once again, the narrator is terrific!! ☺️
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Such an addictive series--in the best possible way! Beautiful, intricate storytelling with vivid, relatable characters. Steve West's narration is superb!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was a latecomer to this apparently classic-to-my-generation fantasy series, but I quite loved the preceding books, The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia.A Conspiracy of Kings lives in the same vein as these others, but with a few noticable differences. The most prominent is that we lose our main (wonderful) protagonist, Gen, in favor of a minor character from the previous three books. While Saphos is an interesting and solid character, he doesn't shine near as bright as Gen, and so neither does the tale. He's also very different - he doesn't have the cunning or wit to make the book quite the page turner I might have wished for.Still, the book is solid, the plot entertaining enough, and the writing as always lovely. I'm invested in what happens to these lands now, not just these characters, so on that front I quite enjoyed it, and would likely enjoy any more to come.I recommend it to fans of the series, but probably not to anyone else.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazon preorder
    A "drop everything and read this" book.

    Turner's world with kings and queens and Medes, and guns and crossbows and such is a non-standard fantasy world based in a Greek sensibility and culture, but seamlessly fitted so that you don't even think about analysing it - it just fits naturally.

    Twisty, twisty, twisty yummy plotting. Once or twice I got some POV whiplash (a mixture of first and third but the whiplash is deliberate and adds to the book.)

    And people surprising themselves in their growth.

    SPOILERS


    I love the glimpse at the ongoing development of Gen's relationship with Attolia, but that Turner doesn't let that take over the story of Sophos (and the development of what goes on with Eddis)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Before reading this book, I made the conscious decision to not read the first 3 books in this series. This book received 5 starred reviews and has been discussed as a possible Printz nominee or winner. Therefore, I wanted to see whether or not this book could be read and understood without having read the previous books.Unfortunately, it does not. Although the book is excellent, I felt that I was lost and confused much of the time without having read the other books. Whalen Turner is a great author and this book definitely made me want to read the other books. However, because one of the Printz criteria is that a book in a series must stand alone, I don't think this book meets that criteria. However, if you have read the 3 previous books, I definitely think this one won't disappoint!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Okay, I liked the first book and loved the second two. I am less fond of this one, though. The trouble is the structure. More than three quarters of it is Sophos telling his story. Less than a quarter of the entire book is *showing* rather than telling, and sadly, those are the only parts of the book that really feel alive. I wish very much that Turner had dropped the first person for Sophos' sections -- or at least dropped the storyteller conceit.

    The other problem is that while I like Sophos okay, I don't love him like I love Eugenides and Eddis. Then again, not being a twelve year old boy, I'm hardly the target demographic.

    More fannishly, this is a wonderful slashfest. I could happily offer/ask for Gen/Sophos for Yuletide because their love, while apparently platonic, is canon. *g*

    I am assuming (and hope very hard) that there will be a book 5 and that this was merely a necessary transition on the road to war against the Mede Empire. There are vast possibilities for story there, so I'm looking forward to where this series goes next. Hopefully it will have more Gen and Eddis in it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've put off reviewing this book for weeks now, but I might as well spit it out. A Conspiracy of Kings is good...but it's not as good as the Thief trilogy. Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn't hold that against the author - the Thief trilogy is so good it would be pretty darn hard to equal it, let alone top it. But these aren't normal circumstances, because Turner goes out of her way to remind us again and again of how much better the Thief books were. A Conspiracy of Kings is set in the same world as the Thief trilogy, and its protagonist Sophos sits squarely in Eugenides' shadow from start to finish.

    I liked Sophos, I thought his story was interesting, and the writing is excellent of course...but Eugenides (Gen) seems to be lurking in the background of every major plot twist. Gen is such a compelling character, such a scene-stealer, that his mere presence sort of dooms any book that's not directly about him. When Sophos is alone, or far from Gen, he'll ask himself, "What would Gen do?"...and when he has the opportunity, he hies off to Attolia to ask. When Gen is nearby, he dominates the story. He's in charge, he delivers the tough love, he plants the seeds of Sophos' stratagems. And when it's not Gen, it's Attolia.

    A Conspiracy of Kings kind of felt like a satellite, caught in the gravitational pull of the Thief books. I liked it - Turner has a gift, and I'll still buy anything she writes, no questions asked, but I kind of hope she either writes another book about Gen or cuts him out entirely.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In this instalment of the Queen's Thief series, Sophos' adventures take over the continuing saga of the fight against the Mede. His evolution towards an autonomous kingship develops as he becomes a more decisive leader.The saga of Sophos as a slave was an interesting development. His thoughts about this simple, though harsh life, show how ambivalent he was about his royal status. His eventual escape and return to Attolia for help in regaining his kingdom when he finds out his uncle died was a bit convoluted. Megan W. Turner writes well but I find her "Thief series" (other than Book 1) becomes entrenched in trivial detail that drags down the narrative about halfway through. However, since I have so much fun reading about Gen's participation in the life and times of these adventures, I look forward to the next book, Thick as thieves.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Conspiracy of Kings is the fourth book in the Queen’s Thief series, and I would suggest you at least read books two and three beforehand – The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia. While plot of the fourth book mostly stands alone, there’s a lot of background politics going on that it would be useful to have read some of the previous books for.Sophos, the heir to the throne of Sounis, reappears unexpectedly in Attolia. Where has he been all this time? A Conspiracy of Kings tells the story of Sophos’s adventure and the beginnings of his rule as king.The series is often classified as YA, but aside from the shorter length and the lack of “adult content,” it’s not very different from most non-YA second world fantasy novels. Actually there is one major difference: there’s no magic as such in this series. However, the gods of the kingdoms to appear to actually exist to some extent and the main characters may have meaningful dreams or receive divine assistance.The overarching story of the series has been the Mede Empire threatening from across the sea. Due to the existence of the Great Powers on the continent, the Medes cannot attack Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia directly unprovoked. But in A Conspiracy of Kings, the Medes have taken advantage of a rebellion within Sounis to play for power.Sophos has always been more interested in poetry and philosophy than ruler ship, but the events of A Conspiracy of Kings will force him to take responsibility and make some hard choices. To what lengths will he go to protect his country from the Medes?While The Queen of Attolia remains my favorite novel in the series, I thought A Conspiracy of Kings was definitely a solid installment. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes thoughtful, character based fantasy.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is the 4th in a very good series and I read the first three at the beginning of this year. Each of these books is quite different from the others both in style and subject. Our primary character here is Sophos, heir to the Kingdom of Sounis. He played a good part in the first book in this series, "The Thief", and then he vanished. The characters in the stories and we the readers did not know what had happened to him. Now we learn his story. The prologue pulled me right back into the series and set up a nice start to the novel. After the prologue the story is told primarily as a first person narrative by Sophos that takes us back in time to early in this series and moves us to the present of the last novel. I really liked learning more about the world and the people in it. However I had difficulty sympathizing with Sophos. I found this book enjoyable and full of the surprises we have come to expect, but I think I'd rank it as the weakest of the series. That isn't a real criticism - these books are very good, esp for readers like me who prefer light fantasy rather than all the dark magic and faerie stuff. 3 - 3 1/2 stars
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another great book by Megan Whalen Turner! The Conspiracy of Kings was different from the other books in this series being from Sophos' point of view. At first I wasn't sure about this, but I warmed up to it as I got used to him narrating. I found his interactions with Gen particularly interesting as I had less faith in him doing the right thing then I do when its from his point of view. All in all, I feel this book lives up to the series as a whole and look forward to the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I couldn't stop once I started reading.I hadn't expected to like Sophos but he won me over.Looking at things from the perspective of someone who is aware that he's a straight arrow and not quite as clever or sly as the Thief was interesting.In the end Sophos surprises himself and the reader that being different is not quite so bad.And the climax was wonderful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Marvellous blend of politics and the magic of the gods.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The fourth installment of the Queen’s Thief fantasy series is called A Conspiracy of Kings and features as it’s main character Sophos, the heir to the Kingdom of Sounis. As civil war erupts in his country armed men arrive at the villa that houses himself, his mother and sisters. He escapes by selling himself into slavery and when the opportunity comes he escapes and finds his way to the country of Attolia and seeks the aid of his friend Eugenides, the King of Attolia. Sophos and Eugenides, along with both the Queen of Attolia and the Queen of Eddis hatch a plot to see Sophos placed on the throne and recover control of his country.I have loved all the books in this series, and A Conspiracy of Kings may just be my favorite one so far. Sophos is much more transparent than Eugenides as well as being painfully honest and not entirely sure if he should be the King of Sounis. He matures and develops over the course of the book, also his romance with the Queen of Eddis is downplayed but nevertheless is one that I was rooting for. I know there are two more books in the series, and I expect that these books will deal with the upcoming showdown between these three small kingdoms and the Empire of Mede and I, for one, can hardly wait to see what happens next.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    (a very short note: A Conspiracy of Kings is the fourth book in Megan Whalen Turner’s Attolian or “Queen’s Thief” series, and as each of the books has its fair share of twists and turns, there will be spoilers for the preceding novels in this review)This book is simply wonderful.I am a reluctant Attolian. I was goaded into reading the first three books last year, and while I liked them, my enjoyment was mixed with a fair amount of uncertainty. When I picked up A Conspiracy of Kings, I felt that I wasn’t as excited as I should have been, and certainly not as much as other fans. As I made my way through the prologue and first chapter, I felt lost, and wondered whether I should have reread the other books. Then Turner suddenly reached out, caught hold of me, and pulled me violently into Sophos’ world. The journey still had its ups and downs after that, but I was never unwilling to go along for the ride.The moment the book kicks into action, when I originally became enthralled, occurs when Sophos is walking across the courtyard of his father’s villa, lost in his own thoughts, and suddenly rebel soldiers attack from all sides. He is captured, and the villa set on fire, with the fate of his mother and sisters uncertain. The rebels disguise him as a common slave, meaning to transport him to the capitol where—after they have killed his uncle, the king—they will name him Sounis and use him as their puppet. Sophos eludes them, managing to be bought by the daughter of a lord, and begins to work in their fields. But the tranquility he finds there is an illusion; beyond the walls that protect him, his country is overrun with rebels, Medes, and loyalists alike, all clamoring to take what is rightfully his.Like its predecessor The King of Attolia, this is primarily a character piece. But whereas King focused on the political intrigues of the Attolian court, Conspiracy is an adventure yarn that hearkens back to the more action-packed The Thief and The Queen of Attolia. It also returns to the narrative style of the first book: for the most part, it is written in the first person, from Sophos’ point of view. I greatly enjoyed this approach because it allows us to get close to the character in a way that hasn’t been allowed previously in the series. (Even in The Thief Gen is withholding information from us, and there’s an even greater degree of separation in the other two.) As a result, I found myself relating to Sophos in ways I didn’t expect. The predicaments Turner puts him in are quite complex, and seemed to me very believable. How I felt for him when some of those monumental decisions came to rest upon his shoulders!Really, it is Turner’s characters that are slowly winning me over, even more than her wonderful prose and her now almost-legendary plot twists. They’re unique in the best sense of the word—you would never confuse the word or action of one with that of another. Some people have complained about Eugenides in this novel, but I didn’t find him that different than he was in the first half of The King of Attolia, except that he was a little harsher and much more effectual. The thing to bear in mind when it comes to Gen is that he’s never what he seems. At the beginning of each novel, you think, “Oh no, he’s changed! Where’s the old Gen?” and yet somewhere along the way you realize it’s all a ruse. The moment when he reaches into his goblet and flicks wine at Sophos is perfectly played. Even Attolia, the most shadowy of the main figures in this installment, is given several revealing moments: for instance, when she reaches out and takes Eddis’ hand. It’s lovely to see more of Eddis too, who was such a powerful presence in The Queen of Attolia.While it would be silly to completely reduce the complicated thematic interplay of Turner’s world to a single moral, the main idea of this story seems to be that “we are not defined by our circumstances.” Throughout the story, Sophos is struggling with what it means to be a king, how one can make decisions that will effect so many other people, and how much personal peace one must put aside in order to follow other people’s duty. It’s all very well considered, aside from something Eddis said near the end of the book that rather jarred me: that “the rules that govern our behavior are not the rules for other men, and our honor, I think, is a different thing entirely, difficult for anyone but the historians and the gods to judge.” If anything, I would say that the rules that govern everybody apply even more in the case of kings, simply because of their increased responsibility. But again, this is only one grating note in a sea of wonderfulness.Is A Conspiracy of Kings the best of the series? Probably not. Is it my favorite? Possibly, but I like The Thief very much as well, and of course there’s not a rotten book among them. But I will forever remember this as the book that finally caused me to fall head-over-heels in love with Turner’s universe, and for that I am eternally grateful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really love this series. The shifting point of view usually bugs me but here it works really well with the story. I'm amazed at how complex the court intrigue and power struggles are. A very tight and complex story with humor and wit layered throughout. Love, love, love.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    In the fourth book of the Thief of Eddis series, Turner expertly pulls together numerous threads that have been laid out since the first book. The first part of the story is told through Sophos, the heir to Sounis who one day finds his world transformed and needs to figure out how to right it. Any plot information I give will be a spoiler but the story as with the other ones delicately balances young people growing up and finding what they're willing to do as they decide how to use their power. The main characters are kings and queens but also growing young people, the way that Turner writes this balances makes this series a fantastic read.As a student of the Classics, I appreciate the research Turner has done into the Greek world which isn't obvious in the books but creates the feel of a familiar but new world. I would recommend these books to an older middle grade reader as there's violence that is treated honestly.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is Sopho's story, and while I enjoyed it and thought the author did a wonderful job showing his growing up, I missed Gen. The humor and close relationships between the four rulers in these books always make me happy, even though they are constantly faced with terrible decisions and little personal time together. This is another great book in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It’s no secret that The Queen’s Thief series is one of my favorite series. I read the first three books in about two weeks and then did a second read-through with the purpose of going back and finding all the clues, details, and bits I missed the first time. I was excited when I heard there was going to be a fourth book because it meant that I would get to spend more time in the Queen’s Thief world. It would have been fine if the series ended with The King of Attolia. In fact, each of the first three books stands on its own, so that if you were to pick up any of them, you could understand the story. This really isn’t true for A Conspiracy of Kings. Now, there is too much background information to know. You could still read it on its own, but it wouldn’t amount to the same experience or the same level of understanding.Getting the ARC was exciting – much squeeing and happy dancing occurred. I stared at it for awhile, opening it to the first page, reading the first line and then closing it again. When I did start it for real, it was so easy to get lost in the writing and the story. Just like the other three books, there are lots of twists and turns, plenty of “what just happened?” and “what did he say?” moments, including going back and re-reading paragraphs or whole scenes.Reading A Conspiracy of Kings felt like reading about long lost friends. I cared about what happened to the characters, especially about Sophos who really did grow up in between the end of The Thief and the start of A Conspiracy of Kings. This was his book. Parts 1 and 3 are his story; in his words spoken to someone he loves. So it made me wonder if any of it was colored by that, was anything left out or changed at all because of who he was telling. These two sections were very narrow in scope, focusing solely on Sophos’s experiences. Parts 2 and 4 are told in third person point of view, they give more information about what is going on in the wider world and place certain actions and events in context.If The King of Attolia was about outward appearances and how a person’s actions can dictate what other’s think about them, then A Conspiracy of Kings was about the roles people play and the various personas they have to adopt and/or play in different situations. It is also about changing friendships and relationships and how people in power have to balance personal and royal relationships. Despite his changing circumstances, it was reassuring to see that Sophos was still Sophos; someone prone to blushing, interested in learning as much as possible from those around him, still enamored with the Magus. I was glad to see that the other characters were much as I remembered them. They all met my expectations and responded to things mostly how I thought they would. The absence of certain characters did make me wonder and hope that we will find out where they were and what they might have been doing in the next book. A Conspiracy of Kings was the first book in the series whose ending really left me with more questions than answers. There are always questions at the end of Ms Turner’s books, but more so with A Conspiracy of Kings. I am looking forward to the next installment very much. Overall, this was a wonderful book. I wholeheartedly recommend this book (and series) to just about everyone.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Caution: Spoilers for previous books in the seriesBook Four of this series, A Conspiracy of Kings, again shifts perspective. This book is told from the point of view of Sophos, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Sounis. Sophis lacks self-esteem, has a fear of failure, and hates having expectations laid on his door. When he is captured and enslaved, he welcomes it and feels happy; he doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone more than he thinks he can handle. He does feel guilty though for leaving the problems of his kingdom to others. And he thinks often of Helen, the Queen of Eddis whom he loves.Sophos gets an opportunity for redemption when his father unexpectedly shows up for dinner at the house of the Baron in whose fields Sophos works, and Sophos learns about a plot to kill his father and his men at dinner. Sophos manages to sneak in as a server and warn his father, and they escape. But not for long. Sophos, who unbeknownst to him is now eligible to be king because of the death of his uncle, is recaptured, and must figure out how to grow up and grow into his role, with help from his friends.Discussion: This fourth book, like the others, tells a heart-warming story with such winning characters that you won’t miss so much that Gen and Irene take a back-seat, albeit with revealing observations about Gen by Sophos. The characterizations, from Sophos’s fellow slaves to the self-serving, nefarious would-be advisors to the new heir, are excellent. Evaluation: This is a terrific series. For those who fear the steep learning curve of many fantasies, these books won’t put you off at all. Most of the complexity is in the characterization and relationships. The writing and pacing are excellent, and there are plenty of twists that aren’t “artificial” but rather reflect the ongoing political machinations of the actors. Female characters tend to be stronger than the males, but the males won’t disappoint you. The romances are some of the most nuanced and realistic you’ll find in YA books. Prepare to have your heart stolen!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Note: This review contains possible spoilers for THE THIEF, THE QUEEN OF ATTOLIA, and THE KING OF ATTOLIA. Sophos, prince of Sounis, never wanted to be king. He preferred to stay in semi-exile, content to study, hoping against hope that his uncle who is Sounis would produce an heir. Then, one day, Sophos is kidnapped and sold as a slave in his own kingdom. There, as a laborer on the estate of a rebel lord, Sophos finds that he is satisfied to live the life of a slave, with all freedom and responsibility taken away from him . . . and he realizes this, to his shame. What sort of king might he have been? What sort of man is he? When Sophos discovers a secret plot and has a chance to escape and return to his rightful place, these questions become more than simply theoretical.This novel, the long-awaited continuation of Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series, is sure to delight fans. Though the perspective is that of Sophos, a minor character in the other books, old friends Eddis, Attolia, the magus, and of course, Eugenides appear as well. With Turner's usual witty dialogue and intricate plotting, this book grips the reader from the first chapter to the mostly-satisfying conclusion. Just enough loose ends remain dangling to allow fans room to speculate on the content of the next book, whenever it arrives. Though the plot in A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS can stand on its own, it is vastly preferable that readers new to the series start with THE THIEF in order to get the background they will need to fully enjoy the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Given the other reviews and information I had read about this, I expected it to be a very dense read that took me a lot of time but instead I found it quite the page-turner and difficult to put down.

    Sophos is the heir to his kingdom's throne, but an heir who is not respected or expected to ever actually become king since it is assumed his uncle will marry. Since Sophos is a bit of a disappointment (too intellectual, not ruthless enough - I mean, he likes poetry for goodness sake!) to the current ruler, he's sent off to a country estate with his mother and sisters which suits Sophos just fine - until the raiders/kidnappers arrive. Then things start to get complicated. This is really a coming-of-age story as Sophos tries to figure out if he has what it takes to be a king and if he wants to have what it takes to be a king.

    On Heavy Medal, the mock Newbery blog I follow, there was a lot of talk about whether or not A Conspiracy of Kings stood on its own or if it was too confusing for those who hadn't read the rest of the series. This is the first Turner I've read and I had no trouble following the plot, but I suspect that my reading experience would have been richer if I'd already read the rest of the series. As it is I look forward to reading the others and then (if I can find the time) re-reading this to see what changes for me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The premise: ganked from publisher's website: Sophos, heir to the throne of Sounis, has disappeared without a trace. Eugenides, the new and unlikely king of Attolia, has never stopped wondering what happened to his friend. Nor has the Queen of Eddis, who once offered Sophos her hand. They send spies. They pay informants. They appeal to the gods. But as time goes by, it becomes less and less certain that they will ever see their friend alive again.Battles are fought, bribes are offered, and conspiracies are set in motion. Across the sea, a ruthless empire watches for even the slightest weakness. And Sophos, anonymous and alone, bides his time. Until, drawing on his memories of Gen, Pol, the magus -- and Eddis -- Sophos sets out on an adventure that will change all of their lives forever.My Rating: Couldn't Put It DownI'm still amazed that I had such an adverse reaction to book two, The Queen of Attolia, because I'm such an avid and devoted reader of the series now. It's a telling sign that while reading an installment for the first time, that I want to go BACK to the beginning and re-read the series all over again from the start, and I definitely want to do that with Turner's Queen's Thief series. Once it wraps up, and I have no idea if this is the last book (surely not!), or if Turner's got another title or two up her sleeve. But I utterly enjoy reading her work, exploring her worlds, and watching how characters interact with each other and how those interactions have so much weight politically for these books. I'm so glad I'm finally caught up on this series, and if there's going to be more, I cannot wait to read it.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. There's really not much for me to spoil, as I'm spending too much time marveling over this series. If you want the full review, just click the link below, which goes to my blog. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. REVIEW: Megan Whalen Turner's A CONSPIRACY OF KINGSHappy Reading!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's been a year since I devoured the first three books in this series, but within a few sentences I was entirely immersed in Turners rich world. Oh, how I love these characters, where more is unsaid than said, and every motion has weight and meaning. I loved seeing Gen and his queen from another's point of view, and how delightful to see Sophos grow up.I'd give this, or rather I'd push the first book of the series into the hands of anyone who is interested in retellings of mythology or classical Greek tales, in political intrigue, or in character driven adventure.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    After King of Sounis, dies, his nephew Sophos is to be the next king. But first he must escape his capture and enslavement at the hands of an evil baron, rescue his family, reunite with an old friend he is no longer sure he can trust, negotiate peace with the country of Attolia, prevent a violent civil war within his own country, and, most difficultly, come to terms with his own reluctance to be a ruler. This fourth novel set in the imaginary Byzantine-era Mediterranean kingdoms of Eddis, Sounis, and Attolia is full of politics and court intrigue, but plenty of action and battle scenes, and a romance between Sophos and the Queen of Eddis, keep the book moving. As with the other books in this series, characters keep secrets, develop elaborate plans, and are always a step ahead of everyone else. A Conspiracy of Kings touches on some heavy handed themes for a young adult novel; recurring throughout the book is the question of power and authority. At one point the Queen of Eddis tells Sophos that as sovereigns, “the rules that govern our behavior are not the rules for other men” (p. 295), a responsibility the new King of Sounis is reluctant to accept. However, as Sophos comes to terms with his sovereignty and struggles with the difficult decisions he must make, the book is very much a coming-of-age story for all young adults balancing responsibility with personal desires. Fans of the earlier books in the series may be disappointed that Eugenides, though as clever and ambiguous as ever, is not the main focus of this book, but Sophos holds his own as a protagonist. For grades nine through twelve.