The King of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, Book 3) by Megan Whalen Turner
Reviewed by AimeeRatings
Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content
LANGUAGE
VIOLENCE
SEXUAL CONTENT
ADULT THEMES
Ratings Explanation
Language: There was a high level of language in this book. The most frequent being hell and damn. Exclamations of deity are also prevalent, usually in conjunction with damn. Bastard is used a handful of times, along with a couple of other stronger words.
Violence: Assassins try to kill the King. He fights them and is injured in the process. The Dr. stitches the wound and it is described. The Queen slaps the King. The king is angry and throws things, breaking them. There is sword fighting and aggressive behavior.
Sexual Content: The Queen and King kiss. There are references to them sharing a bed, although they are married. The guards and the King sit naked in the steam room.
Adult themes: Loyalty vs. betrayal seems to be the outstanding theme in this book. The people worship many different Gods.
Synopsis
The Thief, Eugenides, is now the King of Attolia. He must convince the Queen’s court that he is worthy of the title he now bears. The Attolians think he is an idiot, a puppet of the Queen, and that there is no love in the marriage. After all, she was the one who cut off his hand. The king finds himself the recipient of many pranks, jokes, and even an assassination attempt. Eugenides is clever though, and as usual, has a carefully laid out plan.
This book was a bit different from the other two books, but no less exciting and compelling. I love the storytelling in this book and in this series. While this book lacked the twists and surprises the other two books had, it had a depth that I enjoyed. Eugenides literally changes the minds of those who wish ill upon him, and he does it with integrity, intelligence and patience. The story of love between the Queen and King is so good. The biggest drawback of this book, for me, is the language. Most editorial reviews place this book anywhere from 7-11th grade. I would disagree and say that this book (and series) should be at the upper end of the high school range, if not young adult.