Sonderbooks Book Review of The Queen of Attolia

Reviewed April 19, 2003.
Greenwillow Books, New York, 2000. 279 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (JF TUR).
A Sonderbooks’ Stand-out of 2001
A Sonderbooks’ Stand-out of 2003: #2, Young Adult Historical Fiction Rereads

The Queen of Attolia is the sequel to The Thief, the old favorite I reviewed last week. Both books were recently donated to the Sembach Library by the Officers’ Spouses’ Club.

Whatever you do, don’t read even the cover flap of The Queen of Attolia before you’ve read The Thief, because it gives away a big surprise in the first book. The book begins when Gen is captured by the Queen of Attolia. As punishment, she cuts off his hand.

What’s a thief to do with only one hand? The book that follows is full of action, suspense, cleverness, and surprises. I read this the first time as a read-aloud to my kids. (Absolutely no complaints of boredom with this book!) I confess, only a few chapters into the book, I couldn’t stand it and finished the book while my kids were in bed.

This book also raises some interesting theological questions, even though the gods that Gen deals with were invented by the author. Why does God allow bad things to happen? This book demonstrates how sometimes terrible things can lead to a greater good. The Queen of Attolia is wonderfully entertaining, and thought-provoking as well.

Review of this book in audio form.

Reviews of other books by Megan Whalen Turner:

The Thief
The Thief audiobook
The King of Attolia
The King of Attolia audiobook
A Conspiracy of Kings
A Conspiracy of Kings audiobook
Thick as Thieves
Thick as Thieves audiobook
Return of the Thief
Moira's Pen

Instead of Three Wishes

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

******The Queen of Attolia*

by Megan Whalen Turner