Book Review: A Conspiracy of Kings (Fantasy)

1/8/2016

Warning: If you haven’t read the previous stories of the Queen’s Thief series, this review may contain some spoilers for you. Read at your own peril. ;-)

Sophos does not expect to be kidnapped. Then again, he is the next in line for the throne, after his uncle, the king of Sounis. As Sophos struggles to escape, aware that the slightest misstep might mean his death, he realizes that the nation is on the brink of war, undermined from within by enemies of Sounis. Saving the nation may mean making alliances with those who seem to be enemies, and making enemies of those who seem to be friends. And, most of all, it may mean becoming a man that Sophos never expected to be—the king of Sounis.

My Overall Opinion
I love, love, love the Queen’s Thief series, so I was excited to get my hands on this fourth installment. It is filled with the same wit and deep character development that I have grown to expect from Ms. Turner. Although I don’t think it is of the same caliber as The King of Attolia (my personal favorite), it is a book well worth reading on its own merit.

Heads Up
There’s no sex or innuendos, though Sophos is romantically attracted to a certain lady, as the story reveals. Their relationship is reserved and appropriate. As for bad language, you might get the occasional d--- or h---, but no coronary-inducing language here. Violence is a given. This is war, after all. Violence is something that Sophos personally struggles with, and wishes to forgo when at all possible. However, he makes several notable exceptions, especially as he begins to see the necessity of becoming a king that others will follow.

What I Especially Liked
This story is told partially in first person from Sophos’ viewpoint, so we have a close look at his thoughts, hopes, and fears. The rest of the story zooms out for a third-person view of the other important characters in the story, most notably Eugenides, King of Attolia, and Helen, Queen of Eddis. This split perspective allows the reader to deepen his relationship with Sophos, while simultaneously understanding important actions involving the politics and plots of multiple nations. I did not find the changes in viewpoint disruptive or confusing at all.

Also, Ms. Turner has impressed me so far with her masterful ability at developing her characters. She did not disappoint in this book. Sophos feels very flesh-and-blood, and his emotions are both believable and understandable. And though we do not get as deeply into Eugenides’ character as we have in past stories, there are some fascinating, important scenes in which Eugenides lets down his guard as king and we remember that he is also a man, with desires and dreams apart from those concerning his nation.

And, as always, there are the plots and counter-plots. At first glance, events seem to point in one direction, but as the story progresses, we become aware that those events had secret motivations and intentions behind them. The plot, it seems, is an elaborate game of chess. All of it rushes toward a climactic scene in which Sophos decides what kind of a man—and what kind of a king—he must be in order to preserve his nation.

Flushed, and knowing it, Sounis fell into step with the king of Attolia and glared at the ground. “You might have mentioned this charade you had planned beforehand,” he said stiffly, his irritation overcoming his reserve.

“Couldn’t,” Gen said coolly. “I need you on the edge, looking slightly sick.”

Sounis knew that his mind sometimes worked like a pig stuck in mud, but at other times, conclusions seemed to strike like lightning, one bolt after another. He realized that Eugenides was growing more remote, not less, and almost in the same instant that he would never see any sign of his old friend if all he did was wait patiently for it. If the king of Attolia was more than just his ally, there was one sure way to find out. He stuffed the bread into his mouth and dropped his practice sword. He slid one foot around Eugenides’s ankle, and using both hands, as well as his greater mass, he sent him flying.

It was immensely satisfying. Eugenides crashed into his attendants, who went stumbling in turn, a mass of windmilling arms and falling bodies as they tried to catch the king, who was making no effort to save himself. He’d dropped his own practice sword and had his arms tucked in where his hook would do no accidental damage. He slipped through their clutching hands like a fish.

Sounis stood very still, his hands well away from his body, surrounded, as he’d anticipated, by weapons that were very real and all pointed toward him. Eugenides levered himself up on his elbows, appearing stunned. After a moment he lay back down again and began to laugh. He was uncooperative as his crouching attendants tried to lift him. They managed to pull him to a seated position, but he waved them away. With a nod, he dismissed the swords back to their sheaths. “Just what makes you think you can get away with that?” he asked the young man standing over him with a butter-won’t-melt-in-my-mouth expression incongruous on his scarred face.

“I am Sounis,” his friend answered, and offered a hand to help him up.