steal me some time
Jun. 16th, 2018 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maplemood(Somewhat related sidenote: I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the newest covers for The Queen's Thief series. They are pretty, and I like the black-and-gold theme, but compared to the good old-fashioned Vince Natale covers? No way. Those ones are luminous.)
Anyway, I'm mainlining as many of the earlier books in the series as I can (for...reasons), and just finished The Queen of Attolia last night. It's always been one of my favorites, even if it tends to get overshadowed a bit by The King of Attolia (which is probably the one I've reread the most) and this time around I was blown away by a couple of things--the romance, as always; all the schemes and twists and turns, as always; Irene, as always--and also the pacing. It's so easy to forget (and I always do) that QoA actually covers about 2-3 years, especially when there's not a single unnecessary scene and everything moves along pretty quickly. Never in an overwhelming way, but there isn't a single moment wasted in this book, which gives me another reason to love it. You know, as if I needed more. The other thing rereading QoA reminded me of was that, as much as I love Gen--and do I ever love Gen--he isn't my favorite character. Irene is. She changes over the story in a way that's so low-key and often only very subtly hinted at, and so no matter how many times I reread it, by the end I'm always surprised at exactly how much she's changed. The last page or so shows it best, in the most quietly beautiful way.
Anyway, I'm mainlining as many of the earlier books in the series as I can (for...reasons), and just finished The Queen of Attolia last night. It's always been one of my favorites, even if it tends to get overshadowed a bit by The King of Attolia (which is probably the one I've reread the most) and this time around I was blown away by a couple of things--the romance, as always; all the schemes and twists and turns, as always; Irene, as always--and also the pacing. It's so easy to forget (and I always do) that QoA actually covers about 2-3 years, especially when there's not a single unnecessary scene and everything moves along pretty quickly. Never in an overwhelming way, but there isn't a single moment wasted in this book, which gives me another reason to love it. You know, as if I needed more. The other thing rereading QoA reminded me of was that, as much as I love Gen--and do I ever love Gen--he isn't my favorite character. Irene is. She changes over the story in a way that's so low-key and often only very subtly hinted at, and so no matter how many times I reread it, by the end I'm always surprised at exactly how much she's changed. The last page or so shows it best, in the most quietly beautiful way.
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Date: 2018-06-23 08:51 pm (UTC)It may be odd, but Gen/Irene is one of my favourite relationships in fiction--especially when you account for the fact that it's not a fealty relationship, like...most of the rest of them, tbh. What's that line? I can't remember how it begins, but "and I love every single one of your ridiculous lies."
(also, off-topic but the story with the guy whose ex-slave friend breaks his vase over his head is still one of my favourite in-text stories :P)
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Date: 2018-06-24 02:33 am (UTC)Me too! And you know, it's not completely a fealty relationship, but I do think there might be some elements of that dynamic mixed in there? Like at the end of QoA when Irene asks, "Who am I, that you should love me?" and Gen answers, "You are My Queen." MY HEART.
*goes to check book* Yep! Full line is "I love your eyes, I love your ears, and I love every single one of your ridiculous lies." It comes right in the middle of one of my favorite scenes in the book, and the first time I read it I think I just about died from happiness. It's just so perfect and vindicating after going through pages and pages of the entire court convinced that their marriage is only a sham.
The in-text stories are always so great! There's always this really wry tone to them which really helps characterize how Gen in particular views the gods/mythology in general. I love them.
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Date: 2018-09-22 08:12 pm (UTC)Okay, I do see what you mean, but I feel like you've also got a countervailing tendency? Like in KoA when Attolia says that she could of course order him to be King, except that that would defeat the purpose.
Augh, I love that one. God, it's such a great romance? But also so fraught and weighty. It's really good.
(And re: mythologies, I still love the Magus' reaction to some of Ben's retellings I'm the first book :P Corrupted, indeed.)