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A review by mediaevalmuse
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
3.0
I’m glad we get to hear more of Sophos - he was one of my favorite characters in the first book of this series. I’m finding it harder and harder to rate Turner’s books because I do genuinely enjoy her worldbuilding and the characters. I just also have some problems with individual writing choices or the way things are structured within these books.
Things I Liked
1. Personal Connections: I liked the moments when Sophos would have personal interactions with other characters, of all social classes. He befriends slaves and servants while also deeply treasuring his friendship with Gen. I like seeing how much relationships mean to people, even if they aren’t romantic.
2. Role of Stories: The role of folklore and stories didn’t return to be as strongly present in this book as the first, but there was a particular story that kept popping up again and again that gave Sophos some guidance. Sophos also uses stories to bring people together at the end of a work day, which I found to be lovely. Overall, stories were something that I had been missing in the previous book, and I’m glad they were worked into Sophos’ everyday life.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Pace/Politics: A lot of Sophos’ time is spent waiting around - waiting in captivity, waiting to meet with courtiers and barons, etc. As a result, the plot overall felt slower than the narratives of past books, and a lot of that space had to be filled with a lot of talk of politics. Don’t get me wrong - I like a bit of political intrigue, but I found myself not feeling invested in the conflict. I didn’t really feel Sophos’ personal connection to his country or kingship, which made the politics feel empty.
2. Slavery: I know the world of these books is based on ancient Greek culture, and there was slavery... but I’m honestly not sure whether portraying slavery without challenging its ethics is okay, and I’m not sure I appreciate that Sophos finds release or peace as a slave (but not as a royal heir). I get that being apart from politics feels liberating - but I’m not convinced slavery was the way to do it.
3. Switch Between First and Third Person: Probably just personal taste, but I found the jumps between first and third person narration to feel disjointed.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in political plots, issues of royal succession, alliances, and looming civil war.
Things I Liked
1. Personal Connections: I liked the moments when Sophos would have personal interactions with other characters, of all social classes. He befriends slaves and servants while also deeply treasuring his friendship with Gen. I like seeing how much relationships mean to people, even if they aren’t romantic.
2. Role of Stories: The role of folklore and stories didn’t return to be as strongly present in this book as the first, but there was a particular story that kept popping up again and again that gave Sophos some guidance. Sophos also uses stories to bring people together at the end of a work day, which I found to be lovely. Overall, stories were something that I had been missing in the previous book, and I’m glad they were worked into Sophos’ everyday life.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Pace/Politics: A lot of Sophos’ time is spent waiting around - waiting in captivity, waiting to meet with courtiers and barons, etc. As a result, the plot overall felt slower than the narratives of past books, and a lot of that space had to be filled with a lot of talk of politics. Don’t get me wrong - I like a bit of political intrigue, but I found myself not feeling invested in the conflict. I didn’t really feel Sophos’ personal connection to his country or kingship, which made the politics feel empty.
2. Slavery: I know the world of these books is based on ancient Greek culture, and there was slavery... but I’m honestly not sure whether portraying slavery without challenging its ethics is okay, and I’m not sure I appreciate that Sophos finds release or peace as a slave (but not as a royal heir). I get that being apart from politics feels liberating - but I’m not convinced slavery was the way to do it.
3. Switch Between First and Third Person: Probably just personal taste, but I found the jumps between first and third person narration to feel disjointed.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in political plots, issues of royal succession, alliances, and looming civil war.