The Queen of Attolia (2000)

Aww.. :) Happy Endings. ( )

Even better than the first book. To the extent that I can separate the books in my mind, having read three now.

The change of POV and the change in the mood and the character development is outstanding.

See my comments on the first book. ( )

I quite liked the first book, The Thief, but this was far better, for me. There were a couple of points I worried about, as I read -- how the author would deal with disability, and how the romance would turn out -- but as I got to the end, I felt entirely satisfied with both.

The attitude to disability is refreshing. It happens, and the character reacts realistically, but goes through a process of healing rather than either remaining sunk in despair or just suddenly getting better as if nothing has changed. The character changes because of what happens to them, and that change isn't wished away, even after the intercession of the gods. I was so happy with this aspect -- as compared to other narratives involving disability -- that I ended up buying a couple of my friends copies of the first and second books of these series, because this kind of thing needs to be supported.

Another aspect of this book that I loved was the development of the Queens. They were interesting characters, in the first book, but very background. In this book, they both get a chance to shine, and some of the narration is limited to their point of view -- although the narration of this book is third person, not first person.

In terms of the romance, I thought it... rather sudden, at first, but as it developed a little I began to like it despite the suddenness. It isn't really surprising, given how much the narrative in the first book hides from the reader, that I didn't get any sense of foreshadowing of it.

Like the first book, this one contains a bit of a twist at the end -- perhaps a little more telegraphed than in the first book, and not quite as integral to the plot, maybe. Still, I thought it was a nice touch. ( )

It's rare that the second book in a series stands head and shoulders above the first. In my opinion, this second book is worlds better than the first. The characters are more complex, the twists more satisfying, and the plotting tighter. The world-building is good but not great, but the awkwardness of setting doesn't stand in the way of this ripping good story. ( )

When someone loses a hand in the first 30 pages, you know its on. YA fantasy at its best. Turner expands the world in an effortless and masterful way. Reminds me of Cashore's Graceling and Fire, only better. ( )