I highly recommend The Queen of Attolia. 
 ***** 
 FANTASTIC sequel! 
 I was unprepared with the events that the author threw at me in The Queen of Attolia. The pacing of the story is very different from book 1. And oh, so so much better! 
 Eugenides is back working for the Queen of Eddis as, of course, the Queen's Thief. In the first few chapters Eugenides was caught, imprisoned, and suffered the most valuable loss perhaps in his life. I was shocked by this turn of the story. I didn't know the author had it in her to be so cruel, especially to her hero! I mourned with Gen. 
 The lull for me came when Gen wallowed in self-pity and despair. These scenes made Gen annoying but brought about the strong character of the Queen of Eddis and what her relationship is like with Gen. He's not only her Thief, but her cousin, her friend, her family. On those lengths she contemplated going to war with Attolia just for Gen. 
 The Queen of Attolia was a different thing. Ruthless, shrewd, cruel. She is also a strong character but in a different way from Eddis. I was kinda lost with her reactions to Gen's antics and taunts. I'm thinking, 'could it be that...' nooo, that's impossible. In the end, i realized that the reason behind might be difficult to fathom, but not impossible. And i believed it. 
 The action picked up again when Gen started plotting for revenge, err, a plan to counteract the inevitable war of Eddis with Attolia and Sounis. Gen coped up with his loss but not without a cost. His road to self-recovery is admirable, to say the least. And his plans! Wow, they are brilliant, if not perfect. Looove it! 
 My favorite part of this book? The unexpected love story. It wasn't even the main plot, but creeps up to be the most essential factor of the story. and man, that did it for me. I was floored by the revelations of both parties. At first, i thought it is part of Gen's plan but several scenes later, i realized Gen's not lying! After everything that's been done to him, he is still capable of loving her that much. Un-freaking-believable! If that's not love, then i don't know what is. The last scene melted my heart into a puddle. 
 There's also the scene of Gen questioning the actions of the gods. I was like, backing Gen at first, egging him to go and confront them about their failures. In the end, even i was humbled and grateful by answer of the gods. Very nice! 
 The ending is satisfying for me. The Queen of Attolia really deserves to be queen. Her cunning and acceptance for things as they are deserve praise. *clap clap* 
 I think i'm going to stall reading The King of Attolia for a while. Why? Well, i want to savor The Queen of Attolia first in all its brutality and sweetness. :) 
 I believe i found a new gem worth listing in my most romantic book ever read. *sigh*