Another fabulous book in this series, and my favourite so far. One of the best aspects of this story was how out of his depth Eugenides actually was. I liked seeing him like this, since he usually always has the upper hand, his attendants definitely made life for him rather difficult. Whether it was complicating matters for him in his bed chamber, his wardrobe or with his meals they made things pretty unpleasant and each time Gen's response entertained me. I enjoyed reading about his interactions in court and how even though people were trying to get the better of him, he always managed to stay one step ahead, whether we were aware of it in the story or not. He always seems to know everyone's motivations whilst feigning indifference or ignorance, and that makes him a very clever opponent. The development of the relationship between the King and Queen in this novel was great to read, and whether it was people hating Gen's claim over the queen or the court being shocked by the little insights they were given, I happily absorbed it all. My favourite moments of these characters interactions were when they were both taken to beyond their limit, such as both characters response to Gen becoming injured; Gen whining and the Queen fainting was spectacular. I also enjoyed the subtle indications Eugenides gave about how he could influence the Queen more than people gave him credit for, such as during the events after his incident, with Teleus and Aris.
The introduction of the character of Costis was a nice new breath of life. I loved his honour and loyalty and how these sometimes led him to do stupid things, such as his actions at the start of the novel that lead to his relationship with the King. I think the development of his character is a wonderful part of the book. His opinions slowly change when he is exposed to new information and influenced subtly without being aware of it. He was a likeable, reliable character who not only made mistakes, but worked very hard to fix them as well.
My favourite part of the series is still the character of Eugenides though. Whether he is lying, cheating, stealing, complaining, whining, being snarky or being melodramatic I find him wonderful to read. He just lights up the page, his comments make me laugh and the way he deliberately baits people into response has me avidly reading for more. He is such a fabulously written character and I don't think I could ever get sick of him.
Currently Reading: A Conspiracy of Kings By Megan Whalen Turner
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