From acclaimed, award-winning author Jo Walton: Philosopher Kings, a tale of gods and humans, and the surprising things they have to learn from one another. Twenty years have elapsed since the events of The Just City. The City, founded by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, organized on the principles espoused in Plato’s Republic and populated by people from all eras of human history, has now split into five cities, and low-level armed conflict between them is not unheard-of.
The god Apollo, living (by his own choice) a human life as "Pythias" in the City, his true identity known only to a few, is now married and the father of several children. But a tragic loss causes him to become consumed with the desire for revenge. Being Apollo, he goes handling it in a seemingly rational and systematic way, but it’s evident, particularly to his precocious daughter Arete, that he …
From acclaimed, award-winning author Jo Walton: Philosopher Kings, a tale of gods and humans, and the surprising things they have to learn from one another. Twenty years have elapsed since the events of The Just City. The City, founded by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, organized on the principles espoused in Plato’s Republic and populated by people from all eras of human history, has now split into five cities, and low-level armed conflict between them is not unheard-of.
The god Apollo, living (by his own choice) a human life as "Pythias" in the City, his true identity known only to a few, is now married and the father of several children. But a tragic loss causes him to become consumed with the desire for revenge. Being Apollo, he goes handling it in a seemingly rational and systematic way, but it’s evident, particularly to his precocious daughter Arete, that he is unhinged with grief.
Along with Arete and several of his sons, plus a boatload of other volunteers--including the now fantastically aged Marsilio Ficino, the great humanist of Renaissance Florence--Pythias/Apollo goes sailing into the mysterious Eastern Mediterranean of pre-antiquity to see what they can find—possibly the man who may have caused his great grief, possibly communities of the earliest people to call themselves "Greek." What Apollo, his daughter, and the rest of the expedition will discover…will change everything.
A decent sequel. All the exciting world building already happened in the first book, so this one had little left to do. Overall, a typical "second in a trilogy" book.
I'm not outside of time. I know that if I take too long writing my review, there will be some sort of timeout and I won't be able to save it. I have lost past reviews that way though I have remembered what I'd said and recreated them anew and perhaps better. It's like a volcano wiping out the Just City and leaving behind a legend.
This book, and its predecessor, are like a Platonic Soap Opera. You get the philosophical arguments, the emotional explosions, the ancient metaphysics. The Gods are kind of like superheros, with their ancient personalities, but in a new scene. If you like that kind of stuff, and I'm embarrassed to admit its appeal to me--a sort of lifestyles of the historically famous, or real housewives of the classical world--then this is for you. I can't imagine what the 3rd book will be about. Maybe some …
I'm not outside of time. I know that if I take too long writing my review, there will be some sort of timeout and I won't be able to save it. I have lost past reviews that way though I have remembered what I'd said and recreated them anew and perhaps better. It's like a volcano wiping out the Just City and leaving behind a legend.
This book, and its predecessor, are like a Platonic Soap Opera. You get the philosophical arguments, the emotional explosions, the ancient metaphysics. The Gods are kind of like superheros, with their ancient personalities, but in a new scene. If you like that kind of stuff, and I'm embarrassed to admit its appeal to me--a sort of lifestyles of the historically famous, or real housewives of the classical world--then this is for you. I can't imagine what the 3rd book will be about. Maybe some sort of prequel since Zeus seems to have shown up. like a God out of the machine, to wrap up the plot at the end of this one. I'll try and resist it for a while, but I imagine I'll end up reading it.
I really enjoyed "The Just City", and found myself thinking about it for days. I loved 'The Philosopher Kings". The ending had me so riveted that I walked down the sidewalk for half a mile while reading. It was worth risking a stumble, as I burst out laughing a few houses from home. The previous book ends with the characters' plans tossed into the air, and this sequel plunges decades ahead. I love the characters. Despite being philosopher kings, they are quite as gallant, confused, and pig-headed as people in general, only much more interesting.
