Having achieved his goal in the previous book, Eugenides now has to deal with his new home of Attolia... not a simple task since apparently every single citizen of the country hates him. The story is mostly told through the eyes of Costis, a member of the guard (who also hates Eugenides) who is detailed to keep the king safe. Mostly through Costis' perspective we slowly understand the complexities of Eugenides' relationship with the queen, the network of politics and betrayals that is the court of Attolia, and how Eugenides has to turn his skills at lying to the very serious business of uncovering and destroying the enemies of the queen before they can have him assassinated. If you enjoyed the first two books in the series then you'll love this one also (and if you didn't, then you won't).