
'The Philosopher Kings' by Jo Walton is a thought-provoking science fiction novel that delves into the consequences of setting up a city based on Plato's Republic. The story follows Apollo, now living in human form, and his daughter Arete, as they navigate grief, exploration, and ethical dilemmas in a society that has fractured into warring cities. Through a blend of Greek mythology, time travel, and philosophical debates, Walton skillfully crafts a narrative that challenges readers to contemplate what it means to be truly human.
The book is praised for its engaging storytelling, accessible exploration of philosophical ideas, and the way it gently suggests connections between ancient Greek philosophy and modern Western narratives. Walton's writing style seamlessly weaves together elements of science fiction, fantasy, and alternate history, creating a unique and captivating reading experience that offers both entertainment and intellectual stimulation.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The story includes themes of grief, death, and vengeance which might be triggering for some readers.
Has Romance?
There are romantic elements present, primarily through familial and emotional relationships.
From The Publisher:
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.
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1 comment(s)
I'm not used to not loving a Jo Walton book, but...I did not love this one. Simmea, the best character from the first book, dies in the opening pages, leaving her lover (husband?) Pytheas/Apollo to wonder why she decided to die rather than let him save her. We lose Simmea's awesomeness (sorry, excellence) and Socrates is no longer around to kick up dirt because Athena turned him into a gadfly in the last book. Although Arete, Simmea and Pytheas' daughter, is an engaging character, she can't really hold a candle to those two.
I'm sorry to say I fell asleep reading the ending. This one was a bit of a miss for me.
About the Author:
Jo Walton won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer on publication of her debut novel The King's Peace. She won the World Fantasy Award in 2004 for Tooth and Claw, and in 2012, the Hugo and Nebula Awards for Among Others. In addition to writing SF and fantasy, she has also designed role-playing games and published poetry. Her song "The Lurkers Support Me In Email" has been quoted innumerable times in online discussions all over the world, frequently without attribution. A native of Wales, she lives in Montreal.
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