The Philosopher Kings

The Philosopher Kings continues Jo Walton's Thessaly trilogy, set fifteen years after the events of The Just City. The original city-state experiment based on Plato's Republic has fractured into five separate cities locked in ongoing conflicts, while a sixth group has vanished across the sea. The narrative centers on Apollo, who chose to live as a mortal human and now has several children. Following a personal tragedy, Apollo and his teenage daughter Arete embark on a sea voyage across the Mediterranean, accompanied by philosophers, warriors, and scholars from their community. Their journey becomes a quest for both discovery and healing as they search for the missing sixth group of citizens from their original settlement. The story combines elements of classical Greek mythology, philosophical discourse, and speculative fiction. The novel explores themes of mortality, grief, and the complex relationship between gods and humans. Through its unique blend of historical and fantastical elements, it examines how divine beings might experience and process human emotions while questioning the nature of faith and power.

Readers view The Philosopher Kings as a strong sequel that feels different in tone from The Just City. Many note it functions well as both a philosophical exploration and an adventure story. Readers appreciated: - Complex family dynamics and relationships - Integration of Greek mythology with practical philosophy - Character development, especially Apollo and Arete - Exploration of grief and its long-term effects Common criticisms: - Less philosophical discussion than the first book - Plot feels more scattered - Some found the sea voyage sections slow - Several readers wanted more resolution for certain character arcs Ratings: Goodreads: 3.95/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (40+ reviews) One reviewer noted: "The balance between adventure and intellectual discourse hits perfectly." Another wrote: "Missing some of the academic debates that made the first book unique." LibraryThing readers gave it 3.8/5, with multiple reviews highlighting the father-daughter relationship as a highlight.

The Republic by Plato This philosophical work explores the nature of justice and the ideal society through dialogues, providing the classical foundation that inspired The Philosopher Kings' examination of governance.

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin Two contrasting societies—one anarchist, one capitalist—serve as the backdrop for a story about political philosophy and human nature.

The Just City by Jo Walton The first book in the series establishes the experimental society based on Platonic ideals that continues in The Philosopher Kings.

New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson Members of a future society grapple with questions of governance, economics, and social organization in a world transformed by climate change.

Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer A future society organizes itself around philosophical principles while dealing with questions of power, identity, and social structure.

🔸 Jo Walton wrote her first novel at age 13 while bedridden with pneumonia, though it remained unpublished - her official debut came decades later with "The King's Peace" in 2000. 🔸 The Thessaly series was partly inspired by Walton's own experience of participating in online discussions about Plato's Republic and its practical applications. 🔸 Apollo appears as a character in ancient Greek literature more than any other Olympian deity, and is uniquely associated with both healing and plague, paralleling themes in the novel. 🔸 Plato's vision of an ideal society, which forms the foundation of the book's premise, was never actually implemented in ancient Greece, though it influenced numerous later utopian experiments. 🔸 The novel's title "The Philosopher Kings" refers to Plato's concept that the ideal rulers of a state should be philosophers who have achieved the highest form of knowledge and understanding.