The Philosopher Kings
{4.5/5} “I had become human to learn about will and consequences and the significance of mortal life. There were things I had learned, and no doubt there was more to learn. But as for things I could do better incarnate — beyond learning that it seemed to amount to suffering, and waiting. Perhaps there was something else Simmea wanted me to learn.”
The Philosopher Kings by Jo Walton, published in 2015
Twenty years after the Last Debate, there were 5 cities on Thera. They each had their own ideas of how to live the good life, and they were in a constant state of skirmishing with one another. When Simmea is killed in an art raid, her mate Pytheas — who is really Apollo — vows revenge.
This is the sequel to The Just City.
The point of view characters are: Maia, Apollo, and Arete — child of Apollo and Simmea.
It’s about different ideas of increasing excellence, and learning new things. It’s about how you can eventually get used to horrible things.
Readers of The Just City will want to continue to discover what Walton has in store for these characters.