But a tragic loss causes him to become consumed with the desire for revenge. 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.

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. Twenty years have elapsed since the events of The Just City. In an epic encompassing sandy Mediterranean shores and the farthest reaches of the galaxy, Victorian England and Renaissance Italy, gods and humans argue, fight, love, and most of all, learn from one another, in critically-acclaimed author Jo Walton's unique exploration of the human condition, Thessaly.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. Synopsisįinalist for 2017 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literatureįor the first time, Jo Walton's critically acclaimed, genre-defying trilogy Thessaly- The Just City, The Philosopher Kings, and Necessity-is available in softcover, in a single-volume trade paperback omnibus

In an epic encompassing sandy Mediterranean shores and the farthest reaches of the galaxy, Victorian England and Renaissance Italy, gods and humans argue, fight, love, and most of all, learn from one another, in critically-acclaimed author Jo Walton's unique exploration of the human condition, Thessaly. And there are sins in Paradise, mortal and divine, far graver than the everyday ones. Meanwhile, following his famous spurning by a nymph, Athena's ever-curious brother Apollo has decided to live a mortal human life on the island, in an effort to gain a better understanding of humanity.īut as both Athena and Apollo soon discover, even the Just City is susceptible to the iron law that nothing ever happens as planned. Populate the island of Thera with extraordinary men, women, and children from throughout history, and watch as the mortals forge a harmonious society based on the tenets of Plato's Republic. The goddess Athena thought she was creating a utopia.

For the first time, Jo Walton's critically acclaimed, genre-defying trilogy Thessaly - The Just City, The Philosopher Kings, and Necessity - will be available in softcover, in a single-volume trade paperback omnibus.

The thessaly trilogy by jo walton