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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
The manipulation got to me to be honest so I couldn't continue reading this. I like antiheroes and this was just villains. That might be something you enjoy tho so give it a chance. A well written world, but the slavery was frustrating.
Quick fun read. It's easy to get hooked and I read it quickly. Excited for book 2
Dnf at 55%. The plot was slow moving and the internal narration of the protagonist was insufferable. Everything was explained to death, which took away the joy of uncovering a world while reading. The other characters were very much stereotypically depicted and not compelling. I found myself skip reading waiting for it to get good, but it never did.
The traitor spy: a review
Wow. Okay, with this book, the traitor spy, Marion Blackwood has cemented herself as one of my favourite authors.
This book, the first in her latest series, is freaking fantastic. It literally ticks every box for me. Kick ass assassin, royalty, intrigue, mystery, adventure…this book literally has it all.
I fell head over heals in love with the main character, Kenna is one of my favourites ever. She is strong, she’s an assassin. She has a magic ability, which I’ll leave for you to discover.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a new series to follow, make it this one.
Support an indie author and get behind her.
Wow. Okay, with this book, the traitor spy, Marion Blackwood has cemented herself as one of my favourite authors.
This book, the first in her latest series, is freaking fantastic. It literally ticks every box for me. Kick ass assassin, royalty, intrigue, mystery, adventure…this book literally has it all.
I fell head over heals in love with the main character, Kenna is one of my favourites ever. She is strong, she’s an assassin. She has a magic ability, which I’ll leave for you to discover.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a new series to follow, make it this one.
Support an indie author and get behind her.
Kenna, half-elf, half-human, works as a spy for the Elven Court of Stone. In fact, she is one of the most skilled, with the power to walk through walls. Although she is treated well at her home, Kenna strives to be in control of her own life. With that being said, she often sneaks out of the house and blackmails individuals for ransom.
The Court of Stone learns that a very dangerous weapon that could potentially lead to war amongst the courts has fallen into the hands of someone from one of the other courts. The prince sends spies, including Kenna, out to find the weapon before something terrible happens.
Whilst this is occurring, Kenna still ventures into peoples homes and blackmails. Enter Mordren Darkbringer, the beautiful but dangerous, Prince of the Court of Shadows. In exchange for keeping information about Kenna’s illegal activities a secret, Mordren blackmails Kenna into going against her court and spying for him.
The Traitor Spy, in my opinion, was such a fun read. There were so many plot twists and betrayals that made this an extremely enjoyable and entertaining read. I found myself getting lost in the world and falling in love with the characters. I genuinely could not put this book down! I am so excited to start the second book!
The Court of Stone learns that a very dangerous weapon that could potentially lead to war amongst the courts has fallen into the hands of someone from one of the other courts. The prince sends spies, including Kenna, out to find the weapon before something terrible happens.
Whilst this is occurring, Kenna still ventures into peoples homes and blackmails. Enter Mordren Darkbringer, the beautiful but dangerous, Prince of the Court of Shadows. In exchange for keeping information about Kenna’s illegal activities a secret, Mordren blackmails Kenna into going against her court and spying for him.
The Traitor Spy, in my opinion, was such a fun read. There were so many plot twists and betrayals that made this an extremely enjoyable and entertaining read. I found myself getting lost in the world and falling in love with the characters. I genuinely could not put this book down! I am so excited to start the second book!
The Traitor Spy is the first in Marion Blackwood's new series, Court of Elves. The Traitor Spy has incredible world building, captivating characters and a thrilling storyline. I finished this book in a day, I didn't want to put it down.
Marion Blackwood's writing is exceptional, and the story roped me in and kept me hooked right from the start. Our main character, Kenna, is a total badass with the ability to walk through walls. She is also ambitious and determined, frequently having to reign in the bossy and dominant side of her in order to be respectful towards the Elf Princes.
The story was amazing, I love Kenna's tenacity. I laughed out loud in several spots, and I felt for Kenna in others. I didn't see the twist coming, perhaps I am completely ignorant and just enjoy rooting for love, but I enjoyed the surprise. The Prince of Shadows is easily one of my favourite characters, because honestly how could he not be! He is powerful and infuriating, and I cannot wait to read the next books in this series to see how his relationship with Kenna pans out.
There actually wasn't anything I disliked about this book. Here are some of my favourite things about it:
- Prince of Shadows, obviously
- That coffee shop scene!!
- The writing is captivating and descriptive
- The introduction of characters was flawless, making it easy to keep track of the different players in the game
- The Elf abilities are so varied (worldwalking, walking through walls, inflicting pain without touch, mindreading...!)
- MC is resourceful, compassionate and very intelligent
- The complexity of the scheming and the intricacies of the plans are mind blowing
If you're on the fence about reading this, please get right off it! The Traitor Spy is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it. It will be available on August 30th! If you're a fan of Marion Blackwood's Oncoming Storm series (or even if you haven't read it at all), you will love this book. Honestly if you're a fan of any fantasy at all, definitely pick this book up!
Thank you to Marion Blackwood for providing me a copy of this book to review in exchange for an honest review.
Marion Blackwood's writing is exceptional, and the story roped me in and kept me hooked right from the start. Our main character, Kenna, is a total badass with the ability to walk through walls. She is also ambitious and determined, frequently having to reign in the bossy and dominant side of her in order to be respectful towards the Elf Princes.
The story was amazing, I love Kenna's tenacity. I laughed out loud in several spots, and I felt for Kenna in others. I didn't see the twist coming, perhaps I am completely ignorant and just enjoy rooting for love, but I enjoyed the surprise. The Prince of Shadows is easily one of my favourite characters, because honestly how could he not be! He is powerful and infuriating, and I cannot wait to read the next books in this series to see how his relationship with Kenna pans out.
There actually wasn't anything I disliked about this book. Here are some of my favourite things about it:
- Prince of Shadows, obviously
- That coffee shop scene!!
- The writing is captivating and descriptive
- The introduction of characters was flawless, making it easy to keep track of the different players in the game
- The Elf abilities are so varied (worldwalking, walking through walls, inflicting pain without touch, mindreading...!)
- MC is resourceful, compassionate and very intelligent
- The complexity of the scheming and the intricacies of the plans are mind blowing
If you're on the fence about reading this, please get right off it! The Traitor Spy is a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it. It will be available on August 30th! If you're a fan of Marion Blackwood's Oncoming Storm series (or even if you haven't read it at all), you will love this book. Honestly if you're a fan of any fantasy at all, definitely pick this book up!
Thank you to Marion Blackwood for providing me a copy of this book to review in exchange for an honest review.
I came for the sex…there wasn’t any.
Really good aside from the lack of fornication but it was just not what I was hoping for.
Really good aside from the lack of fornication but it was just not what I was hoping for.
Court of Elves #1: [b:The Traitor Spy|58619110|The Traitor Spy (Court of Elves Book 1)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627133248l/58619110._SY75_.jpg|90525019]
[bc:The Traitor Spy|58619110|The Traitor Spy (Court of Elves Book 1)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627133248l/58619110._SY75_.jpg|90525019]
by: [a:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg][ai:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg]
[bc:The Traitor Spy|58619110|The Traitor Spy (Court of Elves Book 1)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627133248l/58619110._SY75_.jpg|90525019]
by: [a:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg][ai:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg]
3.5 stars★★★☆☆
☞ Trigger warnings: **contains spoilers**
Spoiler
alcohol consumption, blackmail, blood & gore depictions, captivity & confinement, classism, conscription, dead bodies, death of parent (mentioned), emotional abuse, estrangement, gambling, home invasion, hostage situation, indentured servitude, imprisonment, knife violence, mugging, murder & attempted murder, physical abuse, physical injuries, poverty themes, attempted regicide, strangulation, slut-shamingCourt of Midnight and Deception reviews:
#1 [b:The Traitor Spy|59854951|The Traitor Spy (Court of Elves, #1)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639955293l/59854951._SY75_.jpg|90525019]: ★★★☆☆
#2 [b:The Wicked Betrayal|58719985|The Wicked Betrayal (Court of Elves, #2)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628353118l/58719985._SY75_.jpg|92791111]: ★★★★★
#3 [b:The Beautiful Liar|59757543|The Beautiful Liar (Court of Elves, #3)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1638713747l/59757543._SY75_.jpg|93526329]: ★★★★★
#4 [b:The Fire Soul|59854977|The Fire Soul (Court of Elves, #4)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639955624l/59854977._SY75_.jpg|94279694]: ★★★★☆
#5 [b:The Lethal Deception|60456362|The Lethal Deception (Court of Elves, #5)|Marion Blackwood|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1645349275l/60456362._SY75_.jpg|95273204]: 25th April release
14th Feb
I really, really, really wanted to love this. I was ready to scream into the universe that [a:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg] had done it again. That she has given me a new meaning to life and has granted me salvation from the pits of a reading slump.
Do not misunderstand. There are some A+ scenes in this book that made me silently scream. What went wrong for me were the connections and relationships between the characters. It was lacking something, like a harmony that I had previously loved in The Oncoming Storm . The character relationships didn't feel as substantial and lacked emotional connection for me. When there is a betrayal, I am not shocked or hurt. It's not a jaw dropping moment, because I expected it. I was more shocked that the characters (especially Kenna) never saw it coming. Kenna is a spy, and blackmails people as a side hustle. She has seen the depravity and lies of so many people so when she naively believes and trusts people, it doesn't make sense. The math ain't mathing!!
Kenna is trying to solve too many problems at once. First to find the missing magical Dagger of Orias, to then make sure the King isn't assassinated with said dagger, to avoid giving this dagger to any of the elf prince's, to pay off her family's debtors and finally to pay her way out of indentured servitude. There are too many issues and not enough time. Kenna doesn't have the power or the resources to solve all these problems and she certainly doesn't have anyone she can trust to ask for help. Danger lurks at every misstep, because if she stumbles she's dead.
In order to blackmail people, Kenna uses her power to walk through walls. Firstly, what a unique and interesting power. Imagine the shenanigans and havocThe Oncoming Storm would be reeking if she had that skill (even though she basically does but that's not the point). Kenna has the perfect gift for a thief but she uses it to collect information in order to blackmail people for money. I wonder how she keeps track of everyone she blackmails because from what I gather, its quite a long list. Her downfall starts when she chooses the wrong target to steal from. If she were to blackmail someone, she would have had more preparation done and known the victim more intimately but as a thief her targets are the wrong kind. I would expect a little more crossover in skills from blackmailer to thief but i'll chalk this up to her running out of time and being desperate.
There's something about the Prince of Shadows. Maybe it's the flowing locks or his need for everyone to beg that makes me want to punch him in the face just to see his shock and to watch him bleed. Kenna agrees with me but this isn't the book where she gets her revenge. Kenna is just constantly scrambling to stay alive, and stay ahead of all her schemes but with too much to worry about she puts herself last.
Kenna had no one in her corner. Her friends and family are self-absorbed arseholes that don't care about Kenna in any way (with the exception of Felix). I understand Kenna's deliberate blinders with her friends and family, because if she called them out and addressed their bad behaviour, she would be confronted with the fact that she is alone in the world, with no support or love. She was holding onto all these relationships with the skin of her teeth and everyone's bullshit is slowly chipping away at her spirit. Kenna is exhausted and under so much stress and her family/friends are just another pressure point that she doesn't need. This culminates in solving her family's debt problem at the expanse of her freedom. Her family are not grateful, nor regretful of their actions. They expect she will do what they ask with no questions or context and use her feelings of being wanted to manipulate her. I hate her family so much. Every single member is trash with no redeeming qualities. Ergh.
Kenna's 'best friend' is equally manipulative that is hidden with pretty words and fishing for compliments. She uses her friends feelings in a way to manipulate them in centring her comfortability rather than having confronting conversations. I am no psychiatrist but girlie is a narcissist. No question. I hope she gets her just desserts because she doesn't deserve Kenna's friendship. Kenna would move the world for the people she cares about and her family/friends know this and use it against her. I just want Kenna to drop them all and find a better support system but she won't until she is confronted with their duplicate nature.
I was rooting for Kenna. I wanted her to show the world her power, her strength and her cunning. Unfortunately she had too much shit going on that made her reactive rather than proactive. There is only so much she can handle before it becomes too much, and that meant things that she should have noticed fell through the cracks. I know Kenna will rise to the occasion given time but it sucks watching her go through it and not have the desired results at the end.
I'm foaming at the mouth at the potential of this series and I cannot wait for the rest of them.
Would I recommend this book?
I would recommend this book but I would probably tell you to read her first series The Oncoming Storm .
Will I continue reading this series?
Definitely.
Will I re-read this book?
Yeah I would. [a:Marion Blackwood|19458214|Marion Blackwood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1565692755p2/19458214.jpg] is a favourite author that I would go back to again, and again.
12th Feb
How come no one told me there was another Marion Blackwood book released!!!
JAIL! ALL OF U GET JAIL!!
I am not emotionally prepared for this.
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I received an ARC in exchange for a review.
The Traitor Spy is the first book in Marion Blackwood's new series Court of Elves. I was really impressed with the incredible worldbuilding, intrigue, and well-written characters. I enjoyed the multiple layers of complexity in the book with Kenna's scheming and that of the elf princes.
I really liked Kenna's strong character and her ability to land on her feet even when completely out of her depth. She always managed to meet each challenge and rise above it even as they built against her. The story was so engaging precisely because of Kenna's unbreakable spirit and unwillingness to back down from a challenge. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one and what schemes she cooks up next.
The Traitor Spy is the first book in Marion Blackwood's new series Court of Elves. I was really impressed with the incredible worldbuilding, intrigue, and well-written characters. I enjoyed the multiple layers of complexity in the book with Kenna's scheming and that of the elf princes.
I really liked Kenna's strong character and her ability to land on her feet even when completely out of her depth. She always managed to meet each challenge and rise above it even as they built against her. The story was so engaging precisely because of Kenna's unbreakable spirit and unwillingness to back down from a challenge. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one and what schemes she cooks up next.