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helynalc's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
I'm pretty mixed on this book. Some parts were so so good and interesting: Raena, a hidden heir of a ruined family pretending to be a man and a knight, at that; a cruel king, a widowed duchess in a very tight political position - just a nice mix of characters. I also really loved the old Queen, Zarana's POVs at first, it was an interesting perspective. The history of the world was told in a bit of a disjointed manner, but it was relatively easy to put it together. And I was Ready. For revenge, and war, and romance, and drama.
But the story was sort of slow, and the plot not exactly what I expected. Which is not bad, to be honest. It was a bit too slow in places, though. My favourite parts were absolutely where Raena and Aven were together, and their relationship evolved, and the romance started and all that. They were: cute. But then they were separated for a long time, which was sad. And the entire Raena's revenge storyline was shadowed by the attack of theBoens. Which was also just so strange, I couldn't really put together how I should have felt about it. They were previously described as a misunderstood, sort of beaten down people but then they were these almost...barbaric underground creatures when they attacked... so I'm not sure. It was interesting, though, especially the Zarana parts. And I found the ending a bit underwhelming...but maybe it's just because it felt like they had to cut the book somewhere because it was getting too long, so it wasn't a natural "finale point".
There were really a lot of interesting pieces, though, and I'm still curious what is going to happen. It's quite a long book so the sequel will not be easy undertaking, but perhaps! :)
But the story was sort of slow, and the plot not exactly what I expected. Which is not bad, to be honest. It was a bit too slow in places, though. My favourite parts were absolutely where Raena and Aven were together, and their relationship evolved, and the romance started and all that. They were: cute. But then they were separated for a long time, which was sad. And the entire Raena's revenge storyline was shadowed by the attack of the
There were really a lot of interesting pieces, though, and I'm still curious what is going to happen. It's quite a long book so the sequel will not be easy undertaking, but perhaps! :)
tellasdantes's review against another edition
3.0
First of all, thank you to netgalley and the publishing team for allowing me the chance to read this debute novel and give my honest review for it!
I am giving this book: 3.5 STARS
I have to say, I almost lost with this book in the first 30% of it. The pacing was very .. very slow. To the point it took me over a month to actually hit the 30% mark. After that, I thought to myself; Do I even continue with this? Is it going to be worth pushing through another 700+ pages just for the sapphic romance that is promised?
Yes. Yes it was worth it. At least to me.
I am so happy that I pushes myself to not dnf after 30% because after that point, it was like I was reading a completely different book. The pacing was so much better, the author managed to give great detail of the world building without taking away from the main plot. The highlight for me had to be, well of course the sapphic romance.
Although I'm not a fan of the whole "instalove" kind of trope, I felt like it wasn't too much hitting you right on the nose in this book. It was believable to me that Avenna had gotten herself wrapped up in the world of our beloved disguised knight "Sir Rowan" after he picked her out of everyone to try and charm during the tournament. I'm sure her being .. common born .. wink wink for that discussion later, was a big reason for her being so curious by the knight suddenly placed into her care after exile.
I loved the fact that this book had multiple point of views from the three main women characters. We had Rhaena, also known as Sir Rowan, who we got the insight into her bloodthirst for revenge on the crown after they slaughtered her entire family for treason and sent her into hiding as a man. We also had the Duchess, Lady Avenna, who is a delightly light read compared to the other pov characters. She's just a woman who lost her husband and now has a Duchy to look after until one of the male relatives can marry, have a heir and take over. You get from her pov that she cares about her people, to the point that she's willing to go against the crown after many promises of protection that never seemed to come. You also got insight into her relationship with the Queen, who raised her in the castle alongside her horrendous son who reminded me a lot of Joffrey from a Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. And finally you got the pov of the Queen herself, who in my opinion, was a definite highlight because her hatred for her own son and pettiness to not allow herself to die of the illness she's slowly dying with, because she doesn't want him to take the crown, is hilarious. She's one of those characters who you know you shouldn't root for .. but then you end up rooting for. Because she's just a bitter old hag who ends up doing the right thing after doing the wrong things.
The action scenes were another highlight, always really gripping and full of gore and everything else you could want in a fight scene. The plottwist at the end? Finding out the real reason that Queen Zarana had killed Rhaena's father, Henry, for supposed treason? Amazing. Truly such a great ending to the first book and had me sweating to know if Avenna would ever find out the truth. I was very delighted that the book ended the way it did and left some of the plot points open for a sequel to take place that instantly would have my attention and wouldn't have to create a whole new plot and feel like a whole new story just with the same characters.
Again, I'm glad I pushed myself past the 30% mark to read the rest of this book, because although the 30% really did drag a little too much for me, and the length of the overall book can be a bit intimidating at first, it was worth it and I thought it was a pretty great book for a debute.
I am giving this book: 3.5 STARS
I have to say, I almost lost with this book in the first 30% of it. The pacing was very .. very slow. To the point it took me over a month to actually hit the 30% mark. After that, I thought to myself; Do I even continue with this? Is it going to be worth pushing through another 700+ pages just for the sapphic romance that is promised?
Yes. Yes it was worth it. At least to me.
I am so happy that I pushes myself to not dnf after 30% because after that point, it was like I was reading a completely different book. The pacing was so much better, the author managed to give great detail of the world building without taking away from the main plot. The highlight for me had to be, well of course the sapphic romance.
Although I'm not a fan of the whole "instalove" kind of trope, I felt like it wasn't too much hitting you right on the nose in this book. It was believable to me that Avenna had gotten herself wrapped up in the world of our beloved disguised knight "Sir Rowan" after he picked her out of everyone to try and charm during the tournament. I'm sure her being .. common born .. wink wink for that discussion later, was a big reason for her being so curious by the knight suddenly placed into her care after exile.
I loved the fact that this book had multiple point of views from the three main women characters. We had Rhaena, also known as Sir Rowan, who we got the insight into her bloodthirst for revenge on the crown after they slaughtered her entire family for treason and sent her into hiding as a man. We also had the Duchess, Lady Avenna, who is a delightly light read compared to the other pov characters. She's just a woman who lost her husband and now has a Duchy to look after until one of the male relatives can marry, have a heir and take over. You get from her pov that she cares about her people, to the point that she's willing to go against the crown after many promises of protection that never seemed to come. You also got insight into her relationship with the Queen, who raised her in the castle alongside her horrendous son who reminded me a lot of Joffrey from a Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. And finally you got the pov of the Queen herself, who in my opinion, was a definite highlight because her hatred for her own son and pettiness to not allow herself to die of the illness she's slowly dying with, because she doesn't want him to take the crown, is hilarious. She's one of those characters who you know you shouldn't root for .. but then you end up rooting for. Because she's just a bitter old hag who ends up doing the right thing after doing the wrong things.
The action scenes were another highlight, always really gripping and full of gore and everything else you could want in a fight scene. The plottwist at the end? Finding out the real reason that Queen Zarana had killed Rhaena's father, Henry, for supposed treason? Amazing. Truly such a great ending to the first book and had me sweating to know if Avenna would ever find out the truth. I was very delighted that the book ended the way it did and left some of the plot points open for a sequel to take place that instantly would have my attention and wouldn't have to create a whole new plot and feel like a whole new story just with the same characters.
Again, I'm glad I pushed myself past the 30% mark to read the rest of this book, because although the 30% really did drag a little too much for me, and the length of the overall book can be a bit intimidating at first, it was worth it and I thought it was a pretty great book for a debute.
hellybobs's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fantastic book, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did!
The writing is beautiful and the world building is so well done, the history and politics of the land is detailed but not overly done with too much exposition, it all fits within the pace of the story.
I wondered initially how the story would unfold, with one of the main characters, Raena Schinen who is a woman disguised as a male knight, but I was delighted with the development of her character and her relationship with Duchess Avenna. The characters are multi-layered and it was so interesting to learn more about them and their motivations and history as the story went on.
I was even happier to reach the end and discovered there will be a sequel, which is fantastic as I need more of this story!
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC**
The writing is beautiful and the world building is so well done, the history and politics of the land is detailed but not overly done with too much exposition, it all fits within the pace of the story.
I wondered initially how the story would unfold, with one of the main characters, Raena Schinen who is a woman disguised as a male knight, but I was delighted with the development of her character and her relationship with Duchess Avenna. The characters are multi-layered and it was so interesting to learn more about them and their motivations and history as the story went on.
I was even happier to reach the end and discovered there will be a sequel, which is fantastic as I need more of this story!
**Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC**
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Traitors of the Black Crown was such a wild ride! I honestly enjoyed this book so freaking much today. Each twist and turn made this book a page turner for me. It was really hard to put down too.
In it, you will meet Raean. She was such a fun character to read about because she was just a complete bad ass in my eyes. Plus her sarcasm and fierceness just made me love her even more. So when she's pretending to be a Knight name Rowan.. I just knew things were going to be very interesting. Also, her bestie Finn was completely adorable and their bantering was very cute.
Then there's the lovely slow burn romance between Raean and Aven. Oh how I loved these two being together. It was just pure and genuine. Made my heart all happy and shit. I'm hoping I get more from these two in the next book because I will riot if I don't.
It's safe to say that you will get a lot of betrayals throughout this book. The reason why it is easy to accept would be Prince Zander's doing. He's a real pain in the ass. A huge conceited asshole who thinks he's all that and a bag of potato chips. Real charmer.. and I wanted him to die a very painful death after our first meet and greet.
After each horrible decision, made my the prince douche, lots of people die. If you have ever watched an episode of Game of Thrones, or read one of the books, think of that being child's play. Mostly because Prince Zander would sacrifice anyone and everyone in the entire world. It's also safe to assume that shit went downhill quickly once he became King.
In the end, that little cliffhanger gave me some whiplash. It also make sense that the little monster is a fake. Now I'm wondering where the real heir is and I have a few theories as to who it could be. I definitely need the next book now and I can't wait for it to become available!
Traitors of the Black Crown was such a wild ride! I honestly enjoyed this book so freaking much today. Each twist and turn made this book a page turner for me. It was really hard to put down too.
In it, you will meet Raean. She was such a fun character to read about because she was just a complete bad ass in my eyes. Plus her sarcasm and fierceness just made me love her even more. So when she's pretending to be a Knight name Rowan.. I just knew things were going to be very interesting. Also, her bestie Finn was completely adorable and their bantering was very cute.
Then there's the lovely slow burn romance between Raean and Aven. Oh how I loved these two being together. It was just pure and genuine. Made my heart all happy and shit. I'm hoping I get more from these two in the next book because I will riot if I don't.
It's safe to say that you will get a lot of betrayals throughout this book. The reason why it is easy to accept would be Prince Zander's doing. He's a real pain in the ass. A huge conceited asshole who thinks he's all that and a bag of potato chips. Real charmer.. and I wanted him to die a very painful death after our first meet and greet.
After each horrible decision, made my the prince douche, lots of people die. If you have ever watched an episode of Game of Thrones, or read one of the books, think of that being child's play. Mostly because Prince Zander would sacrifice anyone and everyone in the entire world. It's also safe to assume that shit went downhill quickly once he became King.
In the end, that little cliffhanger gave me some whiplash. It also make sense that the little monster is a fake. Now I'm wondering where the real heir is and I have a few theories as to who it could be. I definitely need the next book now and I can't wait for it to become available!
lexiereadss's review against another edition
5.0
I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher, for approving an ARC of The Traitor of the Black Crown for me to review. One my of favorite things in fantasy is politics, this book focused on politics and world building which I loved! I really enjoyed Rowan/Raena’s character, i liked the relationships and banter between characters. The main character is a lesbian pretending to be a man, to be a knight in order to get revenge on the queens royal guard for assassinating her entire family. This multi POV story was so good from the time I picked this up until the time I finished it, I enjoyed every minute of the book. I would absolutely pick up the next book just to find out what happens in the new empire that they’re in. The plot twists and reveals in this book were great and definitely were worth it in the end. I’m so happy I got to this book and loved it as much as I did.
lost_in_tome's review against another edition
4.0
Lesbian knight disguised as a man??? I am totally in!!
This is a multi pov story following a knight on the run, a peasant turned duchess and a queen with a very dark secret.
The writing style is very accessible if you are new to the fantasy genre. I caught a lot of Game of Throne vibes while reading. It read almost like a Game of Thrones fan fiction novel. I would recommend this to anyone loooking for that vibe but in a more PG setting. You do get a few steamy bits but it’s more suggestions and heavy petting.
I loved jumping between the pov of the heroes and the villains. Stories like this always make you feel something for the “villain” that ultimately makes you question your own moral compass.
There were some slow bits in between the battle scenes but I think the author did a very good job at using those moments to weave in more character building.
This is a great start to a new series and I am very excited to read where the author takes these characters!!
This is a multi pov story following a knight on the run, a peasant turned duchess and a queen with a very dark secret.
The writing style is very accessible if you are new to the fantasy genre. I caught a lot of Game of Throne vibes while reading. It read almost like a Game of Thrones fan fiction novel. I would recommend this to anyone loooking for that vibe but in a more PG setting. You do get a few steamy bits but it’s more suggestions and heavy petting.
I loved jumping between the pov of the heroes and the villains. Stories like this always make you feel something for the “villain” that ultimately makes you question your own moral compass.
There were some slow bits in between the battle scenes but I think the author did a very good job at using those moments to weave in more character building.
This is a great start to a new series and I am very excited to read where the author takes these characters!!
ripavengers's review against another edition
dnf @ 40% i believe i cant remember.
i have an arc of this but never got to finish and forgot to log it so here we are.
um it was quite boring as far as i remember. nothing was really happening except a lot of politics that we were thrown into the deep end for. also i didnt really like how two of the main characters were hooking up where one was a girl pretending to be a boy but the other didnt know idk.
im sure it picked up after where i left off but this wasnt for me.
i have an arc of this but never got to finish and forgot to log it so here we are.
um it was quite boring as far as i remember. nothing was really happening except a lot of politics that we were thrown into the deep end for. also i didnt really like how two of the main characters were hooking up where one was a girl pretending to be a boy but the other didnt know idk.
im sure it picked up after where i left off but this wasnt for me.
colleen987's review against another edition
2.0
With Thanks to Cate Pearce for a Advanced readers copy of this book
2* DNF at 45%
Okay, I'll start honestly and say I am in a big slump just now, but the pacing of this book is so very slow. The synopsis, and premise are great. The execution however leaves a lot to be desired.
1) World building is very inconsistent, in some passages its stellar, and really drops the reader into the scene. It others its very quick and slapdash.
2) The characters are flat, I would love to read this book with strong character focus and fleshed out real people.
3) What is the plot? Have I not read enough? I got nearly half way through and I still am unsure of what the plot is.
With only that being said this is just one persons opinion, go forth and try for yourselves.
2* DNF at 45%
Okay, I'll start honestly and say I am in a big slump just now, but the pacing of this book is so very slow. The synopsis, and premise are great. The execution however leaves a lot to be desired.
1) World building is very inconsistent, in some passages its stellar, and really drops the reader into the scene. It others its very quick and slapdash.
2) The characters are flat, I would love to read this book with strong character focus and fleshed out real people.
3) What is the plot? Have I not read enough? I got nearly half way through and I still am unsure of what the plot is.
With only that being said this is just one persons opinion, go forth and try for yourselves.
beelovesreading's review against another edition
5.0
First of all, thank you so much to Netgalley and Cate Pearce for giving me a chance to read this book.
Wow. Just wow. I loved this. Okay, so it took me over a week to read it, but that was purely down to other things going on in my life. I loved the diversity of the book and all of the characters, minus one (looking at you Zander, you little pissant).
Traitors of the Black Crown follows three main leads - all female (ha, take that men). We have Raena/Rowan the sole survivor of the massacre of her family who only has one thing on her mind. Revenge. Taking on the persona of 'Sir Rowan' a knight, she hopes to bring down the woman who ordered the deaths of her entire family. Queen Zarana. This all goes to hell in a handbasket when she gets herself exiled and into the services of the duchess Avenna - a kindhearted young woman. Raena finds herself drawn to Aven, something she never thought possible for herself.
The Queen is frail, but still a force to be reckoned with. Confined to her bedchambers she sets out to discover the truth behind 'Sir Rowan'. There's something familiar about him and she won't rest until she gets her answers. Zarana also cares deeply for Aven, wishing only for her safety and her happiness, though her son, Prince Zander, takes great joy in tormenting Avenna.
Avenna is in the middle of grieving for her husband when Rowan joins her duchy and, as such, fights her growing feelings for the knight. This is helped by her decision to break away from the crown and their lack of support, even from Queen Zarana and to unite the other duchies.
Traitors of the Black Crown has everything: epic adventure, diversity, lgbt, friends to lovers, betrayal.
If you're a fan of Game of Thrones you will enjoy reading this. Also Prince Zander reminds me a lot of Joffrey Baratheon, so it's no wonder I hate him.
Wow. Just wow. I loved this. Okay, so it took me over a week to read it, but that was purely down to other things going on in my life. I loved the diversity of the book and all of the characters, minus one (looking at you Zander, you little pissant).
Traitors of the Black Crown follows three main leads - all female (ha, take that men). We have Raena/Rowan the sole survivor of the massacre of her family who only has one thing on her mind. Revenge. Taking on the persona of 'Sir Rowan' a knight, she hopes to bring down the woman who ordered the deaths of her entire family. Queen Zarana. This all goes to hell in a handbasket when she gets herself exiled and into the services of the duchess Avenna - a kindhearted young woman. Raena finds herself drawn to Aven, something she never thought possible for herself.
The Queen is frail, but still a force to be reckoned with. Confined to her bedchambers she sets out to discover the truth behind 'Sir Rowan'. There's something familiar about him and she won't rest until she gets her answers. Zarana also cares deeply for Aven, wishing only for her safety and her happiness, though her son, Prince Zander, takes great joy in tormenting Avenna.
Avenna is in the middle of grieving for her husband when Rowan joins her duchy and, as such, fights her growing feelings for the knight. This is helped by her decision to break away from the crown and their lack of support, even from Queen Zarana and to unite the other duchies.
Traitors of the Black Crown has everything: epic adventure, diversity, lgbt, friends to lovers, betrayal.
If you're a fan of Game of Thrones you will enjoy reading this. Also Prince Zander reminds me a lot of Joffrey Baratheon, so it's no wonder I hate him.