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A review by savage_book_review
Traitor of Villain Academy: The Complete Series by Eva Chase
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
We return to 'Villain Academy' two years after the events of the previous books, this time following Cressida Warbury, the one-time tormentor turned ally of Rory Bloodstone. The story essentially starts with a 'bang' 😉, but then settles in to develop relationships between Cressida and the various people she interacts with. Her past trauma is explored (check your trigger warnings if needed) in a sensitive way, showing her acceptance and redirection of her feelings at her experiences into fighting back. Likewise, she acknowledges her own past mistakes, while probably beating herself up a bit too much about her perceived lack of a 'noble cause'. Her character is likeable and carries the story well, but I feel there is a depth to her we didn't quite get to see.
I enjoyed the contrast between Noah and Emeric as we get to know them through Cressida's eyes. They both have some stand-out moments that really make you connect with them in some way, with one moment of Emeric's in particular being utterly heart-wrenching. I was surprised by how strong my reaction to some of these moments were; for a book that was just being read to fill some time, it manages to pack quite a punch while still being relatively easy-going.
Although the first part of the story does feel a little pantomime-ish, essentially with minor league bad guys trying to do something, anything to prove themselves and get a leg up into the big leagues, there are some great twists and turns. The story arc works really well; it's not overly-complicated but it keeps you engaged, and it skips along at a good pace. The biggest criticism I have is that the resolutions long the way (and even the ultimate finale) come with very little fanfare and are somewhat anticlimactic, which makes the build up seem wasted.
As with the previous books in the series, I do feel this works better as one book. There are more 'natural' breaks in this one at the end of each instalment, but nevertheless the story does feel like it needs to be ingested in one go.
A quick and satisfying read!
I enjoyed the contrast between Noah and Emeric as we get to know them through Cressida's eyes. They both have some stand-out moments that really make you connect with them in some way, with one moment of Emeric's in particular being utterly heart-wrenching. I was surprised by how strong my reaction to some of these moments were; for a book that was just being read to fill some time, it manages to pack quite a punch while still being relatively easy-going.
Although the first part of the story does feel a little pantomime-ish, essentially with minor league bad guys trying to do something, anything to prove themselves and get a leg up into the big leagues, there are some great twists and turns. The story arc works really well; it's not overly-complicated but it keeps you engaged, and it skips along at a good pace. The biggest criticism I have is that the resolutions long the way (and even the ultimate finale) come with very little fanfare and are somewhat anticlimactic, which makes the build up seem wasted.
As with the previous books in the series, I do feel this works better as one book. There are more 'natural' breaks in this one at the end of each instalment, but nevertheless the story does feel like it needs to be ingested in one go.
A quick and satisfying read!