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A review by bellatora
The Traitor's Wife by Kathleen Kent
3.0
This is a prequel to [b:The Heretic's Daughter|3181953|The Heretic's Daughter|Kathleen Kent|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344269239s/3181953.jpg|3214749], which I thought was pretty good historical fiction, so I was disappointed with this novel.
While Martha was a strict mother that clashed with her daughter but revealed her deep love for her, the Martha here is just…kinda terrible. There is a line between a headstrong, sharp-tongued woman and a bully, and Martha crosses that line. I never figured out when or why Thomas fell in love with her. He just suddenly did. Even though Martha had been nothing but mean to him. I mean, one of the servants smirked a bit when she jumped into the mud after refusing his hand to help her down and so she retaliates by making him sleep in the barn on a bitterly cold night. That is bullying behavior!!! And just because you are too proud does not mean other people should suffer for it!
And the thing is – she never gets better. I could accept all this if she goes through a humbling experience and becomes more controlled and compassionate, but that doesn’t happen. She remains arrogant and proud and biting. And Thomas falls for her anyway.
Plus, I thought the whole following-the-king’s-assassins was unnecessary and surprisingly lame. I think it would’ve worked better if it was all from Martha/Thomas’ perspectives and there were hints that some kind of conspiracy was going down but the reader wasn’t sure what or who the danger was until later. Instead of laying it out. Plus, the assassins kept getting killed of in semi-random ways. A servant girl poisons one because she’s a colonial spy! Indians capture one and burn him alive! It was all these things that had nothing to do with Martha/Thomas and if the focus is on them, then these assassin’s and their doom is just a side plot.
Also, I could not stand that Martha was all, “Is your name really Thomas Morgan?” and he just admits it without saying “HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THAT????” He does not question that she knows the name of the ship he came over on or his real name without any good way that she should have known that. She knows because the tinsmith is really an English spy (or loyalist or something) and hints these things at her and maybe it would be good for Thomas to know these things. I mean, maybe this came up earlier and I skimmed over it. Possible. Or it’s possible that it’s just a massive plot hole.
While Martha was a strict mother that clashed with her daughter but revealed her deep love for her, the Martha here is just…kinda terrible. There is a line between a headstrong, sharp-tongued woman and a bully, and Martha crosses that line. I never figured out when or why Thomas fell in love with her. He just suddenly did. Even though Martha had been nothing but mean to him. I mean, one of the servants smirked a bit when she jumped into the mud after refusing his hand to help her down and so she retaliates by making him sleep in the barn on a bitterly cold night. That is bullying behavior!!! And just because you are too proud does not mean other people should suffer for it!
And the thing is – she never gets better. I could accept all this if she goes through a humbling experience and becomes more controlled and compassionate, but that doesn’t happen. She remains arrogant and proud and biting. And Thomas falls for her anyway.
Plus, I thought the whole following-the-king’s-assassins was unnecessary and surprisingly lame. I think it would’ve worked better if it was all from Martha/Thomas’ perspectives and there were hints that some kind of conspiracy was going down but the reader wasn’t sure what or who the danger was until later. Instead of laying it out. Plus, the assassins kept getting killed of in semi-random ways. A servant girl poisons one because she’s a colonial spy! Indians capture one and burn him alive! It was all these things that had nothing to do with Martha/Thomas and if the focus is on them, then these assassin’s and their doom is just a side plot.
Also, I could not stand that Martha was all, “Is your name really Thomas Morgan?” and he just admits it without saying “HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THAT????” He does not question that she knows the name of the ship he came over on or his real name without any good way that she should have known that. She knows because the tinsmith is really an English spy (or loyalist or something) and hints these things at her and maybe it would be good for Thomas to know these things. I mean, maybe this came up earlier and I skimmed over it. Possible. Or it’s possible that it’s just a massive plot hole.